I'm switching to a 1x10 set-up and can't decide on what size chainring to run. I've got an 11-36 cassette, but can't decide what ring so I don't destroy my knees on climbs or run out of gears on the way down.
Any advice?
What are you running?
Does anyone make odd tooth sizes for fine tuning?
where do you ride, what do you ride and how fit are you?
34t
leggyblonde.
I ride an Orange 5. Mixture of stuff in the Peaks and also Trail centre's. I would say above average fitness, normally do about 4-6hours a week, but certainly no race whippet!
I'm with Jimmers ... 34t here in mid Wales, plenty of big, proper climbs and it seems fine 95% of the time.
34 seems about right in that case as others have said.
My Pitch is 1x10 and a touch heavier so after starting on a 34t i moved to a 32t up front with a 11-36 cassette, no issues on the ups or downs, i imagine if i was riding roads and fireroads i'd spin out but that's not what i use that bike for.
Same as stevede.
It'll depend on your cassette and wheel/tyre size as these affect your effective gearing of course.
Assuming you've got a 26" wheel with a 2.1"/2.2" ish tyre a 32T ring will be a good all rounder. With a standard cassette you'll miss the bigger gears on flat road sections and spinny gears for the steepest of climbs. A 34T with an 11-36 cassette is a good solution if you're swapping everything
Rob
[url= http://www.bigrobracing.co.uk ]bigrobracing.co.uk[/url]
If you are pretty fit a 36t is the best IMO. I have ridden in wales, scotland, alps and back home in England with nbo trouble. Especially as you have a 11-36 cassette. 34t is likely to leave you under geared when pointing down and in quick flowy singletrack.
I ride a five also for what its worth
I run a 32 front with 11-32 rear on a 9 speed currently and I reckon I'll go to a 34 when I eventually replace it all with 10 speed and a 11-36 at the back. You could always buy a 32 and a 36 and change them depending on where your riding, it's a pretty quick job and as you can buy unramped chainrings you should be able to do it pretty cheaply.
I'd run a 33 just to be different.
E-Thirteen do odd numbers. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=55190
I used 38 to 11-34 (1x9) in the Peaks
Now using 34 - 11-28 (1x8) arround North Yorkshire.
TBH I only do it to make swaping to SS easier. By the time you've fitted a single chainring which invariably weighs more than the ramped one it replaces, and run either a 1x chain device or a bashring and jump stop the setup probably weighs within 100g of a more normal setup.
I run a 36 with 11-36, racier bike, and fairly fit rider. Personally I'd feel undergeared with anything less, but I do usually ride on the road to the trails, YMMV.
I rode a slice of the SDW with 48T/11-34 on 29". Can't say it was ideal, but I didn't run out of gears on the way down..
My general rule of thumb is go 1:1 ratio with the big cog on the back end. I have a 11-34 9 speed with a 34t ring. So I'd say go for 36. If you can find cheap rings at varying sizes on here then try different ones out. You wont lose much if anything in value.
Saying that, my hardtail has a 11-32 with 38t as I got it FOC and it rides ok but generally only messing about or by the lady.
I run a 36t with an 11-34 cassette - but I do have bigger (650B) wheels.
Fine most of the time round Yorkshire etc. am pretty fit so tend to power up climbs.
But would go down to 35t or 34t for an epic day in cumbria say..