1x10

The Silver Surfer

Hi, im upgrading my 2009 Carrera Vulcan. So far I've put Avid Juicy 3 Brakes, Fox Alps forks, Truvitar stem and handlebars and Continental race tyres on it. All second hand parts but in great condition.
A lot of my riding is up tracks and walkways, with the occasional visit to Glentress and a few trips up the Pentland hills. I'm planning on doing a bit more of the harder stuff this year.

Next thing I'm looking it is the chainset. I like the idea of 1x10 as it will save on costs and weight. I also like the simplicity but would it be worth the compromise?.

oodboo

Sounds to me like you'd miss the big ring so if you're going to do it you might want to go for a largish ring up front (38t or possibly more) but this would make climbing difficult when you get to trail centres. if I were you I'd stick with the triple. Let you riding dictate bike set up, not weight considerations.

The Silver Surfer

thanks for the advice mate, do you know what the 10 gears would be equivelant to, compared to triple ring gears ? eg what 10 gears would i get (not sure if this makes sense)

oodboo

I think I know what you mean and it sounds like a job for Sheldon Browns gear ration calculator:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

benpinnick

oodboo wrote:

I think I know what you mean and it sounds like a job for Sheldon Browns gear ration calculator:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Not sure how you will save on costs, but MBR this month has a bit about the Whyte 146x which runs 1x10, and talks about the relative gear ratios for different front rings (even has a table).

concorde

How you finding the '09 Vulcan to upgrade. Worth it? I was told there was no point upgrading that frame when I bought one. I was thinking of buying a new full sus but I'm happy again on a HT now but the forks are rubbish so was thinking of buying a new HT for the summer, something like a Boardman, but if its fine to upgrade I might get myself some Epicons and go from there?

bluechair84

I'm running 1x9 and might upgrade to 1x10 in future, but the main factor was chain rattle and loosing it from the rings on descents. A one ring setup and chainguide is much more secure. This is the only reason I personally would go for a one ring set-up. Unless you're a weight weenie just stick with the 3x9.

The Silver Surfer

Concorde wrote:

How you finding the '09 Vulcan to upgrade. Worth it? I was told there was no point upgrading that frame when I bought one. I was thinking of buying a new full sus but I'm happy again on a HT now but the forks are rubbish so was thinking of buying a new HT for the summer, something like a Boardman, but if its fine to upgrade I might get myself some Epicons and go from there?

I looked for another bike for long enough, and came to the conclusion that anything in the £500-750 price range wouldn't be that much of an upgrade on the Vulcan. I like riding the bike and read good reviews, so decided to stick with it. I suppose once I've upgraded everything else - I'll look at upgrading the frame!

The Silver Surfer

bluechair84 wrote:

I'm running 1x9 and might upgrade to 1x10 in future, but the main factor was chain rattle and loosing it from the rings on descents. A one ring setup and chainguide is much more secure. This is the only reason I personally would go for a one ring set-up. Unless you're a weight weenie just stick with the 3x9.

Yes i like the simplicity of one ring set up as well. Everything i put on the bike is going to be lighter than what came off, so weight is a factor. I can feel a noticeable difference already.

prawny

I've unoffocially been running 1x9 on my saracen for a couple of years just because something is wrong with the front mech and I've ridden around the problem for so long I've not bothered fixing it. All my riding is on cannock chase so not the hilliest area in the country but I've not particularly missed the big or small ring. I don't know what teeth I'm running, I'm more of a roadie so I've just been hacking about on it but it's a normal triple chainset and whatever cassette it came with.

Now I'm doing more off road I'm seriously considering going 1x10, I think a 11-36t cassette will get you up almost anything, and leave room on the bars for a poploc or dropper post or something.

Rushmore

just run a 30 speed...

then you can do everything...

2 chainrings won't add any noticeable weight...

whats the point of having a super light bike if you struggle to make it up hills and spin out on the fast stuff??

prawny

For clarity, I've still got all the assosciated 27 speed carp on my bike, just dont use it, worst of both worlds :-)

concorde

The Silver Surfer wrote:

Concorde wrote:

How you finding the '09 Vulcan to upgrade. Worth it? I was told there was no point upgrading that frame when I bought one. I was thinking of buying a new full sus but I'm happy again on a HT now but the forks are rubbish so was thinking of buying a new HT for the summer, something like a Boardman, but if its fine to upgrade I might get myself some Epicons and go from there?

I looked for another bike for long enough, and came to the conclusion that anything in the £500-750 price range wouldn't be that much of an upgrade on the Vulcan. I like riding the bike and read good reviews, so decided to stick with it. I suppose once I've upgraded everything else - I'll look at upgrading the frame!

Good idea, I may follow suit.

lostboysaint

1 x 10 is excellent. The range of ratios is such that there isn't too much that you can't climb and you don't spin out that often on flat/fast stuff is you stick to a 34 tooth front ring and an 11-36 cassette. The simplicity is good, it forces you to plan ahead more, you get stronger from having fewer ratios to spin comfortably. Go for it.

The Rookie

Rushmore wrote:

2 chainrings won't add any noticeable weight...

No, but the front mech (around 150g), shifter (around 130g) and cable (around 20g) treble the weight savings of the circa 150g (steel rings), so that lot is 1lb.

Simon

njee20

whats the point of having a super light bike if you struggle to make it up hills and spin out on the fast stuff??

I do neither. Horses for courses.

concorde

I couldn't live without a granny and the biggest cog at the back. Going 2.5mph up a hill is just how I like it

cooldad

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Silver Surfer

Thanks for all the responses. Like a few others i lived with the middle cog on the bike for a while and didn't miss it that much. Now that its back on i do use it but not that often. I will admit that Its often better to change the front cogs on hilly parts, it gives a quicker response than changing the back gears.

on a 3 cog set up is the first ring 1-8, second 9-17, third 18-24. I used to think it was but it doesn't seem to be, do gears overlap?

cooldad

No - they are not numbered as such. And they do overlap, quite a lot. Depends on the chainrings and cassette how much though.


ps in any event your way would be 1-8,9-16,17- 24.

The Rookie

only 1-3 on the granny don't overlap the middle ring, and 7-9 (sometimes only really 8&9) on the outer, so going 1x9 only looses you 5/6 out of circa 15 gears, I'm currently trying to decide whether to go 1x9 or fit a 36T to give me an extra 1.5 gears running 2x9.