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4/5/6/7 Speeds - who runs what?

SPDR

Monkey
Apr 21, 2006
180
0
Engerland
Just thinking aloud here really - what set-ups are those of you that are running less gears out back using? Are there any common themes and is there anything especially creative out there? I'm thinking for 12 x 150 really as this is "the standard" but as Orange is rumoured to have gone back to 135 if you've got one of those please share the details.

(This is of course based on a 9 speed drivetrain rather than old school 7 speed)

Wanting details of hubs, spacing, gearing and well everything else really.

Cheers

Gary

PS - I'm in the UK so I'm a bit out of sinc with the time zones, I'll check back in the morning.
 

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
I dont run less gears, but I limit them, I never use the top 2 in the rear for DH (even with a road cassette)

I rarely go down to the bottom 2 in the east, useful at whistler tho (or anywhere that has more wide open, less turny/carvy trails). I usually run 4,5,6 in the rear (PG-990 11-32) staying in 5 mostly, 6 (rarely 7) for rippin pure down with no up are tech pedal-kick sections, and 4 for 'climbing' or a rest...


I definitely think the industry needs to backpedal (!) and ditch this ridiculous 9+ speed crap, more is NOT better.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,193
media blackout
I know profile makes a 135 spaced, 6 speed hub.

Hadley has the potential, their stuff is already a standard interchangeable unit (at least for axles). I have a 9 speed road cassette, and I only use 6 of them.
 

sriracha

Monkey
Jun 9, 2006
496
0
805
i got rid of the lowest 4 gears (the easy ones, like 4-low in a truck). i never used the easy gears on my DH bike, and i wanted to shorten the chain. i'm pretty much just running a 5-speed cassette at this point, on my V10.
there was a point in time, about a 1 1/2 years ago, when i was running single speed on my v10. i can't recall the exact gear ratio, but i think it was 32t x 16t.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
448
You must never pedal because I always spin out my 50 tooth xtr with custom 9 thooth rear sprocket, even in corners. I can't wait for the ten speed rear so I can unveil my bad ass 4-speed front cranks and then get 40 gears of super-precise gears so I never strain another muscle in my leg.

Ok, I'm bored and I'm just kidding. :) I actually agree with you about too many speeds.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
So most of you are running tight road spacing still? still having to change gears as often disregardless of how many extra gears you may have at the ends.
Wouldn't a seven speed be the best for a donor for five speed,or at least 8 speed. I use 8 on my trail bike,as I live in the MTNs, and I have a gearboxed DH bike,but I would be deffinatly trying the Profile,Hope,Hadley or other 5 speed set up if not. What's the spacing between the flanges on all of these hubs?
What ones give dishless for 135?
What are the cassette widths?
 

Fulton

Monkey
Nov 9, 2001
825
0
So most of you are running tight road spacing still? till having to change gears as often disregardless of how many extra gears you may have at the ends.
Wouldn't a seven speed be the best for a donor for five speed,or at least 8 speed. I use 8 on my trail bike,as I live in the MTNs, and I have a gearboxed DH bike,but I would be deffinatly trying the Profile,Hope,Hadley or other 5 speed set up if not. What's the spacing between the flanges on all of these hubs?
What ones give dishless for 135?
What are the cassette widths?
i spoke with hope today, the ss hub build's dishless. it will fit 6 gears.
 

yuroshek

Turbo Monkey
Jun 26, 2007
2,438
0
Arizona!
if i have an 08 glory dh with a sun ringle hub in the rear, what road cassette would i use? i hate the first 4 gears on my bike.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
if i have an 08 glory dh with a sun ringle hub in the rear, what road cassette would i use? i hate the first 4 gears on my bike.
I'd like to try 7 speed as a donor for 5 if it fitted on any of the mentioned hubs,wider spaced,chunkier shifts,thicker chain,am I forgetting anything? I've not ridden seven in years,was it flawed or awful when shifting?
 

dexter

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
3,053
99
Boise, Idaho
i take 9sp dura ace cassets and lop off what ever cogs i dont want. this summer i ran a full spread, but the year before i ran 6 speed, just the 6 lowest cogs and loved it.
 

_bp

Monkey
Apr 20, 2004
218
0
Annandale
What is the point of locking gears out? Just because you don't tend to use them doesn't mean you will never use them. Isn't it nice knowing you have more options, should a situation arise?
 

davep

Turbo Monkey
Jan 7, 2005
3,276
0
seattle
I lock out my largest cog to keep the deraileur away from the wheel. This way, if the der or hanger get bent, I dont loose a much more expensive wheel in the process.

Also, I never use the large cog (it is a 32), and without I am left with 11 - 28 which is more than I need. But if I were to do this whith a road cassette, I dont think I would have the range I want (has to be an 11)...

If I could find an 11-27...I would most likely run that....and still lock out the large cog.
 
Apr 16, 2006
392
0
Golden, CO
So do most people lock out the shifting by deraillure adjustments, or has anyone actually experimented by putting a limiter in the shifter itself, so you only physically have 5 "clicks" for a 5 speed.

Or is that just too much work and the deraillure adjustments work good enough? haha.
 

XGrantX

Chimp
Apr 23, 2006
50
0
When the derailer is limited the shifter can no longer pull through any cable. The shifter doesnt keep on "clicking"
 

Tootrikky

Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
772
0
Mount Vernon
Old Skool 8 spd....same hub spacing, shifting stayed crisper longer, and chains/cassettes lasted longer! They way I understood it ( I could be completely wrong) was when they went to 9 spd the the ID of the chain links stayed relatively close to the 8spd, it was the outside that got narrower. When working at a shop I was always amazed when somoene brought in a beat down 8 STX or XT setup and it still would shift perfectly.

I would love a 11-28 old school 8 spd spaced setup with Shimano's or Sram's newer thumb trigger's.

I run a 11-32 with a 38 tooth up front. When racing I use the 24 down to the 11 tooth cog, never the 28 or 32. the 28 works fine for the occasional uphills, the 32 crosses the chain so much you can really feel it binding.

Anyone making a 11-25, 26 or 27 9psd cassette that is fairly light?
 

SPDR

Monkey
Apr 21, 2006
180
0
Engerland
no real advantage just locking out top 3 cogs.

i do it for a dishless rear 135 with a ss hub.

light narrow and strong. turn to the dark side gary!
Hah - Yeah I knew that I'd read that a few people had done it and I'm considering the idea when I get round to building a big rig again.

What I was really thinking was:-

Is there any room for an even more radical setup? IE 5 or 6 speed dishless rear on 150mm (135 would be better but everyone is making frames to suit 150) with a revised cassette design that could accommodate a 10 cog minimum somehow? That way you could get more ground clearance at the front by going down to a 34 or 36 without compromising the top end.

Ok that's getting a bit like BMX micro gearing but well who knows it might be possible. . . . .funny that it's now BMX leading the way :)

Just wish I had access to a few parts and I could get busy on the CAD.