2x9

monkey boy

Self-Imposed Exile
Anyone running 2up front with 9 in the back?
What are your thoughts?
How did you set up the front der. to not over shift into the spot where the big ring was?
Any advantages / dis advantages?

Yes, I get it, single speed is easier blah blah blah. :D
and 29ers have bigger wheels.:D
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I ran it last 2 years on the Stumpjumper. Had a rock ring on the big ring. The shop set it up, but I imagine they just had the limit screw so the FD couldn't shift up. I never ever felt that I needed the big ring in the front. Even on that long stretch of fire road in the Ringwood race we had a group of 3 of us cruising at roughly 20 mph. I really never felt the big ring offered me anything I didn't have.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i thought you worked in a shop? just turn the H limiter screw in till the derailluer doesn't shift beyond the middle ring any more. easy peasy. i ran a 2x8 back in the mid nineties on my stock trials and xc bikes.

advantages:

+slightly less weight, assuming no bashring.
+more ground clearance
+a baby step towards ss'ing manliness :D

disadvantages:

-no big ring
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
I think Cannondale at one time offered a 2x8 or 2x9 from the factory some time in the mid to late '90s. I always thought it was a good idea as I never used the big chainring. Now that I think about it, I never use the small chainring either. I guess I need to look into converting to a 1x9 for a season and see how that goes.
 

CycleBoy

Sussex Bike and Sport
Shop Keep
BJ BJ BJ. Always somethin with ya huh? The nice thing is that your der height doesn't change at all and all you change is the high limit screw like sean said. You gonna run a bash guard too? Oh, and what about leg armor and a chest protector and a full face helmet to go with your knarly setup on you xc bike?
 

Space Heater

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
FSA is releasing a double mtb crank soon. It will be 44-29T. The same as what cdale used for 4-5 years. This of course is more xc than anthing. I have my hone cranks set up double because I found that I was never using the 44T. Clearance is for sure the biggest benefit IMO.
 

Fogerson

Former Resident Nerd
Hi ya' Monkey Boy...

Yep, I'm running a 2x9. I have a Race Face bash guard where the big ring used to be.

I adjusted the limit screw on the front der to where it wouldn't move past the middle ring.

Advantages:

- Don't have to worry about high centering and crunching your sprocket/chain on the rocks here in NJ.
- You can run a shorter cage dérailleur; a little more ground clearance for the dérailleur and crisper shifting. I'm running 36/24 w/11-34 and dropped to a medium cage. I could run a short cage with this setup if I was careful to keep off a few of gear combos. If I was running a 32/22 w/12-32, or so, I could certainly run a short cage.
- I've gained about 1.5cm of ground clearance with my 36T setup; you'd get even more if you went with a 32T setup (dunno' how much, another 3-4mm?)

Disadvantages:

- No big ring (duh!). Of course, this isn't a disadvantage if you never or rarely use your big ring. Though I didn't use my big ring much, I found that 32T was a little low for me as I was running some of the smaller cogs on the rear on the flats (I'm a masher, not a spinner). I decided to try a 36T to give me a little more gearing on the top end and straighten the chain line out a little more on the flats (picked up some good RF rings on fleabay for cheap). So far, I like it. Also by running the 36T, I only loose two gears on the high end (see chart). And by running 24T for the small gear, I only loose one on the low end. Granted, I loose some granularity in ratios...but I feel this is a so what.
- It might be a tad heavier; I didn't weigh 'em but it wouldn't surprise me if my bash guard is a little heavier than the 44T sprocket I took off. Plus, the 36/24 rings are probably heavier than the 32/22 rings I took off...but I'm sure we're talking weight weenie delta's here.

Here are the ratios comparing my 36/24 + 11-34 setup with my old 44/32/22 + 11-34 setup. The first nine rows are small ring, second nine middle ring, etc.


Code:
2x9 	3x9 
0.71	0.65
0.80	0.73
0.92	0.85
1.04	0.96
1.20	1.10
1.41	1.29
1.60	1.47
1.85	1.69
2.18	2.00
1.06	0.94
1.20	1.07
1.38	1.23
1.57	1.39
1.80	1.60
2.12	1.88
2.40	2.13
2.77	2.46
3.27	2.91
	1.29
	1.47
	1.69
	1.91
	2.20
	2.59
	2.93
	3.38
	4.00
 

monkey boy

Self-Imposed Exile
Yeah Pete , bash guard and all the other crap.
Maybe if you would take off the chicken suit you would be able to hang with the big boys:D

Everyone else thanks for the feedback I think I'll take a wack at it.
 
C

Cthulhu

Guest
On my last ride I was having some awesome downshifting issues with the front derailuer. It wouldn't stay on the middle ring for more than 2 minutes. Needless to say the large ring was where I was for a good deal of the day (at least on the flats and declines). I didn't like it much so once I straighten that out I may give 2x9 a go.
 
C

Cthulhu

Guest
Anyone running 2up front with 9 in the back?
What are your thoughts?
How did you set up the front der. to not over shift into the spot where the big ring was?
Any advantages / dis advantages?

Yes, I get it, single speed is easier blah blah blah. :D
and 29ers have bigger wheels.:D

hahaha, every thread should start out with a disclaimer ;)
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
I agree, I don't know anybody running 3 rings up front anymore. The big outer ring just gets stuck on obstacles that the bash ring just rolls over.
 

MixMastaMM

Team Bulldog Rider
On my last ride I was having some awesome downshifting issues with the front derailuer. It wouldn't stay on the middle ring for more than 2 minutes. Needless to say the large ring was where I was for a good deal of the day (at least on the flats and declines). I didn't like it much so once I straighten that out I may give 2x9 a go.

Worn chain rings?
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
don't take this the wrong way, but it may be a result of bad shifting/gear mashing, or bad chain alignment (outer ring/inned cog or inner ring/outer cog).

check for broken teeth or bent chain ring. this comes from the voice of experience...
 

Fogerson

Former Resident Nerd
This thread is crazy!! I haven't seen anything BUT 2x9 or SS in years.

Well, some of old-timers who've been away from the bike thing for awhile are a little slow figuring out what all the cool kids are doing.

If it weren't for the 29er/SS Borg, I'd probably just be figuring out that 29ers and SS' are what the cool kids ride.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Well, some of old-timers who've been away from the bike thing for awhile are a little slow figuring out what all the cool kids are doing.

If it weren't for the 29er/SS Borg, I'd probably just be figuring out that 29ers and SS' are what the cool kids ride.

Who said anything about cool?

Anyway, who's in for the next D&D all nighter?!?!
 

monkey boy

Self-Imposed Exile
:)Converted, Done, Close this thread please its getting out of hand.
Imagine that.

2x9 now I can be like the cool kids form 5 years ago.

Really though,
thanks for all of the input. it helped the decision and we'll see hou it rides this week.
Yes my big ring did turn into a bash guard and all I was doing was breaking teeth.
Off it went the limit screws are adjusted and if there are any issues I will, as usual, blame Pete.:)
 
C

Cthulhu

Guest
don't take this the wrong way, but it may be a result of bad shifting/gear mashing, or bad chain alignment (outer ring/inned cog or inner ring/outer cog).

check for broken teeth or bent chain ring. this comes from the voice of experience...

No offense taken at all! I appreciate the input.
 
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