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recently spent ten days in Finale (prior to the EWS) and it was, i think, the straw that broke the camels back with regards to me buying a fully.
looking at a few bikes, but the one (i think i want) is specced with 11spd and one ring up front.
most of my rides involve long alpine slogs of 800-1500m on steep fire roads (10-17%?). usually this sees me shifting the chain as far left as it'll go fairly early on and grinding up for an hour or more.
my fear is that 11spd will see me having to get off and push before i would with 10spd.
so, my questions....
is 11spd with a 34t ring going to see me struggling if i'm used to a 24front/34rear?
can I easily swap a 34 for a 32 or 30?
am I man enough?
see [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/describe-your-agonising-climb-gurning-face ]HERE[/url]
if my working is right (it might not be), 34/42 is 12%ish harder than 24/34.
Got that much spare in the tank?
fwiw I have a 30t on my 27.5 160mm bike and fat bike and 32 on a 26 ht and 27.5 125mm bike. all 42-10. I am not a fit man.
easy to change, no need to bugger about with extra links till you start making changes of 4t from the original ring.
If it's a SRAM 10-42 setup then a 30t chainring would provide a similar range to a 34/24 double with an 11-34 cassette... Assuming the same diameter wheels...
Stealth granny is an option. Would be ideal for long slog climbs. I suspect you won't need it but it is easy to add might be handy while you work out ideal ratios and what you can handle.
I know plenty of people running a 28 at the front... the better question I'd ask is with 28,10 (or equivalent ratio) do you think you'd be running out of speed on the downhills / flats and wishing you had a higher gear.
[i]is 11spd with a 34t ring going to see me struggling if i'm used to a 24front/34rear? [/i]
You might find a 32T oval ring a decent option.
Alpin, a 30t or a 28t on the front will see you right on everything a granny could. if these don't work for you then its that steep you would be as well pushing.
I had a 30t on most of the year and found it the best compromise between spinny climbs and still having enough for fireroad runs.
merci for the replies...
trails around here are pretty steep and/or technical for the most part and don't require much pedaling.... thinking about it the chain usually sits on the big ring and somewhere in the top half of the cassette for the downs....
i assume that the spacing of the bolt holes on rings are generic...?
Depends on your cranks. You'll not get smaller than a 30 on a 104 bcd set (shimano standard) some sram and fsa use a 94bcd and some of the posher ones use a bolt less system so no theoretical minimum. If you are mainly using big ring and mid cassette for most descents a 28 or 30 may well suit
I've got 32oval with a 42t on my 29" ht and a 32 with 40t on my full suss 27.5.
If I can't push that gear because it's so steep, I'm actually quicker walking and giving my lungs a breather.
most of my rides involve long alpine slogs of 800-1500m on steep fire roads
Stealth granny is an option
In your scenario, that's what i'd do.
i assume that the spacing of the bolt holes on rings are generic?
Ah ha ha ha!
BCD (bolt circle diameter), 4 arm/5 arm, now offset pattern - X shape rather than x shape - 2 pairs rather than 4 evenly spaced. SRAM and shimano cranks are doing that now, probably differently. And probably others are too, but aftermarket ring mfrs are pretty good on getting up to speed on popular new patterns.
Even if you pick up a 104mm 4 arm ring to go on your 104mm 4 arm spider, you might still have get the file out to make them fit.
You'll be fine, just swap to a 30 or 32 on the front if you have problems. As for top end speed, I'm sure you'll spin out now and again with the 30 but how much pedalling do people actually do over rough and fast downhills, surely it's just the odd crank here and there?
I'm running a 10 speed mech (11-36) with a 32 on the front and rarely feel that I've not got a high enough gear. Although I'd prefer an easier gear more often.
Tom KP
@alpin's concerns are the main reason I've never gone for a single ring upfront. I need the granny ring even in the UK as there is nothing "left in the tank" 😳
If he's riding a full sus for Alpine days then even 28-11 as a top gear will be enough when you add gravity and subtract braking 🙂
I wouldn't worry about the bottom gear too much, if the hill is going to beat you an extra tooth isn't the tipping point, it's gonna be power, weight or fuel/hydration, or at least it is for me
I run 28 up front with a 42 on the back - gives the same as 24x36 (assuming same size wheels).
I don't ever feel that I'm running out of gears at either end with this set-up so works well for me.
I regularly go to the Alps with 30T up front and 10-42 at the back on a 650b Trance. It's fine!
Hi Alpin
If there is an option to run double, why not just do that? I really struggle with the notion of having a narrower gear range and a higher lowest gear compared to a double set up. Add in a chain device and there isn't a great weight saving either. Other than fashion and being a good way for manufacturers to sell more kit, I can't really see any benefits from less flexibility. There is something reassuring about a proper bail out gear.
I was contemplating this the other day up on the Cairngorm Plateau. I was riding the ankle snapping boulders on my fat bike in a low gear and was getting through stuff I have never managed in my puff before. I would really have struggled in a higher gear while the fat bike has made me reassess what a big mountain bike for such riding should be. I've long thought 29 is the way forward but I'm now reconsidering. 😀