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Single/double/triple…. Pros and cons of each.
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rentonFree Member
Looking at changing my raceface triple chainset for something shimano but not sure on what to go for to be honest.
Do you need to be really fit to cope with a single ring at the front ?
How much weight would you lose going from a triple set up to single ring.
What are the pros and cons of each type ?
TrimixFree MemberHave a look at the gear ratios of each set up then you will pretty much answer the question for yourself.
For a lot of riders its not so much a weight saving, more a saving of the whole front Mech and shifter, which makes sense when using a dropper.
If you get that, then go 1xsomething. If you don’t, then just pick 2xsomethng, but you really need to understand the ratios first.
Have a look at Sheldon’s gear ratio web page to get an idea.
fasthaggisFull MemberWhy are you changing the race face chainset,is it worn out ?
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...mikewsmithFree MemberSingle with sram 10-42 is 2 gears less than a 26/38 double so not that much fitness change.
Shimano less gears in 1×11
Doubles give good range for extra weight triple has so many overlaps it’s not worth that much.taxi25Free MemberGoing to single saves a bit of weight and looses a few moving parts so thats good. You’ll a gear or two off the top and bottom though and there might be some bigger gaps between some of the gears.
You’ll get some people on here telling you they ride the Lakes/peaks with 34/36 low gear and their not particularly fit. Their liying or get of and push a lot 😀rentonFree MemberThere is nowt wrong with the raceface set up but I’m a bit of a shimano fan and just prefer their cranksets. Probably get slated for that but oh well.
I would like to drop some weight from my bike but don’t want to at the expense of rideability. I prefer to try and ride up hills rather than push.
Would I need an expander ring on the back ?
brFree MemberAnyone can ride with a single-ring, it’s just that they may need to use such a smaller cog (based on fitness and terrain) that they will run out of top speed.
Simplest way is to on use your middle ring of the triple and see how it rides, if you need a lower gear then you could easily add a cassette expander. Once you’ve worked out what is best for you, then look for a N/W ring for the front.
Once all the rest of the drive-train is worn out, you could then buy either SRAM or Shimano 11-spd in the correct ratio’s for you.
I put 1×10 on my FS about 9 months ago (30t front and 40t expander), works great. Once my HT’s 9-spd is fully worn out I’ll put XT 11-spd on that.
brFree MemberAnd sod replacing the crankset for the sake of it, wait ’till you’ve broken it.
mikewsmithFree MemberAll up to you Renton, are you going 10 or 11?
What do you run and where do you run out of gears, what you going to do. It’s really quite personal. But a standard 11-36 cassette will be harder work than an expanded one.martinhutchFull MemberIt’s easy really. Next time you’re out, note how often you have to reach for the bottom ring in granny gear (and maybe the next one up), and the two or three top gears in big ring. Those are the ones you’ll potentially lose in a 1xwhatever setup.
To my shame, I end up using the former pretty regularly even in the Dales, and the latter on virtually every ride.
TrimixFree MemberAs pointed out above – next time you ride your bike just don’t use the lowest one or two gears.
If you can cope with that you can pretty much go 1×10.
TheBrickFree MemberLearn to spin (well not even spn, more not mash) and you can easily loose teh big ring on a mtb, everyone should be able to loose the big ring on a mtb unless you have slicks on and are powering along the road. The lower end is up to and how strong a climber / the terain you ride.
DibbsFree MemberI was thing about this on yesterdays ride, I was in top gear (44-11, 26″ wheel bike) for approx two and a half of the three and a half mile road descent home from the top of the Quantocks.
Even allowing for larger wheels some thing like a 38 chainring (or smaller) is always going to be a compromise.gazhurstFree MemberI’ve just gone back to a double (38/28) set up on my 27.5 XC race bike.
I found that I was struggling to keep up with the 29ers on the flatter stuff when I ran a 32 or 34 single but a 36 or 38 was a bit too big to push up the climbs sometimes (ok when just riding but started to hurt when trying to go flat out and stay with a group).
I now find I can stay with (and sometimes pull away from) the 29ers with the 38 but I also have a bail out with the 28 should I need it.
I raced at the Southern XC yesterday where it was particularly flat and I did find myself almost topping out along the straights but didn’t need to use the granny.
I should point out that this is XTR 2×11….
martinhutchFull MemberIf you’re mainly riding trail centres or completely off-road routes, then I agree, big ring can probably go. I still have plenty of road sections to get through (and part of making them ‘entertaining’ is to push as big a gear as
possible), and quite often spin out my 32 ring on pedally descents off-road.If you’re the kind of rider who doesn’t mind pootling a bit on road or easy track descents, 1x has plenty of other advantages.
chiefgrooveguruFull MemberSimplest way is to on use your middle ring of the triple and see how it rides, if you need a lower gear then you could easily add a cassette expander. Once you’ve worked out what is best for you, then look for a N/W ring for the front.
Exactly. If you can ride everything happily in the middle ring then go 1×10. If you sometimes need to switch to the granny and use the 3rd lowest gear then a 40t expander cog will get you that same low gear. If you sometimes need to use the lowest two gears in the granny then stick with 2x or 3x.
chiefgrooveguruFull MemberIf you can spin reasonably fast you should be able to hit 40mph whilst still pedalling on a 1×10 set-up.
ransosFree MemberI was thing about this on yesterdays ride, I was in top gear (44-11, 26″ wheel bike) for approx two and a half of the three and a half mile road descent home from the top of the Quantocks.
Is freewheeling on a road descent a huge compromise?
whitestoneFree Member+1 to using just the middle ring to work out if you can cope with a 1x setup. It takes a little while to get used to it so don’t do it for just one ride but for a month or two.
I’m on a 1×10 (cheapo system using XT cassette with 40T extender) and reckon I lose about 1 1/2 ratios at either end of the range. Depending on what your riding priorities are you can shift this around a bit by changing the front ring. So smaller chainring if you aren’t bothered about spinning out on descents, larger chainring if you don’t have many steep hills about.
On a 29er with 32T chainring and 11-40 cassette I spin out somewhere in the mid 50kmh range, by which time I might as well do a bit of coasting/freewheeling.
jekkylFull MemberTriple:
Pros:
. lots of flexibility of gearing for different terrains.
. Won’t spin out so quick so can go faster on any part of the ride on road or hard pack fireroad stuff.
. Comparatively cheaper: chainrings, 2nd hand cranks/front mechs etc.cons:
. isn’t fashionable.😛
amediasFree MemberI was in top gear (44-11, 26″ wheel bike) for approx two and a half of the three and a half mile road descent
were you pedalling?
90RPM in that gear is ~27mph
Same speed as 36×10 @100RPM, and only a couple of MPH slower if you stuck at 90RPM.over your 2.5 miles the difference is negligible so I don’t think it’s much of a compromise unless you regularly use your MTB for raod riding.
Anyway, I normally find that if you reach that point, and it really is a descent then you’er better off just tucking and coasting.
martinhutchFull MemberIf you can spin reasonably fast you should be able to hit 40mph whilst still pedalling on a 1×10 set-up.
Bikecalc has a 34×11 at over 160 cadence for 40mph. I think my poor old knees and hip joints would implode if I tried to hold that for more than about 10 seconds. 44 ring would give you 120-odd, which I can manage.
30mph is probably a more meaningful speed for MTB though, so I take your point.
nickcFull MemberThere’s compromise in all of them really.
I’d suggest that for most folk who aren’t racing, then a 40-42t big ring can happily go, OK, they’re handy for long fireroad sections, and roadie grinds, but for most off road riding it’s a toothy bash guard. If you’re happy to keep the left hand shifter then a double makes a lot of sense, lots of chainring options to customise your ratios, a granny ring bailout for the last hill can be welcome. Single ring, less to go wrong, less mud collection, with a wide range cassette you can still get up most things.
I’m happily on single ring 32t front and 11-36 back (10 speed) I spin out at the top end rather than run out of gears at the bottom, I ride in the Pennines. I like climbing though.
rentonFree MemberMerlin have a zee chainset on offer currently.
Would I still need a nw chainring ?
brFree MemberI found that I was struggling to keep up with the 29ers on the flatter stuff when I ran a 32 or 34 single but a 36 or 38 was a bit too big to push up the climbs sometimes (ok when just riding but started to hurt when trying to go flat out and stay with a group).
Have you tried an oval ring?
Merlin have a zee chainset on offer currently.
Would I still need a nw chainring ?
Mate, don’t waste your money on a new crankset. And as said try just riding with the middle before buying a N/W.
nickcFull MemberWould I still need a nw chainring ?
For single ring? Yep I would, and a clutch mech
whitestoneFree MemberQuick point: with 1x setups it’s worth mentioning wheel size as well as chainring size as it makes quite a bit of difference.
Very roughly (there’s about 1% difference) the following are equivalent and give about an 80″ top gear (11T):
26″ with 34T
27.5″ with 32T
29″ with 30TrentonFree MemberBr can you convert a triple into a single ring setup then.
What nw would you recommend?
petersnellFree MemberJust converted my gyro 29er to 1×10 using the standard triple raceface crank (think it’s the same as yours?) Used hope 30t chain ring and a 40t expander. Lost a bit of top end but not enough to worry about. First ride out yesterday was 45 mile mixed ride and coped fine.
whitestoneFree MemberI’ve used a Race Face one and a Hope one. Not noticed any difference TBH so I’d just buy whichever one you find in your LBS or a good deal on.
rocketmanFree MemberDo you need to be really fit to cope with a single ring at the front ?
Yes an absolute trail legend
How much weight would you lose going from a triple set up to single ring.
A fair bit of scrap metal and cableage going double-to-single, offset slightly by the almost plastic nature of the RF N/W
What are the pros and cons of each type ?
You just get used to not having any more gears left and man up. Also a super-quiet and smooth drivetrain
nickjbFree MemberThere is a loss in range with 1x but you can choose whether to take this off the top, bottom or a bit of both. I’ve found that’s more than made up for by being in the right gear more often.
antigeeFull Member“jekkyl – Member
Triple:
…………………
cons:
. isn’t fashionable”what goes round may well come around, maybe not the traditional triple but I’m willing to predict that bikes with long mechs, huge cogs on the back and horrible chain lines will be eclipsed by some sort of must have front shifting revolution in the foreseeable future
fasthaggisFull Memberwhat goes round may well come around, maybe not the traditional triple but I’m willing to predict that bikes with long mechs, huge cogs on the back and horrible chain lines will be eclipsed by some sort of
must have front shifting revolutiongearbox in the foreseeable future🙂
ahwilesFree Memberrecently fitted a 30t NW ring, so it’s early days, but…
it turns out i like using a front mech, it’s a quick way of making a big change in gearing. 1 click, done.
with a single ring at the front, i need to do a lot more shifting with the rear mech to get the gear i want, it (feels like it) takes ages, i’m finding it a bit frustrating tbh.
engaging a climbing gear has gone from:
‘click’
to:
‘click-click-click-releaseshifter-click-click-click-releaseshifter-click’
i’m sure i’ll get used to it, i’ll have to, one of the reasons i bought a NW ring was the cheaper cost compared to 2 new chainrings and some bolts (it’s complicated). i’m committed to it now.
but 1x is not the no-brainer, no-argument win, that 2x was.
froodFree Memberwhat goes round may well come around, maybe not the traditional triple but I’m willing to predict that bikes with long mechs, huge cogs on the back and horrible chain lines will be eclipsed by some sort of must have front shifting revolution in the foreseeable future
Along with 26″ wheels because they are “more robust, lighter and more responsive”.
whitestoneFree MemberI’ll use the middle six sprockets most of the time; the next two (2 & 8 ) occasionally and the outer two (1 & 10) slightly less than that. So I don’t have “horrible chain lines” very often
There will be more wear on the chain ring as there’s no sharing of the load as there is with a double or triple but I got 3000Km out of mine and the same out of the cassette but used two chains over that period of time. The 40T extender wasn’t really worn so I’ve continued with that.
That’s about 15 months worth of riding through all sorts of conditions. Not sure how it compares with a 3x setup for longevity.
martinhutchFull MemberWhich do you think are the climbs round our way which you’ve missed the granny the most? I can think of one or two which I clear now where I’d be close to taking a walk without the granny – not sure how much MTFU I have in reserve.
nickcFull Membereclipsed by some sort of must have front shifting revolution in the foreseeable future
I understood that the move to single ring has in part been driven by the needs of suspension design, especially for LT29ers? I appreciate that single ring up front has been around for ages, but it’s largely been confined to a minority of riders, wider 1×11 set ups, I thought, were developed by SRAM to get over some design issues. I can’t see the return of front mechs in a hurry.
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