noodle soup

Erzulis Boat 

Nothing to consider.

Cross chaining is biggest/smallest-smallest/biggest- This term has been around for ages, and denotes exactly that, and nothing more.

Any discussion relative to friction, optimization, or deflection is past the limits of the term.

Seriously.

cycledogg

Huh? I thought it was biggest/biggest-smallest/smallest.

rpenmanparker 

Yes. I made the same mistake. I wish I could say it was from from reading his post.

yooperbiker

That picture is ridiculous. In the middle ring of a triple you can use any of your rear cogs. Maybe not ideal, but real world. Do it on my mountain bike all the time.

Solve the issue by going 1x11 drivetrain. I think we will see a lot more of this on bikes soon.

fietsbob

Place the chainrings 6+ feet away from the Rear wheel and the angle of your chain line variance will be smaller.

corrado33

On my double, like others have said, it's only big-big and small-small that I avoid. But generally I'll avoid the lower third of the cassette when in the small ring just because I like to be in the big ring and that's roughly where the gears ratios cross over significantly. It may be a placebo, but it seems like I feel more resistance in the small ring/small cogs combination. (And knowing that smaller cogs/rings do cause more friction doesn't help )

Anything else on a double is pretty much crazy. No one who rides a double or compact double wants to be switching to the small ring just to hit one gear instead of simply going to the next higher cog on the cassette, even if that means cross chaining a bit. (I'm not talking about big big, that's generally a no-no in any situation.)

On my triple bikes (road and mountain) the middle ring gets to every cog on the 8 speed, and I *try* to avoid the lowest and highest cog on the 10 speed. The smallest ring is generally only used with the big cogs and visa-versa. Not by choice, that's just how it turns out.

Erzulis Boat 

Yikes! Of course that is what I meant!

Brian Ratliff

Since 9 speed came out, cross chaining has been an entire non-issue. The entire mythology of cross chaining was developed during the bad old days of 8 speed and lower. Chains are really good now.

caloso

I think it's only meant to convey optimal chain lines.

Bike Gremlin

+1

Like the text above and below the picture explained.

Bike Gremlin

8 speed chains last as long, if not longer than 9 and 10 speed chains.

Cross chaining always wears chain faster. Moderate cross chaining not so much. Generally, two thirds of the cassette sprockets closest to the chainring are safe.

dcsix

You'll have to excuse me, but after reading through this for a few, my head is going to explode. I'll stick with my way: It's 2015, I ride the combo that is comfortable for what I'm trying to accomplish. I'll buy a new chain every 2-3 years. Life is good. Life is uncomplicated.

rpenmanparker 

Who knew this conservative cross chaining attitude even existed. BTW that was a rhetorical question.

RPK79

Just don't cross the streams.

Andy Somnifac 

Actually, I don't think about it. If it takes 10% of life off a chain, I really don't care. Chains are not expensive.

Andy Somnifac 

Every 2-3 years?

Bob Ross

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you've been riding a geared bike for a very long time (e.g., more than 20 years) and you probably started on a 5- or 6-speed cluster, right?

The whole concept of what cross-chaining is -- and, perhaps even more importantly, why it's important not to do it -- is very different for people who became serious cyclists in the 1960s/70s/80s compared to people whose only experience with a geared bike is on a 9-, 10-, or 11-speed.

On a typical road bike from, say, 1985, with 52/42 chainrings and a 6- or 7-speed freewheel, OP has the right idea: The middle of the cluster can be shared, but as soon as the chainline gets slightly skewed, drivetrain efficiency and parts life can indeed become compromised.

But on a typical roadbike from 2015 with 50/34 chainrings and a 10- or 11-speed cassette, the world's yer oyster: You can almost get away with the Big/big or Small/small combinations, and you can definitely ride to your heart's content in other combinations with non-straight chainlines and you won't compromise performance nor parts life.

People can call it "cross-chaining" all they want, but unless they can define why it's ostensibly bad, it's a meaningless term. Most folks I hear chortling about how "it's bad to cross-chain!" are just spewing an anachronistic bogeyman.

dcsix

Is that a question? I went too long-4 years-and learned my lesson, my point is it's a wear item and has to be watched.

RPK79

Depending on mileage and conditions I don't see an issue with a new chain every 2-3 years.

K.Katso

Exactly, and yet the myth lives on. It's even more of a non-issue now with electronic shifting. I'm a completely non-repentant cross-chainer since I started using Di2. It just doesn't matter, and the quality of the chains nowadays means I really don't have to care. The way I see it-- if it doesn't grind, it's fair game.

Andy Somnifac 

Just seems like a long time to me. I've had years I've gone through at least 2-3 chains.

dksix

As of now, both my bikes are triples. I have had a tendency to not want to shift up and down the chainrings due to the shifting not working great (which was both adjustment issues as well as technique). I am new to riding and I am working on becoming a better technical rider. Since I've gotten a computer that monitors cadence, I have worked on getting better at maintaining a cadence as well as finding what suits me best. I feel I'm better pulling a harder gear and keeping a slower cadence. With my 40 middle ring and 12-25 8 speed cassette and rolling to hilly roads here in the mountains I find myself really staying on the middle ring most of the time now. I'll stay on the middle ring and use all the cassette on going up to the big ring on flats and downhills (I'm not a good descender) using the 12, 13 and 14 cogs and down to the small ring for hard climbs in which I'll use my 30 small ring with 23 and 25 cogs.

I'm not fast, still haven't been able to break a 16 MPH average for a 20+ mile ride. I think I could ride faster but I ride alone and enjoy it too much. I start out hard but always seem to get in the relaxed, laid-back, stress free zone and just enjoy myself and the ride. I'll probably start riding with some local guys next season and hope that the speed comes easy once my endurance and technique are better.

TCR Rider

+1 I've read three pages of posts waiting to see if someone was going to mention this. I had been avoiding the big -big combo on my 10 speed Ultegra but when I got the new bike with Di2 I read that cross chaining was a non issue. I tried it when riding some punchy rollers. I kept shifting up the cassette while in the 52 all the way to the 28. No chatter or perceivable friction so as far as I'm concerned it's good to go. BTW I got very close to 5K on my last chain.

dcsix

Andy, either you're just a full stud destroying chains with all the mashing, or you ride on salted icy roads and put it away wet
So, seriously now, which is it? That just seems like overkill..but I'm just a lil ol 2500-3000 mile a year guy.