1x10 drivetrain bikepacking in colorado?

[Filterlessjoe]

I'm sure drivetrain questions have been hashed out pretty well here, but I'm wondering if people have advice/experience specific to the rocky steep terrain of the Colorado Rockies under a bikepacking load.

I've only ever ridden a 3x9 on singletrack. I recently purchased a 11-36 10 speed cassette and I have a 32 tooth ring (and a 10sp shifter)

It looks like I'm only losing the bottom three and top two gear ratios.

So what do you think about a 32x11-36?

[THE LONG RANGER]

That's I think, exactly what I used on the Colorado Trail. I did wish I had a smaller gear to be quite honest, just to get over small rocky/rooty patches. My kit was pretty darn light that year.

I tried the same gear ratio on the Arizona Trail and it was not so good. I like the relative simplicity and price, but it just wasn't the right setup for that - (at least the parts I was on) are much more harsh.

I'm running a 2x10 now, and I wanna say my "big" gear is still around 32/34 - I just never needed a larger ring for that in CO bikepacking. I guess my suggestion is, if you have a choice, always choose a smaller gear  

[dream4est]

I ran a 1x10 in CTR with a 30t front chainring and a E13 42t cassette cog replacing the 17t. It felt nearly perfect.
These 42t cogs are like $67 or less if you look hard. Way cheaper than a XX1 drivetrain.

I will never use a front derailleur again.

[Filterlessjoe]

That's I think, exactly what I used on the Colorado Trail. I did wish I had a smaller gear to be quite honest, just to get over small rocky/rooty patches. My kit was pretty darn light that year.

I tried the same gear ratio on the Arizona Trail and it was not so good. I like the relative simplicity and price, but it just wasn't the right setup for that - (at least the parts I was on) are much more harsh.

I'm running a 2x10 now, and I wanna say my "big" gear is still around 32/34 - I just never needed a larger ring for that in CO bikepacking. I guess my suggestion is, if you have a choice, always choose a smaller gear  

Can you estimate the percentage of the time you were really missing the granny?

[Filterlessjoe]

I ran a 1x10 in CTR with a 30t front chainring and a E13 42t cassette cog replacing the 17t. It felt nearly perfect.
These 42t cogs are like $67 or less if you look hard. Way cheaper than a XX1 drivetrain.

I will never use a front derailleur again.

I've never heard of such a thing?! But a little bit of google and I'm intrigued. I just can't envision what it would look like to replace the 17t ring with a huge 42t.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Can you estimate the percentage of the time you were really missing the granny?

Really a hard thing to estimate, as a lot of the CO Trail is just simply a hike-a-bike - you're looking at perhaps half of your time (not distance!) being pushing. There's obviously a ton, ton, ton of other trails out there that are super buff, which you will not have this trouble. With the same setup (and no bags), I've done the Vapor Trail race in Salida, without thinking I need anything lower, until like mile #100, and then I fear I was dealing with some asthma issues.

I dunno about you, but once my legs are a bit fatigued, I just don't have the go-juice to get over the more technical terrain, which eats up a ton of time, when you have to stop, dismount, push 20 feet, mount, pedal, repeat adnauseum. Next time I do one of these races with tons of singletrack, that will be the first thing I'm going to work on (the second being working on my downhill riding skills - meaning, get some!)

[Filterlessjoe]

I wouldn't mind doing a reasonable amount of hike a bike, but half the time is definitely too much. I like dream4ests suggestion for the 42 tooth ring.

That gives the lowest gear combo on my rig a 1.5 gain ratio
The lowest on my old 3x9 was a 1.3

So basically it's only losing the 22x34 combo

[offroute]

I love my 1x set up on my trail bike, and will never need a front der for that riding. I prefer to keep my bikepacker with a 2x10 for the bailout gear. It's 36/22 and 11-36 on a 29er.

[dream4est]

I've never heard of such a thing?! But a little bit of google and I'm intrigued. I just can't envision what it would look like to replace the 17t ring with a huge 42t.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=e13%2042t%20cog&sprefix=e13+42%2Caps%2C719


This is like what I have. There are other brands like Wolftooth and One Up. Makes a 11/36 cassette into  a 11/42.

[THE LONG RANGER]

I wouldn't mind doing a reasonable amount of hike a bike, but half the time is definitely too much.

Hehe, welcome to the Colorado Trail! The hike-a-bike isn't because I couldn't ride the trail, it's because the trail isn't rideable! From Waterton, once you hit, say, treeline of the 10 Mile Traverse, you'll start hitting parts where it's just too steep to do anything but push. If you're touring, there's bailout options in some places - for example, here you could just ride around (instead of traverse), there's a bike path that parallels I-70. You'll miss the Traverse to ~12k (hard!), but you'll also miss the downhill, which I def. found enjoyable. Check yer brakes!

[joeydurango]

Yeah, the CT has plenty of mandatory hiking.

I've done it once on a 1x9 and once on a 1x10, and I found that to work out well for me.  I'm an SS guy, so having any extra gears feels great, but essentially I've found that if I can't push the 32x36 up something, I'll be walking it just as fast anyway and taking a break from pedaling.

[Filterlessjoe]

I've heard people try it ss. Is that true?

[joeydurango]

Not only have people tried it, but they've done it - and won it, speaking of the CTR - on SS.  The CT is a tough trail but you're going to walk a lot regardless of your setup, and some people are just that into the SS.

Personally, I love riding single and have spent almost 100% of my time on SS over the last seven years, but when it comes to a big, mountainous bikepacking trip, I don't see any reason to make myself walk even more than I would with a few gears - and I actually enjoy hike-a-bike!

[Filterlessjoe]

Just got my xt 10 speed cassette (11/36). I'm gonna run it with my 32t ring in front and no FD until I can't take it any more then maybe I'll get one of those 42 tooth rings. I LOVE simplicity, and if people are bikepacking ss then I should have no excuse.

[bakerjw]

Fantastic thread! Thanks for all of the informative posts.

I recently became horribly intrigued with the Tour Divide. My plan is to tour out of Banff next summer and perhaps try the whole route the following year. With that goal in mind, I'm putting the pieces of the puzzle together. i.e. Increasing my personal fitness, picking up gear as needed, and assembling a bike.

For the assembling a bike part of the puzzle. It will be a 29" aluminum frame of some sort. I have opted to focus on a 1x10 setup with a Shimano XTR RD. What kind of RD are you folks using on your 1x10s?

I currently have a Giant TCR carbon road bike that I love and a Giant Talon mountain bike that I also love. But, once I get the TDR 29er assembled, I will weight it as would be expected on the TDR route and that will be my ride all bike. Commute to work? Ride the TDR. Go do repetitive mountain climbs? Ride the TDR. Go play on single track? Ride the TDR. I'll still occasionally get on the tandem with the wife and use my old Scwhinn circuit

[dream4est]

I am back to 30t with just a 11/36 cassette. E13 42t cog was a dismal failure. Worn after 575 miles (CTR plus tune up ride). I am pretty bummed

??

I may try the Wolftooth or One Up 42t cog. Or I may just stick to the stock 1x10  with 30/36 as a granny gear. Or I may go 11 speed. I just dont like the idea of paying for 11 speed! Huge cash even at ebay prices.

In CTR I have to admit I used the 30/42 a lot. I also just walked a bunch after giving up in 30/36 and not shifting into 30/42. So I know I will miss the gear some.

I would also say that Sram 10sp 1070 cassettes sound tinny and lame compared to Shimano 9sp XT. YMMV

[Filterlessjoe]

I am back to 30t with just a 11/36 cassette. E13 42t cog was a dismal failure. Worn after 575 miles (CTR plus tune up ride). I am pretty bummed

??

I may try the Wolftooth or One Up 42t cog. Or I may just stick to the stock 1x10  with 30/36 as a granny gear. Or I may go 11 speed. I just dont like the idea of paying for 11 speed! Huge cash even at ebay prices.

In CTR I have to admit I used the 30/42 a lot. I also just walked a bunch after giving up in 30/36 and not shifting into 30/42. So I know I will miss the gear some.

I would also say that Sram 10sp 1070 cassettes sound tinny and lame compared to Shimano 9sp XT. YMMV

Wow that's really a drag. The E13 sounded so promising. Thanks for the heads up on the wear though. If you end up trying a wolf tooth or one up, let us know. They looked solid to me, but what do I know?

[rick miller]

Interesting to hear your experience with the E13, Dream4est.  I rode the AZT 300 this year 32x12/36 with a x7 rd on a ht ti 29er, which worked pretty well, but I decided I wanted a lower gear for the CTR, so I ordered a Oneup 40t (with the included 16).  Rode that setup for a few weeks prior to the CTR, including a couple multidayers, and the CTR and have no noticeable wear.  Also, the function has been nearly flawless, requiring only minor barrel adjustment during the race.  The gearing worked ok, but in hindsight I think a 30, or even a 28 chainring would be ok for the CTR as there isn't much flat ground for spinning out.  Like Joeyd, I ride mostly ss and have adapted that syle to geared bikepacking - a bit more walking and lots of low cadence standing/mashing, which reduces many overuse physical issues.  So 1x might not be or everyone but it seems to work well for me.

[dream4est]

I thought the 42t cog worked well. I swapped a new chain for the used chain and the cog skips under load. I havent tried to swap the front chainring yet to see if it is worn out too, but it seems okay climbing in 30/36 and my last race face narrow wide chainring lasted the whole TD.

Rick have you changed chains yet?

[rick miller]

Rick have you changed chains yet?

No.  How much stretch did you have?