Chain ring upgrade progression

shauncwz

Likes Bikes
Hello, I'm thinking of upgrading from a 2x10 to a 1x10 setup. Currently have a 24t + 38t at the front. I never use the 38t as I have really weak legs. While riding the 24t plus the lowest gear at the back, it is easy enough for me to climb most steep hills with ease, so long as I keep pedaling. I've heard and read a alot that most people use a 32t ring up front and that they manage most climbs with that setup.

What I don't want is to get a ring that everyone recommends and then suffer for months not being able to climb anything as my legs slowly gets stronger. (If it does actually get stronger) I only ride around once a week and I suspect that it will take a bloody long time before I will get used to the 32t ring.

So my question is.

What is a realistic progression from a 24t ring? I'm looking at Absolute Black's oval ring. Either 26t or 28t. I'm leaning towards the 28t. Will 4 extra teeth in a chain ring make that much of a difference that I will be dead after every moderate climb? Should I start with 26t or just "man up" and get 28t?
 

MARKL

Eats Squid
Where do you ride in Sydney town? I would err on the side of bigger rather than smaller, the 28 sounds like a reasonable step up for you if you are always riding in the 24t anyhow. 32 sounds is possibly achievable depending on where you ride.
 

JTmofo

XC Enthusiast
I've ridden up to a 36t on a 12-36t cassette (650b), but I'm far from that fitness level now.
Currently ride a 32t but on 11-42t but very rarely use granny 42t. I had a pedal on a Specialized 27.5+ on Sunday running a 28t front ring and I reckon a 28t wouldn't be a bridge too far for any fitness level, and will help with your fitness and strength.
 

stirk

Burner
Firstly going 1 x is not an upgrade, it's a way of life!
Assuming you lowest cog is a 36T going from a 24 to 28T ring is going from .66 to .77 ratio. At these very ranges you'll notice a slight difference but I'm guessing you'd be OK but that depends on where you ride and what the climbs are like.

I run .71 granny with a 42 cog and 30 ring so .77 would be just OK where I live in the mountains but only just.

To see if a slightly higher lower gear will be OK simply don't use the lowest gear on your next ride, if you can manage that then go the 28T.
 
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SF Trailboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Go a 30 oval....

I love my 32 oval very much.

What you go up front will determine where you are on the cassette. Mid range most of the time is your goal. Pick a starting point and just do it. It won't take long to adapt.
 

goobags

Likes Dirt
29er 11-36t cassette and I have settled on a 30t round after trying a 32t round initially.l with a 42t expander cog.

The expander cog made shifting pretty terrible and it was too low any way. 30/36 is great for everywhere I ride, Glenrock, Awaba, Stromlo
 

NeoNasty

Likes Dirt
I went from 2 x 10. 24/36 with a 11 - 36 cassette to a single 28 tooth uo front. It was great. I hated the front deraileur. (Giant trance X 29er)

Now i have a 30 tooth front with a 11 - 42 on my spec enduro 29er. Love it. Low enough to climb anything or I'm going so slow id be better off walking, and the top speed isnt too bad either off road. Crap on road though.
 

shauncwz

Likes Bikes
Oh I just ride places like omv, wylde, h2o, manly, loftus, menai and occasionally lane cove in Sydney.

The hardest of the climbs would be 'vomit hill' in manly where I am definitely pushing 24t x 36t. I can barely make it up that hill even with that. Wouldn't say the legs so much, more like the lung bursting feeling is what stops me more often than not.

In wylde and OMV where there are numerous short climbs and descents I hardly ever have to use the lowest gear. So I say it would be OK to get the 28t oval ring.

Oh and absolute black does not make 30t ovals for both 104 and 64 BCD.
 

rowdyflat

chez le médecin
You can see from the responses everyone has a different opinion cos we are all different.
I think its a downgrade . I dont have powerful legs either and lots of steep hills so I like 2x10 = 36 /24 but thats just me.
If you want 1x10 try 28 I think thats the smallest dedicated single ring.
 

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
You can see from the responses everyone has a different opinion cos we are all different.
I think its a downgrade . I dont have powerful legs either and lots of steep hills so I like 2x10 = 36 /24 but thats just me.
If you want 1x10 try 28 I think thats the smallest dedicated single ring.
Rowdy speaks the truth. While I have gone 1x on everything, I suffered for a while until I acclimatised to it, he'll I still suffer on the climbs but suspect I always will. If you don't feel you will be able to push a decent sized single ring everywhere, it's going to limit your enjoyment, either on the ups (bwahahahahahaha enjoying climbing, what a douche), or worse, limiting your top end when you finally get to the payoff. Stick with the 2x, stick a 36 biggie on it and ride as much as you can in it. You'll always have the granny to bail you out if you need it, once you're comfortable pushing the 36 most places, then look at a single setup with something between 30t minimum to 34t range. I personally find 32 on 26" to be my sweet spot between sucking at going up and shitting myself going too fast downwards.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
I see no reason here for 1x.

Put a 32 or 34 where the 38 is, and see how that goes - I used to find a 32 meant using the same ring for 95% of a ride but still allow a granny ring. The 38 means constant changing at the front.

The proper solution for 1x is for people who drop chains, then it's 30 or so on the front and a 42 is added to the rear - ie it's change front and rear (most people end up there)

Fitness - once a week will never improve, you need 3 stressful exercises a week to get adaptation - that will make your riding more fun anyway.
 

slowmick

38-39"
hey shauncwz - have you tried to do you normal rides without using the easiest gears? what cassette are you running at the back? you can try before you buy by ignoring the gears easier than you will have once you upgrade. i did this before i increased the size of my front chainring. it allows you to adapt to the harder gearing while still having a couple of bail out gears if it all goes bad. your legs will get stronger if you can make more time to ride.

we all love shiny new stuff but sometimes the answer is to just ride the bike.
 

Daisy

Likes Dirt
agree, get a 32t

I see no reason here for 1x.

Put a 32 or 34 where the 38 is, and see how that goes - I used to find a 32 meant using the same ring for 95% of a ride but still allow a granny ring. The 38 means constant changing at the front.

The proper solution for 1x is for people who drop chains, then it's 30 or so on the front and a 42 is added to the rear - ie it's change front and rear (most people end up there)

Fitness - once a week will never improve, you need 3 stressful exercises a week to get adaptation - that will make your riding more fun anyway.
Totally agree with this. My old setup was 3x on front (42/32/24) & I ditched the 42f & ran it as 2x. Only used the 24f as a bail out for big long hills.
If you want to save money, run 32/24 on front. You can get a cheap steel 32f for bugger all. Run this setup until you're due for new drivetrain then go 1x.
If you want to spend money, go 1x10 NOW. 32t 'Hope' narrow-wide with Wolftooth 42+16 for rear + new cassette + chain. You won't regret it :)
Cheers, Daisy
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
i agree with other poster, get a 28t or 30t oval chain ring; they increse the length of time on your power stroke & decrease the uncomfortable bit in the dead spot of your rotation.
 

shauncwz

Likes Bikes
Thanx for all the advise guys. I guess what I'll do is see if i can find a cheap 32/34t to swap out my 38t and try using that first. At least if all else fails I still have my granny 24t ring. Currently 38 is way to big for the cassette I have which is a 11-36t. If i ever shift to the bigger ring up front I find myself always using the 3 lowest gears at the back, and even that I still have to constantly shift to the granny ring up front for most climbs. The heck did the bike come with such a massive front ring I'll never know!

But yes, I'll go searching for a cheap 32t ring. It will have to be a proper shifting ring with ramps to facilitate downshifts right? Can't just simply get a use NW as it wont shift down?
 
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