Managed to get a Sustrans subsidised bike maintenance session last night. 5quid for 2 hours and learnt a lt of basic stuff and had my gear issues sorted as well. Happy days.

Slightly less good is that I found out I shouldn’t have gone for a single up front with a 10 speed rear cassette, it just doesn’t run well in the small cog at the back.

Wit this in mind i am thinking of going back to a triple u front and have seen this on offer http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63032

The big question for you guysis whether it will work ok with a shimano XT cassette on the back?

Cheers as always.

Slightly less good is that I found out I shouldn’t have gone for a single up front with a 10 speed rear cassette, it just doesn’t run well in the small cog at the back.

What? 1 x 10 is The Latest Thing.

Can you not add a spacer to sort the chainline

No – it’s 1×11 now, keep up 😉

It might be the latest thing if you don’t mind your legs spinning at 100mph while moving not very much.

I made a mistake, as this bike is to be used for general messing about and a fair bit of road stuff I need some extra umph! As well as being very anal over any slight noise due to things not being quite right.

So can I mix?

What size chainring have you got up front?

Edit – sorry, missed your comment about road use.

34 up front but want to know if you can mix brands.

I’ve got Race Face up front and Shimano out back, so I guess it’s possible.

1×10 doesn’t really cut it if you want to properly ride on the road (ie, not just link up sections/rides in a half-assed couldn’t-care-less way). But then neither does 2×10.

But that’s OK, it’s what road bikes are for 😉

As for the little ring- you ought to be able to get them all working nicely.

Urrrgghhhhhhh buying a road bike would mean Lycra and stuff. The thought makes me shiver.

So I am guessing by the lack of “oh yeah don’t worry I do it all the time” type answers, this would be a risky purchase.

You can mix and match chainsets fine.

Thank you cynical.

A little more digging has dug up another issue though. Apparently the FSA crankset on offer only fits BB30’s. not sure my 2005 GT frame will have one.

It won’t.

1×10 works fine on a single ring IF you put the chainring in the right place .

Middle ring position only.

I have e 13 up front and shimano on the back all good to mix.

Question – where should the front chainring line up to the back? some where in the middle? Think I may need to spacer mine out a bit. When i push my chain onto the smallest cog at the back i can’t put any pressure on it without it slipping

Think you might be right Salome. I am thinking spacer.