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forum
Non-standard gear set-up
My 'do-it-all' Hybrid/Tourer/commuter has MTB gearing on it (44/32/22 with 12-34 cassette) and it looks like the whole lot will need a change in the near future - chainrings, front and rear derailleur etc. My bike mechanic advised I run it all till it's dead and then we'll look at options. I fancied just having 2 chain rings (more simple), but I think a compact will leave me a bit short of gears as it's quite hilly around me and I do occasionally have loaded up panniers, so the 22-34 combo, at times, is quite welcome. I'm not out break speed records so could sacrifice some high gears. Asking my bike man about a single chainring set-up (eg SRAM), his response was that I'd probably run out of high gears. A 34(ish)/22 chainring and 12-34 cassette could be OK but not sure if you can mix and match on gearing?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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5 comments
I love a good frankenbike mash up. I'm thinking of doing my own road mash over winter and running a MTB crankset to make something to tackle steep climbs in a more leisurely, less than 170bpm fashion!
I fitted an MTB chainset with just the middle and outer rings to do the Fred Whitton route last year. The prospect of attempting those passes in 39x26 was too awful to contemplate!
I've since used another old MTB spider (110mm BCD) as a 34/50 or 36/50 (haven't decided which to settle on yet) as a way of testing the idea of going compact full-time - which I will.
I run an Audax bike fitted with a Shimano 105 Triple crank BUT I only fit the inside and the middle rings to give a simple twin chainring setup. I run 42-26 with a 27-12 cassette (long cage 105 derailleur). But it would take a 32 at the back if you wanted to really get low . . .
I converted a mtb/commuter to twin chainrings. It uses 36/22 chainrings and 11-32 cass. It will go up anything and can cruise 16-17mph in top.
I also have a single setup on my proper mtb. It has a 36 chainring and 11-42 cass . It nearly has the same climbing range and speed. Wheel size making the difference.
Not sure what your question is... It reads like your final sentence is really just proposing to get ride of the large chainring (OK, and replacing the middle one with a very slightly larger one). So not really any new mixing-and-matching...
A 34-12 top gear is still pretty low - could you go for, say, a 38t larger ring? Depending on your current chainset, perhaps you could keep the 'spider', replace the inner and middle rings and swap the outer ring for a chainguard - handy for riding in normal trousers.
On the other hand, your situation does sound like a case where a triple is a good solution!