[Closed] Is the front mech dead, what set up are you using?

32t front 11-36 rear, will probably go 30t front when the current ring wears down. I built up my last bike with a front mech to try it again after a season of 1x10 where I sometimes missed a lower gear, but I hated it - I learned to stand up and pedal for extended periods of time instead.

If I was going away to ride in proper mountains (with the intent to pedal up them) I'd just fit a granny and manually shift the chain depending on ascent/descent rather than dealing with a front mech again.

11-36 back. 28t on front. Zee rear mech. I live near big hills and like a low gear for spinny uphills.

I hate front-mechs. Had an ALfine for a couple of years to avoid them. I think next year I'll go for a General Sherman cassette and a 30t front ring.

11-36 with 36 up front can ride up almost everything locally been this way for 4 years before that 11-34 34 upfront 9 speed.

I'm guessing the front mech haters are the ones who can't set them up.

Note: I run 1x10.

..I can set them up fine. It's just that they get clogged up with very sticky clay-like mud round here. The chain gets jammed and leads to chain snaps/drops/dropout snapping.

I like to ride up big steep hills here and in the alps. Can't see me ever going 1x9 or 10 for that just not low enough for an hour plus grind.

Running 2x9 (inner and middle +bash)

on 29'er

-ran 33T x 11-36T for first year

-replaced with 32T x 11-36T

slightly easier getting up bigger hills in wet, and cadence seems more suitable from the 1T drop in front chainring size, the 33T always seems mismatched with rear?

recently tested new SRAM 11-speed with the huge 42T cassette and 32T front, and was seriously impressed with ability to spin up steep muddy climbs, which is the only situation my 10 speed lets me down.

My last bike came fitted with 2x10 and it was my first ever front mech. I planned to ditch it the minute it dropped the ball but it worked perfectly for 2 years. The granny ring came in handy when spinning uphill in winter slop.

Now that I'm building a bike though I'm going 1x10 for mainly aesthetic reasons. If I don't like it I won't be scared to fit a front mech.

I just find running a single up front has really helped with my riding as it forces me to ride properly uphill rather than taking the easy option and just spinning up in the granny.

Also like the idea of no front mech, cable and shifter, much prefer the clean look of my bars without all the clutter.

Would love XX1 but the cost is inane, I'll just stick with a move to 1x10 for the mo!

What ever is cheapest... All six Oab bikes are 3x8 and 9 speed and will stay that way

Yeah the front mech's as dead as the 26 inch wheel 😉

The granny ring came in handy when spinning uphill in winter slop.

Was loving having a granny today, proper sloppy, greasy conditions so keeping a decent cadence going was pretty much crucial to stop the rear wheel spinning up.

At nicely manicured places like trail centres I don't need a granny, but as it's doing absolutely no harm it'll be staying for the time being.

2x9. 24(I think)-36 front, 11-32 rear.

11-36 10 speed Shimano cassette with a SRAM thick/thin 28 on a 29er.

Before that, ran a 11-36 10 speed Shimano cassette with a Hope 32 on a 26er.

The 29er setup is marginally lower geared than the old 26er gearing, but I chose it for very long days in the hill with bikepacking gear. A 30 tooth up front on the 29er would give me marginally higher gearing. I ran it with the 32 to start with, but found the low wasn't low enough for 'bale out' gearing.

The SRAM XX1 cranks and chainring are great. I am considering going 11 speed at some point, but no way am I paying £250 for a cassette, that is going to need to drop down in price a lot, and remain competitive weight wise. before I'd go with that.

Front derailleurs are the work of the devil. Horrible horrible Heath Robinson things. Ugly, mechanically questionable, impractical, unnecessary.

I run a 1x9 hope/sram setup on my mini-dh bike. I wouldn't say that double ring set-ups are dead just yet though.

28t XX1 on the Krampus
32t XX1 on the TallboyC

its a flawless system so far, TallboyC setup has been on a year with zero adjustment, plenty of miles in the peaks, chains never been off

just building a budget Highball for my brother, thats got 30t Works SRAM on X9 Cranks, with 11-36 out the back and an X9 Clutch mech, will be interested to see how the setups works in comparison

Common consensus is that front mechs may be a thing of the past then?

I remember on my Enduro how it used to get clogged with mud and have issues shifting.

With the vast array of cassette sizes and front ring combos. I just can't see the point in them anymore?

32,11-36 (x2)
33-17
38,11-28
42-16
32,11-25

I wouldn't say that double ring set-ups are dead just yet though.

Always going to have a place for riding in the big hills

On my Mmmbop I've got a 1x10 set up, 11/36 cassette with a 32t ring. It's OK but I miss the lower gears for steep/tech climbs and spinning out on the road can be a problem.
Gearing on the full suss is 2x9, 11/34 cassette with 22/34 rings, bash and Stinger. I prefer this combination to the 1by10.

XX1 looks interesting and I'd like to try it but it'll need to trickle down the range before I can afford it.

i run a 2x10 on my full sus and a 3x9 on my hardtail. Is it me or is 3x9 becoming old skool? 😀 Definately seeing less front mechs out on the trails!

I run 1x9, 2x10 or 3x9 depending on what bike I take. The 1x9 bike had its front mech removed due to clogging issues, but the other 2 bikes seem ok.

Is it me or is 3x9 becoming old skool

There's no point in it for the riding I do but I guess if you have one bike for everything it's probably useful.

3x9 has been old school round my way for years, double and bash is very much the norm.

2x9 - 36/22 with 11-32. I imagine changing to a 1x10 will only yield a minimal weight saving which won't make climbing as easy as a 22t, nor as fast on the flat as a 36t.

1x would suit most people for ride up bomb down style. These days I climb much faster not having a granny ring, cadence same as it ever was.

XC you might want a double.

XX1 30t up front. I would go 32t but the 2 teeth lower are a life saver on longer climbs with the missus where if I were on a 32t I couldn't pedal slow enough to stay back with her 😆

Im still running 3x some days i ride up stupidly steep hills or am just being lazy so granny is usefull. Some days ill need to do a long road section to get to trail or a long fire road descent and a big ring is handy.

The front mech is a thing of the past for me, either singlespeed or XX1 on my two bikes.

I run the XX1 with 32t up front but I'm about to get a 34t for it. So far I've had no issues with getting up climbs around my way.

I can't see me going back to having a front mech again.

XX1 has already trickled to X01 - ok the cassette is the same

XTR update will surely have to be 1x11/12? - that will trickle

front mechs will be the domain of BSO within 5 years

1x10 30x11/36 on the xc race fs and 3x10 on rest. I can barely get up long greasy chiltern climbs in 24x36 so it'll be staying for me.

9sp 11-32 and 22/36

I suppose I don't use the bottom gears loads so could go to 24/36. Problem for me is that with 1x10 which I have considered I can get a low enough gear maybe with 30/36 or similar but a 30 or 32 front with 11 on the back just isn't high enough. I moved to a 22/36 as 22/32 was too low and would seriously consider having a 24/38 or something if it was doable.

1x is definitely harder work than a 2x setup. I love it, but I don't think it's for everyone by a long shot. Beginners, casual cyclists, unfit, lazy people will all hate it, and certainly some perfectly-fit people will prefer to sit and spin. So I don't think it will ever conquer all. But I have it on both my mountain bikes and there are no plans to change.

Superficial, I think you hit the nail on the head. I find 1x9 harder but so much more rewarding as I feel as if I'm putting in so much more each and every time I ride.

Will still make the move to 1x10 to help with the climbs but for me, front mechs are dead and buried.

I'm guessing the front mech haters are the ones who can't set them up.

Surely gearboxes should be the future, do away with derailleurs completely?

I'm not the fittest but run 32t on the HT and 30t on the FS both with an 11-36 cassette. It's hard work at times on some climbs but my problem is always that if I have an easier gear I'll end up using it, so quite often with a granny I felt like walking would be faster. 1x makes me push harder.

I run 11-36 out back with an x9 type 2 and an x9 crank with Wolftooth 28t spiderless thick/thin ring with bash guard up front. Runs great and gives me ratios suited to the riding I do.

I'm really loving the look of the Pinion gearbox and am considering one for a hardtail build, but it ain't cheap, seems to me to be the gearbox solution. Though I'm not sure I need such a wide gear range with 18 gears. It would be good if they built an 11 or 12 spd lighter and more compact box.

1x9 on my dh bike, singlespeed on my hardtail and bmx, and will be back to 2x9 on the road bike whenever I can be arsed to fit a new lever and mech. Probably not til after winter now! 1x9 on the road is fine though. So yeah almost dead for me, I hate the bloody things. Don't really do much in the way of climbing on mtbs anyway, it's all about the dh!

Not on my bikes. Properly set up they are almost a "fit and forget" component. The only issue I seem to have is in icy snow whereupon they may freeze up. Chances are that the rear mech freezes up first though. Hence I run an Alfine on my fatbike(and even then it's set up as 2x11).
You've got to remember that this is STWland. i.e. it's not representative of what's going on across the UK as a whole.

2x10 as for me anything less than 36 up front and it's far too spinny for me (FOR ME NOT ANYONE ELSE FOR ME) so until XX1 and more strength it's 2x for me. Also there is a lot of hills round here.

XC racer here, 36t and 11-36 1x10. I'll go XX1 next time around. Would probably still run a double on a trail type bike, until XX1 equivalents get cheaper!

1 x 9, 11-28 with 32 chainring

That's a do it all bike, for everything from all day off-road epics to the daily school run across town with two kids and trailer..

If I got back into riding Dartmoor on a regular basis I would give myself a wider range cassette to help deal with the steep, technical climbing..

1x10 32t 11-36 gets me up anything on my local welsh mountains and set up with clutch mech and chain guard it really is hassle free and secure

2x10 on the Soul, (38/26 with 11-34 cassette & clutch mech) and (apparently) old school 3x9 (44/32/22 with 11-32 cassette) on the Cube. Prefer the 3x9 if I'm honest, but that might be partly down to how sweetly it shifts.

There's life in the FD yet and it'll get a shot in the arm in future. I used 1x8 on an XC bike with a big fork/bar and 60mm stem in the late 90s and haven't been convinced that 1x is a cover-all in all the years since then. Depends what you want to ride, gear range etc. It's getting close to a do-all option for many, just a bit pricey currently.

I get the whole 1x for simplicity but for climbing proper hills and actually riding all the way it's far more efficient to spin than it is to grind.

Is the 1x set up the next step from you can climb anything with a standard double and an 11-23 on a road bike, when it's been proven that you can sustain a far higher output for longer with an 'easier' gear than a macho big gear grind?

I get the whole 1x for simplicity but for climbing proper hills and actually riding all the way it's far more efficient to spin than it is to grind.

Depends on how strong you are and that too. Personal.

Depends on how strong you are and that too. Personal.

when it's been proven that you can sustain a far higher output for longer with an 'easier' gear than a macho big gear grind?

1*10, 11-34 block with a 34t thick thin, works well for me in calderdale- long draggy climbs are a chore- but getting fit generally sorted that issue

There's life in the FD yet and it'll get a shot in the arm in future.

Yeah. I loved that.

[quote=steve_b77]I get the whole 1x for simplicity but for climbing proper hills and actually riding all the way it's far more efficient to spin than it is to grind.

Is the 1x set up the next step from you can climb anything with a standard double and an 11-23 on a road bike, when it's been proven that you can sustain a far higher output for longer with an 'easier' gear than a macho big gear grind?

How come 3 of the top 4 of the last Highland Trail Race were on singlespeed then? There are one or two 'proper hills' in that IIRC 🙂

Definitely not dead for me, 2x9 on the full susser and 3x9 on the HT, i do have a single speed as well for winter slop riding. I tried 1x9 once and whilst it was fine for general riding it did feel compromised on climbing ability and top speed, it managed rather than excelled.

2x10 on the 26" Full suss (24,32+bash and 11-36)

3x10 on the 29er HT (22,34,46 and 11-36) but that covers everything from mountains off-road to long road sections.

Since getting my first 10 speed (as in 2x5) as a kid in the 70s I can't remember ever having any hassle with a front mech. The rear, yes. They need adjusting as the cable wears, are prone to getting bashed and wear out. But the front has always been a fit and forget item for me.

I'll be sticking with my FD until 1x 11 is a sensibly priced option (£300 for a cassette 8O).
I'm a spinner, not a grinder when it comes to hills.
Running a 22/36 front and a 11-32 9sp rear which gives me a nice range for the sort of riding I do.

1x10 (32 & 11-36) on my hardtail, but I think I'll stick with 2x10 for the time being on my 29er fs, so not totally dead. Different tools for different jobs.

Climbing in North Wales for the first time on a 1x10 yesterday nearly killed me, however it's character building. 😀

I'm coming up for a year without a front mech. I started off with a Hammerschmidt 1x9 set-up, which I really liked, and I'm now running 1x10 with a 30t Wolftooth ring up front and a 40t General Lee adatper at the back.

32:16 rigid SS

36 with an 11-36 cassette on the Meta.

Can get up just about everything in the Plymouth/Dartmoor areas, as well as back home in the Mendips (Bath).

Didn't have any issues when I was in Scotland on the Meta either. Once the front ring is shagged I'll probably loose a tooth or two off it though for the next one.

Was loving having a granny today, proper sloppy, greasy conditions

.....and for that reason I am out. 1 x 10 for me, 11-36

As somebody who is fairly ancient and not likely to get much fitter I doubt that I will be able to manage without a grannyring to winch up hills with. Yes I suppose 1x9/10/11 systems are simpler and lighter but the difference is so marginal that for me it is not worth it. On my 2 bikes I have only replaced 1 FD in 5 years of grinding around the Peaks, Dales and Scottish mud and grit so its hardly a major issue. In fact its rear mechs that I tend to kill and have longevity problems with which would presumably be worse when working over a wider range of sprockets

2 x 10 here 22/36. while dérailleurs are used rather than gearboxes, front mechs will remain. its not about needing the granny ring for climbs, its about chain line! keeping the chain straight reduces wear, drag, noise. Cant say i've ever had a problem with a front mech, just learn to set it up properly and use it properly!

I have lost the outer ring admittedly , but the line still works, the middle ring sits in line with around sprocket 8.

3 bikes, all 1xsomething.

BFe - 1x9 - 34t/11-34
Mr Hyde - 1x9 - 34t/11-32
Lee Cooper - 1x1 - 32/16

Admittedly I live in a very unhilly part of the country, but the Bfe has got me round Glentress, Innerleithen, Borrowdale, Whinlatter, CyB, Laggan, Penmachno, etc. just fine. Round here I ride it like a singlespeed and stick to a 34/17 gear which is fine for local rides, Thetford, Sherwood and Wakerley. Anywhere else I find anything I can't spin a 34/34 up I'm happy to get off and push on anyway.

1x10; 36 & 11-36.
Not very hilly around here.

First ride on my new 26/38 chainset today, was 32t single ring on front before - but it's a fast bike and I wanted to be able to pedal harder.

The granny ring came in handy when spinning uphill in winter slop.

Exactly. 1x10 was fine in the summer, [i]really [/i]needed that 26t ring today though.

Have 2x10 on the FS, 3x9 on the ageing HT & a 32:16 Rigid SS - each has it's uses/merits.

As has already been said, I reckon front mechs are as dead as 26" wheels.

It's obvious to me that there are increasing numbers of people that are willing to push their bikes up rideable inclines. In line with this increase, the stigma of so doing is starting to fade to the point where pushing is the norm and not some sort of namby pambyness.

It's clear that this will lead to an increase in people riding 1x9 or 1x10 set ups as there is no point lugging the extra weight of a front mech up a hill if your intention is to push anyway.

Everybody seems to dwell on going up hill
For me it's the top end speed that suffers going 1x

Tried 1 x 10 for about 3 months and gone back 2 x 10 I just found it ball ache on long day rides and missed the chance to rest my legs a bit . Setup wise never had a problem with a front mech in fact they have lasted longer than any other part of my bike .

I would like to go 1x but there is no way I can without pushing a lot. My 22 x 36 was well used today

Looks like the front mech is alive and well for many people.

I prefer 3x over 2x, so not much chance of going 1x. I find I spin out on 2x to quick on the link sections on my longer rides. Whilst locally I spend most time in the big ring. Not because I'm awesome because it's quite flat.

2 of mine are double, 2 single but the single ring ones are certainly more limited in usefulness. Maybe if I could afford 1x11 that'd change but though I like the 1x10 on the hardtail there's no way the big go-anywhere-do-anything bike is going to lose so much of its capability.

does anyone do a 10-38 or 11-38/11-40 cassette, 10sp??

I think just those General Lee adaptor things?

SRAMs had a go; mostly as they can't make a decent front mech for toffee.

it's one of those things, like chainstay u brakes, elevated stays and 27.5 that's a marketing fad.

SRAM traditionally dealt with that shortcoming by making their shifters compatible with Shimano fronts 😉

I couldnt wait to get rid of the front mech, now using XX1 with a 30t front ring. Its the best upgrade i have ever done, even better than going to a dropper post.

I've gone 1 x 10 on both my bikes, I only really miss the granny on very long steep climbs but otherwise no problem.

For me front mechs are for road bikes... it must the where and how I ride 🙄 Actually... there is only one local hill where I need the inner ring on my road bike so maybe I should make that 1x???

I've not used a front mech on a mountain bike for years and will not go back unless its for a mile munching clown wheeled thing for cummuting... in which case I'll buy a cross bike... and even then I might go single up front!

I had a HammerSchmidt on my big bike but its now running XX1 and its all I need even with a 32 up front for the stupid big mountains. I love XX1... the first properly thought through mountain bike groupset 😉

On my hardtail I run 1*9 with a 30t and 11-34 which is great for the local forest where I [s]ride[/s]break hardtails. Sometimes its over/under geared but I can live with that because nothing last long in there.

For me front mechs are for road bikes...

This is the bit I don't understand. Everyone accepts that a front mech is a good idea on a road bike, but a mountain bike has to deal with a much larger variation in gradient and trail conditions, so surely it needs a wider range of gears.

I guess if I was dropping chains a lot or something I might see the point. But a front mech has never never caused me any problems and the granny has allowed me to get up some climbs that I'd have to walk otherwise (and I don't go out on my bike for a walk), so I'll stick with it for now.