What gear ratio are you running?

I'm riding a new to me 2014 cove g-spot with 1x10 gearing. This is the first time I have run a 1x on an all mountain bike. The gearing in the lowest gear is 32 x 36 and I find this to be a little high for me. Is this a fairly common gearing ratio or is it on the highside like many of friends are telling me. So tell me nsmb am I a weakling should I be looking getting a smaller chain ring or larger cog?

I'm riding a new to me 2014 cove g-spot with 1x10 gearing. This is the first time I have run a 1x on an all mountain bike. The gearing in the lowest gear is 32 x 36 and I find this to be a little high for me. Is this a fairly common gearing ratio or is it on the highside like many of friends are telling me. So tell me nsmb am I a weakling should I be looking getting a smaller chain ring or larger cog?

I run 11 speed (28 x 40)…. for my locale (west kootenays) that is barely adequate for some of the monster climbs we have.. better to have more climbing gear options than less.

I run an 11-40 one up cassette. In the front I have a 32t oval narrow wide and a 24t granny. I don't have a front derailleur so I manually change if necessary. The granny is great for steeper techy climbs, and the 24-40 ratio makes a lot of things climbable.

I'm running 11 speed as well (28 x 42) and I find it perfect for the all mountain riding I do. I used to run 10 speed (30 x 36) and this was ok for most climbs however I decided I needed a change after trying and failing to clean the relentless steep and rocky climb at Brothers Creek. If you want to run a 28T chainring you will need direct mount cranks. I believe the smallest chainring you can install with regular bolt mount cranks is 30T.

30 x 42T with the bail out 24T granny that I move over manually for the grinder climbs.

1x10 30-42 has been working fairly well for me. It doesn't give me the ultra low granny (but close) but I've been able to adjust to it.

do you guys not like having top end speed? I can't even tolerate how fast I spin out with a 32x11 or how much time I have to spend way down at the bottom of the cogset…I can't imagine how annoying a 28t singlering would be if you like going fast

I'm running a 28 X 42 as my low. Had a 30 tooth but it needed replacing and I was not able to find a 30 which I think I prefer. I ride some steep climbs in Whistler and North Shore and I find that the 30 is adequate. Might stick with the 28 from this point on though.

do you guys not like having top end speed? I can't even tolerate how fast I spin out with a 32x11 or how much time I have to spend way down at the bottom of the cogset…I can't imagine how annoying a 28t singlering would be if you like going fast

Im willing to trade top end speed for climbability. 1 x 10 is a compromise, there is no questioning that. I dont find myself hammering down descents where I need to pedal to go faster :)

I'm running 11 speed as well (28 x 42) and I find it perfect for the all mountain riding I do. I used to run 10 speed (30 x 36) and this was ok for most climbs however I decided I needed a change after trying and failing to clean the relentless steep and rocky climb at Brothers Creek. If you want to run a 28T chainring you will need direct mount cranks. I believe the smallest chainring you can install with regular bolt mount cranks is 30T.

Much respect if you can clean the climb up to Brother Creek bridge. That is a nasty piece of oxygen deprevation because the bike most want for the descents in that area is usually pushing 30lbs. Clean that climb, and FleshyWound or BigI, and I'd say one is pretty 'complete' rider. My perfect bike setup would slay both that climb and descent.

I run an 11-40 one up cassette. In the front I have a 32t oval narrow wide and a 24t granny. I don't have a front derailleur so I manually change if necessary. The granny is great for steeper techy climbs, and the 24-40 ratio makes a lot of things climbable.

Pretty much the same set up for me. I just switched and find it good for mountain highway, old buck (just barely). I was ok for the academy, penny lane, good sir martin climb but powered out for no quarter climb on fromme (manual switch to granny required).

i definitely spin out on pavement when you are going downhill.

overall i am happy with the setup. if i had to do it again, i would consider 11-42 for the cassette - i was just concerned about the 36-42 shift under load.

s.

do you guys not like having top end speed? I can't even tolerate how fast I spin out with a 32x11 or how much time I have to spend way down at the bottom of the cogset…I can't imagine how annoying a 28t singlering would be if you like going fast

I used to think this would be the case. But I don't miss the top end unless I'm on the road which almost never is the case. When I'm going fast enough to spin out on a trail, I just start pumping and playing around.

It was pointed out a few years ago while in the bike park when I used to run a 42T and pedal like crazy everywhere, that I was not going any faster than the guys following me who were not pedaling. So I stopped that nonsense and to my surprise I still went the same speed, and kept up with those guys just the same.

If you need evidence that pedaling at high speed doesn't make you go faster, just look to Aaron Gwin ;) Easy to dismiss that because he's a freak, but it's a sure sign that the pedaling version of you is not going to outpace the non pedaling version of you by much. But you'll probably have more fun ripping around with your pedals level once you're at max velocity.

And to answer the OP question, I'm running 30x10 on my trail bike and 36x10 on my DH bike.

do you guys not like having top end speed? I can't even tolerate how fast I spin out with a 32x11 or how much time I have to spend way down at the bottom of the cogset…I can't imagine how annoying a 28t singlering would be if you like going fast

Top end speed is probably secondary for most of us.

I have been running 1 x 10 with an 11-42 (One-Up 42 tooth). XT rear-d with the Rad Cage. For shifting the rad cage made everything work so much better.

Up front I am running a 30 tooth NW, sometimes wish I had a lower gear, but am not running direct mount, so 30 is as low as it gets. Yes, not too much top end, but I typically don't need it either.

The new 11 speed XT coupled with a One up 45 tooth might be the ticket (I pricey one at that), or put a 24 tooth up front that I can bail to manually.

I can make most of the local climbs but do struggle. Shorter climbs like Academy, RT connector or R[HTML_REMOVED]R are okay, because they're short. The No Quarter climb on Fromme would definitely be good to have a lower gear. I can climb it, but need to stop to give the legs and lungs a break. Having a lower gear might make it a little easier.