29er Gear set-ups

lawndart

Shop: Campmor
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In the midst of building up a Niner MCR. Just wondering how people have their 29ers set-up. 1x9, 2x9, 3x9? I was leaning towards 2x9 w/ a 24, 36. Or a 1x9 w/ a 32 or 34. Ride mostly Ringwood, Jungle Habitat, Hartshorne, Stewart and Blue Mtn.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I've done all 3. As a 1x9 I ran a 32T, as a 2x9 I ran a 32/42, and as a 3x9 I run a 22/32/42. 11/32 cassette. I've never used the granny gear but it's good to keep on just in case you drop the chain, it'll save your frame and make it easier to just shift back up into the middle ring without losing any time. You also won't spend a lot of time in the big ring on a 29er, but when you do, it's like having NOS:D

-Jim.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
You also won't spend a lot of time in the big ring on a 29er, but when you do, it's like having NOS:D

-Jim.

Like when I am riding home from C-rock.. and going down Steele Gap rd....
Big Ring = faaaaaast...
 

C.Puncher

New Member
3 X 9 I like the big ring for distance riding. I don't use it often in the woods. If you do any rides on canal path types, it's handy for training.
 

Purple Liquid

Shop: Efinger
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My friend is experimenting with a 2x9 setup.... 29/39 with an 12-26 in the rear. The 29 tooth is an odd size for his BCD, which is on his 950 XTR crank, but he found one.

I had yet to ride it, but the set up seems pretty sweet.

I run 3x9 with an 11-32.
 

jbogner

NYCMTB: President
JORBA.ORG
I tried running a 24/36 on my 29er to get a good mid-range spread back in 2005. Ran into some serious issues with chainring/chainstay clearance- the hardtail frame was not designed for anything bigger than a 22 on the inside. Due to flex, the chainring actually gouged out a channel in the chainstay, putting a nasty crack in the frame (unflexed, I had 1-2mm of clearance for the chainring). Full suspension frames with a chainstay yoke may not have as significant a problem there, but look out with a hardtail frame.

I also found that a 36 meant that I had to shift down to the 24 a lot more for climbing. With a 32, I can pretty much keep it in the 32 all the time, even on significant climbs. I much prefer giving up a couple top-end gears to keep from having to downshift so often.
 

lawndart

Shop: Campmor
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I tried running a 24/36 on my 29er to get a good mid-range spread back in 2005. Ran into some serious issues with chainring/chainstay clearance- the hardtail frame was not designed for anything bigger than a 22 on the inside. Due to flex, the chainring actually gouged out a channel in the chainstay, putting a nasty crack in the frame (unflexed, I had 1-2mm of clearance for the chainring). Full suspension frames with a chainstay yoke may not have as significant a problem there, but look out with a hardtail frame.

I also found that a 36 meant that I had to shift down to the 24 a lot more for climbing. With a 32, I can pretty much keep it in the 32 all the time, even on significant climbs. I much prefer giving up a couple top-end gears to keep from having to downshift so often.


what are you riding with now? A single 32? I never even thought of chainstay clearance with a larger granny.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I tried running a 24/36 on my 29er to get a good mid-range spread back in 2005. Ran into some serious issues with chainring/chainstay clearance- the hardtail frame was not designed for anything bigger than a 22 on the inside.

I currently have a brand-new set of Shimano XT 2x9 (Shimano made a 29er 2x9 crank for like a week!!) chainrings for sale that I never got to run because of clearance issues as well. I have them in a 26/36, which in theory seems perfect, but most 29er chainstays bulge out from the BB fairly abrubt to keep them as short as possible, my 22 is even tight and looks like it'll hit, but it doesn't.

-Jim.
 

6thElement

Member
Ditch the gears totally, just run and then hop on and coast.

You witnessed most of my lap at the Chainstretcher last year then? :D

IMG_1988s.jpg
 
I have a Niner MCR that I run 2x9 (with a RaceFace bashguard in place of the big ring)... The crank is a Shimano LX Hollowtech II with 22/32 (I think) and a 11-34 cassette. This is most suitable for the kind of riding I like, which is mostly mixed trail riding at moderate to slow speed (incl. technical with climbing) and less out-of-the-saddle hammering (for which I'd probably recommend the big ring).

For me the bashguard setup gives me the clearance I need, and I don't miss the big ring.
 

jbogner

NYCMTB: President
JORBA.ORG
most 29er chainstays bulge out from the BB fairly abrubt to keep them as short as possible,.

Yep, that's the issue- the BB is an engineering nightmare on 29ers trying to build in clearance for wider tires, clearance for chainrings, and still get the stays as short as possible for better handling. My full suspension 29er has a yoke that provides a lot more clearance and would actually allow for a bigger inner ring, but at this point I don't want one.

I run 22/32/bash. I've though about running 22/36 using the new SLX front derailleur that's built for larger front tooth spreads, but as I said before, I find that 32 is the perfect ring for me and I can climb just about anything in it while getting a top speed that I can't spin out on dirt (I can spin it out downhill on pavement, but if I'm riding pavement I just put my big ring on). The 22 is just there as an insurance policy for the longer races and rides and, as Jim said, to catch the chain in the event of slippage.
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
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If you cant fit a 24 on the inside just go 1x9 or 2x9 to the mid/big side. A 29r w/ a 22 will just make you slow and unhappy:D
 
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