Hello,
I have a dilemma. I currently have a 2014 SC Nomad. I currently have a 2x10. I believe it is a 40/35 front 11/35 rear but I was counting in a dark garage. I am in need of new drivetrain parts and was considering moving to what everyone is turning to, a 1x system.
The trails I usually ride are mountainous (South Mountain, Gateway Loop, etc) which are steep very rocky terrain. I am not a racer nor am I an expert by any sense of the terms but can hold my own. I am 51 years old and in decent shape. I can play down mountains but not a strong climber.
So my question is do I convert to a 1x system? I can barely climb the trails I ride now with even a few times I need to hike a bike? My fear is I am already struggling so if I convert I am loosing gears either on both ends of the spectrum or more on either the higher or lower gears.
There are other trails I ride where I do top off on higher speeds. I know from reading it should shed weight, easier cockpit, less chance bottoming out on rocks, narrow/wide chainrings, less of a chance of dropping a chain, etc. I am wondering with the larger cassettes which come with a 1x is there truly a HUGE weight savings?
My bigger concern than weight savings is am I going to struggle more than I do now and regret moving? I would like to make the decision sooner than later so any feedback would be appreciated.
I currently have The XTR from 2014 but looking to update. If you suggest keeping my 2x should I update to current year Shimano XT or even Race Face Cinch Carbon? Or if 1x what should I get. Please note I have The Mavic Crossmax SX wheelset so I might be limited to cassettes which may be compatible.
Calculate your ratios on your two chainrings and then, based on your knowledge of which gears you typically need/use, see if you can find the appropriate size chainring and cassette to cover the range you need.
Highly unlikely you have 35/40 front and 11-35 rear. It may be 28-40 front (as was an XT setup I had in the early 2010s) and the rear is 11-36.
For mountain biking applications like you describe, almost no one goes back to their 2x after trying 1x.
If you go Shimano 1x11 you can get an XT 11-46 cassette for about $70 as I recall that will mount to your existing freehub body. May need a new crankset to get the chainline right, as well as a chain, shifter and rear derailleur.
All,
Thank you for your input so far. LOTS to consider.
Rth009, what is your recommendation for the front chainring? I would like to compare what Adenglund suggested with what you mentioned and compare the ranges.
Are you on a 26" wheel, that makes a difference. I havent had a 26er that not a fat bike since I was on 3x9 with a 22-34 granny, so I cant comment there. Wheel size makes a difference in gearing. With that said,
I used to ride a bike with 28/36 granny gear like we think you have. That is not a super low granny. My first 1x was a 1x11 with a 30-42 granny on a 29er. That was plenty low. Now Im on a 1x12 with 32-50 granny gear. Both are great. I would love to have more top end, but not at the expense of losing my granny. I live in Western MOntana with no end of steep hills to climb.
If you go 1 x 11 with an 11-46 shimano setup. Id say start with a 30t chain ring. As someone else mentioned, you can probably use your same crank with some spacers to move the chain ring inward from where the big ring attaches.
Great advice here. I'm a 1x convert too, from 3x9.
I mathed it to death, and think I'm better off for it. Let's say you mis-counted and are 28-40 and 11-36
That means your ratios at the top and bottom are 3.63 and .777. Cool. That's a spread of 467%. Also cool.
So an 11-46 cassette is 418%, cheap, and works with your rear wheel now probably. If you get a new hub and want ALL the range you have today, you get a 10-46 (34T or 36T, I suggest ovate 34 or round/oval 32) or an 11-51 (38-40T) and you lose zip.
But let's say you want to go cheaper, and get the 11-46 for simplicity. Chances are when you climb, you are in granny plus either top or second to top cog (36 or 32). That is .777 or .875. That means you need a 36T or a 40T chainring to climb like you can today. Your fast gear is gonna be either what you have today @ 40/11, or 36/11 which is 3.27, which is a 10% drop (which is basically nothing)
OR, you gear up for climbing a little better, and go 34 (most of the people on this board are 32 or 30 BTW). 34/11 is 3.09, which is 15% less than 40/11. Again, tiny.
FWIW, I switched my 540% 3x9 to the 11-46 (418%) 1x. I chose an ovate 34T chainring because my hardest climbs here I can do with 34/46
I love it, and am not going back.
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If I could do it over at 4x the price, I'd have gone to a 10x or 9x cog and ovate 32 or ovate 30. But that would have cost me over $500 and a new wheel, so forget that.
I went 28 x 11- 40, and it gets me up the steepest sections, but there are wider cassette options now that weren't around then. I did need 3mm spacers on the chainring to adjust chain line. I just used the 2x XT crankset and derailleur I already had, and it worked fine.
I had/have a 2x10 on my 2014 trail bike--39t/26t up front, 11-36t in back. I tried a 1x10. The largest front chainring that was compatible with my frame was a 32t. NOPE. I have slow legs and can't spin fast enough in 32tx36t. I was easily dropped on social rides.
Same frame, I tried switching the rear cassette to an 11-42t. NOPE. The b-limit screw is required to be back all the way out, it would flex, then bend, then break, then finish with a walk back to the car. T
On a 2020 frame, I am running a 1x12. My new frame accepts a 38t chain ring and the 11-52t in back. This set up has been working great but would not be compatible with my 2014 frame.
Edited to add: the 2014 frame is a Ventana El Ciclon, the 2020 is a TB4.
I reread the OP. You’re not a climber, some hikeabike, despite being fit for age.
I concur with above. 11-46 with a 30T chainring. That gives you a 15% improvement in gearing ratio, and if your downs are as tech as your ups, you’ll never notice.
if you can maintain 2.5 mph with a 30-46, you’ll winch up hills like a boss.
You will notice the lack of top end on the road, if you bike there.
———————-
I recommend a test. For $8, go buy a 24T chainring and swap out your 28. A 24-36 combo on your bike will simulate a 30-46. If you climb super-well and you love the gearing, then a 1x with a 11-46 and 30T chainring is what you’re after.
you can simulate a 30-11 gearing on your bike with the 40T chainring by putting it on a 15T cog, which is probably 3rd from the bottom. (Your cassette is probably 11-13-15-etc)
Btw, dont worry about chainline till you get there. Mine is off by 0.5 mm. Not enough to worry about. I played with it, and what made the difference is when im on the second largest cog, need clearance to the biggest one. No grinding. If i have that, and no skipping on 11or 46, GTG.
TBH, you probably won’t notice any weight savings because it won’t be enough to make a huge difference. What you will notice is a cleaner cockpit and chainring setup, and a much simpler shifting strategy - no more worrying about if you’re in the big ring or small ring and possibly cross-chaining. Within the past year I converted from 3x9 to 1x11 on my hardtail, and 2x10 to 1x12 (via new bike) on the fully, and I would never go back even as a lackluster climber who appreciated the extreme range of my old school 3x setup. Shimano 1x11 makes the most sense for you and definitely gear for climbing (30t chainring).
still sticking with 2 chainrings in the front on my Niner Jet9. The small one is a 22 and I use it all the time in Colorado and Moab. Never saw the fascination with 1x, my Shimano XT FD works flawlessly - but then again - I'm an old dude.
Some FD setups work fine , some don't.
On my half- dozen bikes from '92 thru 2014, it worked mostly fine. My 2014 had a bottom pull FD, so the cable housing came up from under the down tube, thru it right in front of the BB, and was exposed to all the dirt coming off the rear tire. Crappy design,
and the derailleur would work for just a few rides before I would have to try to clean it out. Got old quickly, so it is now 1x10 XT,
and is all I need for where I ride.
Your frame may only accept a certain size ring up front. My Guerrilla Gravity has a max tooth capacity of 34 which was dissapointing as I'd rather run a 36 or 38.
Ride in one ring for a few outings and do the experiment. If you find that you didn't miss the other ring after a few rides, do you really need to carry it on every ride? All about personal preference, really.
Except for my road bike, my son and I have converted all our bikes to 1 x10 or 1x12. I invested in a new Sram Eagle GX groupset for my Santa Cruz, 5010 this season and had converted my 26" hardtail to 1x10 a few years ago. My son converted his old Heckler to 1x10 two years ago.
Neither of us would go back to 2x anything. I'll be ordering a new bike this week and it will come with the latest 1x12 Eagle GX and the 52 tooth cassette.
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