Whats the Best Gearing for a Mountain Bike?

If you're looking to buy a new mountain bike or modify an existing one, you need to know which gearing best suits your style of riding. Your choice will have a direct effect on how you and your bike perform.

Two common choices among mountain bike riders are the 1x11 and the 2x10. The one or two refers to the number of chainrings on the front of the drivetrain, while the second number (10 or 11) refers to the number of cogs on the cassette in the rear of the drivetrain. While there's no simple answer to which will be best for you, there are a few questions that you can ask yourself when selecting gearing for your mountain bike to help you make the best decision possible.

Ask yourself these seven important questions to compare which gear ratio you should choose the next time you're in the market for a new drivetrain.

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Do you value simplicity and weight savings?

When riders make the switch to 1x11 gearing, one of the things they enjoy most is the simplicity. Since the front derailleur is eliminated, there's no need for a shifter on the left side of the handlebar. You also won't need a front derailleur and you'll have one less chainring, which will make your bike considerably lighter.

The lack of shifting from big ring to small ring will also eliminate the chance that you'll drop your chain, which will make your overall experience on the bike much less technical.

Benefits to 1x11 gearing: Reduced weight, a simpler mechanical system and a lower chance of mechanical issues.

How strong of a rider are you?

The choice of 1x11 works well for strong cyclists that enjoy rides or races with longer climbs with limited roads (fire, dirt and asphalt.) These rides generally have technical singletrack descents that don't require a lot of pedaling.

Benefits: Strong riders can find a gear combination, front and rear, that will for allow a good cadence on long hills that are too steep.

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Do you like long, steep climbs or do ride often at altitude?

If you ride long climbs (particularly at altitudes of more than 9,000 feet) with no fire roads or asphalt, 1x11 may be an option if you are a strong rider.

However, if you like long rides that include climbs at altitude or steep sections along with descents that include fire, dirt and asphalt road sections, 1x11 gearing will give you less options climbing and descending. If you're concerned with optimizing performance and don't want to give up gears on the climbs or descents, then 2x10 is likely the better choice for you.

Benefit of 2x10 gearing on long climbs: Many cyclists want lower granny gears for long climbs, particularly when training and racing at altitude. Since the amount of oxygen is reduced, riders find that an easier gear combination accommodates the ability to produce power for longer periods of time without tiring as quickly. This issue becomes more of a consideration when riding longer distances too.

What are the gear-inch comparisons?

Using a gear-inch chart is one way to compare gear ratios without riding the bike. Here's a simple way to think about gear-inch combinations: For one revolution of the pedal, your bike will travel a certain number of inches. Know that this value does depend on wheel size. To keep things simple, let's look at just 29ers.

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The values on the chart below can help you compare the granny and tall gears of a 2x10 to a 1x11 set-up for a 29er.

Switching from 20 gears to 11, you'll lose some fine-tuning some of the gears on the top or the bottom end of the spectrum. For example, a 2x10 setup could include 22- and 38-tooth chainrings on the front, and cogs on the rear cassette that range from 11 to 36.

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On the gear-inch chart, you can see that a granny gear (22x36) provides 17.7 gear inches of travel. This is a low gear for climbing. A big gear for pushing speed on roads (helpful in tailwind and drafting situations) is 38x11, providing 100.2 gear inches of travel.

If you decide to move to a 1x11 gearing, choosing a non-standard 30 front ring and a 10x42 rear cassette, the granny gear becomes 20.7 inches. Comparing this choice to the 2x10 section on the gearing chart, you'll lose two small (easier) gears.

Also with that 1x11 with a 30-tooth front ring, you'll lose two gears on the top end of the spectrum. Your largest gear becomes 30x10, or 87 gear inches. The largest gear on the 2x10 is somewhere between a 38x14 and 38x12 on a 2x10 setup.

Benefits: For cyclists who want more gear choices and a wider range, consider staying with 2x10 gearing. This will help to optimize cadence and power during longer races.

Do you like to make easy mechanical changes or leave your gearing alone?

It's relatively easy to change the front chainring on a 1x11 setup. Riders running this system often have a selection of front chainrings so that they can change gearing to suit course profiles. Some may find all of this changing a hassle, while others find that it is no big deal.

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Benefits: With minimal fine-tuning you can change the front chainring on a 1x11 with little mechanical knowledge. Changing chainrings on a 2x10 system isn't as straightforward, though it often isn't necessary due to the larger range of gears.

What are the tradeoffs?

When examining tradeoffs, it's helpful to look at extremes. If fewer gears are a benefit, why doesn't everyone run single speeds? They're lighter and less complicated than even a 1x11 setup.

If you've ridden a single-speed bike, then you know that climbing can be a challenge if you lack a good strength-to-weight ratio. This can be a challenge for heavier riders and it becomes more of an issue as you age, when power generally decreases.

Another factor with pedaling at slower cadences due to a lack of power or gearing choices on single gear is that it puts more strain on the joints, which can lead to injury.

The other part of the equation is downhill riding. Single-speed riders will not be able to spin a fast enough to keep up with riders on a geared bike. They will "spin out."

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Though the single-speed discussion is an extreme, consider the same principles as you will lose several gears going to a 1x11 setup.

The tradeoffs for the other extreme are just as important. If one gear is too little, why not go with a triple chainring in the front and 10 or more gears on the rear cassette? The tradeoff here is weight and the potential for mechanical problems, such as chain drop or the increased likelihood of mis-shifting.

Benefits: It's great to have multiple choices. You'll have to decide what tradeoffs you want to make in order to optimize your riding experience.

What matters to you?

What "performance" means to each cyclist can be slightly different. The definition of performance depends on your individual preference for simplicity, bike weight, terrain, distance and your individual strength-to-weight ratio.

For one cyclist, a "high-performance bike" means the one that is setup to be as light as possible. For another rider, a high-performance bike is the one that will produce the fastest time on a two-hour ride with short, punchy climbs. The best gear choice for you is always one that fits the combination of your preferences and goals. No single answer fits all riders.

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