you can stomp along in the big ring and smallest 2 sprockets with a nice straight chain and not putting wear on your middle chainring you use out on the trails.

You could have a double with a 42t outer though, and the chainline would be better for the usable gears, and as you say you don’t have the uber-spinny gears like 22-32.

It sounds like a bunch of people have ended up with front shifting issues that have made them not use the front gears enough, and then abandon the 44 as they don’t use it.. From spending years as a shop mechanic fixing gears and brakes, it comes as no surprise to me. Front mechs are only generally ever set up wrongly from the factory.. Too high, wonky or bent.. and generally cheap, as nobody cares what’s written on their *front* mech when they see the bike on display.. and most of them aren’t fixed up before the bike leaves the shop (well I always did, but it’s quite time consuming on a PDI on a busy saturday).

Expensive bits (ie, at least XT mechs, good cables and decent chainrings) set up and working properly are so much better to use, work quickly, and don’t tend to drop the chain or grind through changes, no matter how muddy it is. I guess that not a large proportion of people ever get to use something like that.. so they never learn to use the front gears properly.

I think you need a degree of mechanical sympathy to get a triple to work well.

And a good read of either Richard’s Bicycle Book or Sheldon’s website.
🙂

I also think growing up using friction shifters gives you a better idea of how things work properly, learning how to trim, how not to stress the chain etc.

Sadly, many people have no patience and can’t be bothered to learn anything anymore – seems like 2*10 is perfect for the ‘can’t be arsed to read the manual’ crowd.

njee20 – Member

You could have a double with a 42t outer though, and the chainline would be better for the usable gears, and as you say you don’t have the uber-spinny gears like 22-32.

But not all of us want to go out and spend £ on a specific double crank set with better offset. Most people switching to double will be doing so by just ditching the outer ring. The only double specific cranks I have seen are top end ones. The SLX 22-36-bash does not count as it’s basically a triple set up with steel pedal inserts.

As for the ‘spinny’ 22 – unfortunately some of us need something lower than a 28 up front and don’t want to upgrade to a 10 speed rear to get the 36T which is probably quite heavy.

You can build an 11-36 9-speed cassette, incidentally, but it works out very heavy- take a 12-36 and replace the little ring.

I think you need a degree of mechanical sympathy to get a triple to work well.

And a good read of either Richard’s Bicycle Book or Sheldon’s website.

I also think growing up using friction shifters gives you a better idea of how things work properly, learning how to trim, how not to stress the chain etc.

Sadly, many people have no patience and can’t be bothered to learn anything anymore – seems like 2*10 is perfect for the ‘can’t be arsed to read the manual’ crowd.

You what?

How have you infered a lack of “Mechanical Sympathy” or inability to maintain/operate a bike properly from removal of a chainring?

I think the primary problem with this thread is just a lack of empathy if anything, a simple appreciation that people like different flavours of MTBing, and maybe lack any real sympathy for others take on the sport.

To suggest I and other who have chosen to varied the rings on our bikes from the shop bought standard, because we are mechanically inept strikes me as a bit cheeky TBH.

“Can’t be arsed to read the manual crowd?” Who are they exactly?
I know the only reason I have a 2xn drivetrain is because I can be arsed, not only to understand how my bikes work, but to experiment with their configuration to try and make it fit my needs better and not accept the broad spectrum toss that comes fitted as standard to accomodate dusty old giffers who think bicycle technology reached it’s apex with friction shifters…

But not all of us want to go out and spend £ on a specific double crank set with better offset. Most people switching to double will be doing so by just ditching the outer ring

Don’t need a special chainset – just use the inner and middle ring positions on a triple. I’ve done 30/42 and 28/40 like that.

I use a 2×9 as it suits my needs. I have the 36 ring for flat and downhill that allows me to pedal up to 25 mph easily and 30 mph spinning away like a lib dem spokesman.

I have a 22 ring for hillclimbing.

I simply shift into the granny ring at the bottom of a climb and use a range of gears 1-6 or so . this gives a range of low and importantly close gears for hillclimbing.

I will only shift the front a couple of times each ride.

Simple, elegant and gives the right range of gears for me, my riding style and where I live.

I simply have no need for a gear that can be pedalled up to 35+mph. 25+ does me fine. Its a mountainbike after all

I tried running triple and a close ratio road cassette, rubbish, pretty much everytime I changed gear offroad I’d move 2 at a time anyway and I had to switch chainrings a lot more often. I run 22/32 11-32 mostly now, slightly undergeared for downhill fireroads but as I only ride those once in a while it’s fine.
22/36 11-32 has more top end but I like a 1:1 available in middle ring, lots of climbs seem to be just a bit too steep/long for 36/32 so too much use of the granny, wouldn’t mind 24/36 11-36 10spd but CBA with the cost and effort at the moment (and I like my RR dérailleurs too)

I tried running triple and a close ratio road cassette, rubbish, pretty much everytime I changed gear offroad I’d move 2 at a time anyway and I had to switch chainrings a lot more often

+1, couldn’t get on with that either.

More gears = more gearing options!

What is the point of dual chainrings ?

What’s the point of a triple if you never use the big ring???

Double and lightweight bash suits me.

I tried running triple and a close ratio road cassette, rubbish, pretty much everytime I changed gear offroad I’d move 2 at a time anyway and I had to switch chainrings a lot more often. I run 22/32 11-32 mostly now, slightly undergeared for downhill fireroads but as I only ride those once in a while it’s fine.
22/36 11-32 has more top end but I like a 1:1 available in middle ring, lots of climbs seem to be just a bit too steep/long for 36/32 so too much use of the granny, wouldn’t mind 24/36 11-36 10spd but CBA with the cost and effort at the moment (and I like my RR dérailleurs too)

I’ve got an ultegra on my race wheels was 12-28 I think but I put an 11t in to make it 11-28T.

Works very well with a triple I find.

I reckon 22f-28r gives me a low enough for going up hills and a 42f 11r gives me enough for road riding even.

but a 11T-30T 8 speed would be even better and probably weigh the same as a 9 speed 11-28T.

Of course you could go down the Sheldon Brown route of 63 gears
http://sheldonbrown.com/otb.html

Do it on a Rohloff, with a 10 speed cassette and a triple. Maybe a Hammerschmidt too, for good measure. And Di2. That would clearly be the best bike ever.

I’ve got an ultegra on my race wheels was 12-28 I think but I put an 11t in to make it 11-28T.

Works very well with a triple I find.

Do you not just find yourself shifting chainrings the whole time? That was what I found frustrating. With a wide range cassette I could just drop a gear at the back. With a close ratio block I’d have to drop 2, as one would be too close, then change down (or up) on the front sooner.

Good at Thetford and Sherwood, but no use anywhere else I found!

What ever happened to all the 54t big rings we used to have in the early 90’s, the ones that were designed to race the kamikaze that we lugged all over Leicestershire looking for a hill that took more than 4 pedal strokes to get to the bottom of. All this 36t is enough is a clear inicater of mincers.

Oh, and the same time, sun tour micro drive never took off because it’d wear out too fast…

All this 36t is enough is a clear inicater of mincers.

You pedal over 30 mph offroad?

Clearly tongue in cheek…

But yes, sometimes. If the trails open enough, and the hills steep enough. But mainly on the road on the way too and from the trails. Sadly I only live close too, not actually on the local trails so have to get to and from them.

More gears = more gearing options!

Less gears, pedel faster, pedel harder, pedel longer = fitter, better rider.

Why spead so much time messing around with your gears, spend the time riding your bike!

Transapp – I realised on second reading – DoH!

Just done the sums. Stock SRAM 2×10 setup costs me more than XT 3×9 or 3×10, and loses me a bunch off the top end and my lowest grind up the mountain gear. Why pay more for less? Think I’ll stick with stock Shimano 3×9/10 tyvm.

Now going 1×10 kind of makes sense and eliminates the overlap. Does anyone know who can make me a 12-56 or a 12-60 10sp cassette? and a rear mech to match? 😉

22/36 chainringgs mean you only loose the top two gears – those ones that are never used offroad.

But some people ride on the road as well?

You still need to pedal above 30 mph on a mountain bike even on road?

I run 28/40 up front against an 11-28 (9 speed) cassette in the back. Less duplicated ratios and lighter as well.

You still need to pedal above 30 mph on a mountain bike even on road?

No, but at 100rpm in 36/11 you’re doing 25, seeing as road is likely to be something either done for fitness or to be endured as a way of getting to the trails it’d be nice if you didn’t run out!

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got a 36/11 top gear, and often ride 16 miles each way on the road to get to the off-road bits, but if I was gonna try a different chainring it would definitely be a 38 not a 34.

I run 28/40 up front against an 11-28 (9 speed) cassette in the back. Less duplicated ratios and lighter as well.

Yeah, but more shifting on the front and irritating multiple shifts on the back – keep up, we just did that 🙂

Occasionally I would like a higher gear – but its so much better not to have to do multiple front shifts and to have the clearance and lack of leg biting big ring.

but its so much better not to have to do multiple front shifts

FTFY 🙂

Now going 1×10 kind of makes sense and eliminates the overlap. Does anyone know who can make me a 12-56 or a 12-60 10sp cassette? and a rear mech to match?

1×10 already covered this week

I can nearly get SRAM 2×10 26/39 to a Shimano 11-36 cassette to work. Better than SRAM 12-36 cassette, anyway.
Means losing top gear and bottom gear, and bailing to granny earlier. Or use 180cm cranks for a tiny bit more leverage.

Actually, with a bit of jiggery pokery, I could get that daft 1×10 cassette down to an 11-52, to give me all the ratios I want (need != want).

“I suppose some people live in houses that are already off-road so they don’t have to cycle along roads to get there, but I unfortunately do live on a road, so I have to cycle along it to get to the off-road.”

If you cycle on decent mtb tyres on road @ over 25mph then this is a valid point, personally I can’t unless I am going downhill. I do prefer to spin rather than mash a big gear though…

Or use 180cm cranks for a tiny bit more leverage

Jesus, tiny bit more leverage!? Ground clearance would be an issue.

I can nearly get SRAM 2×10 26/39 to a Shimano 11-36 cassette to work. Better than SRAM 12-36 cassette, anyway.

What do you mean nearly? There’s no reason that a SRAM 26/39 chainset won’t work with an 11-36 Shimano block? 😕

If you cycle on decent mtb tyres on road @ over 25mph then this is a valid point, personally I can’t unless I am going downhill. I do prefer to spin rather than mash a big gear though…

I tend to always average 90-95rpm so not a masher, if not a crazy spinner, and do find myself right at the top end on the road. Only takes a very slight downhill to make a big difference.

Extra ratio at the top end.
With shimano cassette, it’s like losing only 44-11 (which I could live with).

The “nearly” bit is referring to the fact that after quite a bit of number crunching, there is a 2×10 setup using stock available components (ie no swapping of rings) which nearly covers what I’ve already got with 3×9. Some people only use middle ratios, get an uplift and never do fast trails/roads. Others use the full extremes.

For me its nothing to do with weight saving and everything to do with correct gearing.

26-38 with a 11-36 seems to me to be the best comb for me.

I almost never use the 42 tooth big ring and a 26-36 combo can climb just about anything.

I find the 22 tooth ring just lifts the fort wheel and i loose control, its a hard life having all this awsome leg power 😀

For me its nothing to do with weight saving and everything to do with correct gearing.

+1, think that was my first post on the matter!

Funnily a 44/42T outer ring is cheaper than a lot of bash rings and will save your middle ring from damage just as well… (okay, maybe not the back of your shins)

If you’re clouting your outer ring off rocks, your just riding it wrong.

That said I have the parts to go 2×9 next (24,36, bash) I feel like 22/32 is too small for me.

10 speed? – well maybe in 4-5years when I run out of 9 speed bits or they become impossible to get.

kaesae – Member

More gears = more gearing options!

It’s almost entirely duplication. Triple rings are like carrying around 2 multitools, 2 pumps, 2 sandwiches, 2 raincoats…

oliverd1981 – Member

If you’re clouting your outer ring off rocks, your just riding it wrong.

Genuine LOL.

Don’t need a special chainset – just use the inner and middle ring positions on a triple. I’ve done 30/42 and 28/40 like that.

Works better on a 68mm BB shell so you can move the chainline over a bit to centre the 2 rings but yes that will work if you can get the rings and are okay with a 28T granny (I’m not, especially where I live. If I move east I will fine though!)

Sadly, many people have no patience and can’t be bothered to learn anything anymore – seems like 2*10 is perfect for the ‘can’t be arsed to read the manual’ crowd.

That is why I took the time to swap out my crank, front DR, rear DR, shorten the chain and mess about with BB spacers and chain line. No patience me

😐