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I've had a cheapy decathlon MTB for over ten years and used it for just about everything
- easy mtb trails
- commuting (for a time with less knobbly road tyres)
- lots and lots of canal tow path style miles
I recently decided to replace it with something a bit nicer and I'm finding myself in a bit of a dilemma. I'm looking to spend maybe £800-£1k but finding anything in this price range doesn't really have the gear range I'm looking for, being generally 1x and with the majority of gears being at the lower end of gearing.
I briefly had a Trek X-caliber 7 which was 1x10 with an 11-46 cassette. I just found that on anything flat i was easily running out of gears. I toyed with putting a front derailleur and going 2x but the bike ended up going back for other reasons.
I've toyed with the idea of getting a hybrid but not sure if that will be too limiting in terms of off road stuff.
The old Decathlon was a 3x with 42, 32, 22 at the front and 8x 11-36 (maybe) at the back.
Do i just basically need a another cheapy bike?! I was kinda hoping spending a few quid might get me something as flexible with nicer brakes and gearing etc. Quite happy to go second hand and mix and match if that's a better option. Any ideas?
Assuming you're looking at a hardtail MTB? The majority of them will come with 1X. You may be better off with a gravel bike, although even those tend to come with 1X now.
Yeah been looking at hardtail MTBs. The X-Caliber had a top gear of 30T at front and 11T at the back. I found this was just too low on anything flat and/or smooth.
Quite happy to have a front derailleur and go 2X. Not bothered about having millions of gears just a wide range so i can give it a bit on the flat and still get up the steeper stuff.
Didn't really want to be forced to buy another cheapy, may as well just stick with the one I've got!
For your particular use case, I'd suggest looking for a nicely kept older 29in hardtail, with 2x gearing.
And perhaps a spare pair of wheels for commuting.
Two of the best I had were the original Trek Stache and the mk2 Cotic Solaris.
Cheers. I did wonder if just looking for an nice slightly older bike might be the best option. Commuting less of a concern now with the whole WFH thing but it'll still get used for the odd trip to the shops!
Has there always been a this sized gap in the market or has the 1x thing created it?
Has there always been a this sized gap in the market or has the 1x thing created it?
Possibly the latter (?) but before 3x people used to ride bikes everywhere but weren’t afraid to get off and push on the hills if the task are too tall for the set up. I have a rigid 29er MTB running 2x10 and a flat-bar equipped road-touring bike with 3x7
The 29er is the closest to a ‘do everything’ depending on what I’m doing, but I ride the tourer much more on the kind of trips that you describe (with the exception of MTB trails)
I was in your situation about six years ago just running old bikes getting fed up with old bikes I dropped £750 iirc on a lightly used Genesis Vagabond (2x10 model) which I would describe was just a kind of bike for ‘do everything’ - ie 29er + 2x10
But I’m much more relaxed riding to the shops on an old grandad bike. I keep the 29er just for gravel and MTB.
For your kind of budget and use my approach seems to be buy a well-maintained beater road/hybrid bike for the shops and commuting - and a nice used mountain bike for the off-road stuff
Learn to spin - most people think 90rpm is "spinning out" when you can actually sustain well over that quite happily. Extends your usable gear range without having to change any hardware, so cost=0! Happy days..
The old bike has a 26 inch wheel and is feeling its age. Still perfectly usable just was hoping to treat myself to something a bit better. I guess i could change up some of the parts on it but feel i'd possibly end up spending more on it that it deserves.
Spinning class - yeah i guess just pedaling faster is an option! Don't really want every trip out to be a HIIT work out though.
Consider second hand? Something like a nice Grand Canyon carbon or cube reaction carbon would be perfect for your needs.
The old Decathlon was a 3x with 42, 32, 22 at the front and 8x 11-36 (maybe) at the back
was the decathalon 29 or 26?
many modern 1x drivetrains - although maybe not ones that come on new 1k bikes - often have a 10 tooth as the smallest cog.
If the decathalon is a 29er
Up your chainring to 38 tooth and you will be near enough at to the top gear you have now
if currently a 26er, then a new 29er a 34 tooth chainring with 10 tooth smallest cog or 36 tooth with 11t smallest cog will be similar.
You will loose a very small amount of bottom end gearing - but did you ever use 22-36 option?
update - seen currently on a 26.
going to a 29er with 36-10 top gear will be exactly the same gear ratio as 26er with 44-11
38-11 will be only a fraction lower
Don’t really want every trip out to be a HIIT work out though.
I've a Scandal, and it's a 29er with 32 front and 11 at the back, and that's perfectly usable along the TPT that runs past Manchester, and that's as flat as a pancake.
Learn to spin
@idiotdogbrain has it though, I can easily get to 95-100rpm without really trying too hard.
Totally happy with getting something decent secondhand. Recommend any sites other than the usual ebay, gumtree, etc?
Haven't got the space for two bikes though!
many modern 1x drivetrains – although maybe not ones that come on new 1k bikes – often have a 10 tooth as the smallest cog.
I think that's the problem, the bikes <1k don't have a 12 speed group set and so lose that higher 10T gear. They still want to appear better than the "cheapo" <£400 bikes which is the only place you can find 2x or 3x so there's a price point with a missing bike, the one I want!
Recommend any sites other than the usual ebay, gumtree, etc
pinkbike, fb marketplace
I’ve a Scandal, and it’s a 29er with 32 front and 11 at the back, and that’s perfectly usable along the TPT that runs past Manchester, and that’s as flat as a pancake.
To be fair I cycled the TPT from Widnes to Southport on the X-Caliber (30 front 11 back) and it wasn't like i was spinning the entire time. Just everytime i changed down, i ended up searching for another gear on the way back up and felt i spent almost the entire trip in just the highest two gears.
I get that a bike that's a compromise will always involve making compromises, just thought i could find something that's a better fit to the old bike.
Appreciate all the advice.
On a 26" wheel with a 2.25 tyre, 42/11 at 90rpm is over 27mph - are you really hitting that on the flat!?
For reference, 34/11 at 90rpm on a 29er will give you 24mph.
On a 26″ wheel with a 2.25 tyre, 42/11 at 90rpm is over 27mph – are you really hitting that on the flat!?
I wasn't complaining about spinning out on the old bike though!
For reference, 34/11 at 90rpm on a 29er will give you 24mph
But the X-Caliber was a 30/11?!
I'm sure you're right in that I could learn to pedal faster. I can only compare from my own experience, i don't really do the whole Strava thing. I was always wanting an extra gear (or two) on the X-Caliber and that's led me to the conclusion that I need a 2x setup.
Well, 30/11 at 90rpm on a 29er is just over 21mph, which on the flat is a decent enough pace!
I think learning to spin a little faster, and a 29er with 34t (or even a 36t) up front with 11-50 out back would give you the range you need - which would open up a lot more options in terms of bikes available to you, is what I'm getting at 👍