Single chainring bike for new-ish cyclist

[Dwn]

Over the course of the lockdown my wife has been cycling most days, having previously been a very infrequent cyclist. She has been using a Pinnacle hybrid (Sora groupset) and is quite happy with that.

However she is now keen on acquiring a drop bar bike for occasional days out when it's dry and we can go a little further and faster. The two bikes she is considering are both £500.

One is a more conventional road bike (with :relaxed geometry) equipped with a Sora groupset. The other is a 'gravel' bike with a single chainring (38t) and a 10 speed cassette (11-42). She likes the look of this bike better. Shortage of stock rules out seeing or testing them right now.

Most of our cycling is done on the road, but some canal paths as well. We don't, and never will, go particularly quickly - and travelling downhill is done cautiously.

Despite being fit (has been running regularly for decades) she finds travelling uphill a struggle at the moment. I've never really been entirely clear on gears, but would a double chainring be better for hills than a single?

Thanks

 

[vickster]

Over the course of the lockdown my wife has been cycling most days, having previously been a very infrequent cyclist. She has been using a Pinnacle hybrid (Sora groupset) and is quite happy with that.

However she is now keen on acquiring a drop bar bike for occasional days out when it's dry and we can go a little further and faster. The two bikes she is considering are both £500.

One is a more conventional road bike (with :relaxed geometry) equipped with a Sora groupset. The other is a 'gravel' bike with a single chainring (38t) and a 10 speed cassette (11-42). She likes the look of this bike better. Shortage of stock rules out seeing or testing them right now.

Most of our cycling is done on the road, but some canal paths as well. We don't, and never will, go particularly quickly - and travelling downhill is done cautiously.

Despite being fit (has been running regularly for decades) she finds travelling uphill a struggle at the moment. I've never really been entirely clear on gears, but would a double chainring be better for hills than a single?

Thanks

Depends on the gear ratios. How big are the hills?

 

[Ajax Bay]

One is a more conventional road bike (with :relaxed geometry) equipped with a Sora groupset. The other is a 'gravel' bike with a single chainring (38t) and a 10 speed cassette (11-42).
would a double chainring be better for hills than a single?

The first bike will come with a 50t-34t crankset and (say) a 12-27 (poss 11-32) cassette.
The 1x has a 38t ring and an 11-42 cassette.
The lowest gear available will be higher on the compact: so - No - the double chainring would not be 'better' (and it doesn't matter how big the hills are btw). HTH

 

[Dwn]

Depends on the gear ratios. How big are the hills?

The screenshot below has the gear ratios. We live in Glasgow so the hills locally are pretty varied - not exactly alpine but some fair climbs as well. In a planned 50 mile cycle there is about 3000 feet of climbing.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Morning,

I have two bikes, both with an 11-25 cassette, one 8 Speed and 42/52 (Yellow) chain rings and one 10 speed with 50/34 (Orange)

I have shown some of your proposed "one by" in green but there are a couple missing mid range.

As you can see the bottom gears are well below what I have and I am almost 60 and just potter around for fun, rarely using the bottom two, around The Malvern Hills, Shelsey Walsh (as in the hill climb) and East Wales area.

You may even find that you/your other half can't cycle in a gear any lower than 27" without falling off as you will be going so slowly if you need that gear. :-)

Bye

Ian

 

[Grant Fondo]

Over the course of the lockdown my wife has been cycling most days, having previously been a very infrequent cyclist. She has been using a Pinnacle hybrid (Sora groupset) and is quite happy with that.

However she is now keen on acquiring a drop bar bike for occasional days out when it's dry and we can go a little further and faster. The two bikes she is considering are both £500.

One is a more conventional road bike (with :relaxed geometry) equipped with a Sora groupset. The other is a 'gravel' bike with a single chainring (38t) and a 10 speed cassette (11-42). She likes the look of this bike better. Shortage of stock rules out seeing or testing them right now.

Most of our cycling is done on the road, but some canal paths as well. We don't, and never will, go particularly quickly - and travelling downhill is done cautiously.

Despite being fit (has been running regularly for decades) she finds travelling uphill a struggle at the moment. I've never really been entirely clear on gears, but would a double chainring be better for hills than a single?

Thanks

I had a good think about going single chainring/big back cog last year. What put me off are the slightly bigger 'jumps' in the mid range gears that you spend most of the time in, to explain, an 11-42 10 speed freewheel will be 15-18-21-24, whereas the 11-34 11 speed I ended up with goes 15-17-19-21-23 so easier to find exactly the right gear, added to a 48/32T chainset of course. Its all subjective, but a test ride on an11-42 just wasn't for me, and frankly narked me off.

 

[Cycleops]

I’d say a double is better, you’ll get more gears and they’ll most likely go lower, depending on the ratios, compared to a single. Singles have become fashionable of late but the actual advantages are dubious save you only have one shifter. You can work your current gear inches on a gear calculator and compare to the bikes you are considering.
Cycling fitness is different to running fitness, you’re using different muscles, but strength soon develops.

 

[Ajax Bay]

An observation for the OP: if your BH is shorter than 5'7" then consider specifying a 160 or 165mm crank length. The industry just bangs out bikes with 170-175 cranks because it's cheaper so to do, but puts them on frames varying in size from 49cm to 62cm.
Gears:
http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=...32,36,42&UF=2215&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&DV=teeth
http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=...21,24,27&UF=2215&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&DV=teeth

a double is better . . . they’ll most likely go lower, depending on the ratios

Did you read my post @Cycleops? (1x: 38t ring and 42t sprocket versus Sora: 34t ring and 27t (max 32t) sprocket)
"Depending on the ratios" NSS
Don't get me wrong: entirely content to ride my triple

 

[Dwn]

Thanks for this - food for thought. So, less of an issue with going slowly uphill in a low gear but more of an issue in the jumps between each gear - if I have interpreted this correctly.

 

[Dwn]

An observation for the OP: if your BH is shorter than 5'7" then consider specifying a 160 or 165mm crank length. The industry just bangs out bikes with 170-175 cranks because it's cheaper so to do, but puts them on frames varying in size from 49cm to 62cm.
Gears:
http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=...32,36,42&UF=2215&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&DV=teeth
http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=...21,24,27&UF=2215&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&DV=teeth

Did you read my post @Cycleops? (1x: 38t ring and 42t sprocket versus Sora: 34t ring and 27t (max 32t) sprocket)
"Depending on the ratios" NSS
Don't get me wrong: entirely content to ride my triple

She's 5'3" so will check crank length (and on current bike).

 

[steveindenmark]

I have the SRAM 1x11 with a 11-42 cassette and it is excellent.

 

[mcshroom]

If she already rides the hybrid then this point is irrelevant for you, but in general I think that a single front ring can be quite a good idea for a less experienced cyclist, as it means the gears are easier to understand. My girlfriend tends to only use the middle chainring on her bike as she prefers just changing up and down at the back and understanding that's exactly what's going to happen.

You have it right, the gaps will be bigger on a 1x bike, but the overall range doesn't need to be, and with those bikes, the bottom gear is actually lower than the double. The top gear is also lower, but 93" isn't bad for a top gear IMHO.

I wouldn't mind either arrangement too much, but then again I ride everything from a triple to a singlespeed so I'm not that fussy.

Which bike does she prefer? Liking the bike is probably more important

 

[Lauris]

I'd go with a gravel bike.
Then you can take on any road and not being limited. Also no front derailer meaning less to faff about.

 

[Landsurfer]

I'd go with a gravel bike.
Then you can take on any road and not being limited. Also no front derailer meaning less to faff about.

Have to agree with Lauris, the whole gravel bike - dropped bar road bike with big tyres thing is the best way forward. I ride a steel frame, dropped bar bike with 700c x 28c .. up hill down dale, LEJOG, road sportives and everything else..
The latest "thing" is gravel bike ... whatever its called it can do all you would ever want.
Mine is a 36 tooth SPA single chainset with a 11 - 40 rear cassette ..... and i still push occasionally

Mine ...

 

[Dwn]

This is all very helpful. She's definitely leaning towards the gravel bike - prefers the look and likes the fact that slightly wider tyres give a bit more flexibility. Main concern was about the lower gears, but that isn't an issue now.