Single front or double sprocket

lilactime
lilactime Posts: 86
in MTB beginners
Want to buy a new bike mainly to travel to work . Will be doing some trails and unclassified roads in spare time . Looking at trek marlin 5 or 6 . What would you recommend the single or double front sprocket set up ?

Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,382
    I'd say it depends on your terrain and how close you want your ratios.
    On a flat terrain a single will be fine with your choice of cassette.
    It gets muddy if you are in a hilly terrain. A single with a wide range cassette will suffice.
    A double ring will give a wider range over a closer range cassette. Your choice.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mully79
    mully79 Posts: 904
    Single ring works better with a dropper post lever.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,382
    Edit - I didn’t realise this post was in the mtb section.
    Ignore the above and carry on.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • vincesummerskRoxcBTr
    vincesummerskRoxcBTr Posts: 1,132
    We have got Marlin 6s with 2x set up and they work fine, a bit clunky changes compared to the road bikes . We have also bought the new Marlin 6s in New Zealand and these have the 1x 10 system. The gear range is very similar apart from the highest gear being smaller than the 2x system, so might run out of gears on the flat a bit earlier.
    1x systems will be easier to maintain and keep clean for regular commuting.
  • steve_sordy
    steve_sordy Posts: 2,453
    There is little doubt that 1x is the cleanest and easiest set up to have on an mtb. Doing without a shifter on the left side of the bar (in the UK at least) allows room for a dropper remote to be in a comfortable position. The bar looks less cluttered too (is less cluttered)!

    But for the multiple uses (commuting and off road) that you need, you have to think very hard about your gear range. For commuting you need to go fast and for off-road you need to go up steep hills or cross fields, mud or soft sand. Those are opposite ends of the gearing range. Even if you have 5:1 range, like on the Sram 12 speed (10-50T) you might find yourself struggling not to spin out on the commute. A typical 2x10 set up only has a slightly better range then the 1x12 set ups, but you can change either the small ring or the big ring at the front to better suit your needs.

    Given your stated needs, I would go 2x10. Ten speed is cheaper to buy and maintain too!

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