[Closed] New granny gear thing for 1x10 users.

Sounds interesting, something similar to this but 40t and about £35-40 would be ideal

In the email Works suggested 40T and 42T around £45-55. Not bad if it comes off!

Would/does the chain stay on a standard 22t granny ring with a clutch mech? Has anyone tried?

If you are only grinding up a hill and then popping it back on the other ring at the top it should be fine.

Would be a good option for trails where you have long fire-road climbs...

Cheaper and simpler than that General lee job isn't it, still a little steep for what it is perhaps...

Whoever does something similar (in aluminium rather than Stainless) for around the ~£40 mark or roughly the equivalent price of a posh chainring (which is about as complex to make) will clean up IMO...

If it happens to be workscomponents then I can see them doing very nicely with a Thick/thin chainring & big sprocket "Bundle"...

So one solution to getting the right 1x10 set up is to actually ride 2x10 without a front mech.............

Or ride 1x 10.5/11, because you don't have enough gears......

Sounds like 2 x 10 is the answer.

Not in my opinion; 2 x 10 involves front mechs and shifters, plus means you can't run a narrow-wide front ring.

1x10 is fantastic but for the occasional 6hr, 40mile epic in the lakes a 22t may come in handy and it's easy to install/remove.

1x10 is fantastic but for the occasional 6hr, 40mile epic in the lakes a 22t may come in handy and it's easy to install/remove.

With vouchers and cashback you can get an X01 setup (minus the cranks) at crc for £450, that's with a hope freehub!

Incidentally if anyone really wants a bailout gear for their 1x10, here's what to do. Get a thick/think chainring and a clutch, and go with no chain device. Now, fit a granny ring. It weighs nowt, and the only way to shift into it is to get off and move the chain by , so you'll not be tempted to use it all the time but it's there when your legs give out. Ta da!
(it has the extra advantage that it'll infuriate people on the internet)

I realised I could do that the other day. Production Codeine bikes might be coming like that 🙂

When will we see the production codeine bikes Brant?

New trickstuff 11-40 cassettes being shipped in the next 2-3 weeks, to be followed by 11-38. Not cheap at £169.99...but still better than sram prices.

Liking Northwinds solution though.

groundskeeperwilly - Member
When will we see the production codeine bikes Brant?
POSTED 36 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Codeine29 well into production. We are getting final production samples in a few weeks just to check everything is to tolerance.

I think end of January is feasible

1x10 is fantastic but for the occasional 6hr, 40mile epic in the lakes a 22t may come in handy and it's easy to install/remove.
agree

Ah, you mean 'mountain biking'

Codeine29 well into production. We are getting final production samples in a few weeks just to check everything is to tolerance.

I think end of January is feasible

Great-any teasers on price or potential build kits, weights etc?

So the ideal setup for 1x10 is to have two chainrings up front? 😆

(TBF to Northwind I've thought exactly that in the past. Would only really work with a narrow-wide ring and no device, of course. Never got around to trying it out though)

A straw poll - how many people have tried a 32 front with an 11-36 and found it to be adequate. I have now ran it for 12 months and found it perfect

what everyone really needs is a hammerschmidt 🙂

A straw poll - how many people have tried a 32 front with an 11-36 and found it to be adequate. I have now ran it for 12 months and found it perfect

Summer- More than fine, completely perfect

Winter- Mostly fine except when combining a day of having bad legs with particularly sticky mud clogging everything up and draggy mud tyres. Then grinding up a long, steep climb at 60rpm has me wishing for another gear or two!

Racing- Fine on the climbs but I was wishing for an extra harder gear or two to keep up with groups on longer, pedally descents (don't really ride anything like this at home so not set up for it)

Overall, adequate but I wouldn't turn down a bit more range. Can't face going back to the mess and faff of having a front mech again so XX1 is appealing but I don't have the pennies at the moment.

So the ideal setup for 1x10 is to have two chainrings up front?

(TBF to Northwind I've thought exactly that in the past. Would only really work with a narrow-wide ring and no device, of course. Never got around to trying it out though)

Great-any teasers on price or potential build kits, weights etc?

We worked out from £1499 with a Pike and x9 and a monarch to £2499 with x01, ccdb and reverb.

Frames from £799 with CCDB.

Frame weight is 7lb w/o shock. It's no lightweight but it's solid.

Proper fun trail bike.

A straw poll - how many people have tried a 32 front with an 11-36 and found it to be adequate. I have now ran it for 12 months and found it perfect

Certainly a big advantage of 650b over 29in is it makes the gears lower.

mashiehood - Member

A straw poll - how many people have tried a 32 front with an 11-36 and found it to be adequate. I have now ran it for 12 months and found it perfect

Not perfect- there's times on faster trails I could do with a higher gear (not because I spin out but because I might like to pedal slower). And certainly times it's been hard work on the climbs! But I do like it despite or maybe because of the drawbacks.

Wonder how well this works with a 10 speed rear mech? I thought the 11 speeds were significantly different in order to get out the way of, and shift up to, the massive sprocket

This is the reason I ditched my General Lee. Regular rear mechs (medium and long cage, it made no odds) just weren't capable of dealing with the big cogs effectively. No matter how much b-tension fiddling, it wouldn't shift smoothly on and off the adaptor from the regular cassette gears.

The reason for it is the position of the upper jockey wheel, it's too far back on a normal mech which won't allow the chain to pick up on the cassette cog early enough to give you a good shift. This is where the XX1 type rear mech has the advantage at the minute.

I've gone back to an 11-36 cassette with a 30t wolftooth ring any I can get up everything I could with my General Lee.

Robarnold – were you running the 40t or 42t version? I haven’t had any problems yet in 4 ½ months running a 40t General Lee and medium cage XT clutch mech. There's a little bit of overshifting required going up the Generals cogs, due to the lack of ramps I guess, but the mech lifts the chain into place easily enough, even on the biggest 40t cog. It drops down ok too. However, I think the 42t version might be a step too far for a standard mech as mine is already at its limit with the 40t.

1x10 - great idea!

Hang on I cant get up the hills.... Wait, how about bodging the cassette to include a dustbin lid sized sprocket!!

Hmm still not enough... I know, a big ring and a little ring with no front mech! Great idea...

...But if only I could switch rings while riding.... I know put the front mech back on and move it by hand??

...No that's no good maybe if i Attach a cable to the mech and pull on that when I want to switch?

...Well kind of works but its bloody hard work. This would be a lot easier if I attached the cable to some sort of lever arrangement.

Cor this is great! Im going on dragons Den!

Doh!!!!

The clear caveat to a 1x10 setup is having the legs to pedal it properly.

I understand the benefits, but if the gearing compromise is too much for your legs/lungs, it is a bit silly.

I've run it for 3 years now, 34T front, 11-36 out back, Lots of riding, and racing. Only time it was a real ballache was when I missed a lift back from Oz back up to Alpe D'Huez, so had to do a beast of a fire road climb, which hurt, a lot. Hardly a representation of a normal ride though (1000m continuous climbs!).

Looks like a better solution than the General Lee on my wife's bike though. If it shifts on/off the new big ring properly.

The clear caveat to a 1x10 setup is having the legs to pedal it properly.

and as you just described - the length and grade of the hills you [b]normally[/b] climb.

Most people can honk it for a few mins but not many for 20+

I am very happily running a 1x9 set-up with a 12-36 cassette. However, I have a shifter, front mech and granny ring in my parts box waiting to go back on for any really big trips.

🙂

Incidentally if anyone really wants a bailout gear for their 1x10, here's what to do. Get a thick/think chainring and a clutch, and go with no chain device. Now, fit a granny ring. It weighs nowt, and the only way to shift into it is to get off and move the chain by , so you'll not be tempted to use it all the time but it's there when your legs give out. Ta da!

I'm struggling with this, why would you not just fit a front mech? Shirely the only advantage of the thick/thin is that you don't need a guide but if you have a mech (oh and the minor weight loss, with no mech/shifter), you can use normal rings that are cheaper & do exactly the same job & won't fall off?

Mashiewood, after 10 months on a 32:11-36, when it wears out, I bailing got everything to replace it with a dual ring setup. Call me a whimp but my knee's hurt.

I'm struggling with this, why would you not just fit a front mech? Shirely the only advantage of the thick/thin is that you don't need a guide but if you have a mech (oh and the minor weight loss, with no mech/shifter), you can use normal rings that are cheaper & do exactly the same job & won't fall off?

Normal rings don't do exactly the same job! Singlespeed rings are better at keeping the chain on than shifting rings. Thick-thin rings are better still.

I like this idea - I run 34t 11-36 1x10 all the time, and have been on 1x10 or 1x9 for a few years now. I can't remember the last time I needed a lower gear but if I were going to Wales or Scotland or anywhere with really long climbs (and if it's a trip away I'm doing multiple consecutive days of riding) it would be nice to have some lower gears to save the legs. Adding a granny ring without shifter or mech would do that with minimal hassle. Recently my away trips having involved uplift so the legs have had an easier time! 😉

Maybe I'm not riding hard enough then, but I can't say my chain ever fell off with normal rings and a mech, as the mech kept it on 😉

z1ppy - Member
Maybe I'm not riding hard enough then, but I can't say my chain ever fell off with normal rings and a mech, as the mech kept it on

You obviously haven't fully bought into the [i]'Enduro Life'[/i] that requires you to shred everything down and dawdle back up (within an allotted time of course) on your single ringed uber-sled and day-glow baggies & special lid 😆

Depends where and how you ride surely. My long Chilterns training loop is 60m with 20% roads and the rest non tech tracks. Only 1100m climbing but it's either looong or steeep and occasionaly both. I'm quite fit and quite light and still need 24x36 up the steep bits and not far off on the long ones.

A mech clatters a bit on the downs and towards the end of a full on winter ride can be a bit sticky getting the big ring (yes I ride a triple) but it's still a great solution.

Steve_b77, Ahhh... hang on, let me prostrate myself before the altar that is STW's Enduro Gnarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Gods, for I am not worthy 😀

PS: I do have a special lid if that helps any.

z1ppy - Member
Steve_b77, Ahhh... hang on, let me prostrate myself before the altar that is STW's Enduro Gnarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Gods
PS: I do have a special lid if that helps any.

Woaaaah, you're half way there, woaaaah livin' the Enduro Life.
Take you're bike and remove half the gears
Woaaaah livin' the Enduro Life.

On a serious note, I agree with adsh up there, proper climbing on long days needs gears if you want to ride.

Last weekend in the Clwyds we got through 1500m in 44km and it was slippy, tough heath grass or mud for the majority of it. No chance with just one ring, so why compromise?

I'm not massively fast, but I'm alright

And we go in circles...

No chance with just one ring, so why compromise?

Because some folk may be able to manage? Why is it a compromise?

how many people have tried a 32 front with an 11-36 and found it to be adequate.

42t version here Yetiman, it shifted between the gears fine once on the General Led but going on and off is it was a right pain. Maybe the 2 cog SRAM version is better

I'm not fit by any means (1325 out of 1880 on froggatt segment on strava on the road bike!) but have found that on my hardtail with either 1x9 32x11-34 or more recently 1x10 32x11-36 there is not much in the dark peak that can't be got up. Usually if I end up walking its through it being a tech fest rather than not being able to turn the pedals. I do frequently find that I could do with a higher gear than 32x11 though so if a bigger cog at the back would allow a 36 up front I can see the advantage of that.
However on the wallowy heavy FS I'm keeping 2x9.
If I was going to the lakes or Scotland I would want a granny but would probably take the FS anyway. Both 26ers if that makes any difference.
Northwind's idea makes a lot of sense to me on the right bike and on the right sort of ride, in fact that's how I ride my FS in the lakes or on bigger all day rides in the dark peak. Granny only really used for winching up long steep slog type climbs, short climbs or flattish sections all in the 36 ring up front.
The advantages would seem to be losing the weight of front mech and shifter, and the quieter running with the clutch mech. That's not enough to justify changing my set up but would probably go for it if speccing a bike from scratch

Usually if I end up walking its through it being a tech fest rather than not being able to turn the pedals.

But as njee is keen to point out your mileage [b]will[/b] vary, fitness, terrain, conditions, technique, personal preference etc etc

A few of my mates went 1x10 and declared it perfect. Then we went to kinlochleven and spent half the day grinding up the road past the mamore lodge, and they all declared it a crime against humanity (it's long, rough, exposed and not steep- but just ever so fractionally too steep for most folks to comfortably push 32x26). Somewhere out there is the hill that'll break you, you just might not have ridden it yet.

Mind you, they were barely slower walking up it than riding, but we're not hillwalkers after all.

well Im off to BPW this weekend for a non uplift day with my 11-36 and newly fitted 30T raceface narrow wide

I think I should just about to be able to survive

I tried 34t on the 70k rough ride loop this year and my legs werent up to it on a few of the big climbs, for local stuff, swinley etc 34t is fine but for the big hills i struggle

its all about your fitness level - if your fit then 1x9/10 is no problem at all, yes its a bit more grindy up steep stuff but its still do-able, ive done 100,000 metres of climbing this year on the MTB off road and ive very very rarely walked up anything, if you have the fitness it becomes second nature to have to push harder on the climbs

i wouldnt go back to 2x or 3x ever, not a chance!

Everyone always seems to raise issue with ability to climb things or fitness on 1x10. However, if you are fit enough to comfortably climb everything in 32T x 11-36T for example then chances are you don't have hard enough gears for the flatter sections.

It is the [i]range[/i] of these bigger cassettes that interests me more and I'd say 1x10 with a 11-36T cassette is going to be 90% right for most people but there are compromises at one end or the other of the range. 11 (or 10)-42T makes the range much more comparable to a double... and if there's a way to do it without having to shell out for XX1 I'm all for it 😀

However, if you are fit enough to comfortably climb everything in 32T x 11-36T for example then chances are you don't have hard enough gears for the flatter sections.

That depends on how fast you can spin. 80 rpm = 19 mph with 32:11. Who can ride a MTB at 19 mph on the flat (offroad!) for any length of time?

That depends on how fast you can spin. 80 rpm = 19 mph with 32:11. Who can ride a MTB at 19 mph on the flat (offroad!) for any length of time?

30x11= 16.8mph (80rpm), 18.9(90rpm) 21.0(100rpm)
32x11= 18.0mph (80rpm), 20.2(90rpm), 22.4(100rpm)

But trails go down too, often trails (even during some of the longer events) have to be linked by road sections, etc, etc. 20mph+ on a flat or slightly descending section isn't too unexpected, especially if you are fit enough for 32x36 to be a comfortable climbing gear for example.

90% of the time 11-36 is a usable range but I wouldn't complain about 11-42 for the extra 10% of the time- looking forward to seeing what Works come up with 😀