Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
The 10t-12t shift is a big one, 20%, but that's a very high gear and likely not the cause of complaint. The 16t-18t-21t sequence puts a really short shift next to a tall one, right in the middle of your gears, that sort of thing is pretty noticeable.
I'm complaining about the 10t-12t jump, mainly, and the lack of range.
If you want the 22-32 equivalent on 26" wheels on a 29" 1x12 bike, you need a 30 chainring coupled with a 51 sprocket. That means that when it's flattish, I'm constantly debating between a too fast cadence on the 12t, or too slow on the 10.
Moreover, pedalling at 40+ km/h with a 30t chainring is uncomfortable. Over that speed is pointless. My max speed on my 26" on most rides was always near or slightly above 60kph. I simply can't reach that speeds with my 1x12 bike unless it can be done without pedalling.
My old 3x9 bike didn't have any of these issues. And don't get me started on the big sprocket jump on SRAM cassettes.