Monstercross Drivetrain Questions

[lost27]

I'm currently getting a custom do-it-all monstercrossish frame built from scratch. What I'm trying to figure out is what type of drive train is common.

I'm a big fan of SRAM and currently have it on my road and mountain bike but I don't see how I'll be able to run bar end shifters with their drive train. Do most folks end up running Shimano components?

What is a common cassette/crank combo? This bike will see mostly gravel grinders with some single track use both loaded and unloaded so I was looking for a pretty versatile drivetrain.

[Schmucker]

If you use 10spd they have bar end shifters. You could just run friction as well. I like Shimano stuff though. I went IGH with mine but I might convert it to SS.

[Outsider]

I gave this a bit of thought one month ago when I built up my new Fargo and came to the conclusion that a 10 speed road drive train would not give a low enough gear. I settled for a Shimano Mtb 9-speed drive train, which I already happened to have lying around, with STI shifters. The barend shifters would not be good enough for our local trails, since they are technical enough to need a good grip for most of the time and not being able to shift would mean always using the wrong gear, just like on a singlespeed. I got the Fargo for offroad adventure use, which also means some occasional technical singletrack.

[deuxdiesel]

I was running a 10 speed road cassette with a mountain triple crank on my Quiring monstercross and I gave me everything I needed (until I did a swapped to a MTB 9 rear for Iceman). The SRAM TT bar ends are really nice, and there are even Thumbies made for them. They seem less vague than the Shimano 9 speed bar end shifters. There is only one rule when it come to a monster crosser- there are no rules. Play, experiment, enjoy.

[LBIkid]

I'm running Shimano on mine. 9-sp bar end shifters (actually mounted with Thumbies) with an 11-32 XT cassette and a Truvativ Elita 36/48T crankset. I started with an LX trekking crankset (24/36/48 or something like that) for some touring, but ended up not touring, so I switched to the CX crankset. I run the front D friction while the back is indexed. Setup works great for me.

[tamjam]

I have put a lot of thought into a monstercross drivetrain and here's what I came up with:

Campy Chorus Ergo 10spd shifters (have them on my road bike, love them)
XTR 9spd rear der w/JTEK shiftmate #2 to make the shifters & der play well together
XT 11-32 cassette
SRAM Rival compact cranks

We'll see how it all works together. My frame comes in a few weeks, and although it's going to start life as a SS crosser, I have these parts ready if I ever want to put gears on it.

[unsub1]

I've experimented with a bazillion drivetrain setups since 1997 but have currently settled on a Rival 10spd drivetrain with XX rear der and cassette and Dura-Ace chain. So far so good.

[xtomx]

what's a good off road SS gear for a monster cross build w/ 45c tires? im thinking like 38x20 or 21..
what do you guys use?

[unsub1]

what's a good off road SS gear for a monster cross build w/ 45c tires? im thinking like 38x20 or 21..
what do you guys use?

Probably depends on the terrain and the commute to the trail, no?

[N10S]

My Fargo is set-up as a shimano 1x9 w/XTR rear der, 11-34 cassette., 737XT cranks w/ 32 tooth ring and a Pauls chainguide. I "do" ride lots of technical single track and for me the single dura ace bar-end shifter works great.

[6thElement]

I've experimented with a bazillion drivetrain setups since 1997 but have currently settled on a Rival 10spd drivetrain with XX rear der and cassette and Dura-Ace chain. So far so good.

I like the idea of that and the photos you've posted elsewhere, I just need to find one of the derailleurs and cassettes hiding under my sofa

[unsub1]

I like the idea of that and the photos you've posted elsewhere, I just need to find one of the derailleurs and cassettes hiding under my sofa

Yeah, seriously. When I built the bike up in 2008, I did so knowing XX would eventually be on the way and that it would be compatible with Rival, so I was kind of committing myself to the XX stuff at that time. The 12-27 on there was unbearable on super-steep singletrack, even with the compact crankset so I was relieved when the XX stuff finally came out, but holy baby jesus it's expensive. That was the only case of buyer's remorse I've had in years...until I rode it. Soooooooo nice. The 36/34 gear combo is really similar to the XTR 34/32 combo I had ridden on my Willits Monstercross 1x9 in the past. Anyway, yeah.