Compact or Triple Crank?

[laura*]

I wish my Epic was 2X10. ... So less weight and eliminates parts I am not using.

I think this is an exciting time for bicycle drivetrains! In the past (or since Shimano invented HG gears) the emphasis was on simply providing enough ratios. Now in the 10-speed era the focus is on the quality of the shifting.

SRAM is rumored to be working on a whole line of two speed internal geared hubs. I could see them introducing a single chainring 2x10 system that gets the "10" from a cassette, and the "2" from the hub. SRAM hasn't been a big name in hubs - this way they may get more of their product on a bike.

Two speed cranks already exist, but they are expensive and rare. Currently bottom bracket standards are in flux. I could see Shimano making a cheaper two speed crank that uses a new bottom bracket design. That would be an alternate way to 2x10 gearing. Shimano's big enough to push through a change to frames' bottom bracket shells. This crank would keep buyers locked to Shimano's cranks.

Note that this is the first year of 10 speeds on lots of mountain bikes. (Last year's XX was for racers.) It might be a while before the optimal configuration is found.

[limewave]

After reading everyone's responses, I'm pretty excited to try the 2x10.

[Reesha]

I would think switching from little ring to big ring and back and forth would be a fairly big jump. Potential for cross chaining? I don't know. I like the smoother shifting of my triple...

[Aggie_Ama]

The large ring on the 2x10 is not usually as big as the large ring on a triple so it would be more like shifting little to middle. The little ring I think is a little bit bigger. But if you play around with a gear ration chart you will find a lot of combinations in a triple are duplicates. I believe the bottom line is with a double you lose your biggest gear (hardest effort in big ring) and maybe your absolute granny.

Not for everyone but I think you may like it Limewave since you are a racer and have said you liked the more aggressive bikes anyway. Have fun!

[tzvia]

There is so much overlap in gears that you only loose a couple of the highest gears if your 44 gear fell off and left you with 32/22. No biggie. 2x10? If you already have a 3x9, you don't have to go the full 2x10 route (cogset, shifters, crankset), you can do a 2x9. I did so on both my MTBs, by removing the 32 and 44, and putting a 36 on the middle position. I then chose to put a bash guard on in place of the 44 but that's optional. I still have all my low gears, and lost the highest gear (which I can't remember ever using). I then adjusted the front derailleur stop to prevent it from going far enough to throw the chain to the now missing 44 chainring. Tada! 2x9 for a little elbow grease to remove the crankset and remove chainrings, a bashguard and chainring.

So now I am either climbing or I am not, just two choices up front. The chainline is improved, there is less slack chain in the lower gears as I removed two links (no longer need to wrap around a 44 ring) and there is a bashguard protecting my calves from being sliced open by a spining chainring in a wreck. I've been riding this way since about this time last year and I will never go back to a triple.

[Becky]

There is so much overlap in gears that you only loose a couple of the highest gears if your 44 gear fell off and left you with 32/22. No biggie. 2x10? If you already have a 3x9, you don't have to go the full 2x10 route (cogset, shifters, crankset), you can do a 2x9. I did so on both my MTBs, by removing the 32 and 44, and putting a 36 on the middle position. I then chose to put a bash guard on in place of the 44 but that's optional. I still have all my low gears, and lost the highest gear (which I can't remember ever using). I then adjusted the front derailleur stop to prevent it from going far enough to throw the chain to the now missing 44 chainring. Tada! 2x9 for a little elbow grease to remove the crankset and remove chainrings, a bashguard and chainring.

So now I am either climbing or I am not, just two choices up front. The chainline is improved, there is less slack chain in the lower gears as I removed two links (no longer need to wrap around a 44 ring) and there is a bashguard protecting my calves from being sliced open by a spining chainring in a wreck. I've been riding this way since about this time last year and I will never go back to a triple.

This is exactly what I'm thinking about doing, but I'm still debating 34 vs. 36 for the "big" ring. I wonder if shortening the chain as you describe would help with my funky shifting in the 22.....you've given me hope, Tzvia!