Soo.. who else is switching from 2×10 back to 3×9 / 3×10??

real time XC in the 11/42 = fireroad at best (and tucking would be quicker than pedalling)

All the stuff is still made so you can have what ever you prefer
But I would suggest some people rember that 10 speed rear cassettes can have a 36 big cog and that there are gear inch charts out there to compare ratios with

michaelmcc wrote:

It does seem like its a bit of a macho man statement people are trying to make here, as if you need to show off your hardness and push through with the 2 / 1×10, in sort of a “GGRRRRR look at me” type way. Slightly pathetic really.
I don’t see the point in going 1 or 2 by ten unless

A) You ride mostly in the South Downs.
B) You’re an XC racer and rarely out of the big ring.
C) You are a total weight weenie and want to save the 10 gram’s, or whatever it is.

I don’t race. I don’t care about being macho. I like to enjoy my XC / trail / bikepacking rides. I run 1×10, 32/11-36.

A) I ride Edinburgh / pentlands / GT / the highlands
B) I don’t race, and hardly ever used my big ring (oooh err)
C) I do like a light bike. Ditching the front derailleur, two rings, cable, and front shifter saves 450 grams. That is enough to make a difference for almost anyone.

Also:

+ 32/36 at the back is only 2 gears short of the lowest granny gear
+ 32/11 is 2 or 3 gears short of the highest gear on a 3×9
+ Front deralleurs are the work of the devil. They are Heath Robinson botches, ugly, unreliable, extra weight and complexity
+ 44 teeth whirring round exposed inches from your ankle / leg / body / logs / rocks sucks for off road
+ Bashrings are good
+ If you are winching yourself up a hill in 22/32, walking is probably more efficient
+ People run singlespeed 2:1 over most terrain. 1×10 is being spoiled for choice.
+ Having to push a low gear that isn’t winching yourself uphill makes you stronger and is more satisfying
+ The 44 ring is only for flying downhill on fireroads and roads. Chill out and freewheel, it is more fun and saves energy.
+ 1xn looks cleaner, and is easier to clean.

I could go on, but I’ll stop my 1xn evangelizing there. It’s not for everyone, and choice and experimentation are good things. Choose what you fancy / think you will enjoy, experiment, have fun!

I don’t see the point in going 1 or 2 by ten unless

Or you need the chain stability (because you actually enjoy technical trails) and easy maintainable of 1×10 and you don’t have the legs of a little girl?

Ok, if you’re all so tough and manly then why aren’t you all spinning out the highest gear on downhills which happens to me??

And it’s not really a case of getting stronger or tougher as a lot of you have said, Ive done five 24 hour solo races and I’m probably fitter/stronger than most people here.

If your racing you need to get stronger. There are reasons why 2x* makes sense.

If you want to go back to 3x* do so, but be aware that if you pick the right chainrings and cassette there is very little benefit to be gained. and you do gain a few problems.

Seems like you have more problems with 1x or 2x with the rate the rear mech wears out.

As for climb size, Le Chable to Col de Gentiannes in the Val de Bagnes on a 2×9, in prep for the Grand Raid Cristalp. Is that a big enough climb?

Really depends on the gradient, I’m not familiar with that climb.

Climb hardness has nothing to do with size, the south downs vs the Cairngorms, they are different nothing more.

Well South Downs are rolling and mellow so no probs on a 2x or 1x, haven’t ridden Cairngorms but I imagine the climbs are steeper and longer. I know you can have a hard steep climb thats reasonably short, and these kind of climbs one after another are when the granny ring comes in handy.

Double post.

Ok, if you’re all so tough and manly then why aren’t you all spinning out the highest gear on downhills which happens to me??

I feel the lowest gear isn’t low enough,

FFS, make your mind up. 🙄

mcc are you thick?
you fella have a fast cadence others however do not. simple really.

+ The 44 ring is only for flying downhill on fireroads and roads. Chill out and freewheel, it is more fun and saves energy.

And is a lot slower for racing – you can’t win in an event like Kielder 100 with less than a 42 up front I imagine.

+ If you are winching yourself up a hill in 22/32, walking is probably more efficient

It’s slower if you add in the time of mountain and dismounting every time.

+ Having to push a low gear that isn’t winching yourself uphill makes you stronger and is more satisfying

…. and less efficient.

Ok, if you’re all so tough and manly then why aren’t you all spinning out the highest gear on downhills which happens to me??

I feel the lowest gear isn’t low enough,

FFS, make your mind up.

Makes perfect sense.

you can’t win in an event like Kielder 100 with less than a 42 up front I imagine.

and yet you can win a DH world cup with a 36T
.

mcc are you thick?

This

and yet you can win a DH world cup with a 36T

AND… you can also do well in a DH world cup race if you break a chain and simply freewheel down the course, with the steepness of them (Like Cedric Gracia has done). Totally different, like comparing apples with eggs. When do you ever see a 5 mile fire-road section in a DH world cup race course? Never.

mcc are you thick?
you fella have a fast cadence others however do not. simple really.

I was simply asking in my first post who else is switching back.

mcc are you thick?
you fella have a fast cadence others however do not. simple really.

I was simply asking in my first post who else is switching back.

5 mile fire road descents at Keilder? 😆

simply freewheel

So clueless 😥

I’m with GW on this triple chainsets make very little sense anymore and you can pretty much select a combination of 2 chainrings and a cassette to suit your fitness (or lack there of) or your need to push big gears should you have such a desire….

For my own part at present I find 22/36 with an 11-32 cassette, covers more than enough bases, others experiences may vary but they are not me…

ride what you like but triples are for mugs…. 😀

FFS great friendly thread again :):)

All depends where and what you do.

When I lived in the lakes I was not going to give up a 22t ring.
Very happy with 22+36 – 11-34/36
As for running 32×11-36 I used to spin out far too often in middle ring to make that an option.

I did do 1×9 with 36-11-34 for a year on a 34lb bike i did get stronger but really missed being able to spin.

42 rings on MY bikes was the least used. Only wear was from rocks so made sense to get rid.

Now I live somewhere more rolling I can see myself going 1×9/10. But more likely to move somewhere less rolling as it’s more fun.

Edit

5 mile fire road descents at Keilder?

simply freewheel
So clueless
Find something more interesting to ride
So BoreingClueless

Boys boys boys

There’s a good thread in here somewhere.

I just did a 8 day mountain stage race on a 26er with triple. I was so exhausted some days I can’t imagine hauling myself up those climbs without granny. My pal however did it on a 29er double and was fine. I’m now riding a 29er triple but have a lovely double middleburn staring at me from the shed. Anyone have a link to gear charts that compare 26 and 29er? If Northwind is right on the ratios I’m going double.

Btw the fast guys at Transpyr were all on 29er doubles but were mostly supermen.

I can’t imagine hauling myself up those climbs without granny. My pal however did it on a 29er double and was fine.

This doesn’t make sense!!
What sort of perversion makes you remove the small chain ring?
Going for a 14 or 16t gap you can have 22/36-38. Unless you are desperate for 40+ there’s not much point in doing it the other way.

Mike I’m sure you are making a valid point but honestly I don’t have a clue what you are saying.

5 mile fire road descents at Keilder?

I never said descent 🙄 . There is 5 mile long fire-road sections though.

Mcboo, ah just forget it – you post reads like your mate was running a double without a small chainring – hence the perverse comment.

For some reason these 1byX or 2byX or 3byX threads bring out the worst in us!

I have to side with GW and Nikk on this. Based on my own experience, the problem with 2X9 systems is that they lose the wrong ring. Quite why anyone outside of the world cup DH circuit needs anything bigger than a 36t up front is beyond me (and I’m being generous as I don’t think anything larger than a 32t is really needed for 99% of the time). For that reason 1×10 is great for me as it drops about a pound and gives me greater drive train security.

You can easily spin up to about 25mph on a 32t fron and 11t rear; granted for long road and fire road descents spinning at 30mph would be hard.

Thing is though, I regularly hit 27-29mph (haven’t quite managed 30mph yet) on a 32t front 11t rear and this is over rough-ish ground like the peak. I tend not to worry too much about pedalling and instead focus on trying to keep smooth and carry speed.

That said, I know a few people who have started to go back to 2byX set ups from 1×10 because they do want the lower gear range and that’s where the loss is most felt (unless you’re riding a lot of road sections). Oddly, given that I am the least fit of our riding group, I’m still happy on 1×10. I managed 4000ft of climbing in the peak last Saturday on it, not at the quickest pace though. I think to be quick uphill for racing, you do need to be able to spin a bit more rather than just grind.

Ok, if you’re all so tough and manly then why aren’t you all spinning out the highest gear on downhills which happens to me??

Because our downhills are not grass slopes or fire-roads and often do not have sections where multiple seated pedal strokes make a difference or are an option that does not result in pain, and lots of it.

And is a lot slower for racing – you can’t win in an event like Kielder 100 with less than a 42 up front I imagine.

You imagine wrong, as Ben Thomas managed just that! Kielder isn’t representative of most racing anyway.

I’m with GW, but it’s totally personal anyway! I’ve not used a 22t chainring for 7 years now, just didn’t find it much use. I’m reasonably fit, and ride fairly light bikes, so it works for me. I really like the 36t single on my current bike. If I was building a trail bike I’d probably go for a 28/40 double, a 32t single would annoy me as I often ride 15 miles on the road to get to the trails, but I think a bigger single ring would probably have me struggling in places, and I’m not interested in walking up climbs.

I’d never go back to a triple though!

try a little research…here & here. then come back and we can all talk like grown ups.

I’ve gone double as the lowest gear on my triple when I went 10 speed was 22 – 36 which is utterly ridiculous.

ride what you like / suits where you ride / suits your fitness

I went from 3×9 to 2×9 on my mtb, initially with 36/22 chainset, couldn’t stand the bigger jump at the front so went to back to 32/22 & love it.

On my road bike I fitted a triple chainset which suits me & my riding very well & I see no advantage at all in either a double or compact setup.

I think it’s easy to forget what a huge range of working cadences a cyclist can have. Doing some rough calculations my legs seem to manage 40rpm to 140rpm pretty happily – with 32t 11-36 that equates to 2.8mph to 33mph. If I regularly raced XC I might need more gears than 1×10 but then again, if I regularly raced XC my legs would be more used to hiding hard without breaks for longer periods so maybe 1×10 would work well for that. But longer format XC racing is the only time I’ve wanted more than 1×10 and I really like it the rest of the time.

i suspect that i should consider a switch to 1×10…

i’ve found that 26/32 at the front works well for me: i spend most of the time in the 32 ring, using the 26 in ’emergencies’ (if i’m tired, if the hill is steep, or both).

Yes, i know there’s a massive overlap, but as i’ve said above, i AM a pathetic weakling, and find a 32/34 just a bit too much when my pathetic scrawny legs are tired, or the hill is steep, or both.

but, 10speed cassettes are even bigger, it might just be enough for even me to manage…

(if it works, i could consider a kona honzo 🙂 )

…29er wheels change the gearing don’t they, i’ll need to do some maths…

As for climb size, Le Chable to Col de Gentiannes in the Val de Bagnes on a 2×9, in prep for the Grand Raid Cristalp. Is that a big enough climb?
Really depends on the gradient, I’m not familiar with that climb.

its only 2.1km vertical, with a bit of everything, tarmac, fireroad, glacial moraine and snow.

but anyway, i use a 26/40 and 11/34, why i never really used the granny ring anyway, and certainly not the smallest gears so made sense to me to use a slightly bigger inner ring, As for the big ring, unless your doing long road downhills you rarely need a 42/44 big ring. Would i go single? at the moment no, when i ride off road i have a fair amount of road sections and a 30something ring is IMO simply too small for that. But if i was building a pure race bike then i would drop the size of the big ring a bit to make it more versatile offroad.

I’m loving my 2×10 since switching. I’m not a racer or uberfit – I’m the best climber in our riding group though.

38/26 with 11-36 – means I can stay on the big ring 99% of the time but have a bailout for long steep climbs.

Shifting etc is excellent but I do find the 10 speed XT chain really noisy compared to my previous KMC X9L’s (sounds like it’s not set up properly and is rubbing even though it isn’t)

I find on 2×10 I use the front mech a lot as the gears used most, the middly gears, are found at the edge of the small ring and big ring gear spread. this means many more changes require both shifters, and a initial double shift, followed by a corrective rear shift.

That is why the bikes I have built for myself (ie not demo bikes) are 1×10 or single speed.

1×10 is also lighter, cheaper, mechanically more reliable. And as a single speeder it’s a bit of a luxury to have gears, other times it’s a curse.

Once upon a time we’d laugh at the roadies for having this sort of argument over double vs compact vs triple.

but, 10speed cassettes are even bigger, it might just be enough for even me to manage…

(if it works, i could consider a kona honzo )

…29er wheels change the gearing don’t they, i’ll need to do some maths…

I survived Big Dog yesterday with 32t 11-36 with legs on the edge of cramp for half the race. I don’t think I’d have coped with my old 32t 11-34 1×9 transmission. Riding 32t 11-36 on a 29er you have a fractionally higher bottom gear than with 32t 11-34 on a fat tyred (real 2.2 or typical 2.4) 26er and higher still if you run equal width tyres on 29 and 26.

Does anyone else work on spinning fast? I swear it’s easier to get quicker at spinning than stronger at stomping!

I think some of the differences between folks on this thread boil down to whether they race or not. Many trail riders don’t really understand the obsessive gear dilemmas xc racers have.

It’s a long time since I raced xc and had 3×8, which suited me just fine. I couldn’t tell you what the ratios were, nor did I care – they were what came in the bike. Having said that I was always a mid-pack sport rider at best.

I now just trail ride with the occasional DH race: on the trail bike I have 2×9 & on the DH bike I have 1×9.

I simply don’t get why everyone jumped on the 10 speed bandwagon so enthusiastically. I’m now on 9 speed because that’s what my bike/groupset came with – it wasn’t a conscious choice, I just bought what was available. I went 2×9 because I like the clearance a double and bash gives me.

seemingly every other day someone is selling their 9 speed gear setup because they’ve discovered that 10 speed is n% better. It’s just not. Your brain and legs will adapt to whatever work and compromise you’re asking them to make by having 1 less gear. It’s marketing balls, and if you do some soul searching then you’ll agree.

‘Gear ratios are variable’

seemingly every other day someone is selling their 9 speed gear setup because they’ve discovered that 10 speed is n% better. It’s just not. Your brain and legs will adapt to whatever work and compromise you’re asking them to make by having 1 less gear. It’s marketing balls, and if you do some soul searching then you’ll agree.

Whilst I do agree I certainly find the 11-36 cassette instrumental in my liking of 1×10. I’d not want the compromise at either end as 1×9 would require.