NSMB - 2023 - Hardtails Leaning Against Stuff Thread

Posted by: Hepcat

SS hardtailer speculators: Gearing of 32-22 correct for steep climbing (Old Buck, No Quarter)?

Anybody ever dinglespeed (two rear cogs)? I'd use the bike for rolling around town for errands too, thinking a putting on an additional...cog 16t(?) for that.

This is what I'm interested in... partly to measure myself against others (which I know essentially makes me a POS 😬) but also to see what others are coping with depending on their terrain. 

I don't know the technicality of the trails you mentioned but my local loop has a paved path/dirt fire road in it that is 2.5km long that is pretty consistently 10-12% grade (aside from a couple of short "rests")....

I'm barely coping on 32:18 (with 27.5 rear wheel and clips) and am veering between hoping it makes me stronger and going down to a 20t cog so I'm not so reliant on the clips.

Posted by: Hepcat

Anybody ever dinglespeed (two rear cogs)? I'd use the bike for rolling around town for errands too, thinking a putting on an additional...cog 16t(?) for that.

Check my profile pic... this was on the Krampus with horizontal dropouts.  I had a "road" gear and a "dirt" gear with one front ring.  It was quite good and relatively easy to swap between.

I thought true dingle is two rings front and two cogs rear and the same chain length for both.

That's a great cog shot.

Ah, double ring too, didn't know. I'm thinking double cog only, with sliders . What gears two did you have in the back Marty?

Forgot to mention it'll be 29. City stuff will be mostly not steep. Trail climbing stuff will be steeper than typical North Shore climbs.

Welly, they're just generic steepness markers really to give people an idea. Braemar climb (No Quarter, etc.) is pretty tough and punchy though not especially long at ~45min, for average punters like me probably a 30t on a 12spd cassette. Seymour (Old Buck, etc) can be done fine with a 32t, but the climbing network is so good it sucks you into long pedals, like 1 1/2hrs. Fromme can be done on bigger gearing too. But I want to be able to climb stuff like Braemar in a pinch so that's the climbijg gear I'm shooting for.

You climb No Quarter in 45 minutes?  That's pretty damn good.  I think I can get from the parking lot to the top of 7th in about 45 minutes (but no less), but taking No Quarter from Braemar to Mountain Highway takes me ~60 to ~70 minutes.

This is with a full compliment of gears on a 170mm enduro bike.

I'd like to think i could shave some significant time with a hardtail and clipless pedals but that's all hypothetical at this point.

Top Strava times are all <30min, wtf. "Average 45minutes" is probably wildly underestimatimg the gulf between the fastest people and the rest of us 😅. Full Meal Deal segment took me an hour last two rides. 

Level of the fastest cyclists in Van is ridiculous

Hmm, haven't checked Strava in ages. Braemar to Executioner segment took me 35 last time, so probably about 45 to 7th? I try hard, but there ain't much talent there lol.

Hep - I ran 32/20 and 32/17? (Need to check).  Def 32/20 off road tho.  Climbs here in Surrey (UK) aren't that long - maybe 100m max vert climbs.

It was forever ago but in my cross racing days I had a cross bike with something like 42 x 16 for riding flattish roads and then 38 x 20 for “off road.” The advantage if I recall to having double rings and double cogs was being able to keep the wheel in roughly the same spot when changing gears, and preserving a straight chain line. My memory is that if the total teeth (cog + ring)  add up to the same number it should work out this way more or less.

Thanks guys. 🍺🍺

I've run 42:17 / 40:19 on my CX bike with a White Industries freewheel. The easier gear was almost a bailout gear for when I bonked. The hills where I ride are too steep compared to the flats to get to them to have a manageable ratio difference with a WI duo freewheel. I found I almost never changed gears and was content to just sit and spin. Our mtb trails mostly require drive-to-trailhead so 1 ratio works fine.

Winter mode for the double-hardtail/gravel bike. Exploring ideas to put 2.2 gravel tires vs 2.8 front on here...

This Kona Humu came up for sale and I could not resist. Added Surly bars, new grips, nw chainring and my old Gravity Dropper Turbo.

First real ride today. Fun bike! I missed having a rigid single speed.

Sweet! Those are giant rotors on there!!

Grimeca-style XTs! ISIS cranks! Those are some sweet klunker touches.

Thanks. It is a lot of fun so far. The brakes, rotors and front tire are from my old KHS Dominatrax DH bike.

Having to relearn how to ride a single speed again! No bailout gears.