2 x 9

Pete Biggs said:

Stronglight "86mm pcd plain alloy rings from 28 to 52 tooth" are
available from Settle Cycles. Stock up?

Spa Cycles probably have them as well - in fact the last time I was looking
for an 86mm bcd ring I found one in my local bike shop (which, at the time,
was F W Evans).

That doesn't change the fact that it makes little sense to buy into an
orphan standard when there are other, better options available.

James Thomson

Pete Biggs said:

It's going to be ridden on road as well. Taka didn't say how much
was on and off. Note that I specifically mentioned "road riding"
so the OP can make their own decision.

You did, and I noted.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Bigger jumps between gears are often a benefit where cadence has
to vary more widely with more variable terrain and rugged surfaces.

Quoted message said:

Fair enough if doing /lots/ of that sort of stuff.

Taka said "XC and on roads", which suggests a dual-use bike.

Quoted message said:

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Closer spacing between gears simply means more frequent multiple
shifts, and more frequent middle-granny shifts at the front.

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More frequent rear shifts are no big deal on road or gentle off road,

Indeed. But on more demanding surfaces, having to make two shifts instead
of one - or four instead of two - can mean the difference between keeping
moving and stalling, or losing traction. As that's almost never an issue on
road, a dual-use bike will generally have to bias its compromises to
perform best in the more demanding situation.

Quoted message said:

the front shifts won't be too frequent if rings and cassette are chosen
carefully.

A lot of moderate off-road climbs - as you would expect - fall nicely into
the range of a typical 11-32 cassette on the middle ring of a compact
triple, or the inner of a 2x9. With any cassette that merits the name
"close ratio" - say an 11-23 9spd, that range is broken, requiring a front
downshift, and sometimes a simultaneous upshift (or two) at the back.
Dropping to the granny early and cross-chaining is an option, but not an
attractive one. Running a bigger granny (say a 30t) brings its own problems
(derailleur choice and limited bottom end).

Something like a custom 11-28 (an 11-32 minus the 32, with a 13 added in)
can make sense.

Quoted message said:

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Notice how with increasing numbers of sprockets, mtb cassettes
have generally gone for more range, while road cassettes have
generally kept the same range with smaller jumps.

Quoted message said:

A "road" cassette could be fitted.....

Of course. I was pointing out that off-road and road bikes tend to deploy
their extra gears in different ways, for different reasons.

Quoted message said:

I find that on MTBs when the middle ring is 32T but I reckon 36T would be
pretty good actually. With a cassette that goes down to 12T, it would be
great for road cruising speeds, leaving the big ring for fast stuff only.
Even more the case if a 11-x cassette was used.

That would depend on your cruising speed.

With a 12 on the top, that's only about a 75" top gear - smaller with
slimmer tyres. An 11 makes more sense, but it's not always possible to use
middle-small, depending on chainline and the choice of big ring. 48t and
11-23 gives 52"-109", or 38"-109" with an 11-32 if you cross-chain
sometimes (as I do).

Now of course I don't know what Taka might prefer, but to put my comments
into perspective, I do a lot of rides that take in a mixture of road, dirt,
and trails. For example, I used to ride Bristol to London fairly
frequently, on road as far as Avebury and after Streatley, taking the
Ridgeway (which isn't especially demanding terrain) in between. I've run a
triple with a narrow ratio cassette, and sometimes still do, but I've found
a 2x9 to be a much better compromise.

Since Taka was already inclined in that direction, I see no reason to
dissuade Taka, who presumably knows what kind of riding Taka wants to do.

I should add that I do a lot of fixed and singlespeed riding as well, so
I'm not generally obsessive about always having the "right" gear. It's a
taste I'm happy not to cultivate.

James Thomson

"James Thomson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

DavidR said:

With a wide range cassette a double ought to be sufficient. The
difficulty has been finding suitable chain sets but I now notice TA
do an 'Escape' series with 86mm BCD. This allows a double with,
say, 28/42 which would be perfect for a 11-34 cassette.

That's the Stronglight Escape.

The 86mm bolt circle has been more-or-less obsolete since the mid
eighties,

Spa Cycles list sets on their website.

Quoted message said:

and I can't see chainrings being easy to find in the longer term. A
Compact
Drive 94mm bolt circle will allow a 29t ring,

As far as I can see, 94's aren't particularly common either. Do you know
otherwise?

Quoted message said:

and Ritchey made a special
28t. It's also possible to use a 110/74, 130/74, or 135/74mm triple as a
double with chainrings in the inner and middle positions. A typical road
triple with the big ring removed makes a 42/30 double, leaving the outer
position free for a chain guard / bash ring.

True, but it lacks a degree of elegance. A triple also gives a wider pedal
spacing.

DavidR said:

Quoted message said:

The 86mm bolt circle has been more-or-less obsolete
since the mid eighties,

Quoted message said:

Spa Cycles list sets on their website.

As I wrote in reply to P Biggs, you may even find a few spare rings in your
lbs for a while, but things can only get worse. This is the last survivor
of an orphaned standard that saw its heyday twenty years ago.

Quoted message said:

As far as I can see, 94's aren't particularly common either. Do you
know otherwise?

From the mid-nineties to the early noughties, 94mm was by far the most
common mtb standard - and therefore the most common standard on new bikes.
Four-bolt rings are taking over now, but Race Face, Middleburn, Sugino, TA,
Stronglight, Coda, FSA, QBP, Salsa, Blackspire, Gebhardt, and many others
are still making 94mm bcd rings, and are likely to do so for some time to
come.

Quoted message said:

True, but it lacks a degree of elegance. A triple also gives a wider
pedal spacing.

Two-and-a-bashring can look quite neat, but you're right about the wider
tread.

James Thomson