1 X 9 experineces
Hey guys,
Thought I might chime in with some observations about set up and gearing:
I've been running one chainring for on my XC bikes for a while now. The first set up I had was a 38t front ring and an 8spd 11-30 or 11-32 (can't remember...) cassette. I was using a locked out front derailleur with no shifter or cable as a chain guide. The chain came off every now and then but not that often. This was on a hardtail I raced a lot at ourimbah and had no problem with any of the climbs.
My next bike was a specialised FSR dual suspension nine speed and I went to an Aireal full guide - 38t ring to 32 cassette. I found straight away - racing at ourimbah still - that I couldn't stand up anywhere near as much on the uphills. This was 2002 and a very active suspension design, it didn't like out of the saddle climbing as much as todays bikes and shocks. All of the seated climbing was too much and I eventually went to a 34t ring. After a couple of months I went back to a triple ring set up, it was too much. It was about this time that I stopped trials riding, in particular riding all over sydney's eastern suburbs on a bike with the seat right down. Looking back now, Looking back now I think it was this change to a more sit and spin style that killed the 1 x 9 for me.
After some time on hardtails, in 2008 I got back on a dual suspension, this time a much better pedalling bike and went back to 1 X 9. I've been running a full E thirteen LG-1 with a 34t ring and 11-34t cassette. At the time I set it up I bought a 34t and a 36t ring. I've never used the 36t. The 34 has been an adequate top gear for me (I also recently read that Geoff Kabush ran a 34 in Canberra). I'm a high sport class, low expert class level xc racer and I can see that stronger guys would benefit from a larger ring (36-38t) on flatter tracks. As far as climbing goes, I've never had an issue at any of the tracks races are held on, the only times it's been a problem are when you are climbing for hours at a time, such as riding up and over mt stirling and buller. I've gone down to a 32t on these occasions. Also, I've never done the Otway Oddyssey, but If Chris Jongerwaard needed a granny ring for that race, I wouldn't try it with a 34t!
When I was using triple chainrings I always swapped the 44t to a 42t. I always found that 32t never felt like it had enough pull in flowing singletrack, but the big ring always felt too tall and if I rode in the big ring I'd have to change down a lot. Now with the 34t, it's got a bit more pull when you accelerate and I feel like I'm always in the right gear. Also, bike is simpler, lighter, cleaner looking, no chain suck, only I shifter to think about. A lot of guys who look after their bikes well won't like this but I've also found that you can run chains and cassettes much, much longer. Because you always run the same ring, your cassette wears more evenly and things mesh long after they should. With unramped rings you can flip the chainring over when you replace a chain and cassette and you've got a brand new chainring. By the way MRP and E thirteen make cheap single rings and are available in all sizes. You could buy 32, 34, 36 and 38t chainrings. It takes me ten minutes to change a chainring and I have to pull my cranks off, but if you were running the new mrp or e thirteen top only guides you could change a ring in half of that time. Keep all the rings in the toolbox and use the one best suited to the course - that's what the pros do!
To sum up: If you do your climbing in the saddle, stay with at least two chainrings. A single ring requires a lot of out of the saddle climbing and you won't have the core and hip strength and endurance to ride it properly. You'll end up sitting down and grinding your knees away in too higher gear. For this same reason I recommend 1x9 to anyone who rides bmx/dirt jump/downhill bikes or anyone else who spends a significant amount of time out of the saddle.
Secondly, I think the widget is a bit of a joke. If your only ring is smaller than a 32t you are seriously compromising your top end speed and accelaration. Going fast is what mountain biking is all about.
