[Closed] Bike build = gearing help!!

Assuming you're running a single ring up front, then the new Saint 10 speed mech works with 11-36 cassettes, as does the Zee 'freeride' version, both short cage. And as they both have clutches they won't be too flappy compared to a close ratio cassette with a normal mech.

Saint is heavy!!!

Never bent the lesser models of Shimano on some fairly tough riding (alps, mega, lakes) and I tried.

Why do you want XTR? (Honest question)

Why do you want XTR? (Honest question)

Not to sure just thought i would go with the best.

what would you do?

 

I'd be inclined to avoid Saint and E13 downhill cranks on an all mountain build. DH cranks are pretty heavy and overbuilt, yes they last forever and feel nice and stiff, but I think you should save weight everywhere you can within reason to keep the overall weight of these bikes down. SLX, XT and XTR cranks are more than up to the job. I'd go XTR if you can afford it.

As for gear ratios - I would recommend a 34 or 32t ring up front and an 11-34 or 11-36 out the back. Unless you're a real beast I'd avoid 11-28, and chosing it just for the sake of a ss rear mech makes no sense imo, especially when you have zee, slx, xt, xtr options. If you really wanted to you could fit a zee short cage to say, an xtr rear mech to give you less chance of twisiting it whilst still giving you up to 11-36.

thanks jimjam that does make sense but i wanted to keep with an 1x10 set up can i achieve this with the XTR

As has been said, Saint and Zee both work for 11-36 cassettes. 11-28 makes no sense to me on anything but a proper DH bike.

I'm running xt, cranks shifter mech and cassette on a 1x10 setup 32t front 36-11 rear. I myself do a lot of lakes riding and have never had any problems, saint gear is just overkill I'd say keep the weight down. They are still build to high standards and are pretty stiff if you ask me, I'm not light by any means and my gear gets abused but stands up well

Just had a read up what about going sram XX1 what are people views on this

Expensive to say the least, have you tried roseversand for shimano products there offer very good rates!

Hi joeditch thanks for the help/info but going to stick with my LBS as they have been really good to me. prob pay a little more but its worth it just for the service i get

XX1 if you can stretch to it.

installment plan me thinks

If its a single ring up front I'd get a Zee+ short cage rear mech and a nice light(er) XT 11-36 cassette, good for up-down and along. If you want some XTR, get a shifter..
With a nice Renthal/hope ring and chain device up front. And when you smash/bend the mech you won't cry..
Cos you will if its an XTR one..

XX1 crank, Zee rear mech, XTR shifter and cassette if you can afford it.

Saint shifter is a lot nicer than XTR IMO- doesn't have that vague "1 shift or two" feeling.

Rear mech for a bike that's going to see hard use- I'd put XT on it at most, it's going to get whacked. Saint is tough but expensive. Zee maybe makes most sense.

Cranks- unless you're massive, don't go OTT on cranks, there's fairly few quality cranks that won't be up for the job and you don't really need the weight penalty. I ran SLX on my dh bike, no bother.

And yeah, big cassette- very little drawback to it, and if you want to pedal a hefty bike with sticky tyres up a decent size hill you'll be glad for it.

Northwind - Member

Saint shifter is a lot nicer than XTR IMO- doesn't have that vague "1 shift or two" feeling.

Rear mech for a bike that's going to see hard use- I'd put XT on it at most, it's going to get whacked. Saint is tough but expensive. Zee maybe makes most sense.

Cranks- unless you're massive, don't go OTT on cranks, there's fairly few quality cranks that won't be up for the job and you don't really need the weight penalty. I ran SLX on my dh bike, no bother.

And yeah, big cassette- very little drawback to it, and if you want to pedal a hefty bike with sticky tyres up a decent size hill you'll be glad for it.

I would agree with pretty much everything Northwind has said there - Saint shifter feels incredible, and it's ergonomically far nicer. Then again, it's heavier and more expensive.

My XT shadow plus rear mech lasted two rides - a fairly innocuous crash wrote it off so I went for zee which appears to be much tougher, metal switch as opposed to plastic etc.

bruders338 - Member

thanks jimjam that does make sense but i wanted to keep with an 1x10 set up can i achieve this with the XTR

Yes you can.

svalgis - Member

XX1 crank, Zee rear mech, XTR shifter and cassette if you can afford it.

I haven't checked it out but I would presume XX1 would have a strange bcd and probably designed to work with it's own chain and maybe bb. I can't see any point to using it unless you have the full xx1 set up, it'll just make it awkward and expensive to get chain rings for.

Works with 10spd chains, BB is included I think? Standard SRAM BB anyway (a few different versions available). Chainrings are indeed more expansive but on the other hand you should be able to run it without a chainguide if you pair it with a clutch mech. Well, now that I think about it, maybe not on a FS that's going to get thrown around quite a bit, but I'd atleast do some research into that before deciding.

well just rang my lbs and it seems going XX1 is cheaper than XX/XO purely because of the single chain ring over the double.
but on the XX1 i am looking at £300 for a cassette which make it expensive later on..

but the weight for an XX1 total is approx 1400 grams

XTR seems cheap at only about £800 for the lot but thats running a double and seem to be the heaviest..

i like the XX1 but you have to stick with the XX1 no swapping and changing (i believe)

I think there's an element of crossing your fingers and hoping more 11-speed stuff comes along at sensible prices. I'm really keen on the idea but right now you're buying in at the bleeding edge. SRAM are excellently open about the fact that they're scalping people now because they can, and they won't drop the price til that stops 😆

As much as I like 1x10 I am a bit disappointed by XX1. 32 x 11-36 would get you up virtually anything short of the steepest slipperiest climbs, and anything below 32 up front results in spinning out too easily.

The cassette just seems pointlessly big, I'd far rather have seen a 9th at the bottom of the block, anything bigger than 36 at the top just seems silly.

As much as I like 1x10 I am a bit disappointed by XX1. 32 x 11-36 would get you up virtually anything short of the steepest slipperiest climbs, and anything below 32 up front results in spinning out too easily.

The cassette just seems pointlessly big, I'd far rather have seen a 9th at the bottom of the block, anything bigger than 36 at the top just seems silly.

jimjam- kind of stating the obvious, but it allows you to up to a bigger cog at the front! 9-tooth is pretty tight, it'd wear fast and could be pretty inefficient too.

But then again the big cassette isn't as [i]pretty[/i] as a smaller one. Boohoo.

svalgis

Replace the 32t with something bigger. Problem solved.

Decreasing ground clearance and putting your chain ring in the firing line.

9-tooth is pretty tight, it'd wear fast and could be pretty inefficient too.

For the amount of time you'd spend in it I doubt wear rate would be a huge concern.

32t / 11-36 slx 10 speed

From my top comment about why xtr..

I'd probably go SRAM X9 with X0 shifters (missus just got some an they are very nice)

Cranks
XT Probably as tough as you ned

LG With bash probably.