[cactuscorn]

i thought i was safe gettin a 38 and 40t ring and choosin from the 2 but now i see some guys buildin dhr's with 36's. have i missed the boat? the course im about to run starts in the trees where its steep, tight and rather rocky, and stays that way 4/5ths of the way down the mtn. id say theres some low gear (28?) exits and top speed is 30-ish in the forest. at the end it opens way up onto some 2 track through a meadow and speeds have to get close to 40 if not more. i dont wanna wind out in the sprint but i dont wanna grind through the forest.

last year i ran a 22/32/44. never used the granny except for a chain catcher and didnt hit the big ring till the sprint where it was a bit too much of a jump from the 11 in back. this year ill have a 1x9 and a guide. in a perfect world, id like to see the 11 almost wound out when i hit the line.

 

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At one time a 50T was a DH ring, then it slowly worked it way to 44, 42, and then 40 for a few years. Then the last 3 or 4 years the 38 was the ring of choice and now the 36 is becoming very popular. A few top World Cup racer even run 34s. As bikes have gotten lower and courses built to flow better, a large ring is not as important. I've been running a 36T the last two seasons and really like it because I can run a smaller 36T specific bash ring. This gives me more ground clearance.

 

[ebxtreme]

Not a DH racer by any means, but I can usually hold my own on the downs. I've been running a 36T for 4 years and very rarely spin out and when that happens, I'm tucking and not looking to pedal anyway (read: more speed than I care for anyway). Also, I should note that it's a low enough gear that I can pedal though flatter sections pretty well too.

Haven't been dropped by many folks due to speed......skill, on the other hand!

Cheers,
EB

 

[inkpad]

36 front, as mentioned, is a pretty common set up. I have also been running a 36, with an 11-26 or 28 rear, for the past 6 years of racing. It is a great set up & keeps the front bash a bit more out of the way of obstacles on the course. When you switch, make sure you go with a short cage rear der to keep the drivetrain nice & tight :thumbsup:

BTW, the new ride looks like fun! Dual crown will make it nice & stiff in the rough.

 

[cactuscorn]

thanx guys. with a almost 14.75" b/bkt, i doubt that clearence will be my main issue and seein as how im stuck with a 11/34 for now, maybe the 38 and 40 wont be all bad. when i get all serious like, ill grab a short cage, a 11/20-somethin and a 36t ring, but for now ive learned somethin new. good stuff gentelmen!

hey scott... wanna buy a 53, a 52 and a 48?

 

[trailadvent]

I'm gonna just be different for the hell of it cause thats what I do,

but also CC the roadie cassettes and now Srams DH cassette allows a closer ration, less chain slap bit more direct power and right gear when ya need it, ya can spin a faster rev outta corners, course smaller cranks help that too, I would be going the e13 37 tooth

See different, 11/26 rear if I was on a DHR, but ya RFX is a little lighter you'll be fine until ya next event I wouldn't worry too much it was only a suggestion , I found that gearing way too awkward for Dh always inconsistent for me, I prefer a closer ratio, use my big legs for power down where needed and stay off the brakes and keep up the mo, are u running med or long cage can't remeber, I just found the pos long cage that came with my DH caught eveything in its path, never had that with my other stuff!

Whip an 11/27 rear on there and e13 37t 37t 37t comes in badd ass black as well!

 

[cactuscorn]

back in the day i ran a xt 11/28 and wished for a straighter stack. last year i was on a 11/34 and a 340 hub and prayed for the same. this year ive got the same cassette on a wtb hub so i know im kinda screwed but it is what it is. i plan on pushin harder and i know the 340/5.1 isnt gonna hold up to what i have in mind so i think the wtb wheels have a fightin chance and the 521's sure as hell will stand up to anything if the 1st set fail.

maybe next year ill have a dhr and be done with this parts swappin bs.

 

[trailadvent]

back in the day i ran a xt 11/28 and wished for a straighter stack. last year i was on a 11/34 and a 340 hub and prayed for the same. this year ive got the same cassette on a wtb hub so i know im kinda screwed but it is what it is. i plan on pushin harder and i know the 340/5.1 isnt gonna hold up to what i have in mind so i think the wtb wheels have a fightin chance and the 521's sure as hell will stand up to anything if the 1st set fail.

maybe next year ill have a dhr and be done with this parts swappin bs.

I hear that, maybe i'll be able to join yer:thumbsup:

 

[cactuscorn]

heres to 2 new dhr's! (tink!)

ps: i raised my levers while gettin this beer outta the shop mini fridge.

 

[trailadvent]

heres to 2 new dhr's! (tink!)

ps: i raised my levers while gettin this beer outta the shop mini fridge.

***** *****, good call, beer fixes eveything

After a few more I'll be dreaming DHRs skipping through the single track wit cha downhill single track :lol:

It what helps me sleep at night, better than counting sheep, I'll leave that one to Tidy

 

[davep]

Whip an 11/27 rear on there and e13 37t 37t 37t comes in badd ass black as well!

no one makes an 11-27.....it would be nice however

CC changing the larger cogs will do nothing for your top speed gear/inches....if you have an 11 (you do) a 36 shoudl provide enough for as fast as you want to go. It was mentioned above, but worth a second'ing..beyond spinning out that gear, IMO you are far better off pumping and timing terrain rather than trying to continue to pedal (unless you are on a fire road DH)......

I generally run 11-32 in the rear with the 32 locked out to protect the der and spokes....36 in front is all I ever need.

 

[trailadvent]

no one makes an 11-27.....it would be nice however

CC changing the larger cogs will do nothing for your top speed gear/inches....if you have an 11 (you do) a 36 shoudl provide enough for as fast as you want to go. It was mentioned above, but worth a second'ing..beyond spinning out that gear, IMO you are far better off pumping and timing terrain rather than trying to continue to pedal (unless you are on a fire road DH)......

I generally run 11-32 in the rear with the 32 locked out to protect the der and spokes....36 in front is all I ever need.

My bad I meant this one, in 11/26t, I had 37 I the brain, good spotting though gotta have the spell checker my keyboard is all camo, lucky I took a typoing class in form 3..
I always new following the chicks n classes would come in handy for something one day

edit: here is a way to convert though 2 11/27t

 

[Jayem]

no one makes an 11-27.....it would be nice however

CC changing the larger cogs will do nothing for your top speed gear/inches....if you have an 11 (you do) a 36 shoudl provide enough for as fast as you want to go. It was mentioned above, but worth a second'ing..beyond spinning out that gear, IMO you are far better off pumping and timing terrain rather than trying to continue to pedal (unless you are on a fire road DH)......

I generally run 11-32 in the rear with the 32 locked out to protect the der and spokes....36 in front is all I ever need.

SRAM makes an 11-26, and I have one that's brand new that I may not use.

Shimano used to have a 9spd 12-27, but they're getting harder to come by (I snagged one for my karate monkey though).

 

[cactuscorn]

yep. i thought there was a ultegra 11/27 9 spd a cpl years back.

 

[Nagaredama]

Ultegra 12/27 9 speed cassettes are easy to come by. Jenson sell individual Ultegra cogs if you want a custom 11/27.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CS408Z14-Shimano+Ultegra+6500+Cogs.aspx

 

[davep]

yep. i thought there was a ultegra 11/27 9 spd a cpl years back.

It is a 12/27 and still available. There has never been an 11/27 unfortunately. It is a roadie thing, and a need for super close ratios for extended pedaling...to get a wider overall ratio, I third ring has always been the answer rather than a wider cluster. This preserves the ultra close ratios, but also makes for a whole load of redundant gears....

I know 11/12 seems like a small change, but it is ~ 10 difference in gear inches so roughly the same as the change from 36 to 40 tooth in front. To get the benefits of the smaller rings in front, an 11 is a requirement.

Making a 11/27 out of a 12/27 does not really work either...you end up with a huge jump from 11 to 13 (20%) then roughly 10% jumps from there on. To do this correctly, you need two full cassettes 12/27 and 11/32 and change out the lower half cassettes....lots of $$ but it works much better than just grafting an 11 on the ultegra cluster.

Unfortunately the SRAM 'DH' cassette is cheapo mfg, has individual cogs that tend to wreck high-end hubs, and the cluster weighs a freeking ton. Althougth it offers a good gear range, there is absolutely no reason to run it over something like a 11/32 with the big cog locked out (or removed).

Someone (shimano) could sell a ton of XT/Ultegra level cassettes in 11/25 - 11/27 ish. It would be the default cassette on any and every DH build.

 

[cactuscorn]

this is cool info man. thanx for sharein. hopeful soon, ill be able to make better use of it.

 

[cave dweller]

36 tooth with ultegra 12-27 with no issues.

Don't feel like im ever out of gears, close ratio makes nice gear shifts and smaller size of cluster, front ring and bashy saves weight. Why wouldn't you do it is more the question you need to ask.

 

[[email protected]]

thanx guys. with a almost 14.75" b/bkt, i doubt that clearence will be my main issue and seein as how im stuck with a 11/34 for now, maybe the 38 and 40 wont be all bad. when i get all serious like, ill grab a short cage, a 11/20-somethin and a 36t ring, but for now ive learned somethin new. good stuff gentelmen!

hey scott... wanna buy a 53, a 52 and a 48?

Only if you have them in 5/94 bolt pattern....

 

[cactuscorn]

sorry buddy, 5 x 110... but i have a new drill bit!