Old gear system

Gazza72

Hi fellow mtbers! I am currently running a drive train as follows: front is a 24/36 chain ring setup, and rear is a 9 speed cassette with sram x9 deraileur on a hope bulb ( yes you read it right!) hub. I would like to modernise my drive train but not replace my hub as I have looked after it and and given it anything it needed! The new 2x10/11 seems appealing, but I need advise on whether it's worth it. Or should I go for a 1x11 setup? All help will be greatly appreciated!

The Rookie

If your rear mech is good, go 1x10 using a wide range cassette, 10 speed chain and a road flat bar shifter, less than £100.

02gf74

For modernise replace by compromise.

Are you finding that you are limited by your current gearing? Or do you struggle selecting the correct gear?

Unless you have money to throw away, there certainly is no point going from 2x9 to 2x10 /11.

If you must change then single chainring and extended range cassette, I went from 3x9 to 1x9 using 40-11 cassette and 32 t narrow wide chainring on the middle.
You having 2 chainring mean you need to do something for chain alignment so may need new chainset. Ideally you also want a clutch rear mech.

Ultimately you will end up with less gears, either not being able to get up steep hills or spin out on the flay/down, I am happy with 1x and accept spinning out and a slight struggle up hill.

Gazza72

Cheers for the advice. I'm wondering if the real issue is the jump from 24 to 36 up front. A few people have suggested the jump is too large? Would reducing from 36 to say 34 really make that much of a difference?

The Rookie

Not enough...

I find when going up a chainring size at the front you need to change down one at the rear and vice versa as it’s roughly double the gear ratio change at the front.