I’m ok at going up hills unless they’re ridiculously steep, and I ride Leith and Holmbury areas usually a couple of times a week. Really thinking about ditching my triple for 2×10. How do you all fair with the hills round here, and what ratios are best for going up but still allowing me to pedal down without my legs zooming round at 100mph?
Cheers.

I use the ski lifts personally. The descents are so long that I’d rather save my energy.

You’ll be overbiked 1×1 works fine

Yes. I ride them on 1 x 10 with a 32 front on a 29er, so a 26/38 with 11:36 at the rear gives you a far easier gear (which is what I have on my big day out bike)

Dunno – I’ve just built up a bike with 2.10 and I’m not expecting a problem.

Just did 30 miles on my singlespeed over there today. It was great. In fact, I haven’t used gears there in over a year.

Are you a mere mortal though?

If I do go 2×10 can I run it with a bb mounted chain device when I go for uplift days? Don’t have ISCG tabs to mount it to.

I ride 1×10 everywhere, including SH and I am a mere mortal. 34T up front and never had a problem – best decision I ever took! Maybe if I rode lakes or some real hills more then I’d miss a granny ring, but not down here…

This is a wind up shirley? 🙂

ive gone 2×9, ditched the 32 and 44 and put on a 36 to give me 22-36 on the front with a 11-34 on the rear.

I find it a really good spread and only lost a few ratios vs having a 44 on there so never find myself spinning out but helps me on the dartmoor hills being a mortal.

1×10 with 36t ring here, perfect for Surrey Hills for me.

I’m ok at going up hills unless they’re ridiculously steep, and I ride Leith and Holmbury areas usually a couple of times a week. Really thinking about ditching my triple for 2×10

Depends if you usually climb in the ring you remove you will now be a bit slower or if that ring was the granny and you remove it walking a bit more

30/40 rings and 11-36 on the back is fine on a 29er.

Just don’t use whichever front cog you want to take off. If you can do it, take it off.

+1 njee

10 gears are plenty, one is enough

If anyone can make it up the Landrover track with a 1×10 I’d gladly buy them a pint.

best 2x for me was to drop the big keep the granny and up the middle to 36 which was the biggest gap I could get. What you use depends on what your used to and how you go with cadence. Best way is to try it out, dropping the big is easy. If you can cope with whats left then thats fine, if not up the rings that are left.

BB mounted guides work well so long as you have a BB spacer to take out.

Remove big ring, add bash. That’s it

Im as fit as a one-legged Chinaman. Seriously and I ride 1×9 up north. Surrey Hills though, you really need a Carbon 9inch bike for around there with matching POC

1×10 32t up front works fine for me…couple of fire road push ups that arnt really rideable anyway over winterfold area….you will be fine mate…go for it!!

hora – I saw tight lycra shorts mixed with POC knee pads yesterday. Matching wear for the chubby couple.

It was gopping.

If anyone can make it up the Landrover track with a 1×10 I’d gladly buy them a pint.

Which one, I’ll have a go? Assuming it can be ridden on a triple. If its unrideable then 1×10 isn’t the issue!

If anyone can make it up the Landrover track with a 1×10 I’d gladly buy them a pint.

Sounds like a challenge… where’s the Land Rover track?

It’s one of the tracks off the side of Ranmore. It has the remains of a burnt out Landrover about half way up it. I’ve heard of a couple of people doing it with triple chainsets but it’s sooooo steep and in the wet would be a real challenge over all the roots. You could strap an engine to my bike and I still wouldn’t be able to make it up. I was forced to create my own ‘clutched’ rear mech this morning with cable ties because the spring broke on mine at Summer Lightning. This meant riding it single speed back. How do you guys do it?

1×10 – not only the Surrey hills but everywhere, 32T front with 11-36 cassette

I’ve always found 1 gear to be sufficient for the Surrey Hills, but as has already been asked – are you a mortal 🙂

Cheers, Rich

It’s one of the tracks off the side of Ranmore. It has the remains of a burnt out Landrover about half way up it. I’ve heard of a couple of people doing it with triple chainsets but it’s sooooo steep and in the wet would be a real challenge over all the roots. You could strap an engine to my bike and I still wouldn’t be able to make it up.

So the 1×10 thing is a complete red herring? You will also struggle to get up a vertical wall.

That’s not Surrey Hills anyway 😉

1×10 – not only the Surrey hills but everywhere, 32T front with 11-36 cassette

Then you’d have been pushing a lot on our ride today, and tbh on most of the steep stuff around here.

And no way could you get up the BW climb that comes up to Leith Tower from the Coldharbour side with that gearing.

You’re kidding Bruce? I could do that in a 42t when I ran a double.

Unrideable hills in Surrey 😀
Can’t imagine how so many folk manage riding 1×9 in Scotland,the Lakes,the Peak district,Yorkshire etc etc etc

That’s not Surrey Hills anyway

The N.Downs from Farnham to Oxted, so including Ranmore, is part of the Surrey Hills.

The AONB yes, but not the part of the Greensand Ridge innit? Was only joking anyway.

Unrideable hills in Surrey
Can’t imagine how so many folk manage riding 1×9 in Scotland,the Lakes,the Peak district,Yorkshire etc etc etc

There are plenty, the one Bruce mentions is not one however!

You’re kidding Bruce? I could do that in a 42t when I ran a double.

Nick, do we mean the same climb? I’m talking about the very steep bit near the top, from the small saddle – most seem to either come a different way or push as it’s a granny climb for 99% of the rest.

Except mega-gods I guess 😉

The rocky one, with the gate at the bottom? Goes right to the tower.

That climb to the tower is pretty short so you just have to pick your line, get some momentum and attack it. SPDs and not flatties though.

To be fair if the prize is big enough I’ll give climb a go with my 1×9 setup (22 up front)

22? Mines 28. A good compromise

Well no one’s chosen a ratio they don’t think is a good compromise, so it’s pretty pointless to tell everyone what you have is best!

I have only come across a couple of climbs that would’ve been easier with an easier gear. That’s not to say everything is rideable on 1×10, but I don’t find it a hindrance, and in the Surrey Hills I find it perfect.

I can’t be bothered to go 1x until 1×11 gets cheaper so if I needed to do a climbing challenge 1x I’d just pick the smallest ring size, so much easier as the chain rings are not welded on to just swap for what you need 🙂

To be fair if the prize is big enough I’ll give climb a go with my 1×9 setup (22 up front)

Nope, I can get up with a granny, just.