[Closed] 1x10 enduro gearing without expander cog set up - what's your experience?

I use 34 11-36 on my Whyte 146 and have yet to come a cropper in North Wales. However for rides with extreme up/downhill gradients i run out at either end - it's all based on your physiology and bike to be honest.

Depends where you live/ride, how fit you are and/or how much you like pushing...

I live somewhere hilly, am reasonably fit but hate pushing.

Tried 32T and 11-36T, then went to 30T and 11-40T with a T-Rex. Works great, although if I didn't break and wear out stuff so much I'd run XX1 so I could have a 28T and 10-42T.

You should be fine tbh. I run 30/11-36 and I like hills and do just fine. If nothing else you'll learn to stand up and pedal when it gets a bit tough. The parts I sometimes struggle with is if it's a combination of long, steep and poor traction but that's not common enough here to be a real issue - I rarely have to push. YMMV obviously.

You don't really have anything to lose, if you decide you want an expander later the total expense is no more than if you buy one now.

Been running 1x10 (and previously 1x9) for three years, now on 34t 11-36 on the 26" and 32t 11-36 on the 27.5". It depends on your physiology - it's not that you need more power for 1x10 but you need to be able to produce power across a wider cadence range, so more strength at lows revs and/or an ability to generate power when spinning fast. If you're happy pedalling slow and fast, particularly standing and stomping hard on climbs then you'll be fine.

I just started ignoring the granny ring and after a few months of that I concluded I could do without the front mech. If you're running a modern double (so bigger than a typical 1x front ring) then keep using the granny but ignore the lowest gears which you wouldn't have with 1x.

They're all going to to be a compromise, just depends if you want the high gear or low.
Personally I went for an Absolute Black 32 tooth chainring with a 42 One up rear cog. Good low gear & adequate top gear.

i have a 34 and 11-36 10 speed rear which works for me. work out your current gear inches to get an idea of what you need, everyone is different it what ratios they use over what terrain.

I managed the first 2 years of when the UK Enduro's started with an 11-36 & 32/34 on the front & I wasn't as fit then as I am now. It's certainly do-able, although I spin a bit more now, I was a bit of a masher back then.

Obviously all the folk above are fit and/or live in East Anglia 🙂

Yeah I ran it for a season of ukge. Climbing wise its absolutely fine. Can spin out on flat stages but generally its fine

I'd say you want to aim for 32T at least. I run a 34T with 11-36 and its just right.

I switched to 1x10 11-36 about eighteen months ago. It is a bit harder climbing, but as I am not a super fit racing snake, I haven't found anything that I used to climb in the granny ring that I can't with 1x10. Stuff that is too steep for me was always too steep with a granny ring. I've always tended to be undone by a spin-out, unintentional wheelie or wandering front wheel due to crap technique!

You will notice that your leg muscles get bigger, though.

WTF is "enduro gearing"?

If you're after a setup that'll be fine for racing, 34t with 11-36 cassette gives plenty of range for both ups and downs. If you live some where mega hilly and like tackling the steeper climbs drop to a 32 or even a 30, smaller than that and you'll be spinning out at the other end.

Cool. Didn't realise I was enduro. I better start wearing goggles with my trail lid.

Anyway, 34t, 11-36. I have no need for an expander. Does me fine for local stuff including Surrey Hills, Afan, Cwmcarn climbs (not uplift), even Morzine (okay, fair few uplifts but there's proper climbs there too). Only the Lakes has caught me out so far and my fitness has improved to the point I think I'd cope now.

I could go 32 but don't feel the need and I'd start spinning out at the top.

I don't race. Done local race courses at race-ish pace, but they're xc really. No problems there anyway. Enduro as in Gravity Enduro, I understand between stages they aren't timed and gearing you just want enough to climb to the next stage but can't see it being severe.

11-34 : 32t (1x9) Peak District on a heavyish bike. But I'm tight, don't race and it can only make you fitter right?

I think kev above is right. It's kinda nice in a sort-of-flawed way. No granny ring, no excuses. Everything has be ridden fast, and it's often painful but also potentially more rewarding and keeps you fit. I guess the same argument taken to its logical conclusion results in single speed. I live in the peaks by the way. Those who live in flatter areas might find that 32+11-34 is fine.

An expander cog basically gives you no real drawbacks which by my admittedly twisted logic makes it less fun. Or something.

OP: what wheel size are you on? (sorry kittens)

On a 29er I run 30T up front with 11-40T at the back (11-36 + Hope TRex). Rarely run out at the bottom end, if I'm spinning out at the top end then I'm just as likely to be free-wheeling. Ride in the Dales, Pennines, Lakes, Peak. If I do have to get off and walk then it's usually lack of technique 😳

On 26" Wheels I run 36t front and 11-40t on the back. I find this gearing very enduro.

Funnily enough I was thinking about this today as I could hear my drivetrain being slowly devoured by the current conditions.

To save money I would have been happy to drop to a 34t on the front and just run a normal 11-36t cassette on the back. I only use the 40t in emergencies at the moment, too expensive for regular use.

Was talking about this today, my mate wants to go 1x10 and asked what I run. I have 32 front with 11-36 and I live in east Anglia, and in reality I have never span out, unless its a road section downhill. Who really spins out 32 11? I struggle to believe anyone is doing it on a regular basis. The 32 is ideal for climbing, even in wales. But I rarely spin out. People who say they do all the time.....bollocks

totally depends where you live, its pretty tough going on the push up climbs a innerleithen. there's a couple of my favourite steep climbs that I can't get up any more on 32-36 on the 29er, but used to get up on 24-36 OK.

I run a 30T plus 11-36 on 26" wheels. Find it works for me; any lower gear and I'd be quicker walking and would be spinning so fast that if I needed extra umph up over an obstacle then I couldn't turn the pedals any faster so would have to stop anyway.
I ride quite big hills (mainly Scotland).

Who really spins out 32 11? I struggle to believe anyone is doing it on a regular basis.

My thoughts exactly.

I ran 34 with 11-36 on my Solaris & never felt I needed more gears.

I now have a 32T chainring, but that's only because my new build is heavier.....

I have 11-36, 32T front on the hardtail. It's fine for that bike which is used for XC rides, trail centres etc. But it wouldn't be enough for the big bike, because I use it a bit differently and it has a [i]lot[/i] more tyre

But it's about usage really. The big bike does some pretty long, very physical days, it's often getting slogged up pretty nasty climbs (the grind out of kinlochleven frinstance, or the random climbs that tend to pop up in enduros where lots of planning's gone into the descents and the climb is just any way for them to get you from a to b. That sort of thing grinds me down too fast without a winching gear especially combined with mad all-in sprints on the descents. So it has 11-42 with a 32. Tried 36, that lasted exactly 1 day's practice for the EWS.

I run 32 and 11-36 in the winter and find that once the weather starts to dry up I spend too much time in the 11 and spin out fairly regularly, so in summer I run a 34 front to rectify this.

It does depends were you live. Trans-provence territory here, and although on the hardtail I don't use the granny I find that sometimes you realy need it. That's if you don't want to push.

I'm using the same gearing as the OP. The first ride or two I midded the granny ring but it was fine afternoon that - desperately missing top end gears now. Fed up of spinning like mad and going no where.

I'll be getting an expander ring and larger ring shortly.

I'm in the Isle of Man, which is pretty blooming hilly but doesn't have the length of climbs like a lot of the UK or Alps. Longest climbs are typically 25-30 mins max.

I run a 30t chainring with 11-36 on Strictly Endurow 27.5 wheels and never have an issue. I used to be a lot fitter than I am now too. I tried a couple of expander set ups but my passion for 100% perfect shifting couldn't deal with it. I run the above with an XTR shifter and Zee mech and it's absolutely spot on