[MMcG]

What gear ratio are you running and what are your trail conditions like???

Contemplating going SS on my Karate Monkey, but not 100 percent sure on what gear ratio to run.

Thinking either 32:20 or 32:22 to start since I'm a lame ass rider.

 

[NoLongerGumby]

I use 34:20 and ride NJ, Westchester etc out of NYC.
Tech, rocky and rooty, you know how it is.
http://nycmtb.com/video/sprain-11-feb-06.mp4

Typical ride / trail conditions.
I am on the KM wearing green..

 

[MMcG]

If I use a Surly Tugnutt - I just need one for the drive side correct???

Nice riding on that KM- why did you go with 34:20? Can you elaborate more?

 

[NoLongerGumby]

If I use a Surly Tugnutt - I just need one for the drive side correct???

Yep, just to keep that wheel straight and open beer.

Nice riding on that KM- why did you go with 34:20? Can you elaborate more?

Thanks.
It was a process. I was 36:18 and it was no good for slow tech moves
so went 36:20 and it was good, on some climbs with logs on the way up and over rocky moves I was not quite getting enough oomph to rock over things so I dropped another two teeth up front and now I am 34:20. For me and where I am it allows me to pull the nose up when dropping, maintain a good pace on most trails and climb pretty much everything. No where is really flat but if I do come across long stretches I will spin out at probably the 18mph mark.

 

[MMcG]

so do you think 32:20 is too low?

 

[NoLongerGumby]

so do you think 32:20 is too low?

Personally for me and where I ride, yes.
I am sort of built for SS physically and mentally though I think.
180'ish just under 6'5" and only a few ounces of body fat and love to work hard on a ride.

As it is really all I ride I swear my muscles are conditioned for it.
I have been riding a Spec enduro of late and on the same rides I suffer and have had ride stopping cramps. Get back on the SS and I fly around.

Another factor on my gearing choice, with my 5arm cranks 34 was as low as I could go..

 

[Bicyclist]

Personally I'd go 32-20 for my steep ass loose trails.

 

[ito]

Was running a 32/16 on my KM last year. Rode just about everything from steep, slippery fireroads to techy singletrack to buffed and bermed singletrack.

It built my legs up pretty damn fast.

I threw a 32/20 on it when I went up to Mammoth for Nationals. The gearing was way to small on flats and descents, but at elevation I needed the extra help on the climbs.

Currently have a 32/17, have been riding my road bike more so having something slightly easier than a 16 helps spinning. Except for some of the more up hill trials-like sections on our trails I ride everything.

I say get the hardest gear you can comfortably manage and go with that. The thing about SS is there are some places you won't ride, it is a trade off. If you go with gearing for uber steep and techy you won't have any gear on the flats. However if you push a bigger gear one day you will be rolling up what you didn't think you could climb in the bigger gearing.

There is the whole knee issue, but SS has been good to my knees. I got an SS, then had knee surgery. If anything the SS mixed with weight training has made my knees stronger.

Basically it comes down to conditioning on the gear. Like NLG said, I raced a few weeks ago on a geared bike. It sucked. I was never in the right gear, I could never find proper gearing, shifting was all over the place, and I never got settled. Stepped back on the SS after 3 months off and I flew, nothing was a problem.

The Ito

 

[KaiMana]

I am running 32x20 but it is colorado springs foothills, so you are either going up steeps or coming down them. There are a few rides we do were I would rather have an 18, but mostly the 20 is better and keeps me fresh longer into a ride.

 

[MMcG]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll give 32:20 a go and see how that works and adjust from there.

 

[palek]

Just to answer the question..

I'm running 34-19 on my Rig in Northern IL.
Lots of short twisty ups and downs. No long hills I have to worry about climbing.. I'm looking to go down to 34-18 so I can go alittle faster on the flats...

 

[Bicyclist]

Just to answer the question..

I'm running 34-19 on my Rig in Northern IL.
Lots of short twisty ups and downs. No long hills I have to worry about climbing.. I'm looking to go down to 34-18 so I can go alittle faster on the flats...

Are you talking about Kettle Moraine?

 

[Smelly]

Yo mark, I was running a 34-20 and liked it a lot, especially as a starter gear. Sometimes it wasn't enough on downhills and long flats, but it was needed on climbs. Cogs are cheap enough that I think it's worth starting with an easier gear and switching as your legs grow.

 

[palek]

Are you talking about Kettle Moraine?

I've been once but on my Dos, the rig I have only ridden in rockford (i.e. rockcut, aldeen)... I would want to go to a 20t I think for kettle....

 

[dhjill]

I'm running 32-20 and it's perfect for me. Where I've ridden, I've never felt like I've been too spun out not over geared. Good luck!

 

[slowSSer]

a freakish 33:21 for the steep stuff we have here in socal. sucks on flat though. perfect for climbing.

another question: how many 29ers are running longer cranks over your 26er?

 

[ito]

a freakish 33:21 for the steep stuff we have here in socal. sucks on flat though. perfect for climbing.

another question: how many 29ers are running longer cranks over your 26er?

I've got 180's on my KM. They are nice, however when I ran it fixie they caused some clearance issues. Lots of rock and curb marks on those cranks.

I don't notice too much of a difference though. I've got 172.5's on my road bike a 175's on my 26er. Hell, I had 165's on my jump bike and couldn't really tell much of a difference.

The Ito

 

[El Caballo]

30:18 with 180mm BMX cranks.

You don't need a bashguard when your chainwheel is over 1/4" thick. Of course, those cranks probably weigh twice an XT crankset, but when your BB is 11.8", you need them to take hits.