N FR double or triple chain ring?

[Shredhead]

I'm about to buy a new mountain bike after 15 years and discover they now only have 2 chainrings rather than3.
It se ems a bit low geared even with 11 sprockets.

Any views?

[RidgeRider]

Change the rear cassette to one with a 32 or 36 tooth large cog if you need a "granny" gear. Today's long cage rear derailluers can handle larger cogs on the rear cassette which will help make climbing those steeper grades a bit easier.

[RaySmith]

My Focus mountain and road bikes,  built in Germany and  bought by me through Wiggle, which no longer  sells them,both have triples- the mtb with  many toothed sprockets on the back too - though they are both about 5 years old now.

The emphasis on  'compact' chainsets seems to had led to the unfashionability of the triple , on the road anyway, though the big companies like Shimano still manufacture them as far as I'm aware. So you should be able to get one if you shop around.

Though i think i might go for a 'compact' if i was buying now - because there is less to go wrong, but a triple  gives you the widest possible range. Whatever, as long as you make sure you have plenty of low gears for climbing, especially on a mountain bike, i think.

[RidgeRider]

I'm with RaySmith. Compact is the way to go in most cases (TT bikes maybe not so much or if you are a small rider and are fit). Most bikes are shipped with a 34/50 on the front, Standard double crankset is 39/53....these are road bikes...not sure on mountain bikes.

Since I am a bigger rider, I set my bike up as 36/52 on a compact crank (this is called a 'Pro' double), and an 11/28 on the rear which gives me bigger gears for slight downgrades and a good climbing gear for steeper grades.

Ray is right, that you should be able to get a triple, but I think you can achieve nearly the same with a Compact setup and run an 11/32 on the rear for your mountain bike, and save weight in the process.

[Shredhead]

Thanks for the advice. I took a 2 chainring mtb for a trial ride and found it under geared on descents. Climbing was ok. I think I'll ask if a triple can be put on or a bigger larger chainring.