1x11 / drivetrain guys - what tooth FR sprocket you run? Esp w/27.5-29 tires

[baldilocks]

I think most bike frames are made in China or Tawain until you step into the equipment that is too expensive for me to consider.

The GT Pantera has 30t front and 11-46 cassette.

 

[LINUS]

I think most bike frames are made in China or Tawain until you step into the equipment that is too expensive for me to consider.

The GT Pantera has 30t front and 11-46 cassette.

Def on the China thing - heck, my CC Carbon Bronson2 frame is China. All Santa Cruz have been for 4-5yrs. I think dang near all carbon frames are China, frankly.

They already set you up with a 30t - cool - saves being me with 2 sprockets in the toolbox.
If you are at all into buying used bikes, pinkbike.c is big & I've never had a bad seller, even sold my last 2 Santa Cruz bikes there.
IDK your budget, but new bikes are ~75% 1yr old, lots of guys buy sweet bikes & use as a clothes hanger/gather dust.

 

[tnkayaker]

30x 46 should let you climb most anything. I'm not that strong of a climber and find it very reasonable.

 

[swelltimes]

Well, yes & no to being my scenario. I initially went 1x drivetrain as I got a Santa Cruz Bronson 'shop demo' deal & I liked it but had a Heckler that was still a 2x.

In hindsight the Heckler I liked the pure ride of, and the linkage of the Bronson1 was a weird "load & release" -feel. Like it was acting like a near hardtail until you hit enough force, then the geometry/shock/Idunnowhat would really cave & get active.

I'd stupidly sold my Heckler, so when the Bronson2 came out I was really already thinking Evil Insurgent even at full price, but a ride on the new link/shock/Idunnowhat & it was like SC read my mind - plus the B2 OE shock was a resi Fox unit that you could adjust far more than the Fox CTD on the original Bronson ---- Through all my attention on the rear susp I kinda wasn't paying attention to the gears or the lack of FR derailer, so I made the transition more in a game of "3 card monte" where I was looking elsewhere, meaning I was hung up on that rear susp - my dealer demo deal meant I had to keep it for 12mo & just make it available to potential Bronson buyers.

Now with a Push shock on a B2, I am down to the little stuff - and I've seen the ovalized gears but never rode/know anyone with one.

I'd ::try:: a 30t ovalized (not keen on jumping back to 32t range) - the 28t was a bit of a granny gear.

Between 1x11's , Boost spacing , a reworked rear susp B2 frame - I was hung up on all that & ended up just really riding my "house route" where a 32t works (it's only a ~6 mi loop with mild, long inclines that result from an initial DH section you get).

Having just come off a weekend where we did a local set of trails (Galbraith for PNW'ers) - I just realized my 28t > 32t, but for moderate money I'd like a bit more span. Need is a strong word, but Galbraith made me happy for not hitting it on a 32t.

WRT to the ovalized rings, I'd encourage you to think about your goals: do you want to get better / more comfortable climbing, on all of the bikes you own? Or, do you want to get better / more comfortable riding oval or non-standard 'rings?

Think about the specificity of the riding that you do. What's your goal(s)? Riding a non-standard chainring isn't a quick fix for improved performance.

To quote Eddy Merckx: "Don't buy up grades, ride up grades."

Get out there and have fun on your bikes!

 

[gregnash]

I like the quote....
It never gets any easier... You just get stronger.

 

[ravewoofer]

I ride a 1x11 geared at 30x46 on a 29er. I live in a not too hilly section of New England averaging about 1500 feet of climbing on a 20 mile ride in the woods. At first, 1x11 felt really hard on the legs, but after a few months I was riding just as hard as my old 2x10. I won't go back to any old school set up, and at times felt like I could handle a front of 32. I stuck with the 30 though.

If you want to feel like a 30 pound weakling, Nino Schuerter, an Olympic gold mountain biker, rides a 38 or 40 front ring on his 29er. Yikes.

 

[LINUS]

I ride a 1x11 geared at 30x46 on a 29er. I live in a not too hilly section of New England averaging about 1500 feet of climbing on a 20 mile ride in the woods. At first, 1x11 felt really hard on the legs, but .... I won't go back to any old school set up, and at times felt like I could handle a front of 32. I stuck with the 30 though.

Ha, I dig any ride anybody will pull & respect all 'local drivetrains' -

I have ridden Squamish, Whistler & my local hill is Galbraith- I'll show you full brotherly love, but here in my hotspot & my local ~5mi loop with my boxer, 30t on a 1x11 with Onyx hubs is the silent killer.

I ride to please a dog, he's my 'pace car' & loves the pawls in the Onyx hub - my Kings freak his butt out, moreso with Hopes.

Just my real world experience living in a killer place with a full 750' terrain drop on my local trail, one I made in 1989 & a local golf course made a maintained trail today. (No joke. It was my manicured trail they made but drops terrain so fast they can't keep up).

Glad they sprinkle 5/8"- gravel on it every so often, but they put a rope handrail on too - it's a fun local drop spot.

 

[tnkayaker]

So I just switched to 30 x 42. Holy s***. I feel like I lost power. But I think I'll stick with it.

On another note. I also had to replace a 1 year old xt derailleur. Now on sram gx.

 

[gregnash]

So I just switched to 30 x 42. Holy s***. I feel like I lost power. But I think I'll stick with it.

On another note. I also had to replace a 1 year old xt derailleur. Now on sram gx.

Why do you feel you lost power? What did you come from? Just like anything else there is an adjustment period but if you do the calculations on the gearing calculators out there you will probably see that it is all in your head. I am actually looking at upping from a 32t front to a 34t as I feel I spin out on the fast flowy downhill sections.

 

[tnkayaker]

I guess I didn't articulate the thought clearly. The amount of power I need produce seems greater. I'm working harder to the climbs. I'm sure I'll adjust. I'm more of a spinner than a masher.

We don't have much flow here. Fire road climbs and old single track descents.

 

[LINUS]

I cheaped out on my bike build & did Sram.
When I get a popcan Nomad frame I'm letting the Sram stuff go with the old frame. I tried but Shimano is my pref.

Luckily the 11sp cassettes from either work with either derailleur.

We have a great bowl on the top the hill I live on, you drop that 750' in notime & make the bulk of it back up on a golf course maint track where they run their John Deere Gators. 28t is good for parts of Galbraith, but 30t for my loop.

 

[sxp]

My Rocky fat bike uses a 28t up front. My Canfield N9 is normally setup as a single speed with a 30t AB oval. It is currently running 5 speeds in the back with the 30t oval. Both rings are narrow wide.

One thing to keep in mind as bikes evolve to boost spacing, and eventually super boost, is making sure any replacement rings have the correct offset.

 

[Shoredreamer]

I cheaped out on my bike build & did Sram.
When I get a popcan Nomad frame I'm letting the Sram stuff go with the old frame. I tried but Shimano is my pref.

Luckily the 11sp cassettes from either work with either derailleur.

We have a great bowl on the top the hill I live on, you drop that 750' in notime & make the bulk of it back up on a golf course maint track where they run their John Deere Gators. 28t is good for parts of Galbraith, but 30t for my loop.

Galbraith is a rad network! It reminds me a lot of our local trails in Santa Cruz. Mellow fire road climbs and forest single track descents. What’s the story with the golf course on your local trail?

I run a 34T I think on a 10 sp. 11-42t on my old Nomad 2. I’m probably one of the last around here to convert to 27.5 but I’m throwing a leg over the new Nomad in a week or so to demo, so that may change pretty soon. I gotta get riding again and stop spending all my money on my 80!

 

[Scott Parsley]

Chainring on my 11spd 29'r hardtail is a Wolftooth eliptical 32t. Love it. After a year of using it, it's doubtful that I will ever go back to a standard chainring.

 

[gregnash]

Galbraith is a rad network! It reminds me a lot of our local trails in Santa Cruz. Mellow fire road climbs and forest single track descents. What’s the story with the golf course on your local trail?

I run a 34T I think on a 10 sp. 11-42t on my old Nomad 2. I’m probably one of the last around here to convert to 27.5 but I’m throwing a leg over the new Nomad in a week or so to demo, so that may change pretty soon. I gotta get riding again and stop spending all my money on my 80!

OOOOOoooohhhh the new Nomad is supposed to be sick, but the Hightower LT is supposed to be the ultimate one-bike quiver killer at the moment. 27.5 is old news now, newest of the new will be boost plus 27.5+/29 so you can run whatever the hell you want and crush the trails. When time comes for a new bike for me, still a number of years off unless I hit it big or crash big, would be something like the Trek Remedy, GG Smash or Megatrail or the Norco Sight or Range.

 

[marcoLx470]

I just got a 1x11 hard tail with 27.5+ tires. It came with a 30t and 11-42. So far it's been about perfect. However once I load it up with bikepacking gear and go on a long trip, I know I will want just a bit lower. So I plan on swapping the front to a 28t ring, and the rear to a SRAM 10-42 I'll get a little bit lower, with the benefit of not losing the top end (actually gaining just a tiny bit).

 

[Shoredreamer]

I just got a 1x11 hard tail with 27.5+ tires. It came with a 30t and 11-42. So far it's been about perfect. However once I load it up with bikepacking gear and go on a long trip, I know I will want just a bit lower. So I plan on swapping the front to a 28t ring, and the rear to a SRAM 10-42 I'll get a little bit lower, with the benefit of not losing the top end (actually gaining just a tiny bit).

Lmk if you do any local bikepacking trips. I’ve yet to bikepack but I’ve been looking at maybe going from Santa Cruz towards Big Basin, then continue up the Peninsula thru the range.

 

[marcoLx470]

Lmk if you do any local bikepacking trips. I’ve yet to bikepack but I’ve been looking at maybe going from Santa Cruz towards Big Basin, then continue up the Peninsula thru the range.

Cool. I think my first one will be an out-and-back overnighter in Henry Coe. Just to make sure I have all the gear dialed, etc.