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I've considered swapping to 1x10 or 11 but my old 3x9 setup works a treat,changes nice and smooth and is very quiet. Plenty of gears to choose from so do I really need to change,am I missing out?
You're not alone. I'm still running a perfectly serviceable mix of XT/SLX/Deore 3X9 kit on my full sus. I'll change over to whatever standard is in vogue when (more like if) my current kit breaks.
My lad still has 3x9 - specifically, he has my old 3x9, as I've gone 1x11. His sister is 1x10 and his mum is 1x9.
Are you missing out? Not if you are happy with it.
fwiw, I don't "miss" 3x9. I run a 32T up front and 11-42 at the rear. Most of my local riding is flat, smooth, non-technical bridleway bashing, and I spin out at around 20mph, while having plenty of low gears left on the local hills. I'm thinking of going 34T up front and taking my chances on any big draggy climbs if I'm riding away from home.
Nah, 3x9 is fine . I did go 2x10 on the FS bike but to be honest it was a fashion lead move and hasn't really made any improvement over the 3x9 on the HT. 1x10,11 whatever is a step too far for me but I imagine that lots will be on soon telling you 1x has changed their lives and improved their sex appeal.
Still on 3x9 here.
am I missing out?
Better ground clearance, space on your bars for a remote dropper. If those things are not important to you then no, you're not.
When it wears out I might think about it.
Til then I'm rocking all 27 gears.
Whatever works for you is best. My last bike was 2x10, one before 3x9 and the current is 1x11. They've all been good to be honest. I miss the 'one more gear' mental state when climbing evil hills though. Run out of gears far too quickly on the current bike 🙂
Perfectly happy on 3x9. I'm running an ancient Octalink XT setup which is still going strong.
I find myself using the full range of gears on a regular basis and just don't think that I'd get on with a single ring set up. When I am forced to upgrade I'll be sticking with a triple.
3x9 3x10 and 1x11 spread over three bikes here, 3x9's more reliable and shifts better than 3x10 imo, the jury's still out in 1x11, I need to get out on it more..
I was hoping to buy a cheap as chips 3x9 groupset for a bike build recently, no joy.
Obviously not. My "main" bike is still 3x9 and my runaround is still 3x7. Other than the consumerist need to spend money, I can't see a reason to change tbh. What? It'll make me faster? Nah. It really won't, and if it does, who actually cares apart from Strava? What? It'll shave two ounces off my bike weight?! Balls. I'll just change my shoes and have a poo.
Huh, I think you are over geared. 2x9 here 😉
Don't feel the need to change until a 1x system can provide the same range at a reasonable price.
Huh, I think you are over geared. 2x9 here
I have to cover a fair bit of road miles to link up decent trails round here and the large chainring comes in really handy for this.
3x9 here as well.
Quite happy.
My 'old' bike is 3 x 9, ride it last weekend for the first time in ages and loved it. The 1 x 10 on my 'good' bike is a bit limited I think - it's not particularly progress (and there's room on the old bike for a dropper lever too). Nowt wrong with 3 x 9!
The erosion of 3x9 has started at OAB_manor.
First there was a spangly Trek with weirdly low 2x10. Then eldest_oab's Orange came with 1x10 that he is happy to gurn around on. That leaves 4 other bikes on 3x9 and a singlespeed.
MTB - 3 by 9
Roadie - 2 by 8
Tourer - 3 by 10
Hack - 3 by 9
1 chainring doesn't offer me any benefits, only disadvantages.
Still 3*9 on two bikes with enough spare cassettes and chains (and spare 26" wheels) to see me through until Brexit at least
Glad of the granny ring on my 2x10 longitude today at Simonside. Didn't miss a big ring as it's rigid and my arms and legs couldn't take going any faster...
3x 9 on my old latitude but I have hardly even used the big ring in 5 yrs.
The escapade is on 2 x 9 which is helpful as the Xt cassette of my old sub 5 fits straight on now it lives on my off road nano clad 700c wheels. Keep thinking of 11 spd to shorten the gaps between gears but I never get round to it.
I sort of like the idea of 1x 12 where shifting is purely sequential as it means less faffing and double shifting and I guess derailing the chain on one end only is probably less crude than at both ends of the chain/ bike. The chainline thing looks like a stretch too far though, quite a big difference between top/ bottom on a 1x12.
And me. Love it.
Middle ring for most riding, but a big un for road sections and a bail-out granny ring for the hard bits.
Downsides?
I don't buy ground clearance, I can count the number of chainring strikes I've ever had on one hand.
Weight? Maybe a bit over a single ring, but no real difference over a double. Simplicity? I can work 2 levers thanks. Not sure about those who claim operating a front derailleur is difficult.
Room for a dropper remote? Mine fits on fine. Got room for a fork lock-out too.
APF
I have just gone back to 3x9 after 2x 10 then 1 x 10 and after spouting on here the benefits and what i missed just not feeling the love for the triple
2x9 here. It works and it gives me enough gears. Its even fairly light. Why would I change?
3x9 here on my 29er...until i work through my large quantity of stock i seem to have accumulated, that's the way it'll be staying!
Love to shift into the big ring and kick it up, eat my dust single and double ringers!
Been 1x8 since December, 34 chainring and 11-30 cassette, can't remember the last time i used the 30 and today I used the 26 for the first time in ages to get up the final few metres of Woodmill Lane's climb.
Thought about upgrading several times to 9/10/11- speed, but i always ended up keeping the status quo because of the £120+ layout on top of all the other pocket money I've spent on bike bits since getting this Wazoo, when money is almost too tight to mention!
Thought it was only me left 😆
3 X 10 on my Giant Anthem X29er, and KTM Aera Comp 29er (22/30/40T).
I actively look for 3x10 on a new bike and see it as a big positive. Gives more gear options and way faster on long road rides, commuting, eats really steep climbs etc. The ground clearance thing is mm and not an issue.
3 x 9 here and riding 2001 Marin wolf ridge if it ain't broke an all that! Carry on 😆
Haven't been 3x since '05.
Really unfashionable road 3x9 on my Planet X London Road!!
2x10 on my Cotic Solaris.
1x10 on my Commencal Meta AM.
3x9 on commute rigid 26" mtb. On the big ring, with drive side arm at 3 o-clock, the bunch of teeth around 6 o-clock are shorter than all the others due to the clearance problem (which isn't really a problem). The big ring has so many teeth that a few worn teeth have no effect.
3x10 on FS, not so reliable on rear.
Front derailleurs can be quite loose and rattly with wear and still work reliably, rear derailleurs not so (esp 10spd). Might look to see if I can reduce the wobble with a shim somewhere on it (but may not be pos).
1 bike now. 3 x 9
tried all the new stuff. shyte imho.
I'm off to Betws y Coed tomorrow on 2x9. One mate is on his Titus with 3x9 and the other is on a hire bike because his Transition Scout carbon with Sram Eagle 1x12 was ordered too late to be ready. You could buy a (very nice) car for that!
3x9 suits me fine. It lasts well and I'd probably miss my granny gear sometimes on the really steep long climbs.
3x9 (well, 2 and a bash guard) on the 456. XT with LX cranks. See no reason to change it 🙂
Yup full suss 3x9 Alivio super slick shifting since 2015 has had a new chain in 2016
Hardtail 3x10 Slx/Deore mix, no problems.
May get a new full suss next year so might change.
Only went 3x9 because I couldn't get a new 8sp Xt shifter. After listening to 1x systems grumbling all day in the workstand, i'm not sure I could inflict such crapawful chainlines on my own bikes, nor could I put up with the chain-drop when back pedalling to clear obstacles (in the real world obviously, not some fantasy land that 1x'ers have created) that seems to afflict a lot of these set ups.
3x9 here, 'cept for one 3x6, with enough spares on the shelf to remain 3x9 for some time. Ain't broke, won't fix.
I found a front mech in a spares box last week does that count (it might have been 2x though)
After listening to 1x systems grumbling all day in the workstand, i'm not sure I could inflict such crapawful chainlines on my own bikes,
me neither, got one that doesn't do that.
nor could I put up with the chain-drop when back pedalling to clear obstacles (in the real world obviously, not some fantasy land that 1x'ers have created) that seems to afflict a lot of these set ups.
Glad mine doesn't do that either.
Think I got rid of the last 9sp about 4 years ago finally, the 10sp only lasted 18 months before 11 filled the gap.
Take my love,
Take my land
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care,
I'm still free,
You can't my M960 from me!
2x9 on my Pitch, use a stinger chain device and e.13 bash guard in place of the big ring. It's built up heavy so a spinning gear to grind up stuff really suits it and I never drop a chain. I'm selling the bike soon anyway so no point changing now as it's all barely worn in.
Yup, 3*9, 26" wheels, hardtail, square taper BB, cable discs, inner tubes; the past is the future!
In our house we have...
3x7 3x8, 3x9, 2x10 and 1x11,
26", 27.5", 29",
1 1.8", and tapered,
square taper BB, hollowtech II and BB30
15mm and QR
However ALL the bikes are NON BOOST, so UP YOURS bicycle industry!
Shimano XT 3x9 on two bikes here and plenty of spares to carry on for a good while. Works very well, I like the close ratios, chainlines not too twisty, and I like the range of gears on offer. In partiular the top gear (44t I think) for the faster tarmac bits which I think I would miss with other set ups.
2 x 8 here.
Just replaced the XT 3x9 on the HT. Significantly cheaper than the 1x10 on the FS (Sunrace & AB).
3x9 on my Inbred & on my 2010 Stumpjumper FSR.
Might change the drivetrain on the Stumpjumper to 2x10 when it's worn out, but given that it only gets ridden about once a year at the moment that's gonna take a while.
I have 1 3x8 2 3x9 and 1 3x10 no intention to change just yet.
I recently built up another HT and I actively selected to go 3X9 on it. The reasons for this is firstly I love the big ring as i mentioned, I love to go fast! and 2ndly the parts for 3x9 are so much cheaper, new and 2nd hand. Just take a look at the cost of a new x9 chain over x10 or x11, it's ridiculous. & because everyone is going 1x and x10 x11 you can pick up 2nd hand shifters and mechs for pennies, it's ace! 3x9 does everything I need it to do!
3x9 here too, I'll change when I have to (new bike - a few years off) but I'm struggling to see the point of converting to 2x or 1x when I don't see a big advantage of doing so.
They both say they give the same range but it's at the cost of available ratios, I can use both thumbs at the same time, I don't have a dropper so don't have 'cluttered bars' and the weight saving my be of interest to some but I'm really not bothered about a few grams here and there.
Like many, I'm just fine as I am thanks 🙂
square taper BB
Right now that's taking things a bit too far 😉
Cleaning my 3x10 fs bike, I could only conclude the real reason for 1x systems is cleaning - one less complicated set of shapes to spend hours trying to poke out glued on mud and grime 😉
You can't my M960 from me!
Yes but getting the old Middleburn Hardcoat SS middle and inner rings is a lot harder now
on the lookout for a SS 1/8th 32T chainring for the inevitable decommissioning to the SS
I could only conclude the real reason for 1x systems is cleaning - one less complicated set of shapes to spend hours trying to poke out glued on mud and grime
I get around this by not washing my bike 😀
3x8 on pub bike, 3x9 on XC, 2x10 on FS and 3x9 on commuter and not a single issue with front mechs...weird.
*facepalms*
Also, point taken.
It helps, however, that I have not been riding that bike much :/
yep, all triples on my MTBs.
Might have to build up any future bikes to get 3x11
I am too.
It works & spares are cheap.