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I went from 3x9 to 2x9 with 26/36 up front. Then got fitter and put a 38 up front. Then realized i stopped using the granny ring so went 1x11.
I've had no issues with low or high gearing and I moved from 2x9 running 11-34 with 26/38 to 10-42 with 32. To give you some background I am relatively heavy at the mo due to my medication and also not particularly quick/strong right now as a result. Still, I can winch up most natural stuff from Snowdon, Long Mynd, Malvern, Peaks to any of the climbs on the major Welsh and Scottish trail centres and go pretty quickly coming down too. The gearing doesn't limit me.
I ran a 1 x 9 setup on the hardtail when i bought it and didnt like it, uphills were a slog and i could spin out
I don't think it's fair to compare an 11-32 or 34 cassette to the SRAM 10-42, it's got 44% wider ratios!
doesnt give me anything that a 2 x 10 doesnt already have...in fact it takes away ratios!
11x loses one top and one bottom gear, OK it's a loss, but how long do you actualy spend in the top gear? I swapped my 1x10 to a 12-36 (by accident) and didn't notice untill it was worn out!
I can see the agruments in favour of a tripple if you have to do a lot of downhill or flat road miles, but really 11x and 2x10 are so close in terms of ratios that the only thing splitting them is increaced cost decreaced weight and better usability (be honest, front shifting is rarely perfect).
I'm not a fanboi, I don't own any 11x drivechains, but the arguments against it are (IMO) purely financial ones, there's no functional downside unless you really do need a 22-36 bottom gear or 36-11 top gear, the former of which I can't ever say I find useable* and the latter isn't useable off-road, it's only 20% (2 MTB shifts) below 52-13 which was the highest gear of most road bikes untill 9s came allong.
*too much torque makes the wheel slip, if it's that steep the front wheel lifts, below walking pache there's no momentum so it's too easy to stall on obstacles it's just not a useable gear, infact much below 22-28 is barely ever used/useable except for short sections.
1x11 doesn't just lose one at the top + bottom, it loses plenty mid range that make riding smoother with less of a jump.
Anyone that can't set up a front mech to work properly needs to get on a general maintenance course. If you can't set up a front then how on earth do you get a rear shifting smoothly?
Out of interest what sort of riding do those running 1x usually do? I personally cover most aspects from trail centers to long distance bw trips taking in road work. Having tried 1x11 I just can't see how it would be anything but a compromise for my riding.
Out of interest what sort of riding do those running 1x usually do? I personally cover most aspects from trail centers to long distance bw trips taking in road work. Having tried 1x11 I just can't see how it would be anything but a compromise for my riding.
I think the important thing to bear in mind for any gearing discussion is that it's both the riding you do and how your body pedals best - some are much more powerful & efficient within a narrow range of cadence, other have a broader rpm range within which they're happy pedalling. Also, the more you push yourself within your ability, the more your cadence range will tend to narrow. I know I can spin really quickly on road sections and am happy to stand up and grind at low rpm on steep stuff, so basic 1x10 is fine for me. If I were XC racing I'd want some lower gears so I could maintain a higher cadence on climbs because that would help my endurance when pushing myself that hard.
Out of interest what sort of riding do those running 1x usually do? I personally cover most aspects from trail centers to long distance bw trips taking in road work. Having tried 1x11 I just can't see how it would be anything but a compromise for my riding.
General trail riding, occasionally trail centre's, uplift days, DH days, DH racing, enduro racing, etc.
Run a 34T front, 11-42 on the back.
Never felt like I need more gears top or bottom.
Last bike I rode with a double on the front nearly ended up thrown in a bush. With no guide I don't think i've ever dropped so many chains in a day.
Out of interest what sort of riding do those running 1x usually do?
Bit of everything, more the XC bias - local riding is Surrey Hills, so 30+ mile rides there, bit of road to and from trails, some local bridleway stuff, XC racing all over the place, the odd trail centre.