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1x drivetrain crew--what size is your chainring?

11K views 89 replies 53 participants last post by  fishwrinkle 
#1 ·
Just curious what other people out there are riding on their trail/AM bikes.

I had a 30T and just swapped to a 28T but haven't ridden it yet. I find myself at least once per ride wishing I had one more easier gear but unless I'm on pavement going towards the trail, I've never wished I had higher gearing.
 
#69 ·
It's not all just how much climbing you do. It's the type. When I lived in AZ I rode plenty of 25-30 mile rides with over 5,000 feet of climbing throughout AZ, CO, and CA. Many at or over 10,000 feet in elevation. I was fine on a 32 t there. Here is PA there are no 5 mile long burner climbs, the longest being maybe a mile. And I am at 1,000 feet elevation. I typically still gain about 1,000 feet in 7-8 miles though. And 30t is more appropriate. There are times I wish I did 32 t, but a rock garden on a climb (which is pretty much what PA is) means you need a lower gear.
 
#77 ·
30t x 11/36 on process 153 in Vermont. 1200' vert over 2 miles on resort access road left me wishing for a better sit n' spin option but I will get stronger. In very rocky, technical terrain the gearing/geometry leaves me wishing for something more. But that's the trade off for riding a bomber and I don't think smaller ring would help much. I've found that climbing out of the saddle in the second or third biggest cog is the best way to approach super tech. I did have to upgrade the freehub to ti xtr to handle gear mash.
 
#79 ·
My GT Distortion has a RaceFace 34t narrow/wide ring up front and an XT 11/36 rear cassette. I've been happy with that so far, but that's what the bike came with and, truth be told, this is my first MTB since 96/97... so I don't really have anything to compare it to. Been interesting reading what everyone has though.
 
#82 ·
Funny, I do the exact opposite. I sit and spin in a low gear on long climbs - most are too steep to do anything but the lowest with 1x10. On steep rocky stuff, I rush into it and stand up to keep from stalling while keeping momentum up. IfI were to sit and spin, there'd be no way I'd have enough momentum to clear ledges and roots.
 
#83 ·
Funny, I do the exact opposite. I sit and spin in a low gear on long climbs - most are too steep to do anything but the lowest with 1x10. On steep rocky stuff, I rush into it and stand up to keep from stalling while keeping momentum up.
lol thats funny. to clarify, i'm usually standing and rushing and trying to build momentum as you say for shorter rock gardens. it's when they're so long or so steep that i can't build enough momentum to make it through the whole thing that i sit and either 'rock crawl' or spin like an airplane prop.
 
#84 ·
after switching to a 1x10 with a 42t Wolftooth Giant Cog & a 32t chainring a few months ago, I've found that my riding style has changed dramatically. Previously, I'd use my granny gear to tackle most steep climbs and initially, after installing the GC, used it for most of my climbs, as well. However, after 4 months with the 1x GC setup, I've found that I'm doing the majority of my climbs in either the 28t or 32t cogs and only use the 36 and 42t for bailouts on the hardest, most lung-busting climbs
 
#86 ·
yep. on a bare freewheel hub, install the 42t cog, remove either the 15 or 17t cog & spacer, install cassette & lock ring, ride. It was recommended to remove the 17t cog, but I found that I would spin out on the 19t and the 15t was too high to switch to & I'd lose momentum. Instead, I removed the 15t and found the transition much more tolerable. That said, Wolftooth is developing a 16t cog for a better transition. I may get one when it is available.
 
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