You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I know that fashion is going 1x 10/11, Im still running 2x9 and up intillvery recently 3x9.
I dont miss the big ring but i am currently running 24/36 x 11x34.
I keep thinking about going 1 x10 but I use my 36 ring alot, and the 24 when on steep long climbs. The way i see it is id have to reduce my big ring to compansate for not having my granny. and cant decide if my bike looking tidy and neat is worth it or if i should just stick to what i know.
im riding a nukeproof this weekend set up 1x10 32 upfront 11-36 on the rear at llandegla and CYB i guess this will help me decide.
IMHO the 1 x 10 setup is a compromise
only you can decide how much you will miss the top end
I use it for hilly areas- ie locally.
I dont use it for Mountainous areas - ie the Lakes
see most of my riding is in the lakes scotland and the peaks,i think the peaks would be the worst on a single ring. Oh i hate riding uphills in the peaks. luckily the rest makes up for it.
i have a 1x10 setup after many years of using 2x8
i'm running a 32 up front with a 11-36 rear and i've used this at BPW, Gisburn, Llandegla and CYB not had any issues with it. prior to the 32 i was using a 34 and the climbs sometimes felt harder...it felt like i needed to drop down to the granny ring.
like junkyard says...a 1x10 setup can be a compromise as you lose some of the versatility of a double ring setup. getting the correct front ring size will be crucial and that will depend on your riding requirements/skills/fitness and riding locations
I'd keep 2x9 then.see most of my riding is in the lakes scotland and the peaks,
pretty sure even sram 1x11 won't cover the range you currently have* and it's very spendy.
*just checked you have 464%, xx1 gives 420% and a 1x10 bodge considerably less at 384%
I went from 3x8 to 1x10 this year. 34-11T with a 32T N/W. Not missing the little ring and not feeling the need for a wider range on the back (bargain 34T for me rather than the normal 36T cassette). I ride big Scottish hills and the only things I can't get up I'd be pushing up anyway. The jump from 8 to 10 speed was good, not sure I'd have bothered with a new drivetrain for just one more cog on the back...
I've got 3x9 and 2x9 and I'm happy with both for what they do.
I don't see the point of changing just because the current fashion is leaning that way.
Oh and they are all 26" wheels too, so I'm well ingrained in the past.
If I needed a new drive train I might consider it, but as I don't I'll stick with what I have.
i had to shop around for some bargains to be able to get my 10sp setup for just under £100 (that included a n/w ring)
sold my 8sp stuff for about £40 so really it cost me just over £60
Everyone that I ride with regularly in the Peaks are all on 1 x 10 or 1 x 11, some with 42T One-Up extender rings and some just using 11-36. All but one of us are on 34T fronts. We vary in age from 23 to 53...
The simplicity, lack of dropped chains and lack of noise from a proper narrow/wide clutch-mech set-up far outweighs the (supposed) disadvantages IMO.
You do lose range but the question is whether that range is really useful.
I used to run 26/38 and 11-36. Bottom end was 26/36= 0.72; top end 38/11 = 3.45, total range = 479%
I now run a 32T front with a 40T extender, and when i go somewhere really hilly I swap to a 30T front.
On the 30T front the low end is now 0.75, which is pretty similar to the original bottom and certainly useable for what i can manage. The top end is 30/11 = 2.72 which is way less than before. Total range is 363%
But - on 30:11 at say 100rpm, which is spinnable for a prolonged period, on a 29er, that equates roughly to 39 km/h. Which is plenty fast enough, and if I'm hitting that speed off road it's not the gearing that bothers me, it's my bottle / brakes.
YMMV