I'm obsessed with 3x9 . The range I can get is unmatched to any 1x out there, and I also enjoy using friction shifters . That's what's nice about bikes, ride what you like!!
You only need a 2 by on large wheels. My Tern Verge X11 runs a 52 to 10--42 rear cassette. There is no hill it cannot climb. And it can kiss 30mph on the flat. So that's what's not spoken about here. It's the overall gear ratios. And the WHEEL SIZE has to be factored into this. 20 inch wheels 406 or 451 like the X11 has don't need 2 by systems. 52--42 on my X11 has never been defeated. And I've been up mountains on that baby. And it floats up them..
Pfft. I'm still running 3x. I was seriously considering going to 1x but I've come to appreciate what I've got. Actually I'm thinking about just swapping my crankset to give me some better low gearing. I'm a big ole corn fed country boy, I'll take all the low end I can get.
If you only want one gear up front - don't shift! Don't waste your time and leave your poor drivetrain alone you'll miss those gears when their gone. Long live the front derailleur!
The biggest total range I ever got on my touring bike was a triple 22-32-44 crankset paired to a 11-36 9-speed cassette. It was way more than 600% Going 2x, your best options to keep that lower gear are the following 22/38->11/36 cassette 26/42->11/40 cassette 28/44-> 11/42 cassette 30/46 -> 11/46 cassette 32/48 -> 11/50 cassette The majority of those combinations require swapping chainrings on a 2x mtb crankset, and deal with front derailleur compatibility as you mentioned. If you want to go "cheap", use current components, and get out-of-the-box compatibility, the best option is 10-speed GRX400 46/30 crankset and grx400 derailleurs, paired to an HG-500 11-42 cassette. Use tiagra ST4700 levers If you have mechanical disc brakes. If you want to jump to 11-speed, go for grx600 46/30 crankset and grx800 derailleurs, paired to any 11/42 or 11/46 cassette. Use 105 ST7000 levers If you have mechanical disc brakes. Another nice addition for higher gears is an XD 10-42 cassette. A 46/10 ratio is equivalent to 50/11.
My 2X-XC hardtail mountain bike has to do triple duty: mountain biking, bikepacking, and grav grav riding. Only when mountainbiking do I kinda wish I had 1X. She who must be obeyed allowed me two wheelsets so I have a mountain biking wheelset and a bikepack/grav grav wheelset. I know the right number of bikes is N+1, but she who must be obeyed and my wallet says 1 is the right number of bikes.
This is the quickest most sound option going. To those w older cranks, you can make a decent 2x- Small and middle rings, or large and middle w nice corresponding cassette in back. You do not need to spend a lot of $$$
Info like this is gold because those who want to ride truly personal bikes at Party Pace, and not just accept the unobtanium the industry shovels on the regular-representation is important-to see it is possible-mechanically, and economically. Russ creates the true groupsets of the people.
I put on a 40-24 super-compact chainset on my tourer. This was from a 44-32-22 triple. I wasn’t sure what to do regarding the front derailleur. Anyhow I stuck with the Shimano Altus triple front derailleur with Sora triple STI’s that was already on the bike just to see what happened. With only slight adjustments to the limit screws it worked brilliantly! Lots of indexing/trimming available, and I’ve not had the problem of the chain slipping in between the two chainrings. With a friction shifter it would be even better I imagine. The Altus triple derailleur is extremely cheap and has top and bottom swing options. And from my experience works great with a super-compact double.
@@janeblogs324 the cross chaining shouldn’t be different to any standard double chainset as the distance between the two chainrings is the same, unless you are using unusual chainrings. My idea with the super-compact was to have it as a 1x plus granny, so that I would use the small chainring very rarely on steep hills when in the larger sprockets. But it actually works well in the smaller sprockets also. Rides really well and the shifting in the front is pretty much on par with standard double. In the ‘large’ chainring it works in the second to largest sprocket just fine. For reference I’m using a 9 speed 11-36 sunrace cassette and the 40-24 chainset is setup from a 110/74 bcd triple and using the inner 2 chainring positions only.
I love this video, Russ. Your choices are not for me (this guy drank the kool aid on 1x), but I love tinkering on bikes, and I have done plenty of things others would find questionable. I love that we can all make our bikes our own. The most rad bike is the one that's perfect for your preferences!
I and several other ex-road racer friends like 2x for our gravel bikes, too. I ride 10-20 miles on paved roads to get to my favorite gravel roads and single track. We ride bikes that use 700c wheelsets for the most part. My 2 x setup is a 50/34 crankset with a 10-speed 11-42 Shimano Deore CS-4100M cassette. This combination gives my bike a 561% range. That provide both a low enough gear to handle the dirt climbs I do on this bike and eliminates spin-out on the road. I do walk-a-bike one some extreme climbs, but those are rare. I use a Shimano XT M771 9 speed SGS (long cage) rear derailleur because it's compatible with my Ultegra 6600 10-speed STI shifters. A Wolftooth Roadlink is used to allow the derailleur to work with the larger cassette. Front derailleur is 6600 Ultegra. When I first built this configuration, I couldn't get the shifting right, no matter what adjustment to the b-screw and shift cable. After a lot of trouble shooting, I found the problem to be grime in my right STI shifter. I partially disassembled it, cleaned it with carb cleaner, lubed it with light machine oil, and it works like a charm now. I'm super happy with this gear range because it allows me to have a great range of road gears and a good-enough range of off-road gears. Thought I'd add to the conversation about home-built 2x gravel drive trains.
My immediate thoughts when you professed your perma-move to 2x systems were how many modern BB clusters, geometries, and tire clearances can only exist because they tossed 2x and 3x drivetrain configurations... Especially in regards to fitting bigger tire volumes in frames. Living in Alaska and being predominantly a bikepacker, tire volume is a chief concern of mine which effectively rules out running multiple front rings, as the chain will rub the tire in its most inward position. For me, even before I understood what a derailleur was, I wanted to reduce the number of sprockets on my bike. I remember going into bike shops and asking if and how I could put just one chainring up front and literally being laughed at (back when everything, including MTBs, were mostly 3x). One person even told me how I couldn't bike the trails in Alaska seriously if I didn't run a triple. Extremely condescending to someone just trying to learn (nevermind the fact that there were legendary riders at the time circumnavigated the Brooks and Talkeetna Mountain Ranges on singlespeeds for their reliability). These days I'll go way WAY out of my way to ensure everything I own is setup singlespeed, even for bikepacking... But I think it's great that folks are now 'retro-engineering' kits to meet their specific needs and goals. That sort of process makes us more connected to our ride and better able to make things work in the field if we need to. Saying "why would you want to go 2/3x" is just as discouraging as those folks who laughed at me for wanting 1x before it was a thing. It's just important for folks to keep in mind going 2/3x has more bike frame geometry hurtles to overcome than going 2/3x to 1x. Happy trails 🚲
I am also a fan of 1x. I will say, they can certainly still suffer from chain/tire clearance conflicts. The Surly Wednesday (according to Surly) clears a 4.6” tire in the most rear position. We found out the hard way with a Surly Edna 4.3”, that while it clears the frame, it does not clear the stock 1x12 chain line in the largest gears. Surly told me that this figure was indeed a frame cleanance number, yet it ships with the 1x12.
@@ElevationEveryWeekend indeed! Just tossing a 1x on the bike does not compensate for poor frame design, or enable any combination of drivetrain and tire/rim configurations. It's amazing how many bikes ship with 12spd groups or expanded cassette groups just because it's become "standard" while being completely ok with chainsuck, terrible chainlines, chain loss while backpedaling at steep gearings, and loss of tire clearance. I have a number of beautiful custom boost spacing bike frames I designed with 40mm rims and 3.8" tires in mind, where I utilized extra wide square taper BBs (you can find some amazing quality, bizarrely wide titanium spindles floating out there on ebay) and Middleburn/White SS Cranksets. Totally outside the realm of normality, and makes for a spectacular backcountry platform. For folks who prefer more than singlespeed configurations for bikepacking (most people 😂), I've strongly gone back to recommending 1x10 expanded groups as they are less finicky and prone to some of the surprise limitations of 1x11 and 1x12 groupsets... Plus you can get some great 10spd setups at very affordable prices.
I live in an extremely hilly area so it's super important for me to have that granny gear. When I've already been riding hard for 40 miles and then come up to a crazy mile long climb, I thank myself for having a 3x. For your situation though, a 1x makes perfect sense. You probably need a wider tyre more than anything else. This is why I find it weird that people judge others on their choices. We know what's best for our situation. I also got weird looks at the store for saying I prefer mechanical brakes over hydro... When will people learn😂
@@Ferrichrome it's great to see a few more quality mechanical brakes hitting the market. Mechanical brakes are a non negotiable for me given my riding desires. People have literally told me to my face "well I guess you're just not riding very hard stuff" because of my dislike for hydros. Funny how, if I can control a 100lbs bike fully loaded down a black diamond singletrack, I don't have a need for more stopping power 😂. Paul Klampers are expensive 🫰 but when dialed with 200mm rotors and quality housing, they are very strong. Even BB7s have great stopping power when setup appropriately. I think most folks just don't know how, and don't want to take the time, to dial in their mechanical brakes every so many miles. I have certainly learned that - due to the singlular piston (don't much prefer the spongy feel of dual piston mechanical brakes except for commuting) - mechanicals just need a tiny bit of regular love to maintain optimization. Cheers 🥂 🚲
@@renaissancecyclist9120 that is very true about making adjustments. I’m personally not great at it. I haven’t ever had hydro brakes (trying it on my next build). I think it’s wild people just anybody’s choice in bikes negatively if it’s what they like and are happy with it. I thought about going square taper too, but I haven’t. Sounds like you have some cool bikes.
I've got the SRAM Dual Drive on a recumbent and love it -- a huge range with 3x9. Both controls are indexed and together on the right bar. The hub gear is easily shifted without pedaling (at a stop), and less problematic than a 3X front derailleur. SRAM discontinued the DD last year, I don't know why. Durability has not been a problem, as long as you're not shifting the hub gears under monster mash strain. And it was not that expensive!
Really useful content, thanks for sharing. I’m in the process of converting my Cross Check from compact to sub compact 44x28 double and this covered a couple of issues I was anticipating. I notice you didn’t discuss bb spindle length which may help with front derailleur clearance. I will definitely be looking out for mountain front derailleur though so thanks for the tip :)
I am totally anti 1x .i think they are ridiculous unless you're racing crits. I can't believe everyone has drank the kool aid. I don't like ten tooth gaps between shifts. Thanks for going against the norm
I don't like the aesthetics of the cassettes on 1x bikes. They're huge. Not a dealbreaker, as I have 1x and 2x (and even a 3x still). But something just looks a little off about them.
I'm glad I kept my old mountain bike!! A custom frame with no shocks. I hand-picked all the best available parts at the time... (Mid 80s). Sugino triple crankset and suntour 6-speed COG, suntour cyclone derailers front and rear. I figured out the gear ratios, handpicked chain ring sizes and even the individual cog gear sizes. It's still running strong and still my favorite bike! I even have a couple spare old cogs laying around for when mine where's out. I feel sorry for you guys having to deal with such overly priced and limited equipment available.
I've had this argument with my buddies several times. I have converted a couple of bikes to 1X, bikes that were just going to be used for leisure rail trail type rides, or for cruising across a college campus. Or even a dedicated mountain bike.However, I have always thought that the added range by having a 2X, or even a 3X for a gravel bike just made more sense. Their main argument has always been weight saving. My counter argument is that we are all fat @$$es that need to drop 20-40 pounds, so a few grams for a 3X set up doesn't make that much of a difference.
@@peppermintpig974 Even then... most of the weight saved from eliminating the front derailer, shifter, cable, & 2 chainrings, is added back by the giant pancake 12x cassette. MTBers started the 1x trend solely to increase ground clearance, because spanking the 3x ninja star was a thing.
FFS, Ehem "GCN". I was lost there Yeah, 1800 USD is not groupset of the people*. What people*, I think GCN lost the grip on whole world of cycling. Only care about the top level spec bike and components. To be honest, even their weekly maintenance Monday is not the level when jon canning host the episode.
thanks for your excellent content, Russ. You speak my language as rider of a touring bike. I'm using 2x converted from my 3x Deore crank with Wickwerks chainrings (38-24). Chainrings are mounted on the inner and middle slots with a "spacer" mounted in the space for the outer chainring position. Chainline is good although I have experimented with spacers in the bottom bracket. Front derailleur is XT 2x that is both top/bottom pull compatible. (still available most serious bike parts websites). Rear derailleur is XT m786 10sp with a 11-36 cassette. Gear ratio and inches is excellent for loaded touring and with 93 gear inches for top end (25mph at 90 cadence) I'm well satisfied. I'm 66 years old and don't need (or can't) spin at 25mph for very long without a huge tailwind or decent decent. In either case, I coast :-) I'm using Microshift XLE dropbar 10 speed shifter on the right and a microshift barend friction for the left (front derailleur. I had been using barends on both but "splurged" on the Microshift dropbar shifters and am very happy with them. So, I'm considering going to 1x that would give me same gear range/ratio with an 11-51 cassette and a 38t chainring (Deore 11speed). Do you see any reason not to do this? I would go back to barend shifters for short term, although Microshift does have an 11sp dropbar shifter available (for $200!) Also, would love to hear your opinion on Wickwerks chainrings.
This video is just what I needed!I’m running a 10spd xt rear derailleur with a goat link and an 11-42 cassette, 1x. With the janky shifting and big Seattle hills, I bent the two granny gears. Because the bike has deore 2x mountain cranks, I figured I could just throw on the second chainring and install the correctly sized cassette for the derailleur and just get more range for less jank.
Thanks for addressing a long term bicycle issue and showing what you've tried. That is real world gearing. I recently tried a 1X bike and did not like the clunky slow shifting. I changed a 52/42 bike in the early 1970s to a 46/36/26 triple using TA rings without a hitch in installation. I used the bikes Shimano friction derailleurs (I still use friction bar ends on a bike). It was so much better with a high around 89 gear inches and a number a low fast spinning gears. I think you have taken over well for Frank Berto who long ago advocated for low gears and fatter tires and demonstrated the advantages through scientific trials. Keep up the good work.
I have only one bike (93' Trek 520), and I run 2x8, with friction bar end shifters... 42/28 in front, with 11-28 in the back. My "double" is simply a triple with the big outer ring left off. I have zero problems with shifting, or derailer setup or any of that. It works flawlessly. I also do not use ramped/pinned chain rings... just a simple Surly 42 t steel ring for the big. The shifting is fine (I don't race, so I can deal with a slightly less efficient shift than someone in a racing context). I wonder if I would have more problems if I ran 9+ speeds in the back. But I like 8 speed... the parts are super cheap and robust, and everything just works. If I knew for sure that 9 speed would work just as well, I'd probably go for that, adding a 32 on the rear cassette. But as it is, my setup gets the job done, and gets it done well!
I use an Ultegra crankset with 26-42t chainrings, and a chainguard in the outer position, shifter and derailleur are 105 - 5703 10 speed triple and works great
@@peterwills735 Ultegra 6603 triple crankset Outer two positions are 130bcd so minimum is 38T inner is 74bcd so you can go down to 24 teeth I have run 30-46, 26-39-46 but currently 26-42 - very flexible with the right shifter and mech
Back in the 1990s, the bike companies were telling us we needed 3x drive trains. Now they want us to buy 1x drive trains. They talk about 1x gearing covering the gear ratio needed for steep uphills, but the gear ratio for downhills on smooth roads isn't there.
Yes. Even with a 46t cassette, it's not the same range as you have to sacrifice on one end or the other. It's interesting seeing 2x finding utility again.
Some cheap MTBs still run triples I still have a triple on my triban 5 road bike the 30 granny ring is so good I do miss it when on my bling carbon fiber 105 (groupset of the people 🤣🤣) 52 36. My triban is Sora 9 speed and work really well.
Sounds like you are running into some issues because of the compatibility of 11-speed chain with 9-speed cranks and chainrings. The chain itself is narrower on the outside (but the same on the inside) and I've had similar issues with a Pro-5-Vis crankset before using thinner spacers to bring the chainrings closer together.
Seriously, I agree with that sneaky comment about the “group set of the people”, I cannot stand how out of control pricing is for biking, hence why I went the vintage steel route. BUT the State 4130 all road is the only new bike I have but still isn’t a “down payment on a car” price
I went for a used 2021 trek fx2, ended up being a cheap price for a decent quality new bike. It's a good all-rounder type bike. but yeah you're right pricing is fucking insane for the better stuff
@RollinRat Oh yea I agree. I do the same to be honest. Like only $100 buck builds or if you're feeling real fancy, a $200 build XD I just wanted the State Bicycle to review it on my channel since it was getting popular
105 "5800" 11-speed rim-brake mechanical used to be sub $500. It was the "group set of the people". But the new 105 12-speed disc & Di2 is priced out of control! $1886.87? Feh? That's more than I paid for my complete Giant TCR w/105-5800 new.
I have 2x 42-22t 11-36 10 speed cassette Scott Sub Cross Tour with 9 speed xt derailleur with tiagra 10 speed shifters, tiagra 2x with 3x whatever front derailleur. Shifts great.
Just an FYI to all wondering what he was saying in the intro, GCN was saying the new 1800$ Shimano 105's are the new groupset of the people. What a joke. Lol
I still have three 2x bikes, they all work really well as-is. That said, I do like my 1x bikes and would not covert them to 2x. I do look forward to functionally competent 1x making it to the lowest end bikes, as new and casual riders, even some who have ridden bikes for many years, can still struggle with the concept of shifting a 2x (or 3x) drivetrain. Explaining cross chaining and the inverse nature of gear size front to back to perceived effort, can be a challenge.
I still use my original 2008 48/38/28 front chainring in combination with the XT 11-34 rear cassette and Deore derailleur and shifters. It works wonderful with the Marin geometry and I rarely have to come out of the 48 unless I am climbing something really steep. However, I am looking at what happens on my next upgrade and am considering the 46/30 chainring with the 11-36 or 11-40/42 rear cassette. Thinking of comfort and aging going 10 years forward the 46/30 may be a good idea. I see it available with Easton and Shimano.
@@mmmbass6068 Its an idea. PS: I see what you meant now. Upgrading to a climbing 3x would do the job in all aspects without adding anything new. As I mature am more concerned with utility, comfort/pleasure, and health.
Rus - ever thought about a 1x drivetrain with a 2 speed rear hub? Seems like one could cobble together a knock off classified powershift using cheaper parts. I even thought about trying to hack apart an automatic shifting old sram hub and pairing it with a grx 1x cassette. Basically it would function like a normal 1x unless you were going really slow (like climbing a steep hill) and then it would automatically downshift.
Soma new albion 46×30 compact crankset with 12×30 cassette gives plenty enough low gearing and works flawlessly with the campagnolo record 2× front mech. Works great almost everywhere but could see peeps maybe needing lower gearing for fully loaded touring or mtb-ing. So to all u allroaders out there, your oem front mech will most likely work fine when going to smaller compact chainrings
I use older mountain group sets on newer frames and they work great especially when I'm working on low end hybirds to bring them back to life and better then stock ...Also with everyone going 1x used front derailers and shifters are not that hard to find
Uhmmm… I’ve never gone 1x and never run into the need to hack this much. But it’s good to see that there’s a future for 2x even if parts get difficult to find (last time I shopped for a build there was plenty of choice from Shimamo road and MTB, for example, so that I never need to consider hacking. The chainring spacers are a good thing to know, though).
thanks for sharing all the info on doubles. I'm going back to a 2x setup for the same reasons and am very interested to hear about the state of parts in this era of 1x and limited ranges
I’m all about the 2x and even 3x. Im glad I can point to your super popular channel so I don’t have to feel like an outcast anymore. Granted my favorite bike is a 2014 Tamland and is the newest bike I own. 🤓
I strongly recommend chainrings by Spécialités T.A. from France. Put together a 38/24 from them. The bigger (they sell it as an intermediate for 3x) has shifting ramps. The 105 derailleur is still on the job. I don't feel any difference to my stock 50/34 in shifting performance.
I'm seriously considering going back to friction shifting. You set the limit screws and you're basically done with gear adjustments for years. And front derailleur shifting is actually vastly superior with friction compared to indexed gearing; I've never met an indexed front derailleur that doesn't annoy me.
Great video with lots of practical solutions. It's hands down and shows the pitfalls you may fall into and potential workarounds. And it leaves me in disbelief that some frame manufacturers not even prepare for a later 2x setup. This is clearly a no-go criteria for me when choosing a frame. One thing I might add: Easy to find used front derailleurs for small money and since this is such a simple constructions they won't wear or tear.
Wow. You’ve encountered many of the same issues I have faced in building triple cranksets from bare cranks and bike swap chainrings/derailleurs including chainring spacers to keep the chain from jamming into the space between chainrings or riding the tops of the teeth. Most of my cranksets are 110/74 bcd with 48-38-24 or 46-36-24 chainrings. To avoid an occasional dropped chain when shifting to the granny gear I install a Deda dog fang chain deflector next to the granny gear. These work great.
That sounds absolutely great, could you please elaborate? Does it work well? Are you index shifting? Have you considered adapting a MTB triple chainrings before building iit from scratch? What are the requirements for it to work? From which manufacturer do the parts come? How does it compare to a modern 2x10 setup in terms of shifting? And finally, are you satisfied and if not, what's there to improve?
I love 58/94 bcd 5 arm cranksets and they're easy to find at bike co-ops (Sugino, Race Face Turbine). 30/44 (w/ 11-36 or 12-36 cassette) is a perfect double and I never need a gear I don't have, nor have any I seldom use, and all the cogs are small, evenly spaced jumps. Every few years manufactures continue make new rings for them. Soon the 1x fad will be over and 94 bcd cranks will be the next big thing again. 😏
2x? No friggin way. It's a 3x all the way for me. I have them on all my bikes, commuter bikes, gravel bikes, cargo-bikes. The only one I don't have a 3x is the Brompton.
You actually do it. And! Jumped the obstacles. The non ramped chainring shifts just fine. How dare you have success! A little finesse is needed maybe... I have mentioned in another comment that narrow wide shifts too, but some hacks are needed. So many nay sayers that don't ACTUALLY try. Love your work.
I recently bought a restored bike with a triple. It comes with a very basic 7 speed freewheel but I think once I put a wheel on it that will fit a 11-34 cassette I'm just gonna stick with it. Really enjoying thumby friction shifting the triple a heck of a lot more than when I was a kid
My old bike came with 5 speed cassette indexed and double chaining friction. Changed that about 20 years ago to triple 28-38-48, works great with just a bit adjustment. And never drops the chain like my newer 1 x bike does.
Double chainrings are so simple, light, and logical. Single chainrings are a real downgrade, especially for gravel bikes where you have such a big range in speed and climbing.
Thx Russ, for your continued leadership on the next "event horizon" (see "" what I did there?) in gravel/all-roads cycling. I'm building up a VO Polyvalent right now, and I'd also chosen to go with a Riv Silver 42x28 double. I concur with your conclusions!
Have you tried internal hubs? Would be nice to hear about a review. Am seriously thinking of getting an Alfine 8 for my other bike instead of going to a 1X system. Have never had or ever tried internal hubs. A central one isn't cheap and has to be made for the frame so that's out of the question.
Get a SRAM Force 3 bolt spider crankset and buy an ENGIN subcompact 110/74 3 bolt spider, lightweight, road qfactor, subsubcompact gearing not expensive.
For those of us who like brifters, I wish we could get Microshift (or someone else) to make a left-side brifter with a micro-ratcheting mechanism like the Campy ergopower shifters circa 2000.
As someone who grew up with 3x drivetrains, I can understand the 1x craze only in terms of saving weight and greater ground clearance for off-road riding. But 1x generally sucks for low gearing. I mean, there's a good reason why true touring bikes (the kind with chromoly framsets, including chromoly forks) still have 3x drivetrains. As for 2x, it seems a lot has been forgotten or overlooked regarding 3x. I will soon be experimenting with a 2x10 MTB drivetrain (38/24 + 11-36) for winter pedaling in northern New England. In my neck of the woods there are several long, steep hills I wouldn't want to pedal standing up, especially with groceries, books, camping supplies, etc. A part of me still believes in 3x as being just as good as it ever was 🚴♂️
By the way, on E-Bay there is a German broker selling Shimano XTR M9000 2X Cranksets for $182 plus shipping. That's a steal considering the OEM is around $400-500 and the crankset w/o chainrings weighs under 500 grams (1x is 450 grams). That's a whopping 2/3 lb less than SLX or XT's that weigh 700g. For better or worse the length is 180mm but I like long cranks, just be careful in the rock gardens. One other thing: I wish the Chinese would make aftermarket 24-28t 58 or 64 BCD Oval Narrow-Wide chainrings. The smallest reasonably priced oval narrow-wide chainring is 32t; a couple companies make a 30t (both are 96 or 104 BCD) but the 30t is $80. Oval is best for climbing and yet they make ZERO for the inner chainrings. Again this is a setup without a front derailleur. So it seems ridiculous that I'd buy an oval big chainring and yet have a ramped non-oval smaller chainring, doesn't make a lot of sense. Basically for oval it's best only for straight 1x. And I really don't think it's that great, I don't normally feel any difference. 2x w/o front derailleur you can go OEM 26 or 28t small and then at least 34t, probably 36-38t narrow wide; large ring doesn't have to be oval for obvious reasons since you are not doing the climbs with it. Also, if you have a straight-machined crank spider for 1x (like the M9000) you can put two 96 BCD (or 104 if it's a different crank) chainrings on EACH SIDE of the spider and use longer chain bolts. Right now I'm doing 32t inner 38t outer, later when the 32t wears out I'll do 30t narrow-wide (but not oval because as mentioned above it's a horrible $80 price, not worth it). With an 11-52t cassette I'll have 0.58x granny gear with the 30t, and 3.45x top gear with the 38t. That's a total range of 5.8x, significantly better than XD driver-based cranksets. You can climb steep stuff, probably up to 15% or more if it's hardpacked with 30/52t, and haul ass down the hill on flow trails with 38/11t. If you have a proper small chainring of 58 or 64 BCD and do 26t, that's 0.50x granny and 3.45x top gear with a whopping 6.9x range! Just from 2x!
You make great content, even when I may not agree with some things you're saying. I'd love to support you but broke at the moment and will be for a while. To add, have you ever found a need to adjust the spacing on those IXF cranks or w/e you got that had the ability to mount a small inner ring?
I have been considering this change. Thanks for explaining the "obstacles"...I'm going to have to use a lever style front derailleur shifter and I wonder which ones are better/more compatible?
There are several front derailleurs available at Universal Cycles. This one will fit most folks' needs that are trying to accomplish what you did: SunRace FD-M300 Front Derailleur - 7/8 Speed. Cheers.
I never drank the one-by koolaid instead converting my triples to mountain doubles. After years of fighting with trying to index front derailers I'm giving up and going friction.
@RollinRat Agree completely. Problem is I've beed trying to shift a double with Shimano indexed mtn bike shifters and getting the front to work is a PAIN! I do have a pair of Campy brifters on a road bike with a travel agent on the rear and it shifts great, both front and rear.
I have better luck with MTB derailleurs. Road derailleurs are designed for big rings 39-52 34-50. MTBs are better for that 38-24ish. The cages are shallower and don’t hit the tire either.
For the most part bike are total crap these days, not worth the price they're asking. Personally I feel 1x is a waste of time, not to mention makes zero mechanical sense. What ever happened to getting a really decent high end bike with top notch components and not have to worry about constant changes in the bike industry. My tools could fix anything on my bikes over the years and now omg! you need special tools every 6 months. It's gotten out of hand and my passion for bike is fading fast.
I find this video very informative but modifying the bike drive is not something I do. I’ve ridden fixed gear, 1x, 2x and 3x interchangeably on appropriate rides with no dislikes of either. Really I’m not very focused on the shifter as long as it works properly so I can focus on my riding. Maybe I need to take a deep dive into the what’s and why’s of 1x vs 2x vs3x and then collect a bunch of old cassettes, chain rings, derailers and cables to build….a bike I already have.
Spacer for two piece door hinges work good as chain ring spacers. They can be purchased with an inner diameter of M8 and also have a relatively small outer diameter, so they dont interfere with the chainring and chain. I guess they are a bit cheaper than designated chain ring spacers and are also more widely available. Although I have to say, that I don't know anything about US door hinges or door hinges in general lol
Surly gen 1 KM rider here. And a gorilla at that... 3 x on the front, 9 x speed, 2.25" tires, would'nt want it any other way. 2 x would be a minimum, i just dont get that 1 x malarkey, espesh if you tour and ride all types of terrain.
Thinking of trying 3x->2x to add a rock ring. Not sure I'd want to run it like that all the time though, guess it depends on how long it takes to swap back and forth.
going back to double chainring? why on EARTH would you do THAT??!! dont you want to be trendy anymore? all of the Boulder Bicycle Snoots are going to turn up their noses at your bike. c'mon, you don't really like having wider range and better fine tuning, do you? totally not trendy
Gear nerd question: if you space the biggest ring of a 3x (I guess by installing it where the middle ring would be, plus the spacers to move it even further in), how’s the chain line? I mean, it is probably biased towards lower gears, isn’t it? At least when you use a hollowtech style crankset, with square taper ones you can have the chain line you want.
Shimano still makes 2x and 3x in the alivio range with a few ring configurations for MTB but more important, a trekking set with larger rings. They also happen to make those sets in square, octalink and hollow tech. Not the lightest but well priced, built and available. They also still seem to have some Deore floating around but fewer configurations. Shimano considers these in between gear ranges for trekking and places the trekking gear at the mid range of their MTB gear. You can find it in the Alivio and Deore range with a T on the end or beginning of the part number.
Great stuff, Russ! As a fellow retro grouch who has made this conversion on half a dozen bikes, I can also add: Peter White sells nice TA Specialities chainrings in virtually every tooth size in the universe, which come with ramps/pins to aid shifting. And Riv sells a 'road' version of the front derailer you got, made by IRD, that is optimized for road chain lines
@RollinRat Ditto. You can occasionally find them on eBay! Thankfully they tend to last longer than most - I've also had good experience w/ the similar but cheaper Stronglight rings which some sellers sell on eBay and import from the UK.
2:38 You could use a mtb derailleur. Btw, 2x is the smarter thing to do, no matter what is cool or what the industry try to implement. To have a cassette with a 51 teeth cog is plain idiotic for multiple reasons.
it's so interesting to watch this when i have the exact opposite mentality. i almost never use the front shifter on my 3x commuter, and i've been riding my 1x mtb so much that when i ride my dads 2x gravel bike, the 2x shifting almost annoys me
For commuting most of us will never be challenged. You will typically get some hills 10 to 20 grade. A couple of hundred metres long at most. And we are cruising up them with our 5 to 10lb rucksacks on. The quads face no real challenge. If you are bike packing. And moving a total weight in excess of 250lbs. That's when the 2 or 3 by systems come into play. And have their merits. It's horses for courses literally..
![NOSFERATU - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters December 25](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nulvWqYUM8k/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm obsessed with 3x9 . The range I can get is unmatched to any 1x out there, and I also enjoy using friction shifters . That's what's nice about bikes, ride what you like!!
I have a 3x9, but indexed. And it runs prefect as well 22/32/44 with a 11-34🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣44 to 34 I get a little rub, but I'm NOT moving to friction.
@@bindingcurve why don't you try friction out ?
@@mryotahead Be there, done that back in the 90s I still have a vintage road bike with down tube shifters. Never like bar ends.
i'm using 2x9 alivio on my blacksnow dragoon. excellent transition between gears.
You only need a 2 by on large wheels. My Tern Verge X11 runs a 52 to 10--42 rear cassette. There is no hill it cannot climb. And it can kiss 30mph on the flat. So that's what's not spoken about here. It's the overall gear ratios. And the WHEEL SIZE has to be factored into this. 20 inch wheels 406 or 451 like the X11 has don't need 2 by systems.
52--42 on my X11 has never been defeated. And I've been up mountains on that baby. And it floats up them..
Pfft. I'm still running 3x. I was seriously considering going to 1x but I've come to appreciate what I've got. Actually I'm thinking about just swapping my crankset to give me some better low gearing. I'm a big ole corn fed country boy, I'll take all the low end I can get.
I predict in a year you will be converting all your bikes to 3x, where will this insanity end. :-)
Ha! I leave 3x on bikes I don't want stolen, but don't mind that badly if they are.
If you only want one gear up front - don't shift! Don't waste your time and leave your poor drivetrain alone you'll miss those gears when their gone. Long live the front derailleur!
Triple is the best and unbeatable option for heavy touring.
The biggest total range I ever got on my touring bike was a triple 22-32-44 crankset paired to a 11-36 9-speed cassette. It was way more than 600%
Going 2x, your best options to keep that lower gear are the following
22/38->11/36 cassette
26/42->11/40 cassette
28/44-> 11/42 cassette
30/46 -> 11/46 cassette
32/48 -> 11/50 cassette
The majority of those combinations require swapping chainrings on a 2x mtb crankset, and deal with front derailleur compatibility as you mentioned.
If you want to go "cheap", use current components, and get out-of-the-box compatibility, the best option is 10-speed GRX400 46/30 crankset and grx400 derailleurs, paired to an HG-500 11-42 cassette. Use tiagra ST4700 levers If you have mechanical disc brakes.
If you want to jump to 11-speed, go for grx600 46/30 crankset and grx800 derailleurs, paired to any 11/42 or 11/46 cassette. Use 105 ST7000 levers If you have mechanical disc brakes. Another nice addition for higher gears is an XD 10-42 cassette. A 46/10 ratio is equivalent to 50/11.
My 2X-XC hardtail mountain bike has to do triple duty: mountain biking, bikepacking, and grav grav riding. Only when mountainbiking do I kinda wish I had 1X. She who must be obeyed allowed me two wheelsets so I have a mountain biking wheelset and a bikepack/grav grav wheelset. I know the right number of bikes is N+1, but she who must be obeyed and my wallet says 1 is the right number of bikes.
I'm still a fan of 2x because it's way cheaper to get huge range to get an old 2x working than some 11-50 cassette.
2x10 Deore M6000 might still be stocked many places, bought mine a year ago. 38-28 crank +12-36 casette. Shifts super smooth 👍🏻 2 by Party 👍🏻
Deore 2x10 with Clutch is impressive.
This is the quickest most sound option going. To those w older cranks, you can make a decent 2x-
Small and middle rings, or large and middle w nice corresponding cassette in back. You do not need to spend a lot of $$$
What? Put on a drivetrain that works instead of cobbling something together, are you nuts?
Info like this is gold because those who want to ride truly personal bikes at Party Pace, and not just accept the unobtanium the industry shovels on the regular-representation is important-to see it is possible-mechanically, and economically. Russ creates the true groupsets of the people.
A 2000$ heavy bike with outdated components is not the answer
@RollinRat yeah no, you can find entry level indexed shifters at way cheaper price than the friction ones
@RollinRat I enjoy my old 3x up front. It gives me plenty of range.
@@mahmam3128 Buy a good quality moderately priced bike and personalize the components as you can.
@rollinrat4850 Well put together.
I put on a 40-24 super-compact chainset on my tourer. This was from a 44-32-22 triple. I wasn’t sure what to do regarding the front derailleur. Anyhow I stuck with the Shimano Altus triple front derailleur with Sora triple STI’s that was already on the bike just to see what happened. With only slight adjustments to the limit screws it worked brilliantly! Lots of indexing/trimming available, and I’ve not had the problem of the chain slipping in between the two chainrings. With a friction shifter it would be even better I imagine. The Altus triple derailleur is extremely cheap and has top and bottom swing options. And from my experience works great with a super-compact double.
@@janeblogs324 the cross chaining shouldn’t be different to any standard double chainset as the distance between the two chainrings is the same, unless you are using unusual chainrings.
My idea with the super-compact was to have it as a 1x plus granny, so that I would use the small chainring very rarely on steep hills when in the larger sprockets. But it actually works well in the smaller sprockets also. Rides really well and the shifting in the front is pretty much on par with standard double. In the ‘large’ chainring it works in the second to largest sprocket just fine. For reference I’m using a 9 speed 11-36 sunrace cassette and the 40-24 chainset is setup from a 110/74 bcd triple and using the inner 2 chainring positions only.
How do you save comments for future working-in-the-garage inspiration?
I love this video, Russ. Your choices are not for me (this guy drank the kool aid on 1x), but I love tinkering on bikes, and I have done plenty of things others would find questionable. I love that we can all make our bikes our own. The most rad bike is the one that's perfect for your preferences!
I and several other ex-road racer friends like 2x for our gravel bikes, too. I ride 10-20 miles on paved roads to get to my favorite gravel roads and single track. We ride bikes that use 700c wheelsets for the most part. My 2 x setup is a 50/34 crankset with a 10-speed 11-42 Shimano Deore CS-4100M cassette. This combination gives my bike a 561% range. That provide both a low enough gear to handle the dirt climbs I do on this bike and eliminates spin-out on the road. I do walk-a-bike one some extreme climbs, but those are rare. I use a Shimano XT M771 9 speed SGS (long cage) rear derailleur because it's compatible with my Ultegra 6600 10-speed STI shifters. A Wolftooth Roadlink is used to allow the derailleur to work with the larger cassette. Front derailleur is 6600 Ultegra. When I first built this configuration, I couldn't get the shifting right, no matter what adjustment to the b-screw and shift cable. After a lot of trouble shooting, I found the problem to be grime in my right STI shifter. I partially disassembled it, cleaned it with carb cleaner, lubed it with light machine oil, and it works like a charm now. I'm super happy with this gear range because it allows me to have a great range of road gears and a good-enough range of off-road gears. Thought I'd add to the conversation about home-built 2x gravel drive trains.
My immediate thoughts when you professed your perma-move to 2x systems were how many modern BB clusters, geometries, and tire clearances can only exist because they tossed 2x and 3x drivetrain configurations... Especially in regards to fitting bigger tire volumes in frames.
Living in Alaska and being predominantly a bikepacker, tire volume is a chief concern of mine which effectively rules out running multiple front rings, as the chain will rub the tire in its most inward position.
For me, even before I understood what a derailleur was, I wanted to reduce the number of sprockets on my bike. I remember going into bike shops and asking if and how I could put just one chainring up front and literally being laughed at (back when everything, including MTBs, were mostly 3x). One person even told me how I couldn't bike the trails in Alaska seriously if I didn't run a triple. Extremely condescending to someone just trying to learn (nevermind the fact that there were legendary riders at the time circumnavigated the Brooks and Talkeetna Mountain Ranges on singlespeeds for their reliability).
These days I'll go way WAY out of my way to ensure everything I own is setup singlespeed, even for bikepacking... But I think it's great that folks are now 'retro-engineering' kits to meet their specific needs and goals. That sort of process makes us more connected to our ride and better able to make things work in the field if we need to.
Saying "why would you want to go 2/3x" is just as discouraging as those folks who laughed at me for wanting 1x before it was a thing. It's just important for folks to keep in mind going 2/3x has more bike frame geometry hurtles to overcome than going 2/3x to 1x.
Happy trails 🚲
I am also a fan of 1x. I will say, they can certainly still suffer from chain/tire clearance conflicts. The Surly Wednesday (according to Surly) clears a 4.6” tire in the most rear position. We found out the hard way with a Surly Edna 4.3”, that while it clears the frame, it does not clear the stock 1x12 chain line in the largest gears. Surly told me that this figure was indeed a frame cleanance number, yet it ships with the 1x12.
@@ElevationEveryWeekend indeed! Just tossing a 1x on the bike does not compensate for poor frame design, or enable any combination of drivetrain and tire/rim configurations.
It's amazing how many bikes ship with 12spd groups or expanded cassette groups just because it's become "standard" while being completely ok with chainsuck, terrible chainlines, chain loss while backpedaling at steep gearings, and loss of tire clearance.
I have a number of beautiful custom boost spacing bike frames I designed with 40mm rims and 3.8" tires in mind, where I utilized extra wide square taper BBs (you can find some amazing quality, bizarrely wide titanium spindles floating out there on ebay) and Middleburn/White SS Cranksets. Totally outside the realm of normality, and makes for a spectacular backcountry platform.
For folks who prefer more than singlespeed configurations for bikepacking (most people 😂), I've strongly gone back to recommending 1x10 expanded groups as they are less finicky and prone to some of the surprise limitations of 1x11 and 1x12 groupsets... Plus you can get some great 10spd setups at very affordable prices.
I live in an extremely hilly area so it's super important for me to have that granny gear. When I've already been riding hard for 40 miles and then come up to a crazy mile long climb, I thank myself for having a 3x.
For your situation though, a 1x makes perfect sense. You probably need a wider tyre more than anything else. This is why I find it weird that people judge others on their choices. We know what's best for our situation.
I also got weird looks at the store for saying I prefer mechanical brakes over hydro... When will people learn😂
@@Ferrichrome it's great to see a few more quality mechanical brakes hitting the market. Mechanical brakes are a non negotiable for me given my riding desires.
People have literally told me to my face "well I guess you're just not riding very hard stuff" because of my dislike for hydros. Funny how, if I can control a 100lbs bike fully loaded down a black diamond singletrack, I don't have a need for more stopping power 😂.
Paul Klampers are expensive 🫰 but when dialed with 200mm rotors and quality housing, they are very strong. Even BB7s have great stopping power when setup appropriately. I think most folks just don't know how, and don't want to take the time, to dial in their mechanical brakes every so many miles. I have certainly learned that - due to the singlular piston (don't much prefer the spongy feel of dual piston mechanical brakes except for commuting) - mechanicals just need a tiny bit of regular love to maintain optimization.
Cheers 🥂 🚲
@@renaissancecyclist9120 that is very true about making adjustments. I’m personally not great at it. I haven’t ever had hydro brakes (trying it on my next build). I think it’s wild people just anybody’s choice in bikes negatively if it’s what they like and are happy with it. I thought about going square taper too, but I haven’t. Sounds like you have some cool bikes.
Always a 2x for me...can’t watch GCN any more-just marketing and bull..it
I fall into the “racer” and look at expensive stuff but love your content. I’ve grabbed lots of ideas for my long days to make them much better.
I've got the SRAM Dual Drive on a recumbent and love it -- a huge range with 3x9. Both controls are indexed and together on the right bar. The hub gear is easily shifted without pedaling (at a stop), and less problematic than a 3X front derailleur. SRAM discontinued the DD last year, I don't know why. Durability has not been a problem, as long as you're not shifting the hub gears under monster mash strain. And it was not that expensive!
Really useful content, thanks for sharing. I’m in the process of converting my Cross Check from compact to sub compact 44x28 double and this covered a couple of issues I was anticipating. I notice you didn’t discuss bb spindle length which may help with front derailleur clearance. I will definitely be looking out for mountain front derailleur though so thanks for the tip :)
For heavy load bikepacking I run a double Chainring w/ no derailleur or shifter. Just move by hand to the little ring a the bottom of the mountain.
Apparently you can move with your foot.... Russ mentioned that last video.
I do this too when ever I do a 1x conversion I always leave on the small ring
😂🙃😂
Also may work with narrow wide chainrings for avoiding chain drop, but missing the ability of foot derailleur
Fantastic! I feel dumb I never thought of this.
The slow crawl to triples...
Your video from back in the day is why I put a mountain double on a road bike of mine and have been watching since.
I am totally anti 1x .i think they are ridiculous unless you're racing crits. I can't believe everyone has drank the kool aid. I don't like ten tooth gaps between shifts. Thanks for going against the norm
I don't like the aesthetics of the cassettes on 1x bikes. They're huge.
Not a dealbreaker, as I have 1x and 2x (and even a 3x still). But something just looks a little off about them.
I'm glad I kept my old mountain bike!! A custom frame with no shocks. I hand-picked all the best available parts at the time... (Mid 80s). Sugino triple crankset and suntour 6-speed COG, suntour cyclone derailers front and rear. I figured out the gear ratios, handpicked chain ring sizes and even the individual cog gear sizes. It's still running strong and still my favorite bike! I even have a couple spare old cogs laying around for when mine where's out. I feel sorry for you guys having to deal with such overly priced and limited equipment available.
Would bike upgrades be any fun if we didn't have at least 5 to 10 issues before we finally got it working right?
For me it would! :D
I've had this argument with my buddies several times. I have converted a couple of bikes to 1X, bikes that were just going to be used for leisure rail trail type rides, or for cruising across a college campus. Or even a dedicated mountain bike.However, I have always thought that the added range by having a 2X, or even a 3X for a gravel bike just made more sense. Their main argument has always been weight saving. My counter argument is that we are all fat @$$es that need to drop 20-40 pounds, so a few grams for a 3X set up doesn't make that much of a difference.
Yep. Unless you are racing, or long distance touring, reducing weight shouldn't be such a big deal.
@@peppermintpig974
Even then... most of the weight saved from eliminating the front derailer, shifter, cable, & 2 chainrings, is added back by the giant pancake 12x cassette.
MTBers started the 1x trend solely to increase ground clearance, because spanking the 3x ninja star was a thing.
If you are long distance touring your carrying so much you can't possibly care about a few grams
FFS, Ehem "GCN". I was lost there
Yeah, 1800 USD is not groupset of the people*.
What people*, I think GCN lost the grip on whole world of cycling. Only care about the top level spec bike and components.
To be honest, even their weekly maintenance Monday is not the level when jon canning host the episode.
thanks for your excellent content, Russ. You speak my language as rider of a touring bike. I'm using 2x converted from my 3x Deore crank with Wickwerks chainrings (38-24). Chainrings are mounted on the inner and middle slots with a "spacer" mounted in the space for the outer chainring position. Chainline is good although I have experimented with spacers in the bottom bracket. Front derailleur is XT 2x that is both top/bottom pull compatible. (still available most serious bike parts websites). Rear derailleur is XT m786 10sp with a 11-36 cassette. Gear ratio and inches is excellent for loaded touring and with 93 gear inches for top end (25mph at 90 cadence) I'm well satisfied. I'm 66 years old and don't need (or can't) spin at 25mph for very long without a huge tailwind or decent decent. In either case, I coast :-) I'm using Microshift XLE dropbar 10 speed shifter on the right and a microshift barend friction for the left (front derailleur. I had been using barends on both but "splurged" on the Microshift dropbar shifters and am very happy with them. So, I'm considering going to 1x that would give me same gear range/ratio with an 11-51 cassette and a 38t chainring (Deore 11speed). Do you see any reason not to do this? I would go back to barend shifters for short term, although Microshift does have an 11sp dropbar shifter available (for $200!) Also, would love to hear your opinion on Wickwerks chainrings.
I’ll stick with my single speeds 🤣
This video is just what I needed!I’m running a 10spd xt rear derailleur with a goat link and an 11-42 cassette, 1x. With the janky shifting and big Seattle hills, I bent the two granny gears. Because the bike has deore 2x mountain cranks, I figured I could just throw on the second chainring and install the correctly sized cassette for the derailleur and just get more range for less jank.
I'm going 2x also, but the opposite direction, taking my 3x MTB and making the large chainring into a bash guard
I have done this repeatedly, fastest cheap accurate method. And for those who move faster, then large middle rings. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
OMG, my family has to deal with my face making mouth sounds all day too 😂🤣
2x and 3x chainrings have little knobs on the inner sides of the ring that catch the chain and prevent it from falling in between+ help you shift
Thanks for addressing a long term bicycle issue and showing what you've tried. That is real world gearing. I recently tried a 1X bike and did not like the clunky slow shifting.
I changed a 52/42 bike in the early 1970s to a 46/36/26 triple using TA rings without a hitch in installation. I used the bikes Shimano friction derailleurs (I still use friction bar ends on a bike). It was so much better with a high around 89 gear inches and a number a low fast spinning gears.
I think you have taken over well for Frank Berto who long ago advocated for low gears and fatter tires and demonstrated the advantages through scientific trials.
Keep up the good work.
I have only one bike (93' Trek 520), and I run 2x8, with friction bar end shifters... 42/28 in front, with 11-28 in the back. My "double" is simply a triple with the big outer ring left off. I have zero problems with shifting, or derailer setup or any of that. It works flawlessly. I also do not use ramped/pinned chain rings... just a simple Surly 42 t steel ring for the big. The shifting is fine (I don't race, so I can deal with a slightly less efficient shift than someone in a racing context). I wonder if I would have more problems if I ran 9+ speeds in the back. But I like 8 speed... the parts are super cheap and robust, and everything just works. If I knew for sure that 9 speed would work just as well, I'd probably go for that, adding a 32 on the rear cassette. But as it is, my setup gets the job done, and gets it done well!
I use an Ultegra crankset with 26-42t chainrings, and a chainguard in the outer position, shifter and derailleur are 105 - 5703 10 speed triple and works great
What chainrings that small work with an Ultegra crankset?? Would love a setup like that
@@peterwills735 Ultegra 6603 triple crankset
Outer two positions are 130bcd so minimum is 38T inner is 74bcd so you can go down to 24 teeth
I have run 30-46, 26-39-46 but currently 26-42 - very flexible with the right shifter and mech
You're doing the lord's work russ. With gravel and bikepacking becoming so popular, we need those extra gears now more than ever
Back in the 1990s, the bike companies were telling us we needed 3x drive trains. Now they want us to buy 1x drive trains. They talk about 1x gearing covering the gear ratio needed for steep uphills, but the gear ratio for downhills on smooth roads isn't there.
Yes. Even with a 46t cassette, it's not the same range as you have to sacrifice on one end or the other. It's interesting seeing 2x finding utility again.
Some cheap MTBs still run triples I still have a triple on my triban 5 road bike the 30 granny ring is so good I do miss it when on my bling carbon fiber 105 (groupset of the people 🤣🤣) 52 36. My triban is Sora 9 speed and work really well.
Sounds like you are running into some issues because of the compatibility of 11-speed chain with 9-speed cranks and chainrings. The chain itself is narrower on the outside (but the same on the inside) and I've had similar issues with a Pro-5-Vis crankset before using thinner spacers to bring the chainrings closer together.
"Knuckle-dragging rear derailleur". Brilliant. You can see why the marketing guys call it "long-arm".
Seriously, I agree with that sneaky comment about the “group set of the people”, I cannot stand how out of control pricing is for biking, hence why I went the vintage steel route. BUT the State 4130 all road is the only new bike I have but still isn’t a “down payment on a car” price
I went for a used 2021 trek fx2, ended up being a cheap price for a decent quality new bike. It's a good all-rounder type bike. but yeah you're right pricing is fucking insane for the better stuff
Since I don't own a car I saved the down payment so my expensive bike came about for free.
@RollinRat Oh yea I agree. I do the same to be honest. Like only $100 buck builds or if you're feeling real fancy, a $200 build XD I just wanted the State Bicycle to review it on my channel since it was getting popular
105 "5800" 11-speed rim-brake mechanical used to be sub $500. It was the "group set of the people". But the new 105 12-speed disc & Di2 is priced out of control! $1886.87? Feh? That's more than I paid for my complete Giant TCR w/105-5800 new.
I have 2x 42-22t 11-36 10 speed cassette Scott Sub Cross Tour with 9 speed xt derailleur with tiagra 10 speed shifters, tiagra 2x with 3x whatever front derailleur. Shifts great.
I have definitely been following your progress, or reach back, to twin disc. You explain the universe well.
Just an FYI to all wondering what he was saying in the intro, GCN was saying the new 1800$ Shimano 105's are the new groupset of the people. What a joke. Lol
Which is for the new Di2 option, the mechanical is half that. But yeah 1800 is not really “for the people”.
I still have three 2x bikes, they all work really well as-is. That said, I do like my 1x bikes and would not covert them to 2x. I do look forward to functionally competent 1x making it to the lowest end bikes, as new and casual riders, even some who have ridden bikes for many years, can still struggle with the concept of shifting a 2x (or 3x) drivetrain. Explaining cross chaining and the inverse nature of gear size front to back to perceived effort, can be a challenge.
I still use my original 2008 48/38/28 front chainring in combination with the XT 11-34 rear cassette and Deore derailleur and shifters. It works wonderful with the Marin geometry and I rarely have to come out of the 48 unless I am climbing something really steep. However, I am looking at what happens on my next upgrade and am considering the 46/30 chainring with the 11-36 or 11-40/42 rear cassette. Thinking of comfort and aging going 10 years forward the 46/30 may be a good idea. I see it available with Easton and Shimano.
If ageing is in mind then stick with the 3x
@@mmmbass6068 Its an idea. PS: I see what you meant now. Upgrading to a climbing 3x would do the job in all aspects without adding anything new. As I mature am more concerned with utility, comfort/pleasure, and health.
Thanks! Dealing with this now!
Rus - ever thought about a 1x drivetrain with a 2 speed rear hub? Seems like one could cobble together a knock off classified powershift using cheaper parts. I even thought about trying to hack apart an automatic shifting old sram hub and pairing it with a grx 1x cassette. Basically it would function like a normal 1x unless you were going really slow (like climbing a steep hill) and then it would automatically downshift.
I have. There is a sturmey archer hub that would work but only comes in QR.
You are so on the money , most logical setup for most cycling situations is 2 x . Thanks PLP for this honest take on the conversion .
I also want to 2x right now I am running a 38-26 x 11-42 I like it so far 👍🤘
I have the same combo on my Fargo. Love it!
Were you using a 1x?
Soma new albion 46×30 compact crankset with 12×30 cassette gives plenty enough low gearing and works flawlessly with the campagnolo record 2× front mech. Works great almost everywhere but could see peeps maybe needing lower gearing for fully loaded touring or mtb-ing. So to all u allroaders out there, your oem front mech will most likely work fine when going to smaller compact chainrings
I use older mountain group sets on newer frames and they work great especially when I'm working on low end hybirds to bring them back to life and better then stock ...Also with everyone going 1x used front derailers and shifters are not that hard to find
Uhmmm… I’ve never gone 1x and never run into the need to hack this much. But it’s good to see that there’s a future for 2x even if parts get difficult to find (last time I shopped for a build there was plenty of choice from Shimamo road and MTB, for example, so that I never need to consider hacking. The chainring spacers are a good thing to know, though).
thanks for sharing all the info on doubles. I'm going back to a 2x setup for the same reasons and am very interested to hear about the state of parts in this era of 1x and limited ranges
I’m all about the 2x and even 3x. Im glad I can point to your super popular channel so I don’t have to feel like an outcast anymore. Granted my favorite bike is a 2014 Tamland and is the newest bike I own. 🤓
Flat Earthers like 1x...
I strongly recommend chainrings by Spécialités T.A. from France. Put together a 38/24 from them. The bigger (they sell it as an intermediate for 3x) has shifting ramps. The 105 derailleur is still on the job. I don't feel any difference to my stock 50/34 in shifting performance.
Good stuff. I love cobbling things like this together.
DIY 2 x-. This is the cave of GOOD ideas!!!
I'm seriously considering going back to friction shifting. You set the limit screws and you're basically done with gear adjustments for years. And front derailleur shifting is actually vastly superior with friction compared to indexed gearing; I've never met an indexed front derailleur that doesn't annoy me.
Great video with lots of practical solutions. It's hands down and shows the pitfalls you may fall into and potential workarounds. And it leaves me in disbelief that some frame manufacturers not even prepare for a later 2x setup. This is clearly a no-go criteria for me when choosing a frame. One thing I might add: Easy to find used front derailleurs for small money and since this is such a simple constructions they won't wear or tear.
@Telegram @path less pedaled what? This is some scam, is it?
its a scam.
@@PathLessPedaledTV yes, and I reported it as such.
Wow. You’ve encountered many of the same issues I have faced in building triple cranksets from bare cranks and bike swap chainrings/derailleurs including chainring spacers to keep the chain from jamming into the space between chainrings or riding the tops of the teeth. Most of my cranksets are 110/74 bcd with 48-38-24 or 46-36-24 chainrings. To avoid an occasional dropped chain when shifting to the granny gear I install a Deda dog fang chain deflector next to the granny gear. These work great.
That sounds absolutely great, could you please elaborate?
Does it work well?
Are you index shifting?
Have you considered adapting a MTB triple chainrings before building iit from scratch?
What are the requirements for it to work?
From which manufacturer do the parts come?
How does it compare to a modern 2x10 setup in terms of shifting?
And finally, are you satisfied and if not, what's there to improve?
I love 58/94 bcd 5 arm cranksets and they're easy to find at bike co-ops (Sugino, Race Face Turbine). 30/44 (w/ 11-36 or 12-36 cassette) is a perfect double and I never need a gear I don't have, nor have any I seldom use, and all the cogs are small, evenly spaced jumps. Every few years manufactures continue make new rings for them. Soon the 1x fad will be over and 94 bcd cranks will be the next big thing again. 😏
2x? No friggin way. It's a 3x all the way for me. I have them on all my bikes, commuter bikes, gravel bikes, cargo-bikes. The only one I don't have a 3x is the Brompton.
You actually do it. And! Jumped the obstacles. The non ramped chainring shifts just fine. How dare you have success! A little finesse is needed maybe... I have mentioned in another comment that narrow wide shifts too, but some hacks are needed. So many nay sayers that don't ACTUALLY try. Love your work.
I recently bought a restored bike with a triple. It comes with a very basic 7 speed freewheel but I think once I put a wheel on it that will fit a 11-34 cassette I'm just gonna stick with it. Really enjoying thumby friction shifting the triple a heck of a lot more than when I was a kid
My old bike came with 5 speed cassette indexed and double chaining friction. Changed that about 20 years ago to triple 28-38-48, works great with just a bit adjustment. And never drops the chain like my newer 1 x bike does.
Double chainrings are so simple, light, and logical. Single chainrings are a real downgrade, especially for gravel bikes where you have such a big range in speed and climbing.
Thx Russ, for your continued leadership on the next "event horizon" (see "" what I did there?) in gravel/all-roads cycling. I'm building up a VO Polyvalent right now, and I'd also chosen to go with a Riv Silver 42x28 double. I concur with your conclusions!
Really funny that 5 years ago, everyone tried to find videos to go 1x !
now your are making the opposite and the funny part is that its relevant!
Have you tried internal hubs? Would be nice to hear about a review.
Am seriously thinking of getting an Alfine 8 for my other bike instead of going to a 1X system. Have never had or ever tried internal hubs. A central one isn't cheap and has to be made for the frame so that's out of the question.
Get a SRAM Force 3 bolt spider crankset and buy an ENGIN subcompact 110/74 3 bolt spider, lightweight, road qfactor, subsubcompact gearing not expensive.
For those of us who like brifters, I wish we could get Microshift (or someone else) to make a left-side brifter with a micro-ratcheting mechanism like the Campy ergopower shifters circa 2000.
As someone who grew up with 3x drivetrains, I can understand the 1x craze only in terms of saving weight and greater ground clearance for off-road riding. But 1x generally sucks for low gearing. I mean, there's a good reason why true touring bikes (the kind with chromoly framsets, including chromoly forks) still have 3x drivetrains. As for 2x, it seems a lot has been forgotten or overlooked regarding 3x. I will soon be experimenting with a 2x10 MTB drivetrain (38/24 + 11-36) for winter pedaling in northern New England. In my neck of the woods there are several long, steep hills I wouldn't want to pedal standing up, especially with groceries, books, camping supplies, etc. A part of me still believes in 3x as being just as good as it ever was 🚴♂️
By the way, on E-Bay there is a German broker selling Shimano XTR M9000 2X Cranksets for $182 plus shipping. That's a steal considering the OEM is around $400-500 and the crankset w/o chainrings weighs under 500 grams (1x is 450 grams). That's a whopping 2/3 lb less than SLX or XT's that weigh 700g. For better or worse the length is 180mm but I like long cranks, just be careful in the rock gardens.
One other thing: I wish the Chinese would make aftermarket 24-28t 58 or 64 BCD Oval Narrow-Wide chainrings. The smallest reasonably priced oval narrow-wide chainring is 32t; a couple companies make a 30t (both are 96 or 104 BCD) but the 30t is $80. Oval is best for climbing and yet they make ZERO for the inner chainrings. Again this is a setup without a front derailleur. So it seems ridiculous that I'd buy an oval big chainring and yet have a ramped non-oval smaller chainring, doesn't make a lot of sense. Basically for oval it's best only for straight 1x. And I really don't think it's that great, I don't normally feel any difference. 2x w/o front derailleur you can go OEM 26 or 28t small and then at least 34t, probably 36-38t narrow wide; large ring doesn't have to be oval for obvious reasons since you are not doing the climbs with it.
Also, if you have a straight-machined crank spider for 1x (like the M9000) you can put two 96 BCD (or 104 if it's a different crank) chainrings on EACH SIDE of the spider and use longer chain bolts. Right now I'm doing 32t inner 38t outer, later when the 32t wears out I'll do 30t narrow-wide (but not oval because as mentioned above it's a horrible $80 price, not worth it). With an 11-52t cassette I'll have 0.58x granny gear with the 30t, and 3.45x top gear with the 38t. That's a total range of 5.8x, significantly better than XD driver-based cranksets. You can climb steep stuff, probably up to 15% or more if it's hardpacked with 30/52t, and haul ass down the hill on flow trails with 38/11t. If you have a proper small chainring of 58 or 64 BCD and do 26t, that's 0.50x granny and 3.45x top gear with a whopping 6.9x range! Just from 2x!
You make great content, even when I may not agree with some things you're saying. I'd love to support you but broke at the moment and will be for a while. To add, have you ever found a need to adjust the spacing on those IXF cranks or w/e you got that had the ability to mount a small inner ring?
Just replace with MTB type of front Shimano derailleur...
I have been considering this change. Thanks for explaining the "obstacles"...I'm going to have to use a lever style front derailleur shifter and I wonder which ones are better/more compatible?
There are several front derailleurs available at Universal Cycles. This one will fit most folks' needs that are trying to accomplish what you did: SunRace FD-M300 Front Derailleur - 7/8 Speed. Cheers.
I never drank the one-by koolaid instead converting my triples to mountain doubles. After years of fighting with trying to index front derailers I'm giving up and going friction.
@RollinRat Agree completely. Problem is I've beed trying to shift a double with Shimano indexed mtn bike shifters and getting the front to work is a PAIN! I do have a pair of Campy brifters on a road bike with a travel agent on the rear and it shifts great, both front and rear.
I have better luck with MTB derailleurs. Road derailleurs are designed for big rings 39-52 34-50.
MTBs are better for that 38-24ish. The cages are shallower and don’t hit the tire either.
I love these kind of hack videos.
For the most part bike are total crap these days, not worth the price they're asking.
Personally I feel 1x is a waste of time, not to mention makes zero mechanical sense.
What ever happened to getting a really decent high end bike with top notch components and not have to worry about constant changes in the bike industry. My tools could fix anything on my bikes over the years and now omg! you need special tools every 6 months. It's gotten out of hand and my passion for bike is fading fast.
I find this video very informative but modifying the bike drive is not something I do. I’ve ridden fixed gear, 1x, 2x and 3x interchangeably on appropriate rides with no dislikes of either. Really I’m not very focused on the shifter as long as it works properly so I can focus on my riding. Maybe I need to take a deep dive into the what’s and why’s of 1x vs 2x vs3x and then collect a bunch of old cassettes, chain rings, derailers and cables to build….a bike I already have.
11 speed? 18 speed? Sorry guys, I'm running just one speed and is always the wrong speed
-This comment was made by the Zach Gallardo gang
Spacer for two piece door hinges work good as chain ring spacers.
They can be purchased with an inner diameter of M8 and also have a relatively small outer diameter, so they dont interfere with the chainring and chain.
I guess they are a bit cheaper than designated chain ring spacers and are also more widely available.
Although I have to say, that I don't know anything about US door hinges or door hinges in general lol
Excellent video packed with great information
Surly gen 1 KM rider here.
And a gorilla at that...
3 x on the front, 9 x speed, 2.25" tires, would'nt want it any other way.
2 x would be a minimum, i just dont get that 1 x malarkey, espesh if you tour and ride all types of terrain.
Thinking of trying 3x->2x to add a rock ring. Not sure I'd want to run it like that all the time though, guess it depends on how long it takes to swap back and forth.
going back to double chainring? why on EARTH would you do THAT??!! dont you want to be trendy anymore? all of the Boulder Bicycle Snoots are going to turn up their noses at your bike. c'mon, you don't really like having wider range and better fine tuning, do you? totally not trendy
Gear nerd question: if you space the biggest ring of a 3x (I guess by installing it where the middle ring would be, plus the spacers to move it even further in), how’s the chain line?
I mean, it is probably biased towards lower gears, isn’t it? At least when you use a hollowtech style crankset, with square taper ones you can have the chain line you want.
Shimano still makes 2x and 3x in the alivio range with a few ring configurations for MTB but more important, a trekking set with larger rings. They also happen to make those sets in square, octalink and hollow tech. Not the lightest but well priced, built and available. They also still seem to have some Deore floating around but fewer configurations. Shimano considers these in between gear ranges for trekking and places the trekking gear at the mid range of their MTB gear. You can find it in the Alivio and Deore range with a T on the end or beginning of the part number.
Great stuff, Russ! As a fellow retro grouch who has made this conversion on half a dozen bikes, I can also add: Peter White sells nice TA Specialities chainrings in virtually every tooth size in the universe, which come with ramps/pins to aid shifting. And Riv sells a 'road' version of the front derailer you got, made by IRD, that is optimized for road chain lines
I bought one of those TA chainrings. It was expensive. It’s also the nicest chainring that I’ve ever seen.
@RollinRat Ditto. You can occasionally find them on eBay! Thankfully they tend to last longer than most - I've also had good experience w/ the similar but cheaper Stronglight rings which some sellers sell on eBay and import from the UK.
Origin8 makes spacers too. I used them to adjust a campy 11 crank to 10 speed.
Have you tried a Shimano MTB side swing derailleur?
The best thing since derailleurs were first developed 😊
How about using a triplizer on the outside of a triple crank to go 4x?
Fantastic video! So useful. Thank you
2:38 You could use a mtb derailleur. Btw, 2x is the smarter thing to do, no matter what is cool or what the industry try to implement. To have a cassette with a 51 teeth cog is plain idiotic for multiple reasons.
it's so interesting to watch this when i have the exact opposite mentality. i almost never use the front shifter on my 3x commuter, and i've been riding my 1x mtb so much that when i ride my dads 2x gravel bike, the 2x shifting almost annoys me
For commuting most of us will never be challenged. You will typically get some hills 10 to 20 grade. A couple of hundred metres long at most. And we are cruising up them with our 5 to 10lb rucksacks on. The quads face no real challenge.
If you are bike packing. And moving a total weight in excess of 250lbs. That's when the 2 or 3 by systems come into play. And have their merits. It's horses for courses literally..
Lots of Retrogrouch vibes and bike tinkering advice here. 👍🚴
Man you're going retro 60-70s cool. The prehistoric methods for moving the chain in the front is a gas.