2 x 10 chainring, worth it?

divingmoose

Okay guys,

Have many of you gone from triple chainring to 2. I am thinking of maybe ditiching the large chainring on my Kona Hei Hei 100. I am thinking for most trail riding and eduro events the 2 x 10 setup is best. What do people think and is it a simple thing to change over.

Thanks

ddraver

It's certainly simple, you just need some thinner chainring bolts (assuming your 2 smaller rings are in good condition) and a few mins of spannering to set up the front mech again.

I ve done it, but i ll be honest and say that was because i was skint and saved money buying two slightly larger rings and no outer ring. I'm also living in Holland at the mo so it's pretty flat. I went to Germany to do a marathon and I confess I did miss three rings (for all of 400m or so on a steep road decent where I spun out and on the last horrible draggy grass climb). It works well, but its no revolution. I think for that you need to go with a dedicated and designed 2 ring system

cooldad

I just dumped the big ring and stuck a bash on (mainly because I couldn't resist a Kona one I found on Ebay). It's 2x9, just 22/32 but works for me. Only ever used the big ring on road bits anyway, which wasn't very often.
But I tend to spin - haven't got young or strong enough legs to mash.

bigpee

I've just replaced my old Firex triple with a SLX double and bash combination (22/36). Only been out for two rides and typically on the first ride there was a downhill blast along a road - first time I've ever needed the big ring and it had gone! That aside I think it's a good move. (Sadly second ride I had a stick lodged in my front mech stopping shifting and didn't realise til I got home so I ended up going round with just the 36). In terms of switching over very easy.

njee20

I've preferred doubles for years. Depends on you and the gears you use. I found 28/40 a good combination. Now run single ring and prefer that.

tarbot18

Like cooldad i just took the outer ring off chucked a cheap ebay bash on adjust the outer limiter on your mech and take a few links out the chain jobs a goodun . I only use my bike for off road though so never used the outer ring.

fat_homer

I went 2x9 a couple of months ago and don't regret it at all. I did buy a 34t chainring, though not sure how much difference it has made. What I did find is the front mech was a right PITA to set up, loads of messing around with indexing and had to drop it about 5mm in the end. Still not got it perfect but its working which is the main thing but think I'll buy a double specific when the current one wears out or I go 10s.

mrmonkfinger

njee20 wrote:

Now run single ring and prefer that.

11-36 x what - 32,34,36?

bluechair84

Another hapy 2x9 convert running 22 36 upfront.

njee20

11-36 x what - 32,34,36?

36. Reasonably fit rider, light FS bike. If I was going to change I'd try a 38. Nice to have a bail out for the last lap of a race when you're hurting!

1mancity2

2x9 here 11-36 cassette with a 36 front ring, run out of top gears sometimes but you do get used to it, hardly use the granny (22) so concidering going single up front.

njee20

2x9 here 11-36 cassette

Either you've bodged the cassette, are running 10 speed or it's not 11-36...

felix.london

Just pressed the button!

Going from 3x9 (11-34) Deore to 2x10 (11-32) SLX/XT/XTR setup (plus a 'shox Reverb )

1mancity2

njee20 wrote:

2x9 here 11-36 cassette

Either you've bodged the cassette, are running 10 speed or it's not 11-36...

11-34 opps!!!

jehosophat

I keep pondering this and bought one of the larger-ringed 5-bolt XTR M952 chainsets with the aim of shaving the teeth off the outer ring to use as a bash, and running the middle/inner (can't recall if it is 24/34 or 24/36 but one of those two) with a 11-34 9sp casette. On the Blur at places like CYB I rarely use the large ring and it does hit rock occasionally...

Trouble is, on all my bikes (I run 24/34/46 front) I use all the rings on all my local rides. I'm not a large/powerful rider, but do have to ride some road to get to the good stuff. I need at least 24/30 as a low gear.

I'll try it this spring (have loads of XTR M950-3 stuff in the garage and it's easy to swap it about) - the main advantage I imagine is less time spent worrying what front ring you are in. Weight savings are negligible (I just weighed a middle anbd outer spare ring at 55 and 85g respectively).

felix.london

I had two test bikes out last summer, both with 2x10 setup and just loved the simplicity of it. Little ring to climb, Big ring to come down

And yeah the same, have had a fair few rock/root strikes that have caught me out on my 3x9 setup. There's one trail I ride where there's a 2km down hill bit of road to get to it which I'll miss flooring it down but I can live with that for the other benefits

- Being able to use the whole of a 10speed cassette no matter what ring your in is the most obvious one...

njee20

can't recall if it is 24/34 or 24/36 but one of those two

5-arm M952s were 26/36/48. 4-arm ones were 24/34/46.

Going from 3x9 (11-34) Deore to 2x10 (11-32)

Why did you get that cassette? There's no advantage to 10 speed at all unless you go for the 11-36 cassette. You could have stuck with 9 speed and saved a chunk of money! You've just made your gear ratios significantly narrower than they were...

ddraver

^It's a switch I'm thinking of making when the current lot wears out, not long to go now....

milfredo

(I'm sure I posted this yesterday)

I currently run a 2X9 with 34 22 & 11 32 setup and wouldn't mind trying a 1X10 setup. Could I simply buy a 10 speed cassette, mech, shifter and chain and only use one ring on the front or will I run into issues?

Also what size front ring would get me close to the same ratios I have now?

Cheers,
Will

njee20

32t ring with 11-36 cassette would mean you'd lose out on your easiest 2 and a bit gears from your current set up, and your top gear.

milfredo

So I might need some bigger legs on the climbs but would the 9 speed crank be OK or would the chainline be well off?

njee20

Be fine - use the middle ring position.

milfredo

Nice one & thanks for tha advice!