Mountain Biking - three rings, two rings or one ring?

whats your choice for the front crankset, for what kind of riding and why?

discuss:

2 rings.

I never used my 44T. Bashguard has proved itself far more useful.

1 ring with chainguide for all riding.

Reasons: simpler, quieter, looks cleaner.

Three rings... because ....I have seen no need to modify the default settings?


Admittedly I have a bash guard on my freeride bike. And I'm not sure I've ever used the small ring on my XC bike... i think if my granny ring was stolen it would take me weeks or months to notice.

My hardtail served me as both a commuter and a XC ride so I kept the 3 rings plus a bashguard. I am now building a FS that will serve only XC duties and will go with a 2-ring setup with a bashguard.

3 rings.. its hilly where i live.. although I rarely use the granny.

currently running 2 rings + bash. (got a DRS on backorder that should hopefully be on its way soon).

mostly use the middle ring, but like the granny there for some of the short steep climbs where i ride when i don't feel like walking up :o .

3 rings but i try to stay out of the granny as much as possible. sometimes i feel weak and need to put it in the granny, so i keep it on. i don't really have any need for a bashguard.

i have bikes with both 2 & 3, bashguards on both set ups as well

Most don't go to the trouble, but there are many chain ring sizes to choose from...my wife's FS has a 22/38 which eliminates the need for the 44 and when combined with her 11/34T 9 spd cog set it climbs like a goat

why not try exploring some front and rear combinations...see what works best for you

one. because i never use the rest anyway.

Double with a bash. Keep thinking about ditching the granny, but I'm fat and slow and will keep it until I'm fitter and stronger!

3 rings, I never use the 22t ring(exceptions would include extremely steep uphill, which I rarely encounter). I use the largest and second largest.

I'd have 4 if they made such a thing but I stick with 3 as thats the most options they currently make.
I like choices and "its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it" to me.
bent a few teeth on the big ring today hopping a fallen tree.

1 ring : 18t

Two with a bash guard and a really crazy set up on my SS.......one in front.

Have 3, use 2. I don't think I've ever used the biggest ring in front while on the dirt (I use it when I'm on the road). I'm in the middle ring 99% of the time and there is only one short, steep, section where I've used the little ring.

2 with a bashgaurd and tensioner...been thinking of ditching the granny and tossing on a guide, but I'll admit I still need it on the climbs at times.

Three rings. "minus one" Gotta watch out for that third ring...


DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!!..................:eek:

no rings, coast it up the hills :D

One ring... and one cog in the back.

2 rings with bash guard and have really considered going to just 1 since I"ve not used my small ring in months.

DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!!..................:eek:

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring BANANA PHONE!!!

I use 3 rings 44/32/22 though I wouldn't mind using some sort of bash guard in place of the big ring.

whats your choice for the front crankset, for what kind of riding and why?

discuss:

common guys, you missed the parts about what type of riding, why you made your choice and of course the 'discuss' part. this isn't a survey, i'd like to see some discusion about why your chainring choice suites your needs.

my cross country bikes have three. these get riddin almost exclusivly at pine haven up in michigan. lots of rolling steep hills where i frequently need the granny gear to top out on them and get in the big ring on the way down.

however now i'm building a bike for some urban stuff around chicago, which with a change of tires can be my trail bike on our local trails, maybe even some playtime and dirtjumping at CPX. i'm thinking i would like to do a 1x9 and run a chainguide/bashring setup, but i'm not entirely sure about it.

i, and i think many of us could benifit from some shared experience and discusions on this topic.

For my XC riding I never needed the big ring but because I used my hardtail for commuting, I was always on the big ring.

I'm building a dedicated XC bike right now and decided against the big ring for the above reason. I also know that I will gain higher ground clearance by removing the big ring and replacing it with a bashguard. I'll likely go with one of the plastic ones as they apparently slide over obstacles better than the AL ones do.

Three rings, I am still "granny gear dependent", my goal is not to dismount! I mostly use the middle ring on descent and the largest one for the road.

i run a 1x9 setup, 36t in the front, on the trails I ride, i never had use for my 44t except for rare occassions and i never dropped down into the granny ring, i always was able to climb and whatever else with 32t in the middle so when i went with a 1 ring set up i chose 36 to give a little more top end and chose a 12-34 cassette to occomdate for the loss of granny gear, now it's perfect

I think I did my answer, except that I ride all kinds in all conditions but mostly aggressive xc, in post 13.

Is there a bash guard that will accomodate three rings?

Is there a bash guard that will accomodate three rings?
yes. blackspire (http://www.blackspire.com/chain-guards/) makes a couple. they're one of the few companies i know that make them.

3 rings for hilly terrain, 2 rings for a bash guard, 1 ring to rule them all... ok that was dumb i'm not a nerd i swear. ok maybe i am a nerd, but not a big LOTR fan.. i have 3 on mine, i'm mostly in the middle one but i like going fast on downhills and on roads so i use the biggun sometimes, and i'm about 200lbs and not in great shape so the granny gear is there when i need it. oh and i have bad ankles so i can't hike-a-bike very far.

I would love to get a bash guard i just use my third gear way to much. If it ever gets too beat up ill replace it with a bash guard, also im sick of it ripping my pants.

yes. blackspire (http://www.blackspire.com/chain-guards/) makes a couple. they're one of the few companies i know that make them.




Yep, looks like exactly what I am looking for. Thanks Rasheed. Can anyone help me with the bolt pattern? I have a 44T, 4 bolt Tuvativ Trushift. Came stock on my GT.

Blackspire XC Guards are 305g’s of rock crackin’ heavy metal!

Made to protect the BIG RING from hazardous riding conditions
1/2” Thick Aluminum, this is the BEEFIEST chainring protector out there!
The big ring protector is mounted on the outside to cover all three rings.
Available in 5 BCD’s
104, 94, 94sugino fit 42t – 44t rings
110, 112 fit 44t – 46t rings

I would love to get a bash guard i just use my third gear way to much. If it ever gets too beat up ill replace it with a bash guard, also im sick of it ripping my pants.

you can have a bash guard and a 3rd ring. see scavenger's post. i would get one but i mostly ride in shorts, don't mind chainring tatoos, and i rarely hit stuff with my big ring, and when i do its just a fallen log, very very rarely do i hit rocks.

I think I got it. 104MM CTC diagonally.

2 rings.

I never used my 44T. Bashguard has proved itself far more useful.

I agree 100%

I'm a XC rider and the only thing the big ring ever did was slow me down on the 100 log crossings I deal with. Bashguard = smooth fast riding over log crossings.

2 rings since i never used the big one. now there's some piece of plastic with "e thirteen" on it.

1 ring...cuz I'm ripped as hell!!:D

I use to have that Blackspire Big Ring Protector you guys are talking about a LONG time ago. I guess it was good but it was metal soo....not that good.

1 on both my sleds:
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jdwine/DIRTBAG%20001.jpg
-that bike now has blinger wheels and blinger pedals and a smokin sexy clear red e13 bashgaurd-

the other bike is in transit... Spec. P3

HOLYCRAP!!!!!!!! haha yeah sry bout that pic... hahahah

I run mine with what it came with, 22, 32, 42 on the front... but 28 is my largest cog on the back.. so I need the granny as I ride ATV trails with some steep hills. The big one is good for long downills and the road, at times it can leave a nice looking mark on some logs.

1 up front one in the rear with the mtb, 1 up front 1 with the rear with the roadie

Three rings, used all three today on the dirt.

One Ring to ride them all
One Ring to climb them
One Ring to bring them all
and in the singletrack bind them

I like 3 rings...2 rings....and one ring.... just happen to have 3 is all. :)

1 ring + E-13 bash + E-13 SRS = perfection...

On the singlespeed - 1 ring [32T]
On the geared bike - 3 rings [42-32-22 I think]

The SS wouldn't be a SS with more than one ring. I use it as my winter commuter and for Fish Creek singletrack. My goal is to do Sulphur Springs on it one day, but I don't know how I'd ever maintain traction. Mad Skillz, perhaps?

The geared bike goes anywhere I want it to. I use the middle and granny a fair bit, since I spend a lot of time grinding up technical climbs. Most of the places I ride can't be shuttled, so all the gears get worked.

I did some riding around Seattle and in the Hood River area back in October. I noticed that almost every trail involves some sort of heinous fire road trudge. I've never seen so much crappy gravel road in my life! Why are so many trails like that? Around here, most trails are loops, and can usually be done in either direction. It's seldom that a ride will start or finish on any kind of road, although there are occaionally road sections in the middle. Discuss!

I did some riding around Seattle and in the Hood River area back in October. I noticed that almost every trail involves some sort of heinous fire road trudge. I've never seen so much crappy gravel road in my life! Why are so many trails like that? Around here, most trails are loops, and can usually be done in either direction. It's seldom that a ride will start or finish on any kind of road, although there are occasionally road sections in the middle. Discuss!Because you were off the lonesome high prairie and in God's country :D - - where there are mountains. Ya gotta go up to enjoy the ride down. Seriously, though, I'm trying to plan out a Spring Pacific Northwest Forum Ride that'll give you a better taste of our area. Stay tuned.

To our OP - 2 rings and a bash for general trail riding - - because I usually don't need the big; one big ring/bash/chain guide for DH because I have to to keep the chain under control. Ring's got to be pretty big for some of the real fast ski slope courses, though I think I'm going down to a 38t next season. It'll work better in my guide and it should be tall enough for most courses.

Because you were off the lonesome high prairie and in God's country :D - - where there are mountains. Ya gotta go up to enjoy the ride down. Seriously, though, I'm trying to plan out a Spring Pacific Northwest Forum Ride that'll give you a better taste of our area. Stay tuned.
Based on your comments, I'm going to assume you've never been riding around here. :roflmao: Yes, we too have mountains, and we go up to get down. However, our climbs are typically on singletrack. Perhaps you've heard of it... ;)

Giving you a bad time, pinkrobe :D Shucks, you guys have the real thing - the Rockies. I do want to get up there.

I'm going to insist on going up on my station's (KSPS) next event up there and DRIVING up (so I can take the bike). Besides your 'real' singletrack, have you ridden much at C.O.P.? It looks fun from the trailer I saw on their web site. Not a lot of vertical, but it looks like they make good use of it.

I just received a Black Spire big ring protector. It is the proper part but the replacement threaded bolts are 2-3mm too long and a fraction too small diameter for the existing nuts. Any suggestions as to where might I find alternate fasteners?