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Am running a spicy currently and a std XTR chainset. A lot has been said about running 2 rings and I'm a little confused. Could you please explain the advantages / disadvantages of running 2 rings over 3 and the benefits I could gain by going to 2 rings and what size rings to use?
Thanks in advance. By the way I ride singletrack and a small smattering of light DH.
Depend on your current riding...do you find yourself rarely using the big ring? That's what I found and so got rid of it & replaced it with a bash ring. Unless you really need a bash (I didn't), I think it's just an aesthetic thing to go dual ring. I'm taking it a step further now and going 1x9 as that granny is so rarely used. The payoff is better there as you can drop a few components, but essentialy I think dual is done just because it looks cool. I went 22 /32 with an 11/34 cassette on my dual setup which was fine for my riding.
More ground clearance without a big ring and if you use a bash then nothing spiky to stick in your leg when you crash. 22/36 rings you only lose the top gear or two compared to a triple. Shorter chain is possible so less chain slap as you have more tension. No bash and you ahve saved a tiny bit of weight if that matters to you.
I'm considering this too and do similar riding to you. I have quite a low BB and I'm bashing my big chain ring more than I'm using it so might change. I think you can get different ratios. I was looking at SLX which I think is 36/22.
What tj said ESP clearance
GiantJaunt - you can get chainrings in loads of sizes - some folk use higher than the 22/36 I run
"I think it's just an aesthetic thing to go dual ring"
Of course it isn't 😛 Removing stuff you don't use is a sensible approach, since it saves weight for free and also in this case improves your ground clearance, which can be a big deal.
Looks better and is much lower profile so less chance of catching it on logs/rocks/legs. 1x9 looks the best unless you get an especially ugly chainguide!
You've still got the shifter/mech/cables and a lot of bash rings are heavier than outer 44T rings (+ the extra long bolts are heavier), so probably heavier in the end
Not if you don't run a bashring. Or a lightweight bashring for that matter, the one I've got on the way uses standard bolts and weighs less than an XT 44T ring.