the big ring??

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 44×11 Vs 24×34 – 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.

Are you and mboy some kind of chuckle brother tag wrestling team? Has anybody ever seen you in the same room together? Wait away, I thought we’d put this to bed. It’s got nothing to do with the original post so if you want to take it to another thread labelled my hills are better than yours then so be it. You may think that climbing 1500m in 15 intervals is just as difficult as doing it in 2. 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. Go do the TdBN or even better come up and ride some non race big mountain routes then get back to me however I doubt you’d be man enough to admit it. You’re already on record whinging about Scottish XC routes being one big up and down. You didn’t do very well because you were bored or something wasn’t it?

One big up and one big down does not make good racing IMO it is 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.

I really don’t want to lower myself to your level. I’m not the one who was boasting about their local climbs, you outright said you didn’t believe there was more climbing here, it’s all very pathetic! I’ll add the TdBN to the list of events I need to do to because STW members fail to believe there is anything better than their local riding. I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t beat Dave Henderson this year, surely you can’t compete with a 42t chainring?

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 2×9 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.

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.

To be fair I never climb in the granny ring, preferring to push rather than struggling to balance at such slow speeds.

It sounds like the 28-40; 36-11 combo may do it then. Thanks

CaptainSlow – Member
Anyone here using 24/38 with 11-34? or 22/36 with 11-32?
Running 9 speed here and amy try 2×9 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.
22/36 with either 11-34 or 32 depending on what is available.
22-34 is very spinny but when it gets to very steep it’s welcome (especially on a 150mm bike) Quite a lakes setup though, honister, newlands & whinlatter came up a lot. I know you can do it on a bigger chainring but why bother. Worked fine no real loss. Now on the 11-32 and as I’m no longer doing passes etc it’s fine too.

Going from 3×9 to 2×9 is easy to work out. Stick with what you are happy with for small and add 14t to get the next ring 🙂 use whatever cassette is on the bike and f the maths.

I’ve just fitted the two new rings, 26/38. First issue is weight, the two new rings weigh the same as the three old ones.
Then dropping the front mech was an issue. To get it lower it has to go over a bottle boss. I wont use a ‘low mount’ mech. And it won’t sit that low anyway as the cage fouls the stay.
Finally it looks gopping.

That said I’m looking forward to using these ratios.

Did somebody say BIG ring….?

CaptainSlow – Member
Anyone here using 24/38 with 11-34? or 22/36 with 11-32?
Running 9 speed here and amy try 2×9 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.

I’ve just done this, 2×9 36/22 with 11-32, the 36 is a revelation, don’t know why i didn’t do it sooner considering I spent all my time tooling around on the 32 middle. contrary to opinions above i’m switching to ten speed, not for the extra range that a wider cassette would give me, I’m quite happy spinning away in 22/32, a ten speed 11-32 is a closer ratio box, so more likely to have a comfortable gear for any given situation, I’m finding I keep dropping into the jump between 18 and 25 on the 9 speed 11-32 xt cassette, which is where you get your extra gear on a 10 speed 11-32

Trying it out for the first time tonight.

Got a gpx of your local trails that have more than 1500m of climbing in 70kms? Not that I don’t believe you or anything but I must visit this mountain mecca.

Malaga/Cadiz – 45km to 55km would put you in that range of altitude gain. And they aren’t even “proper” mountains.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/192369569

Any gears are fine as long as the pedalling continues 🙄

the last bike that i owned with a big ring (although it wasn’t as big as my old 1992 marin eldridge grade 48 tooth i think?) was my 10 anthem x2 with 3 x 9 xt.

i now have 2 x 10 sram x7 on my 2011 charge duster mid bike (don’t know what the big ring size is tbh i think 42?).
i love 2×10 now 🙂

Going 2×9 for my trip to Ciclo Montana next week.
I’m going to stick with 22/32 with an 11-32 out back for cost and simplicity stakes for this trip, as it’s a heavy bike (33lb) and the local terrain is either insanely up or insanely down with big rocky drop-offs – which is why the big ring is coming off.
I don’t recall using the big ring last year, but i didn’t want to stick a 36T ring into the mix and not get on with it whilst on holiday.

I still use a triple on my main bike as I do lots of Tarmac miles to get to the fun bits
The bike is a 29er with 26-36-48 rings as suits me and my riding and that’s the main thing

It’s not right or wrong it’s what works for each of us

It was great. It got a thorough going over as well as we met the Spirit racing guys on their matching LOOKs.
The nicest thing was getting my sweet spot mid range knowing I had four or five either side if I needed them
I’d quite forgot how nice a whole new drive train is as well,

Use the big ring alot…..having said that its only 40t these days! 😀

I have a 44t Chainring with a bash guard, paired with a medium cage rear mech. It works very nicely at keeping the chain nice and tight for the bumpy bits.
Only sacrifice is you cant use the 44t for the higher gears but that’s duplicated by the 32t anyway.
Its good fun pedalling downhill to go as fast as possible..
I wouldn’t want to be without it.

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.

To be fair I never climb in the granny ring, preferring to push rather than struggling to balance at such slow speeds.

It sounds like the 28-40; 36-11 combo may do it then. Thanks

I am looking to change the transmission on my MTB over now To a double up front and a 10 speed cassette. I was wanting to use a medium GS rear mech but noticed that they have a 35T limit. If I run a 11-36 cassette the options with a 38-24 a 38-26 and a 40-28 will be 39T, 37T and 37T respectively. Would it be possible to get away with this at all?

Could never not have a triple chainset.
Or at least not a chainset w/out a 42t+ chainring.

Just would be so slow on the flat bits, plus I have to ride roads to get off-road.

6079smithw – Member

Just would be so slow on the flat bits

The actual difference is less than you might think- top gear on a 36T “middle” is about 20% slower than top gear on a 44T- it’ll still push you along at 25mph, at a reasonable 80rpm. Sure, it’s not TDF fast but I’d not consider that slow either.

Gone 2×9 with a bash on my trail bike and 1×9 on my winter mud bike. Still got the triple chainrings etc so I can swap back if needed. Unlikely though unless someone removes all the logs from our local woodland trails.

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Would it be possible to get away with this at all?

Yes, you may just find that the chain is either too slack in small/small, or too tight in big/big (the former is preferable). It depend on your specific frame and things.

Due to me being lazy and not fixing the 29er I’ve mostly been riding my enduro for all my mtb rides
It’s 1-10
32 front and 11-36 rear
I still ride the 15 road miles to the start of our group rides
And it’s fine not quite as quick as my 29er but not as slow as you might think

It’s a hard tail so no problem with chain growth etc. I usually measure chains for fitting by putting around the largest chainring and cassette and adding two links, will this not preclude the big big issue?