Modern trend for extremely low gearing

[FishFright]

The single front and wide rear gears comes from a need to remove the front mech so the suspension has more flexibility for pivot and linkage positions. Which is fine for riding park style places and DH but its horrible to pedal with its huge gaps in the lower gears. Why it's on hardtails is beyond my comprehension not matter how many times I watch the GMBN sales pitches.

 

[Hacienda71]

I went 1x12 last year on the mtb and thought will I ever use the 50 t on the rear. On the road bike I was running a standard double.
Riding it at Coed y Brenin with a group of this forum the 50t came in very handy. On steep technical climbs it is great. I have an issue with 1xdrive trains in general which is the ability to index them perfectly. I do love the simplicity of no front mech though (reminds me of 5 speeds back in the day). Ultimately it is a slight compromise.

 

[Justinslow]

This is kinda what I’m suggesting - a 30 with a 10-51 on a light carbon XC bike is just a bit strange to me,
My 34 -11 tops out at around 23 mph before its free wheel time.....

So your complaint is too low a high gear , not too low a low gear?

it’s not a complaint, it’s a discussion on whether extremely large cassettes and a quite small Single front chain wheel is a fashion as to my mind it’s super low and not very high particularly for super light XC hard tail mtbs’s maybe I’m wrong?

 

[Justinslow]

The single front and wide rear gears comes from a need to remove the front mech so the suspension has more flexibility for pivot and linkage positions. Which is fine for riding park style places and DH but its horrible to pedal with its huge gaps in the lower gears. Why it's on hardtails is beyond my comprehension not matter how many times I watch the GMBN sales pitches.

Exactly this

 

[Justinslow]

I went 1x12 last year on the mtb and thought will I ever use the 50 t on the rear. On the road bike I was running a standard double.
Riding it at Coed y Brenin with a group of this forum the 50t came in very handy. On steep technical climbs it is great. I have an issue with 1xdrive trains in general which is the ability to index them perfectly. I do love the simplicity of no front mech though (reminds me of 5 speeds back in the day). Ultimately it is a slight compromise.

Yes that is probably useful I agree, but on every new mtb whether that’s the intended use or not? Not so sure, which is what I’m suggesting, if you had a 12 on some of the flat trails I use you’re basically using probably 9 or 10 gears max.

 

[si_c]

Exactly this

I have a 1x (32t front, 11-46 rear) drivetrain on my hardtail - it's much simpler and cleaner to maintain and doesn't really have any downsides on an MTB in my experience. The lack of a need to maintain a front derailleur also means that shifting is more consistent and the cranks can be positioned in a better overall position chainline wise.

I need the range going uphill especially as noted by @Hacienda71 above on technical terrain and if I am getting close to spinning out the high gear speedwise then I'm probably going downhill so standing and not pedalling anyway. It's an MTB not a road bike.

On the road I hit 25mph and whilst it is admittedly starting to get a bit towards the edge of what I find comfortable it's sustainable. If I was riding a flatter course I could easily change the front chainring and have a completely different gear range or switch the cassette out. I do this on my road bikes too so why is it unreasonable to think that an MTBer would?

Shimano do still do a 2x12 XTR setup for those who prefer it but for most people a 1x12 is more than enough for what they are likely to need.

 

[Hacienda71]

Yes that is probably useful I agree, but on every new mtb whether that’s the intended use or not? Not so sure, which is what I’m suggesting, if you had a 12 on some of the flat trails I use you’re basically using probably 9 or 10 gears max.

It depends I suppose. A lot of MTB's are not used for their intended use as they are great utility bikes. I suppose there is an argument you can increase the size of the front ring to give you a more appropriate spread but retain the simplicity of the 1x drivetrain. I spin out on the fs MTB in the low 20's. I never had an issue with a triple on my road bike and liked having a granny gear. Same with my 2004 Stumpjumper. Wonder if the bike industry likes the reduced cost of a 1x setup. Same RRP 1 less mech 1 less lever, cable, chainring etc. or if it is just a new trend to raise revenue. Sorry getting cynical as I get older.

 

[Justinslow]

I have a 1x (32t front, 11-46 rear) drivetrain on my hardtail - it's much simpler and cleaner to maintain and doesn't really have any downsides on an MTB in my experience. The lack of a need to maintain a front derailleur also means that shifting is more consistent and the cranks can be positioned in a better overall position chainline wise.

I need the range going uphill especially as noted by @Hacienda71 above on technical terrain and if I am getting close to spinning out the high gear speedwise then I'm probably going downhill so standing and not pedalling anyway. It's an MTB not a road bike.

On the road I hit 25mph and whilst it is admittedly starting to get a bit towards the edge of what I find comfortable it's sustainable. If I was riding a flatter course I could easily change the front chainring and have a completely different gear range or switch the cassette out. I do this on my road bikes too so why is it unreasonable to think that an MTBer would?

Shimano do still do a 2x12 XTR setup for those who prefer it but for most people a 1x12 is more than enough for what they are likely to need.

Yeah good points

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What were people doing to their front derailleurs? Mine just worked, very little maintenance year to year.

 

[Justinslow]

It depends I suppose. A lot of MTB's are not used for their intended use as they are great utility bikes. I suppose there is an argument you can increase the size of the front ring to give you a more appropriate spread but retain the simplicity of the 1x drivetrain. I spin out on the fs MTB in the low 20's. I never had an issue with a triple on my road bike and liked having a granny gear. Same with my 2004 Stumpjumper. Wonder if the bike industry likes the reduced cost of a 1x setup. Same RRP 1 less mech 1 less lever, cable, chainring etc. or if it is just a new trend to raise revenue. Sorry getting cynical as I get older.

Yeah, I’ve just gone to 1x 10 with 34, 11-42 and where I am and my intended use would probably have got away with sticking with the 11-36 that I had already, just don’t really need the low gears, they may come in handy in the future who knows where I might be riding! But seeing 50’s on the back and 30’s up front on some of the new bikes especially those designed for more my type of riding - trail centres etc seems a bit of a waste, it’s all opinions and horses for courses.

 

[Justinslow]

What were people doing to their front derailleurs? Mine just worked, very little maintenance year to year.

I know, it doesn’t have to do a lot does it, it just doesn’t look as cool a 1x fashion? Obviously I’m being a bit silly here and I do know the benefits of a 1x system.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I know, it doesn’t have to do a lot does it, it just doesn’t look as cool a 1x fashion?

I say just worked. It’s still working more than a decade on. Haven’t touched it in over a year when I replaced the inner cable.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

So what’s with the fashion of tiny front ring and dinner plate cassettes? That’s seriously low gearing, 30-51 for instance?
Do they really ever get used, I mean I could probably walk really slowly and still be faster than pedalling the bike.
Maybe there’s a case for serious mountain up hills but round a trail centre or buggering about round the countryside?

Downhilling.. The gearing allows those who don't necessarily have the fitness to get back up the hills

 

[steveindenmark]

So what’s with the fashion of tiny front ring and dinner plate cassettes? That’s seriously low gearing, 30-51 for instance?
Do they really ever get used, I mean I could probably walk really slowly and still be faster than pedalling the bike.
Maybe there’s a case for serious mountain up hills but round a trail centre or buggering about round the countryside?

Yes they do get used. In the Transcontinental Race a lot of riders had that gearing and were still pushing. That ultra low gearing lets riders try and ride in places they usually would ride in.

 

[TheDoctor]

It is just a fashion, I’ve never known a time where you had a gear on a cassette larger than a chain wheel

My late lamented Carbon Uberbike had a 48/38/24T chainset, and a 12-26T cassette, I think. It may have been 12-28.
Either way, I needed that stupid low gear up Mt Ventoux. If I was doing it again, I'd still want a chainring smaller than the biggest sprocket on my cassette.