Modern trend for extremely low gearing

[ColinJ]

I'd still want a chainring smaller than the biggest sprocket on my cassette.

That applies to all of my bikes, except for my singlespeed where the ring has 2.74 times the tooth count of the sprocket.

 

[screenman]

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.

They must have seen a demand in the market before starting to produce them, yes you are starting to sound like your dad.

 

[fossyant]

There are some advantages to 1x. Simplicity, less faffing changing the front gears (some folk can't get it), better drive chain wear, lower chance of the chain coming off, lots of choices of chain ring, especially direct fit.

Downside, rear mech cage is longer and closer to ground = more rock strikes and 12 speed is a little 'fussy' to set up. Cassettes can be an absolute fortune to buy. You can get cassetes to fit standard shimano hubs but you don't get smaller than an 11 - which for most is fine, and they are cheaper.

Personally I chose 2 x 10 on ine rather than the 1 x 11 model - ex. roadie that likes a closer gear range and much of my training is XC, with trails and trail centres thrown in here and there. Downside to 2 x 10 - my chain rings are getting harder to source.

 

[Jenkins]

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.

There's no large gaps with the modern 12 speed SRAM stuff - my 11-50 SX Eagle cassette is effectively a standard 11-36 ten speed with a couple of extra gears (42 & 50) added on. The spacing is 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32, 36, 42, 50

 

[Justinslow]

Compared to my 10 speed 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-37-42T
Still depends where you ride, I reckon I could have stuck with an 11-36 with my 34 front where I ride, the 10speed -wide range is clearly a compromise, understandable as to add a couple of bigger ones you lose smaller ones.

 

[FishFright]

There's no large gaps with the modern 12 speed SRAM stuff - my 11-50 SX Eagle cassette is effectively a standard 11-36 ten speed with a couple of extra gears (42 & 50) added on. The spacing is 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32, 36, 42, 50

That looks a lot like big gaps to me. I have an 11 - 36 on one of my mtb's as it was cheap at the time but I'll have to replace it before too long for its gappyness.

ETA But I'm a spinner not a grinder so I much prefer a tighter block.

 

[DRM]

I'd say it's because of the way you climb on an MTB, rather than the way you climb on a road bike, off road you get your backside way back on the saddle to weight the rear wheel, so it doesn't spin out and lose traction, same technique on a gravel bike, on a road bike you can stand up and spin a bit faster going up and down the gears depending on if your stood or sat.

 

[ColinJ]

I'd say it's because of the way you climb on an MTB, rather than the way you climb on a road bike, off road you get your backside way back on the saddle to weight the rear wheel, so it doesn't spin out and lose traction, same technique on a gravel bike, on a road bike you can stand up and spin a bit faster going up and down the gears depending on if your stood or sat.

On the really steep stuff we have round here it is a balancing act - sit back for traction, lean forward to avoid accidental wheelies. It is usually possible to find a compromise position that achieves both.

 

[Blue Hills]

22:34 on three bikes.
I sooner be riding a bike than pushing it.

22 36 on two of my tourers with triples, about to build up another if I can get it to work.will get me loaded to the heavens up pretty much anything. Have no need at all for a stupidly expensive dinnerplate.
Admittedly i'm not an MTBer, though one of my tourers is effectively an MTB.

 

[Astore]

I guess it's what you're used to. My old Saracen (above) back in 1985. 52-36 on the front 13-32 5 speed on the rear . The thing would go up the side of a house, and have a fair turn of speed downhill too. In fact, I still ride pretty much the same gearing today on my Thompson. 50-32 on the front 14-28 7 speed at the rear. I don't do MTBs and this works really well in pretty much all conditions on my rides round Argyll, which is a pretty hilly county in places. Works for me, and I'm now closer to 60 than 20

In fact, a lad came round to look at buying my old Raleigh Scorpio, took one look at the gearing on my Summer bike - 14-24 7 speed rear, 42-52 on the front and couldn't believe that I managed anything but flat rides on it.

 

[Blue Hills]

View attachment 565350

I guess it's what you're used to. My old Saracen (above) back in 1985. 52-36 on the front 13-32 5 speed on the rear . The thing would go up the side of a house, and have a fair turn of speed downhill too. In fact, I still ride pretty much the same gearing today on my Thompson. 50-32 on the front 14-28 7 speed at the rear. I don't do MTBs and this works really well in pretty much all conditions on my rides round Argyll, which is a pretty hilly county in places. Works for me, and I'm now closer to 60 than 20

View attachment 565351

In fact, a lad came round to look at buying my old Raleigh Scorpio, took one look at the gearing on my Summer bike - 14-24 7 speed rear, 42-52 on the front and couldn't believe that I managed anything but flat rides on it.

Very nice bikes.
I have the impression that you ride pretty light though, not loaded.

 

[simongt]

What amuses me about the current 'fashion' for single wee chainwheels and dinnerplate 11 speed cassettes is the amount of time that the chain must be running way out of line.

 

[simongt]

couldn't believe that I managed anything but flat rides on it.

Seems that once again that the uninitiated will believe anything that's in fashion - !

 

[chriswoody]

What amuses me about the current 'fashion' for single wee chainwheels and dinnerplate 11 speed cassettes is the amount of time that the chain must be running way out of line.

But why is that a problem? It's been shown that it's not inefficient to have the chain running at those angles. It also has no adverse effect on chain or component wear. From my own experiences, I don't suffer from increased wear of my chain or cassette over a more traditional 2x or 3x system, so I'm really not sure why some folk see it as some kind of issue.

Personally having ridden a bike with a 1x system for the last year, i wouldn't go back to a 2x or 3x if you paid me. However, that is with the caveat that the majority of my riding is off-road where I think they do hold an advantage over more traditional set ups.

 

[screenman]

What amuses me about the current 'fashion' for single wee chainwheels and dinnerplate 11 speed cassettes is the amount of time that the chain must be running way out of line.

What amuses me is the way people do not like choice and although not in this case cost/price is so often mentioned.