[Closed] Real world experiences of using 1x10 in hilly areas

Depends on how strong you are

I run 30t with 11-42 for the mountains of Aberdeen and surrounding areas, I still occasionally have to get off and push. (No shame in this) But I am the wrong side of 21 tho.

I ride 1x10, live in a [i]reasonably[/i] hilly area - our nightrides generally have about 1000ft of climbing, and manage ok on a 32 front ring. If I lived in the lakes or the highlands, I'd go 2x10, as I wouldn't have the legs or the motivation for one by.

Going to Spain with ciclo Montana in April, and I'll be going with a double for that.

After doing a full ride in the middle ring on Christmas day (20 miles - local trail centre) I'm going 1x10 on the winter hardtail today.
11-36 cassette and a 32 tooth NW ring.
Current set up is 11-32 and 22,32,44 on the HT (11-36 on the other bike) so I'll be interested to see other peoples replies. Always have the expander option if needed though.

I went 1 x 10 on a Fatty to bavaria but cheated and fitted a ghost granny and manually dropped the chain on to it when the climb got too steep and long
but for most stuff in the Dales just use the 1 x 10

I run 33 x 11-36 10-speed on a winter hardtail in the Peak. It's fine on 99% of stuff round here, with a 32-tooth it'd be very slightly better on very steep hills, but as above, it all depends on how strong/fit you are and what your local riding is like. I started off with a 34-tooth chainring, but prefer the 32 or 33 option. You do spin out occasionally downhill, but mainly on tarmac and I can live with that.

You could always try the single ring front and go double later if it doesn't work for you? I'm not convinced that 1x combos are as inherently wonderful as folk make out anyway. You save a little weight, but that's not much consolation if the pay-off is that you can't ride up things.

Orange Alpine 160 with 32x11-36 and I struggle on really steep stuff (but then I did on 22/32 x 11-36). You do get stronger if you stick with it but it will tire you faster than having a granny ring.

Ran 30 x 11-36 first half of last year, did some very hilly rides, including ukges and ews1 at tweedlove
I'm not the fittest and I managed it all on my 160mm 13.5 kg enduro bike
So it is doable, did find that I was spinning out a bit on fast descents, but made it up everything

Swapped to 32 x 11-40oneup and its even betterer

As per trout, I have 1x10, 30 11-42 and a ghost granny. For local rides (approx 2500ft) it's not used, but for big climbs and at the end of a long day I can manually shift if I need to.

IMO you need to be moderately fit to get the best from 1x10 and also have a bit of an 'oh well' mindset about spinning out on fast sections. My fitness has declined a bit in the last few months and it's a bit harder getting on with 1x10 than before.

I ride 1x10, live in a reasonably hilly area - our nightrides generally have about 1000ft of climbing, and manage ok on a 32 front ring.

Typo? 1000ft of climbing is nothing?

As you acknowledge, it's entirely about you and your legs and riding style. Try it. Work out an equivalent gear to your proposed lowest and go for a ride without dropping lower.

I use 1x10 in the Surrey Hills. Don't laugh - a typical ride is 2500- 3000ft of climbing some of which is at the limits of what the tyres will grip.

1 x 10 works fine even without a 42T ring, as others have said it depends on your legs. If you are happy with 3 x10 you will probably be fine with a few less geas at the top and bottom end - just give it a go. Look at it another way, it's like single speed, but much much easier.

I've done the same as troutie- narrow/wide, with the addition of a granny ring sitting there without shifter weighs 2/3 of sfa, and, more than once, to my shame, I've been glad to have that closely spaced set of gears available when legs have said enough's enough.

I like the idea of 1x10, but for me it'd be an 11-36 cassette (not willing to invest in a 40/42t setup) on a 650b, probably a 34t chainring.

That's fairly tough gearing (equivalent to 36t on a 26") - I ran it for about 8 months on my 27.5 before swapping to a 32t. It works great for me in a reasonably hilly area but our hills are not high so you'll rarely be climbing more than 500' in one go. I'll manage about 3000' of ascent in 20 miles on a typical ride. Noting how much easier the small change from 34 to 32 has made the climbs, I think a 42t expander sprocket would give me plenty of range for bigger hills - and wouldn't cost any more than having a double or triple. I'm not super fit but I am a fairly strong rider - if I was more lightly built but not much lighter I think I'd struggle.

I have had a 1 x 10 set up on my 27.5 hardtail race bike for some time now. I was running a 32t with 11-36 and I never had a problem in areas like the Surrey Hills or Afan etc. I might have had to hike a bike a few times during a race but I'd put that down to traction issues and fatigue rather than the gearing.

That said, I changed to a 34t up front last week in anticipation of fitting my new XTR 11 speed and went to Brechfa. I was still using the 11-36 at the time and I really really struggled. If I was to carry on using 1 x 10 then for somewhere like Brechfa i'd be running a 32t max (probably give serious thought to a 30t).

Typo? 1000ft of climbing is nothing?

Aye, granted, but on a nightride, by the time we've talked shit, we probably only turn the pedals for an hour!. I did say reasonably!.

Edit - looking back at my rides on strava - generally 1500ft.

I've been experimenting with 1x10 on my Solaris (29er) for a few months up here in the North East of Scotland. I've gone with a 28T chainring and a 42T expander sprocket, so about as easy as possible, but it's still not been without its issues. Here's what I've discovered:

First, the obvious point; you don't need to be any fitter to climb in a higher gear, you just need to be stronger and strength comes naturally with time. In other words, to climb the same hill at the same speed you need to put out the same power regardless of the gear. OK, there are second order effects to do with efficiency and slight changes in weight with 1x10, but the main point is that you need bigger muscles to push that bigger gear and if you push that bigger gear for a while you'll develop those muscles and end up climbing the same gradient at the same speed as before, just with a lower cadence.

Climbing at a lower cadence seems to bring some benefits in terms of traction and once you've built up the strength it seems to be easier to get up technical stuff in the higher gear.

So far so good. However, you are putting more stress on your knees and my left one is currently not happy with this deal 🙂 Bear in mind that I'm 50 and my knees may just be wearing out a bit, but I have a sharp pain in my left knee that comes on after (and sometimes during) a ride and persists for a few days. Climbing (or descending) stairs can be fun for a day or two after a good ride. I'm not totally sure of this yet, but it seems to be less of a problem if I ride my 26" Five with it's 2x10 setup for a while, so the 1x10 may be playing a part. As I say it could just be age or it could just be that I've built up a bit of extra thigh muscle and haven't yet built up the supporting muscles around the knee. But either way, watch those knees.

What on earth is a ghost granny?

Why does a 42t cost more?

Been out of the mountain biking scene for a couple of years.

Last thing I was riding was a 1x9 Voodoo Wanga

What on earth is a ghost granny?

Fit a granny ring, but no front mech - so you have to manually shift if you really need it.

Why does a 42t cost more?

You can't buy 10 speed cassettes bigger than 36 (barring some quirky niche manufacturers), so you have to get an aftermarket expanded for the 42.

Ok gotcha on the 42t

Why though would you fit a ghost granny and not the mech and shifter?

I've been riding 36 front 11-36 rear for about 5 years can usually get up most hills, but last year my fitness was poor so I did struggle on long climbs, I was just slow still did them but slowly and now my right knee gets sore, so I'm thinking of going 32 up front for the winter see how it feels, 😀

Why though would you fit a ghost granny and not the mech and shifter?

Yep. Weight I guess too. 1x10 drops half a pound or so, adding a granny only uses 25g or so of that.

http://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-shifters-derailleurs-cranks/42t-36t-cassette-sprocket-adaptor-shimano-10-speed-857354.html#post10884499

very cool

11/36 with a 30t up front for local riding, s and mid wales - all hilly. Was using a 32t up front which is fine for most things but the 30t gives a little more flexibilty. I like the idea of a ghost granny -I have a 20t Middleburn front ring which I will chuck on any try

11-40 with 32 up front. Plus ghost granny, only used the granny once all year and that was up the Honister Pass. I only push when everybody else pushes.

When I'm fit and strong it's great.

Right now I'm really not and it punishes you and there is nowhere to hide...

Was ok, ran it for a year in the not very hilly midlands, but my knee's didn't like it, they click now all the time and didn't before.. gone 'back' to a dual setup & much prefer it.
Totally lost as to why ppl would run a 'ghost' granny, without a mech/shifter, bizarre

I ride in Lakes, 26" with 32t N/W and a 36/11 cassette. I find it fine, but then I single speed quite a bit too.

32:11 is fine too, unless you blast down fire roads all the time. On road sections I can hold a decent speed with a high cadence.

Been running 1x10 for a while

30 with a 11-36 cassette.

I average 100ft of climbing per mile.

Summer will go back to a 32t front.

I find it fine,Have found no climbs i cant do that i could on a 2x system

Totally lost as to why ppl would run a 'ghost' granny, without a mech/shifter, bizarre

Because you can use a narrow-wide main ring which is much better at holding the chain on than a normal shifting ring and mech.

Really? But you still want a granny, which when matched with a mech, the chain doesn't fall off IME. Not to worry, I must be daft not to see the sense there.

But a mech, shifter, cable etc adds weight and cost, potentially to get used once or twice a year. I get why people would do it, but i wouldn't personally.

... and the majority of posters on here are race snake elite racers, where that maybe matters? 😉

It's not really any different to using 2.5" super tacky tyres year round for your annual Alps trip. People set their bikes up to suit the vast majority of their riding, doesn't seem unreasonable. Using a narrow wide ring is quieter, lighter and cheaper than a front mech. Not that hard to understand.

Its going to depend on how fit you are, but I couldnt get away with 1 x 10 on a standard cassette, its only the availability of 42 tooth range expanders that allowed me to ditch the front mech and other stuff.

On my 26 inch wheeled bike I used a 32 tooth front ring, and an 11-42 tooth rear cassette, and got up everything I used to get up with the 2 x 10 setup. I ride the peaks, wales, lakes, southern spain, alps, trail centres, including long multiday trips and I'm definitely not a racing snake.

I've just switched to a 650b frame, and it was surprising how much harder the slightly larger wheels made things, so I've dropped down to a 30 tooth front ring on this bike, this keeps the overall gearing about the same as my previous 26 inch wheeled bike.

Really? But you still want a granny, which when matched with a mech, the chain doesn't fall off IME. Not to worry, I must be daft not to see the sense there.

Think of it as an emergency really low gear, for very occasional rather than regular use.

Yep. Weight I guess too. 1x10 drops half a pound or so, adding a granny only uses 25g or so of that.

This, plus generally simplicity. For me, it's the emergency get out gear when I'm spent, or for when the climbs are of Lakeland tech proportions, or I'm getting over a cold, or whenever I'm below par.

Generally I dislike 2*10 and the large step in ratios between the front two rings and how it effects the use of the rear cassette, plus, in my normal riding I can get away with the normally setup 1*10.

If it wasn't for the cost I'd be running 1*11 with a 28t ring on both my 29ers and I don't think I'd need the ghost granny then.

thegreatape - Member
Really? But you still want a granny, which when matched with a mech, the chain doesn't fall off IME. Not to worry, I must be daft not to see the sense there.
Think of it as an emergency really low gear, for very occasional rather than regular use.

That's what I did in Greece this year - used a 30T N/W and 11-40T cassette and fitted a granny with no front mech so I could manually shift it if I ever needed to.
I only used it once in ten weeks of riding and that was on a long and technical but not overly steep climb, the sort of thing that when you're fresh you wouldn't think twice about but at the end of the day it's a different matter (well, for me anyway)...
The steeper stuff tends to be shorter and I managed all of that fine, only using the 40T an odd time.

I rode C-y-b Beast a few months back on my 26 mega with 11/36 and 34 up front and found some of the climbs a bit hard going, so ive put a 40 expander on the back and everything is just gravy now, hth 🙂

[i]I like the idea of 1x10, but for me it'd be an 11-36 cassette (not willing to invest in a 40/42t setup) on a 650b, probably a 34t chainring.
For the majority of my riding I reckon it would work, but, I do have some very steep route options on my doorstep that I don't currently explore as singlespeed.
I was wondering, those of you in places like the Lakes etc, do you cope with 1x10 without expander rings or are you double/triple? If I go double, it will be 24/36t with a 11/32 cassette.
I realise it's a very personal choice, linked to legs ability etc, but willing to take on board some input to help me decide.[/i]

I recently went 1x10.

Started with 32 front and 11/36 rear. Hard work on the long (and steep) stuff where previously I'd have dropped to the granny in the odd/steeper bits.

Swapped to a 32 front and 11-40 rear (Hope T-Rex). Lots better, still can't get up a couple of slopes where previously I needed the granny (on a 34 rear).

Luckily on a 26er, so a 650B or 29er will just be harder.

Scottish Borders, and to give you an idea of routes:

Today - 11 miles and 2200ft
Tuesday - 20 miles and 4200ft

What I find curious is people fitting range expanders (with all the attendant issues of gap in range,cost, weight and potentially dodgy shifting) only to cancel out the benefits at the low end of the range by running large NW chainrings. A 30T ring on 36 is exactly the same gear as 35T ring on a 42 (yes I know you can't get an uneven numbered NW ring!).
Personally I run 30T, 11-36 on 26" wheels: Low weight, no changing issues and fine for massive days up mountains in the Cairngorms. I'm a crusty who rides once a week but am a scrawny anorexic creature.

I'm running 32 nw with a 11-40 on the back and I find its a great setup. Gives enough speed on the downs and can cope with the steep climbs no problem. I ran a 34 up front in the summer and it was definitely tougher on the climbs and saw no noticeable benefit on the downs so the 32 will stay coming out of the winter.

I did initially find the jump between the cog your remove a jump too far but having put a 16t cog from rose bikes in place I can no longer feel a jump.

No shifting issues prior to the 16t cog or now though, gear change snappy and unaffected. I did also need a longer chain though

I think for a HT or any bike that climbs at least ok then 1 x 10 is going to be nae bother at all - you're just be looking nuanced differences on the climbs. Most people adapt to 32 x 18 when they try singlespeeding so a 1 x 10 drivetrain is nowt to worry about.

Being in the UK is part of it, as well - missing bottom end gear ratios really starts to bite on climbs that are looooooong (IME), and we have so few of them here.

I don't use a "ghost granny" but it can definitely make sense- I get on OK with 11-42, 32, but you often see people who've got on fine with it on their local trails then go somewhere else and die (Kinlochleven is good for this- very grindy climb up past mamore lodge, breaks loads of people). This is where having an emergency backup comes in. If you're using it every ride it's obviously not the right choice.

The only times I've not been able to ride up a hill with my 11-42, and that's very rare, have been hills where I'm totally happy getting off and walking occasionally. Even if I had a granny on it, there's still a fair chance I'd get off, just to vary the activity and look at the views! I'm not mighty or anything, it's just that I lost relatively few low gears, I realised that most of the time when I was in the granny I was still in the high end of it.

I've got a 32t chainring and a 36t cassette on my 29er and haven't yet struggled in North Wales, although I've ridden very little recently so that may well change.

Really? But you still want a granny, which when matched with a mech, the chain doesn't fall off IME. Not to worry, I must be daft not to see the sense there.

I run 1x10 with 11-36 cassettes on my bikes, 34t on 26", 32t on 27.5". Works great for everything I've done in the last few years, can't remember the last time I dropped a chain (was before I had narrow-wide rings), dropper remote fits where the front shifter would be, very reliable shifting. But I'm not sure I could handle for instance a week of riding in Scotland if I were pedalling the climbs, due to the length of them and the leg fatigue from consecutive days of big rides - so bunging on a granny ring for emergencies would be a sensible move on such an away trip. If it was something I needed to use frequently I wouldn't be running this gearing - but as I said, it's always worked fine thus far.

Most of my rides are in the peaks, for a year I did 11-36 and 30t front 26 inch wheels it was a bit tough sometimes I'm not the best climber though. Now on 11-42t and 32t front.

1x10 in mid-Wales for the last nine months or so, 34T front narrow-wide and 11-40T on the rear. Rode over 500 000 ft of climbing and nearly 5000 miles in 2014 and did not find the 1x10 restricting apart from one location where if I'm honest even 2x10 had me off pushing in places on some of the 1:4 muddy climbs. Don't think I'd be so happy running a standard 11-36 10 speed cassette though, need the 40T extender cog so I can go up in size at the front as I ride to the trails (8 miles down the hill from Nant-yr-arian) as well as commute on the mtb.

@chickenman I run my 1x10 with a 34 up front and a 42 at the back. That gives a lower gear than a 30 front and a 11-36 cassette,and a much better higher gear the other end. Just dropping front ring size gains a bit of climbing gear but you lose the other end. A range expander does what it says on the tin . Changing the front only moves the existing range.

OK, first post on here so hi 🙂

I run 30T front and 11-40T rear on a 29er HT (Solaris). I live on the edge of the Dales and generally ride either there or in the Lakes with occasional forays down to the Peak. I'm mid fifties and weigh 84Kg

I did quite a bit of calculating gear ratios on the Sheldon Brown site before committing to to 1x10, I figured I was losing about 2 gears (effective) at the low end and slightly more at the top end compared to a standard triple. Against that I rarely used the top end gears and only used the bottom end ratios slightly more than that so I reckoned I was unlikely to notice the "restriction". There was also the change from 26" to 29" wheels on the new bike to take in to account.

I struggled a bit at first and spent quite a bit of time in the lowest three cogs but over time I have got stronger and now spend more time in the middle of the cassette. I've done about 1600Km so far on that bike. I might consider moving to a 32T in time. Situations where I've got off and walked have usually been those where I'd be walking anyway. At the top end, by the time I spin out I'm going quickly enough to prefer coasting.

With the riding I do - long XC moderately technical routes - I don't think I'd gain anything by returning to a 2x or 3x set-up. In fact I'm more tempted to head the other way and get a singlespeed HT, I've done a few rides where I've deliberately tried to avoid gear changes but it does get a bit frustrating on the flat and on-road.

I switched to 1x9 32 x 11-34 a couple of years back and it's OK for me on the Devon hills and Dartmoor.. I pull the kids to school in a trailer up some big hills also on a 1x9 set up 38 x 11-34 which I think has helped get me used to not having a granny option..

I don't think I would be phased by any terrain on the 32:34 set up these days as long as I'm [i]riding at my own pace[/i]..
I say this as out on a group ride the other night I definitely struggled with the pace after a while

Pete68: What you've got with a 34 chainring and a 42 rear cog is almost exactly the same lowest gear as 30/36 setup (35/42 and 30/36 both equate to 5/6); what you've gained over the standard 1x10 setup is an extra gear at the top. Not worth the hassle IMO.