[PMK]

The wife and I picked up a used MTB Tandem and have several rides on some local trails. We love it.

So far each ride has been better than the previous. Our trails have a couple spots that even walking the bike it's so tight and won't round the corners, so we just walk what we must.

So I need ask, what gearing works well for tight technical singletrack stuff.

Presently ours has XT 8speed with a 36 middle chainring and an 11/30 cassette.

At times, it seems we'd like something with a bit more oomph, to power up after near stopping to get around some of the corners. The turns that are tight but ridable we about stop and balance as we round them, then need a big burst to get going again.

I don't prefer dropping to granny, would rather have something where our current 36/30 was more like second or third.

Just curious what others run, any thoughts.

Thanks
PK

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[TandemGeek]

We run 44/34/24 with 11x32 9 speed XT cassette and rarely touch the 44 on single track. Works just fine but we are more or less spinners / finese riders in the technical climbing stuff.

[PMK]

I'm gathering some of the easier bits to go 9 speed. Luckily I have some great longtime friends that want to share some of their stuff, so I've now got the XO shifters and rear der, but have a couple of questions.

If this were single stuff I wouldn't be bothering you guys, but the tandem brings on questions, so I have a few hopefully easy ones.

9 Speed chains, I like SRAM chains for my other bikes but what is the chain of choice for tandems.

In regards to chainrings, presently we have Sugino 74 /110 cranks and I'm not planning to swap yet, so I'd like to find some 9 speed chainrings, probably in steel so they last a little while. I would like to remove the 26/36/48 and run 24/34/46 or 44. So any thoughts on brands as most seem to be aluminum, if you know about steel ones that's good too.

Thanks

PK