[Closed] so sell me on 2 x 10 then...........

I've gone 2x10 with 26/29 SRAM X0 cranks and 11-36. Every now and again on a lomg steep slog I wish I had a 22 ring, but I still get up it, so I guess I never really needed it! As for top speed, our group rides tend to finish with a 2 mile road race to the pub, and I don't often lose out to the young pups with higher gear ratios.

With a double I tend to use the big ring downhill, and the small uphill, with a full 10 gears available in each.

I an running 38/26 on one bike and 40/30 on another, both with 11-36.

I have not regretted the move, double rings seem to clog less, I ride most of the time in the big ring - only dropping down when it is really steep or the group is moving slowly. I think my drive train lasts better than with three. No idea why.

Never felt lacking in gears and you can get up almost anything with a 36 on the back.

I'm running 28/40 and 11-36, other than that I'd echo what Dantsw13 said.

I'd also say my 2012 XT 2 x 10 is super accurate and has fast efficient changes.

I went 3x10 on new build with chain device and took the big ring off and replaced it with a bash guard. Works really well. I don't use the big gears as I never ride on the road.

what's wrong with good old compact rings and a non dinner plate cassette?
22/36 rings and a normal 8 or 9 speed cassette would give just as useable a range at half to a third the cost and weigh less.

Do you really need a top gear of 38-11?
22-34 is the same as 24-36

38 vs 44 loses about 15% top speed

IMO 2x10 or 9 is essentially a case of why have extra gears if you don't need them. If you're on a perfectly good 3x9/10 setup then there's maybe no real advantage to changing (unless you're bending your big ring a lot) but if you needed to replace the drivetrain anyway it's worth doing.

I've had 2x9 and now 2x10 and won't be going back to a triple. I'll go to 1x when I'm either fit enough or a wide enough range cassette comes out that isn't XX1 expensive.

would you really run a 40T+ cassette sprocket clubber? 😕

Well on my 29er, yes, probably - at least at the moment. I appreciate that I don't have your godlike abilities but having been both very fit and not so long ago, very unfit, I know that it's suprising how low a gear can actually be useful and how hard it can be to understand that it actually is useful...

34(chainring)x42(sprocket) is still a higher gear than I've found useful in the past. right now I could probably cope ok with 34x42 but 34x36 would be too high for long days' riding.

GW

so at that cadence on a road 53t said downhiller would hit 67mph! don't know what cadence that would be but not something I could sustain

but take your point - I could try a 36 on current (getting knackered) set up and see how I got on

22/36 rings and a normal 8 or 9 speed cassette would give just as useable a range at half to a third the cost and weigh less.

other bikes I run 22/32 and an 11-32 cassette not quite as much speed on smooth downs or the road but I can live with that.

each to their own tho eh?

I run that on one bike (11-32 cassette), end up using the granny ring far more than usual,

use a deore steel 22T if wear worries you

sustained cadence has very little to do with going fast off-road!

I've always been a big gear kind of a guy and the granny ring has always been the least used on my triple setups.

This year I've got a new HT bike and full suss frame.

HT came with 10 speed 42/27 + 11 - 36 cassette

FS received my existing 9 spd transmission set plus a new (10 speed) 40/28 chainset.

Not done any long distance (30 mile+) hill slogs as yet but have coped with the gearing and haven't blown my knee caps off with 1000 rpm spinning.

I doubt I'd actually notice the difference but I reckon a 26/38 chainset + 11/32 or 34 cassette would suffice for just about anything.

GW, I just stating the shortcomings of that setup, ie more chainring switches than usual, last year I was chatting to someone, I started off saying "I don't see the point of 10speed" then by the end of the conversation I'd talked [i]myself[/i] around to the idea and decided 10speed would be quite useful actually. Still not worth rushing out and buying, but when the time comes (knackered drivechain, not much 9spd stuff, cheap deals on 10spd) I'll make the switch, this is for my XC bike btw on my others I'm quite happy with 32/22 11-32.

but I reckon a 26/38 chainset + 11/32 or 34 cassette would suffice for just about anything

I'd hate the increased chain slap from the extra long chain length required with a massive range cassette.

On the WC2C the triple was a life saver on a 29er. Would have spun it out and struggled with the smallest gear in equal measure.

Quite happy on 2x10 for shorter distance, racing, or blatting local trails though. Although whenever I am on triple, I just stay in 32 nearly all the time anyway, so I think I'd always opt for 1x10 or 3x10, and personally see 2x10 as a bit compromised.

I run2x10 38/26 on a 11-36 on the susser, and very rarely find myself without a low enough gear to climb, bottom gear of 26-36 being 19". My current HT is a triple with a bottom gear of 22 -32, 18", which being on a light Ht is pretty much low enough even for Calderdale.....
I use the big ring on long road descents, never offroad so my next build will be a 2x9 36 22 with 11-32 cassette.
As others have said, pick one ring or the other and use all of the cassette. Smother and simpler.

I hated it - but appreciate I'm in the minority. I just hated all the shifting! Run out of gears in the bigger ring and it was about 3 or 4 shifts to get to the "next" ratio - one down at the front into the granny then 2 or 3 up at the back.

Went 1x10 and never regretted it

Donk - What do you mean by chainring "switches"?
front gear shifts? or chainring replacement?

dunno about you but I can ride everything other than sustained/steep climbs in the 36T so only really drop to the 22T for seated climbing (more so when I'm ****ed). I only run an 11-28 8 speed cassette on my "XC" bike and am pretty unfit (but fairly strong).

if you mean replacing from wear, I've never morn out a steel 22T ring quicker than the 36T alloy one

GW, front gear shifts, I've got an SS if I want to grunt my way up hills, on my geared bikes I like to sit and spin*, stuff I would normally spin up in 32x32 I need to switch down to granny on my xc bike. Only made the switch to 22/36 about 1000miles ago so not 100% sure yet if I do get extra wear.

hadn't considered the chainslap, switching to 2x9 does seem to have quietened it down.

*and I do mean spin, some local climbs I can get up fairly easily in 32:16 I will sit and twiddle 22x32 when I have gears. Dunno why, I used to be a pedal masher but a few years of road and full suspension riding seem to have converted me into a spinner (when available)

@GW - which DH courses have 40+ mph pedally sections?

I didn't say pedally sections

so sell me on 2 x 10 then...........

No.
1x10 is the way to go.
Do it.

[i]weight savings negligable especially if use a bash[/i]

When I looked the weight saving of losing one big chainring was negated by uping the size of the two remaining chainrings and then adding a 36 tooth cassette.

Personally... I reckon 2x10 brings very little to the game that 2x9 doesn't. Slightly wider ratios, but not by much. Clutch mechs, which are nice. But other than that it's just more money. (and some would say more delicate; not sure about that)

There's more difference to be found with single ring though.

GW - Member
I didn't say pedally sections

Then what was the point of your comment? 😛

There is also improved chainline of 2 x 9/10 drivetrains over a triple.

Personally I find the gear spread of a double fine. The riding I do is too varied for a single ring drivetrain, although I can see the benefits. Really like the chain/chainring connection idea of XX1, not convinced about a 42t cassette mind, but I've not ridden it so can't really comment.

Use Sheldon Brown's gear calculator to work out exactly what combinations you would actually need in the real world, see if the spread is possible with a double and then see if that suits your riding

2x10 is sooooo 2011 darling

1x11 is where the cool kids are going to be at for 2013

Actually I'm on 3x10 SLX but seriously thinking about ditching a cog and going 2x10 with a bash. I never use the whole range of ratios on 3x10.

DONK - I'm with you on the 9 speed thing - could see myself slamming down to the small ring more often, so based on this the 36 on the 10 speed cassette and bigger small front ring (24 or 26) does seem to make 10
Speed make sense

Why bother? No real need BUT I did get 10 speed on my FS so I could get the clutch rear mech. To tell you the truth having a stiffer spring would give you just the same effect in my opinion. Nice to have no chain slap though.