Lol buzz!

I took the same approach as cookeaa and drew the same conclusions. Currently I’m in the the throes of going to 32×11-42 and gives me the same low gear as my existing 2×10 system. I don’t really care much about top end because I’m neither a speed freak or racer boy, and what I can get from gravity is generally adequate on the way down.

It’s interesting peoples opinions vary so widely on this, but it’s hardly surprising. A combination of fitness, riding tastes and local terrain is always going to dictate the nature of ones bikes, at least in part. And this really applies to all aspects, not just transmission choices.

32×42 for example, suits my general approach of ‘I bloody well will get a bike up/over it!’ very nicely.

I’m interested in staying on the bike over rough terrain, not going as fast across it as I can, but I appreciate the other side of the coin is people choosing slightly easier climbs that can be mashed with a bigger gear for more speed.

I’m interested in staying on the bike

Good point.

Basically it distils all this guff into:

“I like being able to ride my bike however fast or slow I’m going”

or

“Being able to ride my bike at slower than walking speed isn’t as good as pushing a slightly lighter bike”

and people choosing gears to suit.

Yep.

Nothing about choosing easier climbs.I fail at climbs due to techiness rather than not being able to spin the pedals.

I should have said, so that the relevant bicycle gearing authorities can file my response:

1×9 on the cross type bike: 48 x 11-32
2×9 on the hardtail: 40-28 x 11-32
1×1 on the rigid: wobbly 35 x 17, which is nice and light and can be pushed up Lynton/Lynmouth road climbs quicker than wifey spinning lowest 3 x 9 gear. But she stayed on all the way up, and had a much greater sense of satisfaction than I did when we got to the top.

There is an interface where techiness and not being able to turn the pedals meet. Have you considered that when that happens, a lower gear may be able to provide traction instead of spinning out? My experience of riding tech is that generally, the more gear options you have at the lower end, the better you can do, subject to ones abilities.

It’s the main reason I took 1×9 off my full suss bike – I didn’t have enough low gears to make full use of its traction abilities.

Of course, all this depends on what your definition of a techy climb is!

Has anybody mentioned chatting? I only really like the downhill bits and basically consider uphill bits as an inconvenience between downhill bits. I like to take it easy and have a bit of a chat between downhills. Low gears are best for chatting, single rings are good for downhills. What not to like about that?

High gears are better for downhills. Spinning is aerobic, so makes you out of breath so not good for chatting.

Wow. So anaerobic exercise is better for chatting?

When you see someone like Gared Graves (have you seen that guy ride uphill?)running a specially adapted dinner plate cassette cog in proper mountains you know you will need it too or don’t ride proper mountains.

By the way the Honnister zig zags are steep especially after riding the whole pass and then at the top you have only completed 1/4 of the ride! They are smooth steep though and there is a huge difference between that and a proper climb on technical terrain. So as you hit that last few 1000′ of loose steep rocky climb 4 hours into a proper ride, you are going to be complaining like a ginger stepchild unless you have a granny ring or a 42t cog.

I definitely don’t spin while i’m chatting. I’m aiming to avoid anaerobic exercise as much as possible, that’s not fun at all!

Ideally the funnest downhills are steep so don’t require a great deal of pedaling.

Oh, are you all lycra lords types?

George! 36T and 32-11 is a struggle around our doors….. Granny is there just incase ;)Clutched mech and front derailleur keep the chain in place. Why tamper with the unbroken?

you cant get away with 1×10 in swinley forest 😉

So next to nobody seems to ride like me then.

I gave the example of the Honister zigzags as I doubt lots could even get to them, a limiting factor is keeping the front wheel on the ground and it is one of the hardest climbs I have attempted that most people will know about. I also admitted failure. Techy climbs tend to fail for me due to rock steps and roots. Is it hard sitting down spinning to move your weight around to unload your front wheel. One reason why road racers may not straight away clear mountain bike climbs, one needs a bit of body language.

Cannot think of much on Simonside that I can’t do due to too higher gear range, but then I would not choose to climb up the burn and take the red route on which the only bit I can’t climb is the rocky steps before the tree line.

I agree that higher gears do not always mean higher speeds. I have a commuter with an Alfine hub and put a big ring on the front but experimenting spinning is usually just as fast as getting in the big ring.

I live and mostly ride in the White Peak. A mate used to beast me up climbs on a Spesh Big Hit with a single ring whilst I spun away in a granny gear. He was happy, I was happy.

Whatever suits.

He now races DH in Nationals, but that’s an aside

Where can I get one of these fancy cassettes been struggling a bit lately getting up the hill to my house

http://www.oneupcomponents.com/

i’m going 3×10 with one of those^^ 😉

a limiting factor is keeping the front wheel on the ground

Front wheel traction may be increased by sitting with your butt forward on the nose of the saddle, upper body dropped towards the bars… in order to achieve that, the range provided by smaller front and 10-42T rear makes an overwhelming amount of sense.
Standing and driving the pedals while reefing backwards on the bars to generate the required power and torque probably isn’t the best way to tackle a long steep climb if you want something left for later.

You obviously have a good level of fitnes and strength, so it would be interesting to see how you get on with a 42T rear on that challenging climb you mention and swapping your power approach out for a little more cadence afforded by a wider range cassette and I bet you could get a whole lot further up the climb. (never seen It so I’ve no idea what it looks like)

different people approach tech climbs differently.. when I used to run a 3x setup, I literally could not get up anytghing technical in granny.. I needed middle ring due to my momentum/power ‘technique’. Others have different strength characteristices that mean more granny spinning up tech works equally successfully for them.
I’m running 32t – 11/36 and that works for everything here for ME.. except racing.. I’m not fit enough to carry that ratio spread for more than 1.5 hour races, so for the numerours 3+ hour races with significant climb sections, a 42t rear would be the difference between successful enjoyment and absolute self destruction.

The biggest downside of 1×10 that I’ve found is low traction situations- snow, sloppy pervasive mud etc. Far more likely to break traction if you lack the lower, spinnier gears. I ended up converting one of mine back just for this reason, it’s the official Bad Weather Bike and removing the granny knackered it for that.

Who actually spends their time and money to take a mountain bike to the Alps to ride UP the hills when there’s a fantastic lift system that lets you get in far more of the fun stuff than you ever would otherwise?

Me and lots of other people. In my experience the best bits of singletrack are nowhere near any lifts 😉

I love my 22×36 supergranny gear 🙂

I gave the example of the Honister zigzags as I doubt lots could even get to them, a limiting factor is keeping the front wheel on the ground and it is one of the hardest climbs I have attempted

Last time I rode that was with a load of Lakes abnormals, you know the type, they have never been to a gym, their energy food is guinness and mars bars, their bikes are completely pikey but they are fitter and harder you will ever be. All 12 of the group got to the zig zags (after completing half the Borrowdale bash from keswick), then 4 more cleaned the climb and 2 were girls. We then completed the the next 30k of the ride with tonnes more really steep tech climbs.

They all had granny rings, except the oddball on a singlespeed.

Get the picture?

I went the other way starting in Loweswater, Scarth Gap, Blacksail, Styhead, Fleetwith Pike on a patriot with a granny ring. I was knacked and pushed the last bit but blasted Warnscale. You get the picture.

The biggest downside of 1×10 that I’ve found is low traction situations- snow, sloppy pervasive mud etc. Far more likely to break traction if you lack the lower, spinnier gears. I ended up converting one of mine back just for this reason, it’s the official Bad Weather Bike and removing the granny knackered it for that.

I think that’s another thing that depends upon your physiology and skillset – in a higher gear you have less torque multiplication so it should be easier to avoid wheelspin, which is the opposite of what you’re saying. What would counteract that is if your legs aren’t so good at providing even power impulses at lower cadence and higher pedal forces. The big cassette sprockets to a middle ring ratio works better for me in slippery conditions than the handful of even lower gears available with a granny ring as I can provide longer smoother power impulses at the tyre.

You get the picture.

I think the true picture is either:

1. Some people have very little empathy or understanding of how others can have very different fitness, strength, skills, etc.
2. Or some people are aware of that but like to point out that they’re ‘better’ by posing a loaded question because they need to feel better about themselves..

I get up hills with a 32/18 SS with magic carpet wheels. Does that make me as awesome as you?

I guess not as I would be spinning out on the down hills 😆

right time for some more willy waving, I did my local loop yesterday and got all of it with 39t up front 🙂

Hej. I only said that as a joke. Hence me saying I was knacked, pushed and had fun blasting down the hill on the other side. It is a bit funny that loads of people think this is willy waving. I am rubbish at spinning and said that several times. I was honestly interested if there were any folk of this parish that did not see any need for huge ranges at the back.

Admit it you’ve got one of those electric assist bikes haven’t you .

Best post since glupton’s “yes it’s a singlespeed eat my dust” post.

Where would I get one of these dinner plate cassettes?

GEDA – Member

Hej. I only said that as a joke. Hence me saying I was knacked, pushed and had fun blasting down the hill on the other side. It is a bit funny that loads of people think this is willy waving. I am rubbish at spinning and said that several times. I was honestly interested if there were any folk of this parish that did not see any need for huge ranges at the back

You’re taking all our replies far too seriously 🙂

I’m just a cheapskate who does not like being sold stuff I don’t need

Hi
Lots of points raised, I found I changed my gearing as I got fitter.
I now run on my full suss anthem x 29er 1 by 10 32 rear 34 oval up front.
I’ve ridden all over and not found a hill I can’t make it up.
Just keep getting fitter and change as you go.

1. Some people have very little empathy or understanding of how others can have very different fitness, strength, skills, etc.
2. Or some people are aware of that but like to point out that they’re ‘better’ by posing a loaded question because they need to feel better about themselves..

Stop the thread, chiefgrooveguru has won!

XX1 1×11 etc is not for everyone. It’s a drivetrain option which suits a certain kind of rider.

Some of us are awesome* and take our bikes into the mountains.

*I know because Strava says so 8)

Gratuitous top of a Munro pic by messiah.

I tried a 1×9(30×11-34) and it was not low enough for where I ride; although it’s what I run on my winter/forest hardtail as its fine in the winter when the mountains are covered in snow and the forests are inches deep in mud so none of the tough techy climbs are properly rideable anyway (unless frosty/frozen… 8) ).

XX1 32×42 is not as low as 22×36 but its low enough for my awesome legs to get me up the same climbs I used to use lower gears for; but I do have to work a bit harder. But thats okay because I hate front mechs and will put up with many inconveniences not to run one (I used to have a Hammerschmidt 8) )

“I hate front mechs”

Why do people hate front mechs?

I prefer them to rear mechs. They weigh nothing, cost nothing, are indestructible, dont snap off when you hit a rock and most important of all – they are immune to grotty cable syndrome. They basically last the lifetime of a bike with sod all maintenance. They’re a bit like your mum – always there to help without requiring anything in return.

Some people say they love the “simplicity” of 10 speed. Personally I’ve never found my extra gears particularly confusing but I suppose I can see how some people might struggle with the big numbers or second lever to operate.

As has been said before “everyone’s different”

2. Or some people are aware of that but like to point out that they’re ‘better’ by posing a loaded question because they need to feel better about themselves..

Personally I’ve never found my extra gears particularly confusing but I suppose I can see how some people might struggle with the big numbers or second lever to operate.

😉

Why do people hate front mechs?

1. They make your chain come off; it’s what they and the ramps/pins/short-teeth are designed to do. I hate it when my chain comes of on a descent or on a nadgy techy bit of trail (usually causing my nads or knee to strike something hard and be sore for a few weeks). Even on my road bike the chain sometimes comes off… hatefull things.

2. In the clag the low-swing front-mech design is a handy shelf to collect mud, this then stops the mech from working as the mud sits in the mechanism preventing the chain from dropping into the granny ring (very frequent where I ride due to the mud… did I mention the mud and riding in it?). Since the chain won’t drop into the granny ring as expected your no longer in a position to force the move in the middle ring because you backed off power to change gear… grrrrr. Much swearing and then a re-start required wheras without the front mech and with reduced risk of the chain coming off you just have to MTFU and make the move.

3. Where your front mech shifter used to be is the best place for a reverb or other dropper-post lever.

4. Big chainrings… I haven’t used one for years as I’m not interested in going fast on the road or on smooth fireroads.

sounds like user error to me 😆

sounds like user error to me

Yup 😈