Damn Front Derailleurs

[Kram]

Is the solution this simple?

I was checking out the article with the 9 tooth cog on Brendan's bike and it seems to me that a 9-36T cassette with a 32T chainring will eliminate the need for a front derailleur. No need for ISCG tabs like Hammerschmidt, lighter and better looking. Reduced chainline issues from running small front rings with VPP or other platforms affected by this. Choice of chainguides. Multiple shifter/company options, with more groups likely to come in the future.

Is there a downside? Wear could be one, but I don't see being in the smallest cog for extended periods under heavy load. If they sold replacement cogs individually this would be less of a problem.

I would jump on this tomorrow. My FD and dual chainguide, combined with pedal feedback with 26T make it the weekest link on my Blur 4X.

Thoughts?

[Porkchop]

PFFFT Derailers

single speed for the win. I will never go back to derailers

[raganwald]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

PFFFT Derailers

PFFFT Chain drive



But seriously...

What about running a Rohloff? You get fourteen speeds and the chain line benefits of a single speed.

[kperras]

I'm running a 34T ring with a XX 11-36 cassette and its the shit. having a 9T cog would be sweeter for the road races home from the trails

[tomdaus]

For an AM rig I think a 32 would be too big for me, but I'm a mere mortal and love my 22-32 grandmother gear and it's 17.9" gear it produces. If I could get my hands on this:
http://www.hammerheadbikes.com/forum...hp?topic=763.0
I could burn my FD and shifter, throw the remnants into a duck pond, and go win the Crankworks Air DH, then spawn all night with the female dogs I pick up at the Longhorn.

[Kram]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

PFFFT Derailers

single speed for the win. I will never go back to derailers

Awesome. Let me see you climb value added in Squamish and then keep speed down skookum. I like a little range.

Originally Posted by raganwald

What about running a Rohloff? You get fourteen speeds and the chain line benefits of a single speed.

Aren't they like $2000 and 2000g?

Originally Posted by kperras

I'm running a 34T ring with a XX 11-36 cassette and its the shit. having a 9T cog would be sweeter for the road races home from the trails

I've thought about doing that, but it's not quite enough range I think. I'd really need a 32T or even 31T that Fairclough's running to get up some of the stuff I like to ride and then I've got really crap high end. But it's a consideration.

[clarklewis]

9-36 would only be enough range around here on a really light bike that climbs well (ie. xc race bike), unless you're a mutant and can mash all the way up brothers creek, diamondhead, the flank, nimby, etc.
hammerschmidt is perfect for a burly hardtail (ie. chromag), but many squishy bikes pedal poorly with it.
rohloff is too much weight where you don't want it, and expensive (though one could argue for its potential long-term cost savings after a few discarded $200 derailleurs and cassettes).

[Oldfart]

You'd get a decent range but with large jumps between the gears.

[jvp]

I'm eagerly waiting for 1x10 on my next DH bike to lose the front derailleur. 9x36 would be really great, and with a 32 up front would be killer for my kind of riding, which involves a lot of pedaling to the top. After adding an SS hardtail to my lineup, the larger jump between gears sounds just fine.

The downside I can see is that 9 tooth would take a different hub/cassette setup, and thus another friggin' standard. I guess the lockring could also function as your 9 tooth, but I'm not sure how you'd get the teeth to line up right.

11-36 with a 32 and a sandwich plate will be just fine for me. Maybe keep a 36 tooth ring laying around for Whistler and shuttle runs.

I know a couple guys running an Alfine rear hub, and they've actually been reliable. Sample size of 2 doesn't mean much, though. A 8 sp with super wide gearing the equivalent of equivalent of 9-36 would be sweet on the DH sled...for non-racing.

[Porkchop]

Originally Posted by Kram

Awesome. Let me see you climb value added in Squamish and then keep speed down skookum. I like a little range.



Aren't they like $2000 and 2000g?



I've thought about doing that, but it's not quite enough range I think. I'd really need a 32T or even 31T that Fairclough's running to get up some of the stuff I like to ride and then I've got really crap high end. But it's a consideration.

I have never had a problem riding any trails on the shore, woodlot, Eagle,veddder, and beyond, so far so good And climbing is easy for the most part so single speed works great for me on my bottlerocket. 16tooth in the rear 32up front

Never ridden in squamish before

[Dean W]

I'll keep using what works for me. Some cool things should be coming down the pipe in the next few years.