Joined
·
4,832 Posts
One of the regulars around here has been building up a new bike -- I hesitate to call it a pit bike since I'd love to ride it as my race bike but when your race bike is a Sachs then I guess pit bike it is. Anyway, he was looking into the single vs. double ring settups and talked to some of the local guys. Here are some of the findings he summarized:
One guys says that when wrenching on bikes, he just finds more problems with single ring set-ups than doubles. His main gripe is that on the aluminum frames you either have to run a long BB spindle to create the chain guard sandwich or a chain watcher guide on the inside. The problem with the long spindle is that it creates a chain line that really favors the low gears; however, most people ride in the high gears. Also, it creates a wider Q which can be problematic for some people's knees. The problems with the chain watcher devices (a very un elegant solution imho) are that they can flex and once the chain goes below the guide, getting it out is a real problem.
Rhonda Mazza runs a double ring, but locks out the front mech so that it can't shift. She only uses the 38. There's no better chain watcher than a derailleur. Both Wicks and Trebon switched to a double ring late last year, but it had more to do with how fast the courses are in Europe.
The final point is that the only time you lose your chain is when you crash or mishandle your bike when setting it down and that a single ring is a poor substitute for bad technique.
One guys says that when wrenching on bikes, he just finds more problems with single ring set-ups than doubles. His main gripe is that on the aluminum frames you either have to run a long BB spindle to create the chain guard sandwich or a chain watcher guide on the inside. The problem with the long spindle is that it creates a chain line that really favors the low gears; however, most people ride in the high gears. Also, it creates a wider Q which can be problematic for some people's knees. The problems with the chain watcher devices (a very un elegant solution imho) are that they can flex and once the chain goes below the guide, getting it out is a real problem.
Rhonda Mazza runs a double ring, but locks out the front mech so that it can't shift. She only uses the 38. There's no better chain watcher than a derailleur. Both Wicks and Trebon switched to a double ring late last year, but it had more to do with how fast the courses are in Europe.
The final point is that the only time you lose your chain is when you crash or mishandle your bike when setting it down and that a single ring is a poor substitute for bad technique.