byuboundI'll probably ride tiger, duthie, or the ridge.
Where'd you ride today? Another ridiculously sunny day on the bike today in this summer of nothing but sun.
byuboundHow often do you actually use that swat cage thing? Seems pretty cool in concept.
SWAT = Stores Weed And Treats right? At least in this state it does...
At first glance when I originally demo'd the 2016 Stumpy back in May, I thought it was neat, and original, but nothing other than a gimmick that adds 200 grams to the frame. After getting a few rides in on my own 2016 Stumpy now, and after today's adventure, I am definitely sold on the concept and will utilize it more on longer rides.
I'll use today as my example as it was my first real usage of the SWAT storage unit and the SWAT wraps. Today's plan was a larger local ride just under 20 miles with 3500' of forest road climbing in 6 miles after the intial 6.whatever miles of gravel road to the start of the climb all before topping out and getting ready to descend.
I always ride with a hydration pack anyways, but needed to plan for a longer ride in the 80-90+ degree temps. So I was able to use the SWAT wraps to store a tube and additional tools inside my downtube, which allowed more space in my pack for food and water, which was a damn good thing with the heat in the mountains today. And I did throw an extra bottle in the cage since it was just sitting there empty anyways. Good call as we did need the extra water in the end.
It's not for everyone, just like the included chainbreaker tool inside my top cap does nothing for me, but it definitely comes in handy in certain situations and I will try and use it more in the future. Shit, with the tube and tools already inside and on the bike (chaintool in the top cap, and a multi tool that sits in spot above the rear shock, I don't need to carry anything but food/water in my pack on long rides which is a huge plus.
Brocka_FlockaI'm going 1x11. Any tips and or recommendations for a chain ring? Size, brand. ect? BTW im running some x7 cranks at the moment.
I've had nothing but great luck with Race Face's Narrow Wide chainrings. I have many of their rings, 30t/32t/34t in both bolt on and direct mount applications. I don't bother looking anywhere else for chainrings.
I have two bikes with 30t chainrings and 10-42t cassettes and one bike with a 32t chainring and 10-42t cassette. Your ideal chainring size will need to based on your riding ability/stamina and what the climbing requirements are in your area.
RockShoxToraWhat's the appeal of the 11 speed?
You're really not gaining that much by jumping up an extra cog.
Your lowest will still probably be 36 (unless you go up on, wolftooth, etc.) and your highest will be 11 - same range as a 10 speed.
You will get one extra midrange gear for a helluva lot more expense...
The appeal is losing the least effective and most problematic piece on a modern bicycle, the fucking front derailleur. Not to mention cleaning up space on the handlebars for a dropper post, or losing .5-1.0lb in weight when converting, or having all of the gears you will use on one shifter rather than carrying the 2x10 setup and only using 13 or 14 of those gears.
Have you even ridden a 1x11 drivetrain? I'm curious as most people new to the concept are exceptionally critical and hesitant. Understandably so, but for real, just give it a try as I'm sure you'll be surprised.
As mentioned directly above, I do have 3 bikes with 1x11 drivetrains all running Sram's 10-42t cassettes, and I won't ever transition back to a front derailleur for mountain biking. I live in Washington State and climb as often as I can. More 1x11 for me please...!
RockShoxToraYou can also get a 10-42 10 speed cassette!
The typical 11 speed cassettes are still 11-32/11-36 unless you're willing to shell out an arm and a leg.
You don't have too many affordable options for rear mech/shifter either.
I think the tech is cool, and maybe it will catch on once it's become more affordable.
For the time being, I, like yourself, can't warrant the expense. There hasn't been much that my 1x10 couldn't conquer (11/36 w/ 32 front). Just makes you a stronger rider!
Now if you were comparing a 9 speed to an 11 speed, the gains are huge. 10 to 11, I just don't see it.
Sram's new GX line brings 1x11 wide range cassette with a clutch derailleur and the remainder of the drivetrain; crank, BB, shifter, chain, and chainring for $564 MSRP. For people moving on from 3x9, 2x10, 1x10 setups, especially those not running clutch rear derailleurs, this is a huge upgrade at not much cost. Obviously you could possibly use an existing crank/bb setup and find a cheaper chainring than Sram's, but this technology is here to stay and will only become cheaper and spec'd on more new bikes.
I'm curious what 11 speed mountain cassettes are you seeing that are 11-32 or 11-36? I just searched quickly and didn't see anything for mountain bikes.
