Originally Posted by
prj71
What does racing have to do with 1x10 vs. 1x12?
1x12 gives you lower gears to make climbs easier. Really nothing to do with racing.
I'm guessing that it refers to the fact that if you have a 11-42 10sp vs an 11-42 12sp you have a better gear selection that will help you go faster for race purposes. Smaller jumps, more optimal gearing.
OP: My own experience was 3x was never all that good on a MTB. When I bought my current it was 2x10 and had what I thought was a great system, but after trashing my cassette and chain in a race I made the jump to 1x11 and found it to be great for a MTB. I went with a 34t ring, and 11-46t cassette and haven't looked back, also didn't drop a lot on it. Picked up with the crank from randombikeparts and found the chain, shifter, and cassette from another site and ended up with an XT equipped bike for 350.00, totally worth the cost. I can see, budget wise, where that frame might be less than optimal but worth spending the money on for something that will shift a lot better.