[Closed] the big ring??

I've passed plenty of riders using my 44t ring when racing in XC Marathons. Very useful for catching the riders ahead whilst flying down long fire roads or short tarred sections. I must have made up 20 - 30 places this way in the Whinlatter Challenge and the Border Raid alone.

Certainly not something I'd disputed. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than ride a 15km fireroad descent, or ride Land Rover tracks rather than ride over some hills, so it's a good thing you have that, whilst I have endless rolling singletrack!

Edit: looking again at the TdBN entry list I see Dave Henderson on there, he's rather pacey, and AFAIK the GT boys are still on XX transmissions with a 42t outer (at biggest).

You've clearly never done one and I suggest you do. I'm in a really fortunate position where I have more wooded singletrack than you can shake a huge stick at but also mountains just 20 mins away. Indeed I'm staring at 840m of awesomeness just now. The end justifies the means in big mountain days. The views and the wild trails are what it's all about but unfortunately they don't have car parks full of Audis at the bottom of each one. They have to be got to and got back from, and this can be a lot of fun in itself. A rutted washed out rocky LRT at max chat makes me grin as much as nailing a DH course with all its jumps and drops. YMMV.

You've clearly never done one and I suggest you do

Never done what? A 15km fireroad descent? You're right, it's not what I enjoy about mountain biking. I've done 5k+ ones, and it's dull, and slightly depressing IMO. But as I said previously, as you clearly do enjoy that, then it's lucky you have such terrain.

The views and the wild trails are what it's all about but unfortunately they don't have car parks full of Audis at the bottom of each one

I'm really not quite sure why you feel the need to keep getting in there with the facetious digs? It's all very petty.

There are some stunning views down here too, from the top of Holmbury Hill you can see the London skyline and the English Channel. You do sometimes see other riders out (often not, particularly midweek), but I don't do it for the sense of being out in the wilderness.

Right, it's been more than 10 hours, I've had a sleep, I've done some work, and you've STILL not enlightened us as to how you don't snap chains on your singlespeed (I'm assuming you ride it on the flat only as it doesn't have a 582% gear range that you supposedly NEED to ride [i]proper mountain bike trails[/i]) when you do snap chains on your multi geared bike?

You appear to have based your arguments on something you didn't check. All mine, XT and pG980 have the 12T.

I am aware of the 12T cog on older 9spd cassettes, most these days have a 13T cog as their 8th cog down (as do 10spd cassettes their 9th cog), so my argument is more than relevant.

I would suggest that if you had aspirations of doing well then you would need those top 2 gears.

This is purely a hunch now, but based on what you've said, and knowing what I do of njee's riding abilities (and my own and many other peoples), you've not taken into account that your own cadence is probably quite low, and proper athletes are able to spin the pedals at quite a rate... I can just about still turn the pedals and contribute momentum on my road bike in its tallest gear (50/12) at over 45mph, where you may well struggle to turn the pedals and contribute over 30mph on the same gear ratio.

Forget spending loads of money on new bikes, millions of gears, lightweight kit etc. The best thing I ever did for my fitness and speed when it comes to mountain biking was learn to spin properly. The point is, that we don't need a lot of the kit that we often justify that we do. It puzzles the hell out of me that you ride a singlespeed, yet in the same breath say you also need a 22/32/44 setup with a wide range cassette on another bike. I probably couldn't get away with a singlespeed, unless on some flatter local trails, yet I know I can happily ride most things on a 1x10, and absolutely anything on a 2x10 on which bike I have a 491% gear range. For balance, you are running a 582% gear range with a 22/32/44 and 11-32 setup, but when I first started mountain biking back in the early 90's my first bike had a 28/38/48 12-28 setup which gave me exactly 400% gear range and I coped OK. I have 91% more gear spread than that now, with fewer gears overall, and one fewer chainring, and it works flawlessly!

Anyway... It's all irrelevant when it comes to the top end, as at 11 and a bit stone, on road downhill I'm never going to win a race, as I could be pedalling like billy oh and a fatman will simply freewheel past me! But I bet you'd now like to argue physics, and how a fat man won't go any quicker than a skinny man... 😉

I'm starting to think about getting rid of my chain rings altogether, just pumping everything.

Ace! Hobby horse FTW!!! 8)

devs - Member

(please note that I have not referred to real mountain biking as you state)

We've reached that exciting point when someone starts disagreeing with themself 😆

...and [b]proper athletes[/b] are able to spin the pedals at quite a rate

Uh, ho... I can see this thread going into it's next 4 pages now... 😈

Indeed I'm staring at 840m of awesomeness just now.

lol

I ride quite a bit in the Lakes - plenty of hills, big ups and downs etc - there are really are very few occasions where having a big ring will make any difference at all - and if there are it's not the kind of stuff I (or most people) care about - ie gaining an extra couple of MPH by going for it on a road descent.

Right who wants to win this one - ruler out measure your manhood then that will settle who is right...

it's all about who [s]is[/s]has the biggest dick isn't it?

Well devs has '840m of awesomeness' so I don't think you can really compete with that. 🙂

Right, it's been more than 10 hours, I've had a sleep, I've done some work, and you've STILL not enlightened us as to how you don't snap chains on your singlespeed (I'm assuming you ride it on the flat only as it doesn't have a 582% gear range that you supposedly NEED to ride proper mountain bike trails) when you do snap chains on your multi geared bike?

Chain in straight line no snappy. Chain go from middle to outside constant bendy bendy = Snappy snappy.

[img] [/img]

I fear we'll all struggle to challenge Devs though.

Le Chable to Tortin

Is this enough of a climb for you, done on a double 29x32 bottom gear.
All 2100m vertical, and according to Google and memory c15miles of climbing.

Well devs has '840m of awesomeness' so I don't think you can really compete with that.

Right outside my window. read it and weep biatches.

I fear we'll all struggle to challenge Devs though.

I choose pints of Guinness as my weapon 🙂

On a related note, I see that the full range of 2013 SLX bits and pieces are now up for sale on French and German websites.

Despite not having 840m of awesomeness I'm planning to go 2x10 when enough bits wear out - previous calculations suggested that I'd lose half a gear on each end (compared with 3x9) and I reckon that's a fair trade-off for less front changing, simpler & lighter.

A quick add-up on alltricks.fr suggests a set of cranks, FD, RD, shifters, chain and cassette would cost 319€. Seems OK.

Right outside my window. read it and weep biatches.

Bola del Mundo outside my window, 1352m of climbing. And yeah, there are mtb trails off the top of it too. Suck on that one, biatch!

🙂

Bola del Mundo outside my window, 1352m of climbing. And yeah, there are mtb trails off the top of it too. Suck on that one, biatch!

Doffs cap. Do you get Guinness there too?

Doffs cap. Do you get Guinness there too?

'Fraid so 🙂

And we have big rings and we're not afraid to use them.

Can you ski it too?

Can you ski it too?

Yes. But not in a big ring.

Uh, ho... I can see this thread going into it's next 4 pages now...

Hahaha. Wasn't talking about myself just so you know Pete! 😉

Chain in straight line no snappy. Chain go from middle to outside constant bendy bendy = Snappy snappy.

If only everything in life were as simple as... Well... You!!! 😕

Tell me now why singlespeed chains are made especially tough on purpose? Is it to do with the extra torque they are likely to be subjected to making them more likely to fail in use? Geared chains are subject to some sideways forces, but small ones, unless you're in the big ring and largest sprocket all the time, your geared bike chains [i]should[/i] be getting an easier time of it than the chain on your singlespeed... Unless you're vastly different to the rest of the world, who generally all buy especially stronger chains for their singlespeeds! Perhaps it's just fashion and there's no real reason? 😉

WHO CARES!!!

Yes. But not in a big ring.

*packs bags and sells house*

devs - Member
big mountain days...

...in the UK 😆

I don't know about you hilldodger but teh likes of Torridon, the Cairngorms is plenty big enough for me. Without uplift there's only so much I can do in a day and this part of scotland fits the bill perfectly. Now if we were to take a resort like Tignes for example, where the highest point is 3500m and the base is at 2100, that's only 1400m of vertical. I've never biked it but I've skied it lots but I really doubt I could bike up it all the way seeing as it's glacier for quite a large section of that. On Sunday I did nigh on that amount of vertical in 2 hills and they are comparatively small compared to their neighbours. Scoff all you want but there are long technical descents around here that can rival anything in Morzine etc, they just aren't lift served and they are far enough apart to warrant using a big ring.

Scoff all you want but there are long technical descents around here that can rival anything in Morzine etc, they just aren't lift served and they are far enough apart to warrant using a big ring.

Again, that's your viewpoint.

I've done LOTS of Alpine riding, including long road descents, and I can say a 44T outer ring would be far more hindrance than help. Given the technical nature of most of the riding, and the fact I used my bashring a lot on each occasion. Found that even on the longest downhills, I was able to still pedal 36/11 fine, until it got steep enough to freewheel anyway.

Did I say those new rings I bought are blue? Blue..jey as you like.

mboy are you incapable of reading or have you just got a crush on me? 44t rings are useless on long technical descents. They are very useful on the long LRT, fireroads and roads that we use to get between the big descents and the bastard climbs. We have plenty around here. Just let it go. No amount of your pointless rabbling will make me change my mind.

mboy are you incapable of reading

44t rings are useless on long technical descents. They are very useful on the long LRT, fireroads and roads that we use to get between the big descents and the bastard climbs

I was reading, AND paying attention... Clearly you weren't... I stated how that even on long road descents, a 44T doesn't really make enough of a difference. Spinning the pedals marginally faster Vs reduced ground clearance and a fragile outer ring...

Shouting loudly, and belligerantly sticking to your guns when everyone else has picked holes in your argument, yet then making stupid comments such as "I must have a crush on you" is quite frankly ridiculous!

No amount of your pointless rabbling will make me change my mind.

I've worked that one out now! Does amuse me when people won't open their eyes and ears to the opposing side of an argument, especially when cold hard facts are used.

Anyway, wanna buy a 44T chainring? Think I've got one or two spare kicking about... 😉

If you can't max out a 44t ring on a long road descent then you mince m'lud. Sorry you're not up to it.

devs - Member
.....44t rings are useless on long technical descents

...there are long technical descents around here that can rival anything in Morzine

so you take a bike out for a "big day in the mountains" and set it up so it's useless on the descents just so you can ride a fireroad a bit more easily 😆

All right, currently got 24/34/44 on the front and 11-34 on the rear. Going to change to a double, what do I go for?

38-26T or 40-28T?

and 11-36T, 11-34T or 11-32T?

depends how often you need 44x11 Vs 24x34 - get a gear chart, work out where you feel you can compromise and choose accordingly 🙂

Strong westerly tailwind tonight = 5.7km of 44 x 11 goodness.

38-26T or 40-28T?
and 11-36T, 11-34T or 11-32T?

28/40 with 11-36 for my money.

Devs I'm still waiting for you to eat your words about the riding down here. Your ignorance is pretty special, deserves some sort of award.

That's it! Go to your rooms, all of you. NOW!

And don't come down until you can be nice.

If you can't max out a 44t ring on a long road descent then you mince m'lud. Sorry you're not up to it.

No your braking too much, just tuck and go. I could happily go 55kph in the lakes on a 36t ring (not pedaling obviously) wouldn't be going any faster on a 44t

Devs I'm still waiting for you to eat your words about the riding down here. Your ignorance is pretty special, deserves some sort of award.

One big up and one big down does not make good racing IMO it [i]is[/i] boring generally, you just sit and tick over, lots of smaller climbs is more interesting, and depending on how you ride the climbs can be just as hard. As you have said though that is getting very OT, but you won't struggle to find people who agree with me on that.

I don't but at the end of the day 1500m is 1500m and if you climb that in whatever distance then chapeau well done. You WILL find doing it in 2 unrelenting, huge, steep, exposed, technical climbs more difficult.

As for your climbs being more steep and technical (you've gone there again, but your penis away, you're embarrassing yourself), if I do more climbing in less distance mine are steeper. That's very basic maths there!

If you can't max out a 44t ring on a long road descent then you mince m'lud. Sorry you're not up to it.

Considering i have got to 50mph, and others much higher a 44 isn't actually big enough, just learn to tuck.

I'll be very disappointed if you don't beat Dave Henderson this year, surely you can't compete with a 42t chainring?

I'm a 17.5 stone secondrow forward that mountain bikes, too close to 50 race against anyone other than myself. If he wants a scrummage and a Guinness boat race after I'm game though. 42's close enough to 44 for him to put in a decent time on the down too. If you were racing it would you change your set up? Overall time round doesn't necessarily win it, there's special stages up and down too.

Are you and mboy some kind of chuckle brother tag wrestling team? Has anybody ever seen you in the same room together?

He passed me on a climb at SITS last year, I think a marshall or perhaps one or two other riders witnessed it. We do both exist independently! 😉

All right, currently got 24/34/44 on the front and 11-34 on the rear. Going to change to a double, what do I go for?

38-26T or 40-28T?

and 11-36T, 11-34T or 11-32T?

What's most important to you, top end or climbing?

On my full sus bike I went for 24/36/Bash and don't regret it, there's nowhere I've thought "what if I had a 38 or 40T chainring instead", and even though I rarely use my lowest 2 gears whilst on the 24T (most climbing done in no lower than 24/28), the lower gears are there if I need them. That said, my other bike has a 32T single ring with 11-36 on and I manage fine pretty much everywhere on that too, I just have to force the issue a little more on the climbs.

Whichever way you go though, get an 11-36 cassette. No point in going 10spd otherwise, as you're not gaining any extra gear range over a 9spd setup, and that's the main advantage of 10spd on an MTB.

Anyone here using 24/38 with 11-34? or 22/36 with 11-32?
Running 9 speed here and amy try 2x9 when I need some new cogs.

i want to keep the granny ring as a bail out or for short steep muddy climbs.

Dont really want to go 10 speed as it'll mean new shifters n rear mech as well.

Have 24/36/bash with 11-34 9sp on the Pitch - much prefer it to a triple, if only for the increased ground clearance and lack of ability to skewer my calf on the big ring if I crash. Not noticeably run out of ratios yet but I don't tend to ride it on the road much.

If you were racing it would you change your set up?

Wouldn't plan to no, I'd welcome the additional ground clearance if nothing else, and stick to what I know.

If there are truly 15km fireroad sections (in a 70k race) then I'm really not interested. If they're shorter then it's a good time to get a drink and maybe a bit of food on board.

Considering the amount of climbing (ie not an epic amount) I can't see there being too many sections spent at much over 30mph, so I don't think the 36/11 would hold me back.