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Do You Use the Large Front Chainring/Large Rear Cog Combination?

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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?

Old 09-11-21, 09:57 PM
  #51  
spelger
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
I don't see any point with a double chainring. Once I'm on the 3rd largest rear gear I then drop to the small chainring if I want a lower gear.
I have a triple but...huh?
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Old 09-11-21, 10:11 PM
  #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.
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Old 09-11-21, 10:17 PM
  #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.
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Old 09-11-21, 10:27 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
If Di2 allows it, it must be ok (once in a while).
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.
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Old 09-12-21, 02:53 AM
  #55  
PeteHski
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Originally Posted by spelger
I have a triple but...huh?
So what? I was talking about a double. What's a triple got to do with my post? Haven't run one of those in 20 years.
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Old 09-12-21, 06:41 AM
  #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.
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Old 09-12-21, 06:44 AM
  #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.
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Old 09-12-21, 08:48 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by RGMN
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.
We puritan Americans don't feel right unless something is forbidden...
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Old 09-12-21, 08:53 AM
  #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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Old 09-12-21, 09:04 AM
  #60  
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2x yes.
3x no.
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Old 09-12-21, 05:24 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by Frank S
I wanted to understand why my local bike mechanic insists that I can't put wider ranged gearing on my bike. If not for this poll, I would have never guessed that the practice was so common.
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.
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Old 09-12-21, 05:40 PM
  #62  
Frank S
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Originally Posted by LeeG
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.
Yes. I asked a general question. I honestly didn't think that it was ever done. I have only ever put a bike in the large/large combination to see if it would work. I have never used those while riding. I only shifted into them on a stand.

I tried to be vague, in order to not get responses that I wanted to hear.
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Old 09-12-21, 06:53 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Frank S
Yes. I asked a general question. I honestly didn't think that it was ever done. I have only ever put a bike in the large/large combination to see if it would work. I have never used those while riding. I only shifted into them on a stand.
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.
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Old 09-12-21, 07:10 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by Frank S
I tried to be vague, in order to not get responses that I wanted to hear.
I do the same at restaurants. I try to be vague, in order to not get food that I want to eat.
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Old 09-13-21, 10:17 AM
  #65  
spelger
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
So what? I was talking about a double. What's a triple got to do with my post? Haven't run one of those in 20 years.
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.
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Old 09-13-21, 02:00 PM
  #66  
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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,
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Old 09-13-21, 02:33 PM
  #67  
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I try to avoid it. I'm not always entirely sure where I am on the cassette.
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Old 09-13-21, 02:37 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
I try to avoid it. I'm not always entirely sure where I am on the cassette.
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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Old 09-13-21, 02:45 PM
  #69  
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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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Old 09-13-21, 04:28 PM
  #70  
PeteHski
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Originally Posted by spelger
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.
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.
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Old 09-13-21, 04:40 PM
  #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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Old 09-14-21, 09:36 AM
  #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?
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Old 09-14-21, 09:38 AM
  #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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Old 09-14-21, 09:47 AM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
On the bike with 405mm chain stays, I try to avoid it. On the one with 430s, not as big an issue.
Finally, someone who understands it.

John
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Old 09-14-21, 09:53 AM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
I try to avoid it. I'm not always entirely sure where I am on the cassette.
​​​​​​

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.
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