1 ring or 2

[Venod]

A lot of people are converting to a single chainring with a wide range cassette.
My MTB came with a 32 chainring and an 11-42 cassette, I found this OK but a few gears short at both ends, I put a 34 ring on the front to stop spinning out but of course this highers the lowest gear, but still got round Dolby Red without any issues so kept riding with the single.
Now I have decided to go back to a double, the disadvantages are more weight and another thing to catch mud (front derailleur) having to move the dropper post remote further in on the bars to fit the front shifter.
The advantages, much larger gear range, always a lower gear when you press the shifter, the ability to dump a load of gears with one click on an unexpected steep bit, much better chain line on the most used gears, I wasn't keen on the extreme chain line on the single ring.
Has anybody else dumped the single ring and gone back to a double/triple.

 

[Globalti]

Triples are excellent for mountain biking and touring where you want really small changes between gear ratios.

Doubles are fine for the road. I tried a 1 x on a road bike recently and didn't like the huge steps between ratios at all.

 

[Drago]

After experimenting with 3 and 1 I settled on STX and double on my best MTB.

 

[Spinney]

3

 

[Globalti]

As far as I can see the 1 x fashion is just another ruse by the bike industry to get punters to spend more money, same as bigger wheels sizes were. I don't think it will stick in road cycling except for a few edgy brands.

 

[Salty seadog]

I've got a Whyte 901 hardtail with single 32t chainring and 10-42 11speed cassette. I use it exclusively off road where this setup is fine and gives you all the range you need. I could fit a 34t ring up front and a cassette with a 46t/50t cog at the back to widen it even more.The chain line doesn't seem to cause issues with wear. I suppose the crud will take care of that. The bummer is the cost of the single block cassettes but I guess this will come down.

 

[Salty seadog]

Further to the above I have a 2014 Whyte Montpellier. It had a 48/34 double and 11-32 cassette. The next year they went single chainring. I wouldn't want that on a road bike.

 

[fossyant]

I have a triple on the old MTB and double on the newer one. I do prefer not to have the ratio gaps as quite a bit of my riding is XC rather than trail centres. My next bike will probably be single as all of them are going that way now.

 

[Drago]

As far as I can see the 1 x fashion is just another ruse by the bike industry to get punters to spend more money, same as bigger wheels sizes were. I don't think it will stick in road cycling except for a few edgy brands.

Well, some people like it. I must agree though that with cycling fashion does seem to ride the wave more than actual function, particularly so in the MTB world. Look how many wonderful must have cutting edge fashions have suddenly become old hat within a few years. 29ers, droppers, et al have gone from being up to the minute to a bit meh in 7 or 8 years.

 

[snorri]

Grrrrr......Read the thread title and thought this thread would be about bells.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I need all the gears, and 26" wheels, to get around some of the MTB trails near me. Adaptability and maneuverability are rather key to trails in the Eastern U.S., and I never really got on the 27.5 and 29" bandwagon. Never really been a big fan of suspension, though. Except on the recumbent, where I do like having an air shock at the rear.

 

[betty swollocks]

Not that long ago bikes had a 2x5 gear set up and some of those ratios were almost the same.
With a 1x11, you get 11 discrete gears and a degree of simplicity.
Yes there are bigger jumps than with a 2x11 set up, but in my experience (I ride fixed a lot too), you make do with what you have and unless you're into marginal gains, it really doesn't matter that much....
That's my twopenn'orth.

 

[Vantage]

I never had anything other than triples on my mountain bikes. Clogging up and extra weight from front mechs was never an issue.
As far as I'm concerned, 29ers, 27.5's and single chainring chainsets are there to please the fashion diva ponces.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I never had anything other than triples on my mountain bikes. Clogging up and extra weight from front mechs was never an issue.
As far as I'm concerned, 29ers, 27.5's and single chainring chainsets are there to please the fashion diva ponces.

Or people whose needs are adequately met by a single chainring. There is no one size fits all rule for gearing, it is purely down to individual preference and requirements.

 

[Venod]

I resisted the 29er thing for ages but I think they are much better for xc style riding, I roll over much more stuff easier than I did on 26.