Rose tinted...?

[petitpal]

2 x 10 bottom gear = 26/36 = 0.7. Ye olde granny gear = 24/28 = 0.86. Modern bike = lower gear.

That's something new I've learnt today

Surely you must loose out in the mid range though? Just asking that out of genuine curiosity rather than out of an 'old is better than new' tack.

 

[MikeD]

You can use the whole cassette in either chainring, so not really. Most setups are either 26/39 or 29/42 front and 11-36 rear. Takes a bit of getting used to, at first you feel like you don't have that middle ring that you used to be in 90% of the time, but after a while it's fine. And setting up front mechs is dead easy with only two rings

 

[hamster]

So you move all the weight from an extra chain ring at the front to three at the back.
Then you dish the wheel more to create space and at the same time weaken both the wheel and chain.

And the point is? :roll: This is just marketing puff forcing a need for a supposed innovation every year.

Maybe they went to two chain rings on the front to solve the 'problem' of the front mech always rattling on the middle chain ring...a problem caused by the supposed 'innovation' of indexing the front change. It wasn't as if non-indexing front changers were hard to use FFS. :shock:

 

[The Ken]

Just curious what is heavier? 3x7 or new 2 x 10? include cassette chainrings and chain for equal comparison - I guess we need to compare XT from around 91 to get 7x3 - Anyone know the answer?

42/11 is roughly the equivalent to 46/12

 

[mikee]

so how many gears do you really use ?
i tend to sit middle middle most of the time
then granny and 1/2/3 for big hills

 

[The Ken]

I reckon I only need 3 or 4 at the back and 3 at the front so max 12 gears plus the all important walk method, I can walk at 2.9 miles an hour, any gear lower than that is a waste of energy

how much cross over is there on modern 2x10 set ups? 3x7 used to only give 14 actual gears with a fairly standard set up

 

[petitpal]

so how many gears do you really use ?
i tend to sit middle middle most of the time
then granny and 1/2/3 for big hills

When I was actually fit and still racing XC I'd be in the big ring on the front a lot of the time and when it got a bit rougher either in the middle of the back or in the small ones; when I started aching towards the end I'd drop to the middle on the front and the smaller ones on the back (or if it was sticky and wet)

 

[legrandefromage]

dont forget 3x10 either - thats on a few new bikes

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

I've worn out at least four middle rings from the bike being new in 1991. I only throw them away when they stick in concrete when thrown from 5 metres away.

I'm still on the original small/big rings.

 

[petitpal]

I only throw them away when they stick in concrete when thrown from 5 metres away.

Do you think that's why you're getting through so many?