I want my granny back

[bagtagley]

New bike is 1x11. It's fine for the lunch rides, and short, steep climbs, but on big rides with looonngg steep climbs, I'm cooking my legs. I know, I need to man up. These climbs are hard enough with a 22x34, and no amount of manning up is going to make my knees not hurt.

The bike won't take a FD, and I don't want to deal with rigging one up. What about a double front that I just switch down with my hand? Anybody tried that? How do I handle chainline? I've got RF cranks. Can I convert it to a double, or am I looking at new cranks?

[kidwoo]

New bike is 1x11.

Shimano or scram?

You can do a double ring without derailleur. People used to do that on big freeridey bikes they wanted to climb. It's silly and loud but it can work. I'd just mess with your 11sp gearing.

[milestogo]

What size chainring?
Some will call BS, but switching to an oval front ring made some of those grinds much more tolerable for me. I went from 32 round to 32 oval. I suppose you could even go down to a 30 oval and basically sit and spin.

[Eluder]

How big is your cassette, they make them bigger than your head now.

[Sirshredalot]

Switch to a smaller chainring? I'm setting up my pregnant wife's trail bike with a 28 tooth oval 1x chain ring and my back of the envelope math suggests that she won't be losing anything from her old 22 tooth chain ring granny.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I think ditching the front derailleur on every bike is not the best solution for everyone. Not me, anyway. Yeah, cassettes come up to 46t or so now.
Kinda looks ridiculous.
Especially on a hardtail: I need the 22/36. I need the 36/11.

[detrusor]

I went a 30 front. Helped a ton on some of the grunts around my place. Fragile male ego has prevented me from mounting the 28.....

[bagtagley]

Running a SRAM 30x42 right now. I wouldn't want the high end any lower, so would rather not do 28t. I hadn't thought about oval. Might help, but I'm still pretty far off my original granny ratio.

Looks like a Shimano freehub body and XT 10-46 might be the ticket?

[stuckathuntermtn]

29" wheels. It's like always being in a higher gear.

[Shredhead]

I went with a 28 up front on my Scout I leave in Aspen. My knee is toast, my normal ride is steep and I basically don't care what people think.
Wolf Tooth makes a 44t for Sram cassette.

[Dantheman]

What about a double front that I just switch down with my hand? Anybody tried that?

I've been running this setup for 3 seasons now, I call it 1.1x10. Shimano 3x cranks that were setup 24/32/bash, standard 11-36 10 sp cassette. Removed the FD and switched to a NW 32t. If I need the 24t I'm more than happy to step off and take a quick rest while I hand shift it. I'd like a Sunrace 11-42 cassette, but have had other priorities.

I've got RF cranks. Can I convert it to a double, or am I looking at new cranks?

Cinch cranks? One of these will convert it: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/u...g&gclsrc=aw.ds

Running a SRAM 30x42 right now.

So, XD hub? You could go with that 9t e13 cassette and switch to a 28t ring to keep your high end.

Looks like a Shimano freehub body and XT 10-46 might be the ticket?

New Shimano cassette is 11-46, and you'd need a new hub. 30/46 is only 0.5% taller than 22/34, but with the 11t you'll lose some top end if you keep the 30t. 28x10 is still taller than 30x11.

[Flea]

28-10=30-11

[Dee Hubbs]

30 x 42 = 22 x 31 or 19.9 inch gear (assuming a 27.5 wheel)
28 x 42 = 22 x 33 or 18.8 inch gear
I assuming your still lusting after 22x36 or 17.1 inch gear. If you went to the Shimano 11x46
28 x 46 would get you your 17.1
30 x 46 would almost be there with 18.2.
You're still going to lose some top end with the 11t Shimano.
30 x 10 = 84.0 your current set up
30 x 11 = 76.4 by going Shimano 11x46
28 x 10 = 78.4 by going 28t.

By looking at this numbers you have a compromise either way. A 28T is closer to your granny and closer to your need at the top end, and is a cheaper upgrade that a cassette and free hub.

[Damian Sanders]

Get some 26" wheels like a real man.

[bagtagley]

Where did I say that I'm not running 26"?

I forgot that Shimano can only go down to 11t. Thanks for the maths, D and Dee. I've been calculating the ratios, but I'm not organized enough to put it all together.

Since this is kind of a gripey thread, I'll add that 170mm cranks also suck.

[Damian Sanders]

Where did I say that I'm not running 26"?

I forgot that Shimano can only go down to 11t. Thanks for the maths, D and Dee. I've been calculating the ratios, but I'm not organized enough to put it all together.

Since this is kind of a gripey thread, I'll add that 170mm cranks also suck.

Get a 22T granny an shift to it manually. Almost did that myself. You should be able to make the shift with your foot.

[simple]

170 cranks suck? 30 tooth too hard? Get in shape. Get a 26 tooth front. Man the heck up. Stop Dorking out on gear ratios.

[stuckathuntermtn]

1x is just too limited. Fucking design bike frames better instead of making fewer gears.
Sub 17" chainstays with 29" wheels and full suspension can be/has been done.

Also, Highway Star, why couldn't you have died in a plane crash last week instead of my brother? The world would be a better place. Or at least TGR. Go jump off a bridge or stfu.

[plugboots]

^^^Dark.

[muted]

1x is just too limited. Fucking design bike frames better instead of making fewer gears.
Sub 17" chainstays with 29" wheels and full suspension can be/has been done.

Also, Highway Star, why couldn't you have died in a plane crash last week instead of my brother? The world would be a better place. Or at least TGR. Go jump off a bridge or stfu.

Pipe down, you are much worse than DS with comments like that. This thread is about how much of a wimp bagtagley is, it's not about you at all.

Just kidding bag! The douchey "man-up" comments are ridiculous, too.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Every time someone says "man up" I picture either a spandex racer or someone doing 500' vertical rides at low altitude and just using a fireroad for their uphill.
And also, highway star and la rawj would be a great suicide pact.

[jono]

Dee Hubbs gave the most important data. I'll add that if your knees are the part that's suffering most/first the oval probably helps more than it would otherwise. Getting over that knee-grinding TDC point with less force required when you're at low rpms can be huge (I've got a knee that can grind and that's the first thing I notice with ovals). Debatable value for peak heart rate, but for knees it's great.

And don't be too afraid of the 28T, worst case is you adjust by spinning out faster in the early part of a down and then manage momentum; that's a net benefit for most people. If you're running 170's the 28T is like a 29T with 175's anyway.

[buttahflake]

Every time someone says "man up" I picture either a spandex racer or someone doing 500' vertical rides at low altitude and just using a fireroad for their uphill.
And also, highway star and la rawj would be a great suicide pact.

you don't get a pass too wish other maggots demise
go for a ride stuckie you need to get your head straight

[jamal]

Where did I say that I'm not running 26"?

You don't seem to have mentioned what size wheels you have, which is kind of important when it comes to gear ratios. A 30t ring on 29" wheels would be like a 33t on 26.

Anyhow, since you have an XD driver that gives you good options that won't lose the 10t. You can swap the 42 for a 44t, either from wolftooth or the e-13 cassette, or you can go all out and get eagle 12-speed that has a 10-50 cassette.

Or just go a size smaller on the chainring.

[TahoeJ]

Like many others, I went with a 30T up front. With 11 x 42 in back it's pretty much identical to the 2x10 granny setup I had previously. (that's on a 27.5)