Gearing

[mxkauai]

I couldn't find a thread about gearing and what everyone is using so I am starting one.

My question is what gearing do you find adequate for your trails? and what do you use on your non motorized MTB for these same trails?

I know there are a lot of factors, like where you ride, how you ride, weight, wheel size and motor.

For me on my non motorized MTB (long travel 29er) on my trails I use a 11-46 cassette with a 28T chain ring, we have some steep, long climbs, our trails are really dirt bike trails and we ride what we can.

I just recently purchased a Commencal Meta power 29 origin that came with a 11-42 cassette and 34T chain ring and uses the Shimano E7000 motor. This bike is great and loving it so far, the gearing is enough for the trails I usually ride but I found when I try to climb some trails I normally would never climb, I run out of gears and power.

 

[Gary]

I run a 36t chainring on my emtb (27.5x2.4 tyre) Was runing a 8 speed 11-50t and pretty much never used the largest two sprockets except for when the motor was switcheed off.
Gone back to an 11-46 11 speed and it's a far more suitable range with still low enough gearing for climbing with the motor off but far better gearing at the other end of the cassette where I am more often. (closer jumps between the 11t and 17t)

on non Ebikes I run various gearing depending on the bikes
(26x2.2) 4X bike 36t and 11-25 cassette (can still climb anything but need to do so stood up)
(26x2.35) Enduro bike has 11 speed 34t chainring and 10-43 cassette
(26x2.5) DH bike has 36t and 11-21 cassette (never use the 21t sprocket, but also never climb anythnig longer than a lift station car park)

I ride a mix of mellow hilly local XC, to jumping, to trail centres, to big natural XC right through to very steep technicla Enduro/DH trails.
Am quite heavy but fairly fit and a pretty strong.

29" wheels effectively raises gearing. You might get on (slightly) better with a wider range 11-46 or 11-50t cassette. (or just use a higher assist level if the steeper sections are short.)
The more you tackle steeper climbs the stronger a climber you'll get. but losing weight is the most efficient way to improve climbing. (assuming a rider has weight to lose)

 

[steve_sordy]

I have changed the gearing on my bikes as my fitness, ambition, and (later) my needs required. I have had pretty much everything between 3x6 to 1x12. Like many, I've had 26, 27.5 and 29ers. Different length cranks too. They all alter gearing ratio (as do the tyres), but I've never experienced an elliptical front ring. I was on the cusp of giving that a try on my current clockwork bike, but dumped the idea when I decided to go emtb. I doubt it, but has anyone got an elliptical front ring on their emtb?

 

[Gary]

has anyone got an elliptical front ring on their emtb?

You'd hope not.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

I have changed the gearing on my bikes as my fitness, ambition, and (later) my needs required. I have had pretty much everything between 3x6 to 1x12. Like many, I've had 26, 27.5 and 29ers. Different length cranks too. They all alter gearing ratio (as do the tyres), but I've never experienced an elliptical front ring. I was on the cusp of giving that a try on my current clockwork bike, but dumped the idea when I decided to go emtb. I doubt it, but has anyone got an elliptical front ring on their emtb?

I don’t believe it would work..... well not on a Levo for sure.

The reason I say this is on a non ebike the oval chain ring when fitted to the crank arm has to be located in the specific fixed permanent location in relation to the crank arm so when you push down on the crank arm the chain/oval ring is in the correct position to give you the so called effect/benefits of said oval ring.

On an ebike (Levo, not sure what the other makes do) the crank arm moves completely independently to the chain ring so the oval ring could being in any number of positions at any one time so I can’t see how it could ever work as intended.

Feel free to correct me if I have missed something here

 

[khorn]

I don’t believe it would work well not on a Levo for sure.

The reason I say this is on a non ebike the oval chain ring when fitted to the crank arm has to be located in the specific fixed permanent location in relation to the crank arm so when you push down on the crank arm the chain/oval ring is in the correct position to give you the so called effect/benefits of said oval ring.

On an ebike (Levo, not sure what the other makes do) the crank arm moves completely independently to the chain ring so the oval ring could being in any number of positions at any one time so I can’t see how it could ever work as intended.

Feel free to correct me if I have missed something here

You are absolutely right, an oval ring needs to be fixed relative to the pedal arm at all times in order to work as intended. All motors where the chain ring can move relative to pedal arm will not work. I do have ovals(Absolute Black) on my road bike and all my knee pain disappeared when doing 3+ hour rides so at least it works for me.

Karsten

 

[steve_sordy]

@khorn : It's why I said "I doubt it". It wouldn't work on my Shimano powered Focus (for the reasons you outline above), and I don't know enough about all eBikes to be able to say for sure that none could do it.

 

[mxkauai]

I run a 36t chainring on my emtb (27.5x2.4 tyre) Was runing a 8 speed 11-50t and pretty much never used the largest two sprockets except for when the motor was switcheed off.
Gone back to an 11-46 11 speed and it's a far more suitable range with still low enough gearing for climbing with the motor off but far better gearing at the other end of the cassette where I am more often. (closer jumps between the 11t and 17t)

on non Ebikes I run various gearing depending on the bikes
(26x2.2) 4X bike 36t and 11-25 cassette (can still climb anything but need to do so stood up)
(26x2.35) Enduro bike has 11 speed 34t chainring and 10-43 cassette
(26x2.5) DH bike has 36t and 11-21 cassette (never use the 21t sprocket, but also never climb anythnig longer than a lift station car park)

I ride a mix of mellow hilly local XC, to jumping, to trail centres, to big natural XC right through to very steep technicla Enduro/DH trails.
Am quite heavy but fairly fit and a pretty strong.

29" wheels effectively raises gearing. You might get on (slightly) better with a wider range 11-46 or 11-50t cassette. (or just use a higher assist level if the steeper sections are short.)
The more you tackle steeper climbs the stronger a climber you'll get. but losing weight is the most efficient way to improve climbing. (assuming a rider has weight to lose)

I plan on eventually changing out cassette for one with 46 / 50 T, possibly changing front ring to a 30 / 32 for now since that will be a cheaper option. Also I really don't need to climb the trails I have been attempting (they are some of our downhill runs) was trying to find the limits of myself and this bike going up. I found that I ran out of power in the motor and my legs in boost mode.

Fitness and weight are always something that I can work on and most everyone else, I do find myself on the fitter side of the spectrum. Really was asking to find how low is really necessary, with 1x on non powered bike it seemed like the lower the gearing the better for where I ride.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

34t 11-42. Which is the same as my normal bike. I'm just doing climbs that would be impossible on it on the Emtb. Some are just about do-able and I don't spin out, plus in regular use the chain line is near enough straight.

So I've found the right setup for my local trails and fitness, which was just a chain ring upgrade.

 

[Gary]

Be aware. A 30 or 32t fitted to an E8000 will be too small to work with shimanos own top chain guide. Not too difficult to modify the mounting or plastics to make it work. But something to be aware of nonetheless.

 

[HikerDave]

34 chainring 11-42 with 27.5 x 2.3 rear tire. Just about right on my local trails and slightly too low for the road.