thinking of changing to 2x10 advise welcome

swod1

I was watching some mtb youtube videos last night and I'm interested into converting my trek hardtail bike to 2x10.

I'm already running 10speed and have a xt rear m786 clutch mech, xt shifters already installed and I can switch the front to 2x to avoid, the front mech going over too far.

My concern is the front chain set I've got a triple m590 deore 9 speed with 22/32/44 chain rings which has worked great for ages but I'm wondering if the gear ratios I've got are all wrong for my riding given that I'm using a 11-36 cassette as well.

I was thinking of dropping the big 44t ring to fit a bash guard and then run 24 or 26t granny ring and a 36t outer ring.

Is a bash guard even necessary?

With a 11-36 cassette on my bike already do I even need to change the granny ring and just switch the middle to a 34/36t ring ?

Advise welcome.

Kai in the Borders

You shouldn't need a bash guard but it is worth considering.

I run 2x10 on my Cotic Solaris 29er and am using 22/36. The 36 is a Blackspire double specific ring so the chain won't shift up or off. It's certainly not jumped off so far anyway.

You can keep the 22t granny if you want, but it may restrict the outer ring choice if the shift is too much from the smaller chainring to the bigger one. If you get a new one (24t) then just stick to a cheap and durable deore. If it's a 26" or 650b bike then consider 24/38 up front. Depending on how hilly it is where you are, that should still be fine.

Chunkers1980

Do you use the 44t?

lostboysaint

22/32 would be too "short", as most others have told you. Mine is 27/39 and there's almost nothing I can't climb up and it's only stuff that I can't climb up that I spin out on going the other way!

swod1

Kai in the Borders wrote:

You shouldn't need a bash guard but it is worth considering.

You can keep the 22t granny if you want, but it may restrict the outer ring choice if the shift is too much from the smaller chainring to the bigger one. If you get a new one (24t) then just stick to a cheap and durable deore. If it's a 26" or 650b bike then consider 24/38 up front. Depending on how hilly it is where you are, that should still be fine.

its for my 26” bike as i was thinking just 26/36 as im using a 11-36 cassette, its not all that hilly here but my rides do have some hills to go up.

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Do you use the 44t?

not really only when the middle ring is too small a gear and needing to pedal a lot on flats etc, so could drop it and fit a 36 or 38 even.

rockmonkeysc

Just go single ring. Front mechs are the work of the devil.

supersonic

If the gears are working for you, keep them! You'll save abut 60g by going double, and lose the top and bottom most gears. Not worth it unless you must have a bash.

paulmon

I've just converted my HT to 1x10 using the hope T-Rex and the hope retainer ring at the front. If you already have the XT cassette then u just need to swap out the 17 for the 40. I have the 34 front ring and on the maiden voyage last week I didn't need to use the 40 once. If you do decide to go 1x10 buy a couple of spacers for the crank to make sure you get the chain line right.

P

swod1

cheers for replies but gonna have to put this on hold as you may have seen my post in the workshop/tech section, the xt cassette has decided to fail.

as im getting a new cassette shall i still buy another 11-36 or drop to 11-34/32?

Dirtydog11

Would go with the 11-36 in case you decide to go with 24-36 rings at a later date.

swod1

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Just go single ring. Front mechs are the work of the devil.

Front mechs are when you need to adjust it.

Been really looking at this recently and had a look through one up components site.

If I buy the expander ring in either 42 or 40t with a narrow wide chain ring do I also need to purchase the radr cage because I have a long cage xt clutch mech already fitted to my bike and I read medium is better?

Also how do you decide on the front chain ring size I was thinking getting a 34 up front and not sure on either 40 or 42t on the rear?

Will going to 1x10 help with the chain line because my bike trek hardtail had a internal bb but I'm now using external hollowtech 2 bb which has pushed out the chainrings as the higher gears 9-10 sometimes rub on the inside of the front mech even though I have adjusted this best I can.

rockmonkeysc

I would recommend the 40t and 16t set up with the rad cage. I replaced my medium cage with a rad cage and it works better.
With the 16t and 40t the shifting is seamless with no obvious step in the ratios. I tried 42t but it was a big step up from the 36t.

Ferrals

I went 42 and I agree with RM there is actually a noticeable gap. I don't mind it and on some hills I need the 42, but you definately feel a change in cadence when you initially switch up

swod1

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I would recommend the 40t and 16t set up with the rad cage. I replaced my medium cage with a rad cage and it works better.
With the 16t and 40t the shifting is seamless with no obvious step in the ratios. I tried 42t but it was a big step up from the 36t.

is this with a 34t narrow wide front chain ring?

i was thinking of getting the 40t as a 6t jump is a lot as its going on my hardtail and im sure 40t is going to be more than enough.

think i’ll get the radr cage with both pieces and make the rech mech shorter so it will shift gears smoother, hope this is easy to fit.

rockmonkeysc

Yep, I have a 34t front ring. I managed ok in the lake district should be ok anywhere.

swod1

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Yep, I have a 34t front ring. I managed ok in the lake district should be ok anywhere.

yeah it should be I do a bit of xc on the bike so 34 should be plenty still on the flat parts.

I will have a look at what I will need later, need to replace the bb on the bike so might as well have a noisy at the crank and chain ring positions.

andy37

just a side note here, im in the process of going from a triple to 1x10 and was just wondering if it is only oneup components that are selling the 16t sprocket as this is a really neat addition to a cassette expander

swod1

andy37 wrote:

just a side note here, im in the process of going from a triple to 1x10 and was just wondering if it is only oneup components that are selling the 16t sprocket as this is a really neat addition to a cassette expander

I'm not sure as I've heard superstar, hope are selling the cassette expanders but I don't know if they include a 16t.