I have a hardtail with a single ring up front which is great for short-ish XC duties and I'm now looking to replace my full susser.
Question is do I go for the same single ring up front group set (SRAM) 32-11 speed or do I go double (XT) 26-36 ?
Bike will be mainly used for longer style marathon/endurance events.
What does your long distance machine have on it and are you happy with it?
I quite like the idea of having the same group set on each bike and the simplicity of a single ring but can't help thinking I'll have a bigger range of gears to use which will come in handy after 6/12/24 hrs etc.... when the legs are tired
3 times. Cheaper shifters and a great wide range of gears.
If you're not likely to hit any bumpy surfaces and rocky descents, 2x or 3x would be okay (personally 3x smoother shifting than 2x. Too much of a jump between rings on 2x IMHO). Proper bumpy stuff and I just find front derailleurs are a royal pain in the arse with chain drop. Chain guides have to be used and they jam up or clog up.
1x has solved so many problems for me, but I can cope with the range.
But then you have 11 speed or even 12 speed as options for greater range on a 1x. If steep will factor less but flat speed important then go 34 or 36t+ single front ring. Less flat out but steeper, go more 34 or 32t.
ll have a bigger range of gears to use which will come in handy after 6/12/24 hrs etc.... when the legs are tired
Think thats you're answer. You don't MTFU much after 12 hours 😛
Depends on the terrain. I do a lot of 3 - 3.5 hour MTB orienteering events all round the place. When out in the Midlands I would rarely call on the Granny to give service. Back in Wales I could not contemplate riding without it. You meet a big long hill 3 hours in and the legs are shot you really can use that lower gearing. Very rarely is it quicker to get of and push than to ride if you still are able to crank the pedals over.
I run 1x11 32x11:40 but I have a stealth granny which is a 28 which I can flick over when nailed at the end of a ride 🙂
Just had a look in the spare room and all my bikes in there are currently running 1x at the moment BUT they have all been 2x at some point in the past 6 months (other than the commuter) as I tend to use them all for bikepacking and really appreciate the extra gears after 6 hours...
This range of bikes goes from my cyclocross to a monstercross and even the 29er full suss.
Been through all of this - went from triple to 1X 9 then 10 many years ago and have been reasonably happy running a 34 chainring. Missed a bit of top end (getting to trails and on the occasions that I do long events when I used to pop it onto the 42 front ring). Was nice and simple for the majority of my riding which was about 2 hours.
Recently decided that I'd move to 2X and am enjoying it so much on F/S that I'm converting the S/S (so I can commute and bike pack on it). Coincided with getting a road bike with a compact chainset and unexpectedly liking it.
I like being able to drop a lot of gears immediately. I like the option of spinning the granny through a range of close gears, seems kinder to my knees. Chainline is much improved. Bit more top end speed at moderate cadence. Not had any recent hassle from FD to report but it obviously adds a little complexity.
So in general I've found 2x a bit more versatile for longer trips out. Not tried the 1x11 systems/ dinner plate cassettes etc.
Thanks for the answers.
I think I'm going to go with the 2x11.
I prefer XT to SRAM anyhow
Also it'll be easier/cheaper to convert to 1x11 if I'm not happy than having to go the other way.