MTB 34T vs 36T Chainring

[Bitsy]

Hello guys,

 

I have been riding a 24/34T chainring and 11/40 11s sprocket for the past 2 years and really enjoyed it. Just completed my first 947 on it as well. The training I did for the 947 was a lot of spinning and at least twice a week a 35km on the bike. Im no pro, so I was satisfied with the 4:30 time I did on my MTB (next yer def doing it on a road bike though).

Last week I upgraded my front chainring to a 26/36T and did a ride similar to what I used to do BEFORE the 947 training and felt it really really difficult.

 

I felt I was changing gears all the time and couldn't get the rhythm. So I'm thinking its one of three things

1. The gearing doesn't match my riding style

2. The 36T makes me use different muscles and I need to start developing them.

3. It was just a bad day

 

What are your guys though.....I felt worst after the weekend 45 MTB ride than the 947!

 

 

 

[King_Crispy]

It's a change from what you're used to. Doesn't matter that it's only a small change, you're used to the cadence etc. Don't worry about it, you'll adapt quickly. You've bought the chainrings, use them now. And beware of changes in future

[Christofison]

I'll be doing something similar, swapping my 24/38 out for a 26/40. Will let you know if I experience the same.

 

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[JXV]

I assume this is on a 29er?

The longer gearing is nice on the open road. You'll adjust quickly so stick with it. 34/24 is really quite short gearing for a 2x system.

 

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[awesme]

Hi,

 

I've changed to a 1x11 with a 34 front and 11-42 rear, I use to run (3x10, 11-34)

I'm changing my wife to a 1x11, 36 front, 11-46 rear, she's coming from a 2x10, 28/38 front and 11-36 rear)

 

y thinking is the 11 with 36 will give her flat speed and the 11 with 46 should still allow her to climb anything.

 

G

[mtbDobby]

I also run the 24/34 11-40 and feel I'm short on top end and never seem to use the "easy gears" - I'm from jhb north and never drop to small chain ring on local rides....giving serious thought to converting to 26/36 option. How many people out there run 26/36 option on 11-40 cassette? How does one go about determine how best to make this decision?

[Bitsy]

 

So I used a site that calculates the distance covered per pedal revolution ( Bike 1 = old config; Bike 2 = new config)

http://www.berkshiresports.org/index.php?ID=bikegearcalculator

 

If I understand it correctly, the 36/26 paired with the 11/40 11s is a better than the 34/24 since there is no duplicate gears. However, you do require additional strength to keep up the cadence- distance covered being the benefit though (4 inches per revolution from baseline).

 

What I found that was that when I upgraded to the 36/26, my cadence dropped as I pushed bigger gears, leading me to be quite exhausted halfway through the ride and switching between gears quite a lot.

 

Guess I will keep the config for a month and see if it gets better. 

 

Btw I normally ride Jhb West and East....

 

 

[mtbDobby]

thanks for the feedback....so my logic says that it would be of benefit to upgraded, granted you may need to push more power but you have insurance of more gears that you can use as opposed to the gears I am not currently using?!

[Christofison]

 

 

... and the 36 with 46 should still allow her to climb anything.

Fixed.

 

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[Lance Stephenson]

Hello guys,

 

I have been riding a 24/34T chainring and 11/40 11s sprocket for the past 2 years and really enjoyed it. Just completed my first 947 on it as well. The training I did for the 947 was a lot of spinning and at least twice a week a 35km on the bike. Im no pro, so I was satisfied with the 4:30 time I did on my MTB (next yer def doing it on a road bike though).

Last week I upgraded my front chainring to a 26/36T and did a ride similar to what I used to do BEFORE the 947 training and felt it really really difficult.

 

I felt I was changing gears all the time and couldn't get the rhythm. So I'm thinking its one of three things

1. The gearing doesn't match my riding style

2. The 36T makes me use different muscles and I need to start developing them.

3. It was just a bad day

 

What are your guys though.....I felt worst after the weekend 45 MTB ride than the 947!

Listen mate, this gear ratio change is only part of this equation.  Terrain plays it's part in this dilemma.  947 may be more fast rolling hills and your other 45km ride may be lots of short sharp and steep climbs, this may make the gear ratio feel really really hard.  I would say this, we become very used the gears we climb in, and the change in cadence/torque and speed are all things that make it difficult.  It's not all bad, I train my base miles over this period in bigger gears and lower cadence, and then in race season, swap my sprockets to smaller ones for higher cadence and efficiency.  Get your legs stronger, and train, just be careful to not hurt your knees, if your knees hurt......stop immediately and reduce the distance and severity of your riding until you are used to it.  Progress from that.

[JXV]

 

 

Hi,

 

I've changed to a 1x11 with a 34 front and 11-42 rear, I use to run (3x10, 11-34)

I'm changing my wife to a 1x11, 36 front, 11-46 rear, she's coming from a 2x10, 28/38 front and 11-36 rear)

 

y thinking is the 11 with 36 will give her flat speed and the 11 with 46 should still allow her to climb anything.

 

G

36t front in a 1x system needs quite strong legs especially if its a 29er. Most are running 32t or 34t. Depends on the hills where you ride.

 

If she was happy with her 2x gearing then the 11-46 with 36t front gives almost the same climbing ratio in granny but there is a bigger gap to the other gears. 28/38 is an unusual combo for Shimano 2x10. Normally they were 24/36, 24/38 (am set), 26/38 (ak set) and 28/40

 

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[gtr1]

I think it is a mindset. There is almost no difference in the ratios. You can find just as easy gears on both option to spin.

[awesme]

Stand corrected, could have been 24/38-

SRAM 2x setup.

 

Still happy with the idea of 1x11 36 front, 11-47 rear, with that 36 front onto the 46 rear should give her the climb anything.

 

Consider most are doing a 32 front with a 42 rear, or a 11-40 with a 30 or 32 rear.

8 and 10 tooth difs, this is giving her a 12 tooth dif.

 

and ye she might have some larger gaps, but at that time, when getting into those gears its about hanging on...

 

G

 

36t front in a 1x system needs quite strong legs especially if its a 29er. Most are running 32t or 34t. Depends on the hills where you ride.

If she was happy with her 2x gearing then the 11-46 with 36t front gives almost the same climbing ratio in granny but there is a bigger gap to the other gears. 28/38 is an unusual combo for Shimano 2x10. Normally they were 24/36, 24/38 (am set), 26/38 (ak set) and 28/40

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[JXV]

Stand corrected, could have been 24/38-

SRAM 2x setup.

 

Still happy with the idea of 1x11 36 front, 11-47 rear, with that 36 front onto the 46 rear should give her the climb anything.

 

Consider most are doing a 32 front with a 42 rear, or a 11-40 with a 30 or 32 rear.

8 and 10 tooth difs, this is giving her a 12 tooth dif.

 

and ye she might have some larger gaps, but at that time, when getting into those gears its about hanging on...

 

G

its not the number of teeth difference that determines gearing its the ratio between gear sizes.

So

Your 34 front 42 rear combo has a ratio of 0.81. 1 full rotation of the crank turns rear wheel 0.81 of a rotation.

 

In the same way her new 36/46 combo gives 0.78...only a fraction easier than yours.

 

Her previous SRAM setup, depending the small ring size would have given:

with 28.... 28/36 = 0.78 same

with 26.....26/36 = 0.72 easier

with 24....24/36 = 0.67 much easier

 

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