[Closed] For the love of god make my 1x10 easier please.

Stop poncing around and buy a triple.

Smaller chainring

Smaller front ring?

Not cheap really,hope t-rex40t........sorry.

Smaller front ring means you will spin out at about 17mph.

Really, 34 front 11 rear will spin out at 17mph?

Smaller front ring means you will spin out at about 17mph.

Maybe if you go to a 22 🙂

It depends on your riding, but unless you're somewhere flat or you're fit, your front ring is probably too big. Try a 32. Personally I'm running a 30t, but my mtbs barely touch Tarmac and I'm not terribly bothered by top speed.

Maybe a bit more than 17mph,you might even get 18 mph iff the hills long enough and wind behind....

36 is pretty high for 1x10 with a 36- 32 is still a sensibly high gear for mtb use.

I think people obsess a bit on the whole "mtfu" side of 1x10 but there's times when really you don't want to be pushing a big gear, you want to spin a lower one- snow, mud, ice etc. Curious how I'll get on with mine this winter, one bike already has a OneUp and the other might well get one too

I'm not poncing its a new bike. This is what it's been delivered with. So be constructive and help a soon to be weathered old builder ! I appreciate a smaller chainring will ease all of the gears, I do have general gist of how gearing works. Would it be cheaper and is it possible to just make the top of the ten a bigger one?

TBH I'm happy running my 34t with 36t on rear,it does spin out easily though IMO

Would it be cheaper and is it possible to just make the top of the ten a bigger one?

No, it'll be harder and more expensive - you'll have to get a range expander like the aTRex. Smaller ring is more sensible choice. 30 or 32 will be fine, and good for far more than 17mph!

I have 32 on the front and 11 to 40 (Hope T-rex) at the back of my 26" FS.

I'm fat, unfit and not fast but never have a problem getting up any hill with the lack of a very granny gear.

Also have a 34 front with the same rear on a 26" HT and also never have a problem with that on the same hills - despite the HT actually being heavier.

36 and 11 to 36 will probably be ok if you are super fit or a XC racer, but for average joe I can imagine it being a struggle.

Yes the hope t-Rex,I did say,and I'm being constructive I'm here to help,I'm just saying that a front ring will make all your gearing easier,I'm going to get a t-Rex.

I used to spin out at 17mph on my single speed using 32:16, so you're going to be able to move faster than that for sure.

hairyscary - Really, 34 front 11 rear will spin out at 17mph?

Bollocks! I spin out at that 32-20 singlespeed (29er)

Edit: beaten to it, left the half filled out window a while

anyway, you're struggling with a 1:1 gear ratio? If you're pedalling that you'd be faster to walk

Retrodirect - Member
hairyscary - Really, 34 front 11 rear will spin out at 17mph?
Bollocks! I spin out at that 32-20 singlespeed (29er)

Edit: beaten to it, left the half filled out window a while

Have a look at the end of my sentence where you will find a question mark. I was questioning the post above mine.

anyway, you're struggling with a 1:1 gear ratio? If you're pedalling that you'd be faster to walk

Not the case at all. I'm moving considerably faster than people walking (or riding 1:1 ratios) when riding in 32/36

Spun my 32:11 out at 29mph on a fire road. Rollers have helped me develop a reasonable spin though, think that was about 120rpm. Off road I'm never pedalling at that speed anyway.

I'd drop to 32, a few rides in and you'll get stronger.

32 drops the ratio to 0.89 from 1.

On HT 30t front 11/36 + 42t one up extender does me fine, depends where you ride. Most of mine is techy climbs n downs so not much in the way cranking it full on speed.

Did have a 40t on FS but still struggled on some climbs, once it comes off it'll be up for sale. 😉

stick with the 36 you get used to it, had one up front for nearly 6 years 34-11 when 9 speed cheating now with 36-11 10 speed, can climb most trails at a steady pace 😀

I thought the idea of mountain bikes was to make it easier to ride off road 😉

I ran 36 up front with a 34 rear when I was younger, it was tough on proper hills a day my legs ended up huge. Running 34 with a 40t at the back. If you can remove a cassette then the 40t is a simple solution. Dropping to a 34 would be reasonable too. I have a 36t narrow wide still sat in its packaging.

11-42 (One-up) rear here..30t front on a 29er.

I got the one-up 42 & 16t sprockets new from EBay for £30. Fitting was easy. What rear mech do you have?

X9 clutch mech and x0 chain device if that makes any odds. Will the chain legnth need to be altered?

God, I run a 11-42 rear and a 32 front on a 26"er and find I run out of puff on the hills round here. You lads must have legs of steel, no hills, or you push a lot. 🙂

A few things to point out. First off, it's your first time using it. It gets easier. I sold loads of 1x10 bikes to guys in their 40s and they all hated it first time out, wanted to put a triple on, get expander rings etc. I told them to stick with it and drop a ring size - now all converts.

You are using a bit more strength than you're used to, so in the same way as going to the gym after a few years absence is painful and difficult, it quickly gets easier.

Try a 32t or 34t chainring. It'll most likely sort things out for you, don't worry about spinning out as you'll be nudging 30mph when you do. If you do a really large amount of riding up very steep, lose muddy or grassy banks then you just might need an expander ring.

you just might need an expander ring.

Fit a granny ring?

[i]God, I run a 11-42 rear and a 32 front on a 26"er and find I run out of puff on the hills round here. You lads must have legs of steel, no hills, or you push a lot. [/i]

2nd and/or 3rd I reckon.

I'm Scottish Borders and reckon that if I go 11-speed I'll need a 28 on the front - otherwise I'll be pushing. A couple of fit lads I know run 30's and can manage, while others claim 32's are fine - but I've not ridden with them to know how much pushing they do and/or how fit they are.

i don't like the idea of an expander ring, it all seems a bit heath what with having to wind the mech out to the max to actually work properly. Not really fully up to speed (if you hadn't guessed) on current technical terms etc.
As the bike came fitted with a truativ descendant 1x10 set up, will that be a narrow wide ring on it as it also has a chain device fitted. If so can i just put any 32t chainring on with the correct bolt centering?

i don't like the idea of an expander ring, it all seems a bit heath what with having to wind the mech out to the max to actually work properly

X9 and 40t Trex on the hardtail works well and was easier to set up than the XT mech and Trex on the susser. RAD cage now gives the XT mech the advantage though. I run a 30t ring on the hard tail and a 28t on the susser, both 29ers. I rarely use the 11 and 40t gears so I reckon I've got my gearing about spot on for the riding around here (NE Scotland).

Unless you are a racing snake doing short course XC, or live somewhere flat, 36 tooth chainring on a 26" bike is too big.

Go 32 on a 26".

I run a 28 tooth on a 29er, 10 speed. Spinning out doesn't happen - I don't need to race downhill, and 28-11 takes me to at least 20mph on the flat, and I don't carry that speed for very long.

Firstly I'm heartened to see that 1x10 and 1x11 folks do use 28 and 30 front rings. That's the only way it would work for me

Secondly some people tend to mash and some people spin. So its not just about fitness. Also it depends on when you consider it Ok to walk. I 've met the Evans ride it at Woburn a few times to find almost every up walking up a gentle slop and I really no great shakes on the ups. Even better I once met an MTB club on when of my how high can I get climbs. It startes of easy, then gets really steep and finally just crazy. I got about 1 crank turn in to crazy. The whole club had walked the lot

Thirdly these threads do rival I've just fitted ridged forks and how do I now reduced the pounding from the bars for irony

Thirdly these threads do rival I've just fitted ridged forks and how do I now reduced the pounding from the bars for irony

As I said back there << this is how it was delivered. I've just looked and noticed the newest version comes with a 32 front. I can't go any smaller without removing the chain guide apparently as its set for 36 to 32. Might run down to the lbs and see what they've got in.

When are all you gripers "Spinning out"?

If it's descending a tarmac road, why do you care? Surely you have a road bike to do that on?

@OP fit a smaller chainring and you'll be OK. That's all there is to say really. A 30 or a 32.

Small gears save energy, big (road) gear ... who cares about that.

wrightyson - Member
So in taking the new bike out in anger today for the first time it was a stark reminder that I'm nearly 40!

Being 40 has nothing to do with it other than people get lazy around this age. Ride more that's all :p

Seriously though, some I know in their 40s & 50s are insanely fast xc racer types and very good climbers. 40s myself though I'm not claiming to be anything like that. I'm in the lazy-ish category, but 1x10 is no issue for me really but most of it down to riding fitness that's all. Ride often and ride hills. I'm no fan of climbing, but it makes a huge difference if you do climbs often.

Anyway, 34 up front for me. I don't really spin out at the top much unless I'm on a fast xc ride that's bombing along a road. Rare and not something I'd want to do anyway. Mountain bikes are mountain bikes, not road bikes.

Fine for me climbing pretty much most places I ride (Surrey Hills, Wales, Alps even though with uplift 😉 ). Friends of mine are on average I guess in their mid-30s to 40s, and those with 1x10 are mostly on 32 up front for lower climbing gear, and some are using extended cogs to get a 40t or more at the low end.

I ran 32x36 as a bottom gear yesterday round Penmachno and it was a bit of a challenge, 32x40 on my old nukeproof Mega always seemed manageable.

Cheapest way is a 30 or 32 up front with your existing cassette. I've got a 30/36 sut up on my hard tail - I'm 38 years old & 17.5st (big build though), It's enough to get me around Cwmcarn on a regular basis. I only ever spin out on the road, never felt the need to pedal above 20mph anyway - usually results in painful crashes off road (at least in my case).

Running 30t on both my bikes
10-42 11 speed on my 160mm bike
11-36 on my 125mm bike

i find it perfect and seems to put me in a straighter chain line when in the most used gears

i do spin out on a few sections..but these are dull sections so i dont care.

32 for summer though

Reading though the advice it sounds like you need a 30-32-34 triple chainset.

As I said back there << this is how it was delivered.

I'm not really blaming you. Its more the way that cycling heads of down these paths which solve one problem but can create another

When are all you gripers "Spinning out"?

If it's descending a tarmac road, why do you care? Surely you have a road bike to do that on?

You take a road bike with you for the tarmac sections, genuis

More seruioulsy

I do agree spinning out on tarmac isn't much of an issue

Firstly I'm heartened to see that 1x10 and 1x11 folks do use 28 and 30 front rings. That's the only way it would work for me

Firstly I'm heartened to see that 1x10 and 1x11 folks do use 28 and 30 front rings. That's the only way it would work for me

According to SRAM 28 and 30s are the way fwd for most. 32 is just an older 1x10 go-to / hang-up, or a size that works better for 26".

Because sram cassettes have a 10t for its smallest sprocket as opposed to shimanos 11t.

As soon as SRAM cassettes go for under a ton I'm in.
Till then I'm oot.

That 10% difference may make it work for some, agreed. I'd always gear a bike for the climbs, the top end is what it is.

I only go fast when gravity assisted, the rest of the time I'm savouring the ambience.

30 or 32 upfront would make a massive difference.

I ran 30t on a 11-36 cassette on my 26" full suss before it was nicked and found it perfect. People fitting range expanders usually then fit larger chainrings so are really only benifitting on the fire-road descents/road sections.
I'm in my 50's, ride once a week (bit anorexic though)and find spinning on steep climbs really hopeless as you can't put the power down on techy sections and when I'm going so slowly I loose balance then I'd rather get off and push. I ride the Tweed Valley stuff and big days out in the Scottish mountains.

Don't give up now OP. Looking forward to some cheap exotic triples.

I have a Works N/W 30t chainring, a 10spd casette with OneUp 42t/16t conversion and an XT shadow+ with the OneUp Rad cage fitted. I only ride tarmac when I have to.

At 50yrs old it gets me up the hills and by the time I've exhausted the 30/11 top speed off road I'm normally going quite fast enough thank you very much. Shifting is very accurate; all works perfectly.

C

Re "spinning out", spinning out itself isn't generally the issue on descents, just that a lot of people will find themselves not able to pedal in the gear they want to. I'm a habitual stomper, I like a low gear at speed. Going 1x10's forced a bit of a spinny change, which by and large has been good but if you don't want to make that change it'd be a bummer.

Northwind if you're so fast that you can ride UK singletrack and spin out throwing pedal strokes in in the top gear of 11-36 x 32 then I'm sure whichever bike company is sponsoring you can probably afford to just give you a few extra set up crankses.

Excuse me, but you must have just not read my post then commented on what you imagined it said 😕

I'm still non the wiser. What 32t chainring will fit this pissing bike please?
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/nukeproof-mega-tr-275-pro-bike-2014/rp-prod107269 ]Megaapartfrommylegs[/url]

If you're switching down from something bigger, any. Because they're smaller.

Just stick a 32 on the front, I'm 40 in February and not particularly fit at present.

Did 2500' climbing round Hebden yesterday with only 1 push (penny steps), only time I feel like I' m spinning out is on tarmac going downhill which I try to avoid anyway.

Swearing and grunting helps.

Can't see a problem with putting a 30 or 32 nw chain ring on your bike

wrightyson - my quick search came up with a 104 Bolt Circle Diameter (BCD).
So that's the majority of single rings.

For example this one in the 104bcd version:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/race-face-narrow-wide-single-chainring/rp-prod109723?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom&gs=1&gclid=CP2a69j5_8ECFefMtAodml8AYQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I find that a really odd build, 1x10 trail/enduro bike with a 36 on the front. Smacks of a spares bin build.

I have been running 36t on 1x10 for about 6 years now (1x9 prior to its invention) - you get used to it after a bit and i haven't yet met a climb i can't do (eventually). i do do a lot of squats at the gym, though...

Sure, I thrutched 32:36 up the Whytes Level climb recently. It's not the gradient per se (I'm used to SS, the effort doesn't bother me) but a lower gear would have been a lot easier on all those nadgery bits, and would have saved more energy for the rest of the day.

I miss riding tech slow climb sections rather than just charging at them and hoping I've carried enough speed to get up.
I was running 30-40 for 6 months but I can just about manage 30-36 for South Wales now.
Will probably get a 32/34-42 at some point tho.

According to SRAM 28 and 30s are the way fwd for most. 32 is just an older 1x10 go-to / hang-up, or a size that works better for 26".

Convenient, they're also the only ones making them?

36t front ring on my bike, but it is a rigid bike so no energy lost bobbing around, and the Chilterns are mostly short and sharp so even a granny ring wouldn't make a nice spin so mashing is the only choice.

Strikes me that you need to try a few chainringsf and use the one that suits your riding best. Lots of people on here seem to think that 30/32/34/36 are unsuitable for mtb use but it all depends what sort of riding you do and how big your legs are.

wrightyson,
I had the same issue with my Mega AM bought for me by my wife as a 50th birthday pressie. So much so I came close to selling it as i was really struggling. I fitted a Race Face N/W 32t chain ring from Merlin and it was sooo much better. Most of mine is Lakes riding.
Chain length was realistically a bit too long (maybe 1 link) but still functioned. It was only when I replaced the chain that I shortened it.

As above, I would go with a 32T Thick and Thin, Superstar are fine if the budget is tight. You might need to pull the crank out to swap the rings.

There should be enough adjustment on the chain device to take up some of the chain slack, otherwise you will need to shorten it a bit.

As above, 32 thick thin chainring, remove the chain-device.

I'm 10 years older than you and get on fine with a 1 x 10 30/42 f/r

distictly average mid thirties bloke with a 32T can get up pretty much anything i could with a granny and never spin out on the downs. although tbh i have no qualms about getting off and pushing when climbs get ugly! would always rather save my legs for the descents.

you could always add a ninja nanny?