Thursday, February 19, 2009
Double rings on stock mountain bikes?
Pro mountain bikers have been running double rings for a while, but most all stock bikes come with triple crank sets. Now, we're starting to see doubles on stock bikes as well. I'm thinking that this is a trend that's going to pick up some speed. The use of compact cranks (50 tooth and 34 tooth chainrings) on road bikes has converted many recreational riders from triple cranks to a double chainring. This saves the rider some weight and mechanical complexity (longer chains, wider bottom brackets, bigger derailers). With some thoughtful selection, I bet doubles can make it on mountain bikes too. The small ring probably still has to stay the small ring, but if the big ring ends up somewhere between 44 and 32 that should give a nice range. Of course, 29ers will need slightly lower gearing, but most of those nuts are running 1x1's to begin with!
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4 comments:
Doubles are coming to stock mountain bikes, by the end of the year actually. Sram’s X.X group is designed specifically for racing and works on a 2X10 setup. Dave Turner was writing on Mtbr yesterday and the said the new X.X cranks have a much narrower Q factor and they don’t fit on the Turner Flux, more incompatibility for people to deal with…
Hmmm... I'm a pro and I LOVE my granny. haha. My Cannondale last year came with a double in the front. It works until you come to Colorado and have to ride the really big mountains. Most pro riders here also run a compact on their road bikes - something I just did in the last year and I LOVE it!
I checked out the Race Face web site recently and they claim that their BB system allows for spacing adjustment. Perfect for that Turner frame. Sonya - can pros like you put a smaller little ring up front, or do you have to ride what the sponsor gives you? Would your competitors see it and tease you? Would there be snickering in the pack? :-)
Not a good way to sell bikes in New England. While I don't need to call upon Granny too often, I can't live without my bashguard. All my bikes have them.
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