As title, really – I’m wondering about switching to 2×9. I never actually use the granny chainring (my front mech’s not set up quite right so it doesn’t shift as it should) and rarely use the big ring when on the trails. So 2×9 in theory should cover the ratios I need, but is it just a bit jey? As in a bit weight weenie without any real benefit?

rember that if you accidentally hit the shifter you will loose the chain

So you’ll save the massive weight of a granny ring… that’s going to make a huge difference to your speed.

Not if it’s set up correctly. But yeah it’s jey. Scurries to find a triple chainset and remove the road compact…………….

rember that if you accidentally hit the shifter you will loose the chain

Even if he sets the low limit screw to max ?

PlumzRichard – Member

rember that if you accidentally hit the shifter you will loose the chain

Surely if the limit screw didn’t have enough adjustment in it, you could simply run the cable tighter?

i run one they’re brill end of,
xtr front mech works fine

If you don’t use the big ring or granny ring, and want to save weight, why not get rid of; the granny ring, the big ring, the front mech, the front shifter, front cable inners/outer and aprox. 3 pairs of chain links?
Stick an unramped (they have much longer teeth and no shifting ramps) middle chainring on and go 1×9 spd?

I find that on the road or mtb I don’t use the granny ring.

Last few days I wish’d I had one on some super uber climbs.

4 yrs ago I had a pal who pulled his quad and we swapped bikes so he could my granny ring by riding slowly home. With a middle he’d be walking back.

I’m confused.
is it also Jey to loose the big ring for a bash guard & bump the 32 to a 36?

is 1×9 even Jey’er?
& if so – how Jey is SS???

& wtf does Jey mean?

I think James has the answer above for sure…

Keep it 3×9, but if you’re not using the little gears, swap your cassette for a road 12-25 and enjoy the closer ratio gaps?

Either my brains slowed down at this time or people keep writing loose instead of lose, is it just me!?

Keep 3×9

middleburn duos look ace.

I switched to 1×9 about 6 months ago, I have only missed the granny ring on a couple of super steep climbs, and once when I bonked on a big ride. I use a 32T On-one Stainless Ring with a Jump Stop and a lightweight bash guard, never once had my chain come off when riding.
Its sad I know, but I weighed all the bits that came off and all the bits that went back on, and I saved 400g.
I am going to convert my other MTB when I pick up some cheap bits.

Doug

is it also Jey to loose the big ring for a bash guard & bump the 32 to a 36?

Which is far more sensible than even I thought it would be……

I long ago binned the big ring as never used it and like having the extra BB clearance. I keep the granny for big days in the hills but for regular fast XC 34 tooth 1×9 would be the ideal set-up I reckon.

Middleburn Uno is the crankset de jour in our gang. Heading that way myself, big weight saving when all the bits and bobs come off, see James post above

…..and no taking a ring off a 3 ring front set off doesnt mean you lose the chain as long as your front mech is set-up properly.

1×9 isn’t ‘jey’ at all, that’s more ‘freeride-core’.

If you go 2×9 using your inner and middle ring positions you can run a 28/42 or something, which will still give you a really low gear, you’ll get much better chainline too, so you’ll be able to use the entire block in the big ring without crossing the chain too much.

A 12-25 cassette will save more weight, but it will mean you change gear far more often – particularly on the front mech – which is what annoyed me, I much prefer a 2×9.

Even if you don’t use the granny ring it’s still worth having in case of chain suck or other middle ring trauma.

Ah, so now in context! If I buy a new set of RS7s (mmm… yummy) or possibly RS8s, is it worth going for the Duo, or just sticking with a normal spider?

Duo all the way if it’s an XC bike.

if you went 1×9 how does the chain stay on the front ring without a chain guide?

if you went 1×9 how does the chain stay on the front ring without a chain guide?

It doesn’t. You need a chain guide.

Thats what i thought so adding the weight of a chain guide ofsets the savings of losing the shifter,cable,mech etc. Isnt it better to just leave 2 front rings on??

Nah, an n gear jump stop and cheapo bash ring weigh next to nothing.. see thesurfbus’s post saved him 400g… nearly a 1lb.

Ive not tried the unramped front ring as yet but if the longer teeth work as has been sugested it might be good.

1×9 makes you push harder on the climbs i find, kinda like the way SS does, but just a bit extra flexability..

2×9 makes you push as hard on the climbs, but means you can ride faster too!

2×9 is the way forward,in all rides and races this year i have ridden all of the course in my big ring 44-34 ….more fluid riding style increased speed ..andfor anyone who say’s that its fine if you live in a flat place well thats a fair point but since i live in near edal in the peaks and have large hills all around …..i’ve riden up shatton hill in my big ring ,thats steeper than jakobs lader.
hope thus you will convert because if your going slow enough to ride your granny ring you may aswell walk…no offence
Thanks

2×9 rules, 22/36 up front 11-34 out back and a bash ring.

‘Core to the power of sik 2×9 dooooooood

“1×9 isn’t ‘jey’ at all, that’s more ‘freeride-core'”

well if you say so ..

“if you went 1×9 how does the chain stay on the front ring without a chain guide?
It doesn’t. You need a chain guide”
Mine stays on just fine. Correctly shortened chain, unramped (longer teeth with no ramps) chainring works for me 99% of the time (crahes and chucking over gates being the main exceptions)
Using one of these in a 34T (with an 11-32T casette)

steve_b77 – Member

2×9 rules, 22/36 up front 11-34 out back and a bash ring.

‘Core to the power of sik 2×9 dooooooood

This man is correct

“This man is correct”

But slightly off topic ..

James a short cage rear mech would help on that bike and a chain cage!

Why would a short cage mech make any difference?
When in the two biggest rings (34T front, 32T rear) the mech is in the most tension position (almost horizontal) due to shortening the chain by the looping round both big rings plus one pair of links
When in 34T-11T the mech is pointing downward, so still under lots of tension. Surely because of this (A short cage mech being under less tension in 34-11T) a long one is better?

The main reason is that sometimes the other rings (plus front mech, front shifter, cables and a little more chain) go back on so a long cage mech still lets me run a triple setup should I decide it maybe useful

What is a chaincage?

Are you really jey?

I’d say less cogs & rings is less jey…..

Now i just not sure about all this 1 ring stuff.

I use big ring all the time when going around the trails, middle ring i just spin out to easily, so for me it is big ring, and then middle. Having said that i still have granny on mine just for those silly steep climbs.

People with 34/32 up front do you not spin out all time, you hit about 18/20mph and you can’t go any faster, have to have a big ring for that.

With a 34T/11T as the ratio that lets you go fastest, yes I do spin out, but mostly just on the road. Running SPDs could have something to with it maybe? Being able to spin faster more easily perhaps, just making guesses

1×9 is on my 2nd bike which I ride on local terrain where the steep climbs are much shorter but generally the hills aren’t as steep. I don’t have a lot of flat out descents either.
Not having any choice other than to use a 34T front ring (the 32T rear isn’t engaging properly at the moment either so its a bit harder) forces me to put a little effort in on shorter local rides where I may otherwise get lazy and drop down to the granny ring

On my main bike I do have a standard 3×9 setup which gets used for longer rides elsewhere, where long steep climbs are commonplace and not destroying myself on the first hill helps to get me round the rest of a ride with ease, though I don’t always drop into the granny ring. I find it being a full suss bike means I drop into the granny ring more often/easily, it doesn’t seem to put the power down quite like the hardtail does
The big ring is good for any road sections between trails. I often tend to use it on faster downhills too

Middleburn duos look ace.

But are pretty flexible compared to say a trad. XT 3 ring set up.