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Many people run this?
Currently single speeding 32:18 but could do with an extra gear or two for the downs and ups but don't need 11/12 gears.
I've had gx12 and slx11 in the past and got fed up maintaining them so went single speed through the last 6 months or so but coming into drier weather I'm thinking it might be time for gears again but feel like I only need a couple each way.
The only option I can find for smaller cassettes is to go down the DH route. Anyone run this set up or know of any other options?
Cheers
I run an alfine tensioner and 3 ss cogs on my krampus, obviously I can't shift from the bar but it's like having an adjustable singlespeed.
If you're happy with 7 speed try 9 as loads of cheap kit out there. Go with a closer rang cassette. And you should be able to use a short rest mech if you're 1 x9
My experience was that close ratio cassettes were completely useless on a mtb. I used to singlespeed in winter, and when I raced I tried out a 12-25 9 speed road cassette. It just meant double/triple shifting most of the time. Lower speeds etc mean that mtb needs much bigger gaps between ratios.
Ten speed Shimano with a saint shifter, non dinner plate cassette. Makes gears pleasent again. You could strip back the cassette if you want fewer ratios and lighter weight. Short cage mech, like zee. Job jobbed.
when I raced I tried out a 12-25 9 speed road cassette. It just meant double/triple shifting most of the time.
Years ago I went through a phase of doing this, funnily enough it was around the time I did a couple of sportives, one 75miler, and one 100 mmiles on my 26" hardtail. Properly slick tires, slammed stem and flat bars and it was pretty good.
Currently running 1x9... 32 x 11-32 on the rigid/commuter MTB. Fine for my doorstep, not actually tried it in hillier locations, nor done any rides longer than 25miles for quite a while. More range would be nice sometimes, but it's fine mostly.
I did, will again, run with ?6?7 gears on my inbred. Have a hope trials hub which has a short freehub body. Got some 9? speed slx, ditched the smallest cogs, I had to wreck the rivet that held then together and found some low profile bolts to hold them back together. Been perfectly happy like that for years. My local terrain has very little elevation change, but I have taken it elsewhere and still happy.
Going to be interesting when I finish the 2 year long clean/service/rebuild as I've got used to having some silly dinner plate 12 speed on the new bike and just sitting and spinning up hills.
I'd want a clutch mech on whichever setup, it's just better. Hence the 10speed Shimano. No idea about SRAM clutch mechs.
I've got this on one of my bikes and it works pretty well.
Used to be singlespeed, but don't ride enough keep up with SS fitness. Using the SRAM 7s DH cassette and mech on a Hope SS hub. Still a challenge on the hills, but more comfortable for mere mortals... Plus less spinny on the descents. Not had it long enough to gauge how much maintenance is required.
Looks nice and neat compared to the dinner plate cassettes
Those Sram cassettes fit the short Hope SS bodies…? Interesting.
If the goal is cheapish useful gears, I found when doing my kids bikes that the base spec SRAM stuff isn't bad; X3/X4 level, 7 and 8 speed works, uses pretty much the lowest cable pull ratio going (1.1:1) and is so cheap that having a mech in the spares box ready for any mishaps makes sense...
11-28 or 11-32, 7/8 speed cassettes are widely available off the peg...
The only issue might be if you're using wider 7/8 speed chain which (IME) don't hold onto N/W rings as well, could be gotten to work with 9/10 speed chain possibly?
Of course you could just take a 10 speed cassette, chop it down to 7 sprockets and set the limit screws if you've got some 10 speed kit spare...
I wouldn't go buying X0 DH stuff though, it's going to cost a relative fortune...
There are two version, the £35 one is standard Shimano freehub with loose/separate sprockets and plastic spacer. The 7 cogs fit perfectly on the SS hub without the plastic spacer.
The expensive £200 version I believe is all one piece XD fitting.
The SRAM DH cassettes have 11s spacing
Not used DH 7 speed for this purpose but as a single speeder I kind of see where you're coming from. To halve my climbing ratio would pretty much extend my use of that bike to any riding I ever do.
However, once going for a mech and shifter might you not be just as well with eg 10 speed? Similar performance, more range, quite possibly cheaper? Is the maintenance going to be any different?
NB My SRAM DH mech would also be an expensive thing to replace.
Actually if you want 10 speed spacing to make clutch mechs easier, I know a PG 1050 cassette is useful as I installed an 11-36 on my gravel bike earlier. Only the 3 biggest sprockets were on a spider, all of the other 7 sprockets were loose with separate spacers, so pretty much ideal for chopping down to make a smaller 7 speed...
A couple of years ago I set a Hope SS hub up with the bottom 7 sprockets from an SLX 10 speed cassette with a Zee mech and Saint shifter and it was pretty good.
I don’t think you’d find a 7 speed setup any lower maintenance than an 11 or 12 speed though.
thought of using a hub gear?
The only option I can find for smaller cassettes is to go down the DH route. Anyone run this set up or know of any other options?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cassettes-8-speed/?order=price+ascending
Knock yourself out. Still plenty of 8 speed kit out there, you can run the shifters on 7 speed as well. If you go budget you can pick up Microshift stuff as well.