Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

1x9 freewheel suggestions

Old 06-03-21, 10:58 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
1x9 freewheel suggestions

Loving my new bike, hate the cassette . 45-11 is just too wide for my type of riding. Basically flat country roads with some gravel. I’m thinking more of a 40-15 but what are you guys running and how do you like the setup?
__________________
Semper fi
sloar is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 12:02 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 506
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 101 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 33 Posts
I think you’ll have trouble finding a 15-40 9s cassette. It’s possible that you could buy two 9s cassettes and mix/match the cogs to get the gears you want, but this might require a bit of digging to find two cassettes that (1) have individual, loose cogs, not one or more “clusters” that are permanently attached and (2) have the right combination of cogs to get the gears you want. I have done this with 8s when I build an 11-18 cassette for my trainer…pretty sure I found literally the only two Sunrace cassettes that would make it work…but it did!

Downside (which I’m about to run into now) is that each time you replace a cassette you are now buying two cassettes. What size chainring(s) and what crankset are you running? If you can downsize the chainrings, you might be able to get a similar range out of a more common 11-32 or 12-36 9s cassette. If you have a double or triple, you might not even need to do that if you are willing to spend more time in the next smaller ring.
wheelsmcgee is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 12:15 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 506
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 101 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 33 Posts
I know it’s a highly individual thing, but since you asked about what gearing we are running: On my main bike I have a 50/34 double paired with an 11-36 cassette (11s). I could actually be fine with wider spacing…so much so that If I had to buy a new crankset today, I’d probably opt for 1x and an 11-42 or 11-46 cassette.
wheelsmcgee is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 12:42 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
42t chainring
__________________
Semper fi
sloar is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 01:18 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kips Bay, NY
Posts: 2,212

Bikes: Ritchey Swiss Cross | Teesdale Kona Hot | Haro Extreme | Specialized Stumpjumper Comp | Cannondale F1000 | Shogun 1000 | Cannondale M500 | Norco Charger | Marin Muirwoods 29er | Shogun Kaze | Breezer Lightning

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 576 Post(s)
Liked 991 Times in 484 Posts
Originally Posted by sloar
42t chainring
You can run a smaller chainring. Since you're asking, my gravel setups are 30/46 x 11-34 and 28/38 x 11-34
DorkDisk is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 02:38 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 506
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 101 Post(s)
Liked 41 Times in 33 Posts
Originally Posted by sloar
42t chainring
42x15-40 covers a very similar range to 34x11-32 or 11-34…not identical, but in the same ballpark. Both 11-32 & 11-34 cassettes are fairly common. Depending on the bolt pattern on your 1x crank (and frame clearances) there is a chance you can find a 34t ring that will fit.
wheelsmcgee is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 03:46 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
msu2001la's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,870
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1455 Post(s)
Liked 1,477 Times in 867 Posts
I run a 42T or 40T with an 11-32 for "basically flat country roads with some gravel". I have 1x11, but the same principal would apply to 9 speed. I have no idea what kind of cassette sizes you can get for 9 speeds these days, so that is probably your limiting factor.
msu2001la is offline  
Old 06-03-21, 09:11 PM
  #8  
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,391 Times in 4,148 Posts
I'm kinda confused on the issue.

A 42t ring with 11-45 cassette is what you currently have and you want to move to a 15-40 cassette?
If that's correct, you are looking to reduce both the low and high gearing. So you don't use the first few small cogs or the last couple large cogs?


If that's correct, then wheelsmcgee ha a solid suggestion- get a smaller ring and smaller overall cassette range.
compare gear inch options on a website and go from there.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 06-04-21, 08:14 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
msu2001la's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,870
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1455 Post(s)
Liked 1,477 Times in 867 Posts
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I'm kinda confused on the issue.

A 42t ring with 11-45 cassette is what you currently have and you want to move to a 15-40 cassette?
If that's correct, you are looking to reduce both the low and high gearing. So you don't use the first few small cogs or the last couple large cogs?


If that's correct, then wheelsmcgee ha a solid suggestion- get a smaller ring and smaller overall cassette range.
compare gear inch options on a website and go from there.
That's how I understand it. Maybe just using a few gears in the middle and not the largest or smallest. A wide range 9 speed cassette has big jumps between gears. It would be annoying on flat road riding where you're only in a few middle gears to deal with that.

A narrower range cassette solves this problem. Given that the OP is riding in the middle of their current cassette with a 42T chainring, I'm not sure what problem a smaller chainring solves. If the OP is really on flat roads only, a 42x32 is likely more than enough for any minimal climbs they encounter. A smaller chainring would just move everything down to the smaller cogs and limit top-end. For flat road riding, I'd rather have extra gears on the high-speed end vs low speed.
msu2001la is offline  
Old 06-04-21, 01:12 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
My biggest complaint is the big jumps in gears. I’m mainly on the 22t and one shift up or down is not a very smooth transition.
__________________
Semper fi
sloar is offline  
Old 06-05-21, 10:34 AM
  #11  
Not lost wanderer.
 
bwilli88's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Lititz, Pa
Posts: 3,359

Bikes: In USA; 73 Raleigh Super Course dingle speed, 72 Raleigh Gran Sport SS, 72 Geoffry Butler, 81 Centurion Pro-Tour, 74 Gugie Grandier Sportier

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 885 Post(s)
Liked 979 Times in 514 Posts
Shimano's 12-36 is one of the best for minimal gaps. I run mine with a 45t for 1x9 or 48x45 for a great half step.
bwilli88 is offline  
Old 06-06-21, 12:45 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 714

Bikes: Dahon Jetstream p8 (sold), customized Dahon Helios x10, customzed Dahon Smooth Hound x9,customized Dahon Hammerhead 8.0 d7, Planet X Free Ranger (mullet setup 1x11), Planet X Giovanissimi 20 (1x9), Frog 52 (1x9) and Frog 48 1s

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 249 Post(s)
Liked 221 Times in 162 Posts
I run my 1x9 with sora groupset. My set is particular as its 11-34x45 but of 20” wheel so on 700, it is equivalent to 11-34x32T which is plenty enough with the child carrier

but, when comparing the gearing with 45T it s the same as my gravel 11x1 10-42x38T minus the hardest and easiest gears (if i put a 43 or 44, i loose the 2 hardest gears) so as I dont use them much is not an issue.

either way, you may want to create a XL sheet with gearing comparisons to see how usual 11x1 are then look at what 9sp cassettes is available to you and derailleur and set the chainring accordingly.

i personally prefer loosing 2 hard gears rather than having big gaps between gears.
Fentuz is offline  
Old 06-09-21, 12:46 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
chas58's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,863

Bikes: too many of all kinds

Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1147 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times in 335 Posts
Originally Posted by sloar
My biggest complaint is the big jumps in gears. I’m mainly on the 22t and one shift up or down is not a very smooth transition.
Good point. A smaller chain ring will bring you into the smaller cogs on the cassette, and that should give you smaller gear jumps. After you do that, you can get a tighter spaced cassette if you don't need the low gears.
chas58 is offline  
Old 06-10-21, 12:56 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Racing Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,224
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 316 Times in 214 Posts
Originally Posted by bwilli88
Shimano's 12-36 is one of the best for minimal gaps. I run mine with a 45t for 1x9 or 48x45 for a great half step.
Yes and the CS-HG201-9 11-32 as well. Very similar gear jumps, but it has to be the HG201. Id get a smaller chain ring tho, no matter if its the 11-32 or the 12-36.

Bicycle Gear Calculator
Racing Dan is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.