View Poll Results: Do You Use the Large Front Chainring/Large Rear Cog Combination?
Yes
51
46.79%
No
58
53.21%
Voters: 109. You may not vote on this poll
Do You Use the Large Front Chainring/Large Rear Cog Combination?
#52
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.....briefly, from time to time. My drivetrains are tuned up to access all available gear combinations without incident. Also, I would rather access big/big than small/small combo.
#53
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I do a fair amount. For modern drive trains it is a non issue.
If the mechanic is recommending against putting on a freewheel (is there a 12-21 cassette?) with a chain that is too short for big/big then he has a point,
but not the point you are asking about.
If the mechanic is recommending against putting on a freewheel (is there a 12-21 cassette?) with a chain that is too short for big/big then he has a point,
but not the point you are asking about.
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#54
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When the electronic shift systems were first coming out I attended a seminar given by 1 of the manufacturers on setting up their system. One of the attendees asked why the system wasn't smart enough to prohibit the use of forbidden combinations like the big-big or small-small. The instructor laughed and said simply that there are no forbidden combinations. When pressed he said that there were actually other combinations that had higher losses and/or wore the drivetrain worse than the big-big or small-small, but they saw less than a 1 watt and less than 1% difference in wear from the best to the worst combinations. So the simple answer was to use them all.
Funny thing is sometime later they came out with a software update that would prevent the big-big and small-small from being used. Must have been due to everyone "knowing" that these combinations shouldn't be used.
Funny thing is sometime later they came out with a software update that would prevent the big-big and small-small from being used. Must have been due to everyone "knowing" that these combinations shouldn't be used.
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#55
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#56
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Well, since most of my bikes have only one chain ring I could answer yes or no depending on my perspective at the time. On my bikes with double chain rings - no, almost never. One bike has half-step gearing so perhaps I did on that one but can't remember. I did it on my trike (with triple) once unintentionally and it bound up tight.
#57
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I think this poll will be skewed by those using a 1x setup voting yes where the question is really irrelevant for them.
#58
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When the electronic shift systems were first coming out I attended a seminar given by 1 of the manufacturers on setting up their system. One of the attendees asked why the system wasn't smart enough to prohibit the use of forbidden combinations like the big-big or small-small. The instructor laughed and said simply that there are no forbidden combinations. When pressed he said that there were actually other combinations that had higher losses and/or wore the drivetrain worse than the big-big or small-small, but they saw less than a 1 watt and less than 1% difference in wear from the best to the worst combinations. So the simple answer was to use them all.
Funny thing is sometime later they came out with a software update that would prevent the big-big and small-small from being used. Must have been due to everyone "knowing" that these combinations shouldn't be used.
Funny thing is sometime later they came out with a software update that would prevent the big-big and small-small from being used. Must have been due to everyone "knowing" that these combinations shouldn't be used.
#59
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For the owners of recent Shimano groupsets, this poll is essentially, "Do you know what the Trim position is and have you properly adjusted it?"
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#60
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2x yes.
3x no.
3x no.
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#61
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I interpreted your poll question pertaining to extreme cross chain angles and not about wider ranged gearing. Likewise I am getting old and not in the same shape as 20 yrs ago. Maybe I’m out of touch with present chains and it’s now ok to have extreme cross chain angles. The question seemed so general to me given the wide variety of chainstay lengths and derailleurs that it could work with no problem in some combos and not with others, like “low tire pressure” may be no problem in some situations and absolutely not doable in others.
#62
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Thread Starter
I interpreted your poll question pertaining to extreme cross chain angles and not about wider ranged gearing. Likewise I am getting old and not in the same shape as 20 yrs ago. Maybe I’m out of touch with present chains and it’s now ok to have extreme cross chain angles. The question seemed so general to me given the wide variety of chainstay lengths and derailleurs that it could work with no problem in some combos and not with others, like “low tire pressure” may be no problem in some situations and absolutely not doable in others.
I tried to be vague, in order to not get responses that I wanted to hear.
#63
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It may be different for different groupsets, but if you look at the install manuals for 105 and up, you'll see that the big/big is meant to be used.
#64
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#65
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i guess what i mean is that a single chain ring seems so limiting to me. i don't have the steep climbs that a lot of riders here describe but i can't image riding grades of +/- 15% on a single.
#66
Newbie
YEP, I do a lot of cross chaining without ANY issues.
OK there is tiny amount of scratch on the front derailleur when on big/big but a small tip on the from Ultegra Brifter relaxes the front derailleur just enough to stop the scratch.
Also I use a 11 speed YBN chain (SLA110 Ti-N) which has a bit more sideways flex than a standard KMC or SRAM chain and I had no issues what so ever with the lifetime of the chain, cassette or chain wheels (all typ. >4000 miles). cassette: Shimano HG800,
OK there is tiny amount of scratch on the front derailleur when on big/big but a small tip on the from Ultegra Brifter relaxes the front derailleur just enough to stop the scratch.
Also I use a 11 speed YBN chain (SLA110 Ti-N) which has a bit more sideways flex than a standard KMC or SRAM chain and I had no issues what so ever with the lifetime of the chain, cassette or chain wheels (all typ. >4000 miles). cassette: Shimano HG800,
#68
Newbie
As long as you hear any scratching noise you should be fine. When it starts to "grind" it might have gone too far and you shouldn't stay in that combination for long, but a short interval of a few minutes to maybe get you just over the top ahead is OK.
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I have 3x9, and use big/big very rarely. I can hear/feel it, a reminder of the hundreds of milliwatts being wasted, so don't spend much time there.
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Ah I see now. You thought I meant there was no point in having a double chainring right? That's not what I meant at all. I was just literally answering the question in the thread title i.e. no point [in using the large chainring + largest cassette sprocket] with a double chainring.
#71
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On the bike with 405mm chain stays, I try to avoid it. On the one with 430s, not as big an issue.
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#72
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I answered a bored "no" to this question. Here is a chart that approximates the gear-inches for two of my road bike setups. Someone please explain to me why I would want to/need to use my big-big combination in favor of dropping down to the middle range of my lower chainring. Please?
#73
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^ I'll note that on my fixed gear, I use the big-big combination all of the time, even when climbing or descending, so there's that...
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#75
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I've found my way there accidentally a couple times, but my bikes generally tell me to knock it off. I definitely wouldn't call it "using" the gear. I'll hit the left shifter lickity split when I hear that noise.