Sauce for the goose: someone posting about weight loss in the MTB subforum today made me do the math. You can save about 11 oz with the XT single vs the XT triple... depending on your choices. But the range is definitely reduced. Do you need that bottom or that top?

[TABLE="width: 513"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]triple[/TD]
[TD]single[/TD]
[TD]note[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]left shifter weight[/TD]
[TD]115[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]listed "230g/pair"[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]right shifter weight[/TD]
[TD]115[/TD]
[TD]115[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]FD weight[/TD]
[TD]151[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]high clamp band[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]FD cable weight[/TD]
[TD]neglected[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]crankset weight[/TD]
[TD]774[/TD]
[TD]694[/TD]
[TD]32 for single, 30 and 34 available[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RD weight[/TD]
[TD]275[/TD]
[TD]271[/TD]
[TD]sgs for triple, gs for single[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]cassette weight[/TD]
[TD]411[/TD]
[TD]450[/TD]
[TD]11-40 for triple, 11-46 for single[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]weight difference[/TD]
[TD]1841[/TD]
[TD]1530[/TD]
[TD]311 difference - 11 oz[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]top ring teeth[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]top cog teeth[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]bottom ring teeth[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]bottom cog teeth[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]46[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]top ratio[/TD]
[TD]3.64[/TD]
[TD]2.91[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]bottom ratio[/TD]
[TD]0.55[/TD]
[TD]0.70[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]total range[/TD]
[TD]6.61[/TD]
[TD]4.18[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]top gear inches 29er[/TD]
[TD]105.45[/TD]
[TD]84.36[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]bottom gear inches 29er[/TD]
[TD]15.95[/TD]
[TD]20.17[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]