As a novice, I come seeking wisdom.
I have an old Rockhopper that I’m looking to strip down to the frame and rebuild into a commuter. I’ve been learning a lot about gearing and all that, and have been researching parts. I see that there are a lot of 1x10 groupsets and a very small number of 2x9, but nothing really with a lower number of gears on the cassette.
To my untrained mind, a 1x10 would introduce more stress and flex on the chain than a 2x5 would, especially while riding on the extremes. And, with a 2x5 setup, you could (probably?) have better ratios - I’m thinking it should be possible to set it up in a way where one chainring is better suited for climbing, and the other for higher speeds.
Yet, I don’t see any 2x5 or even 2x7 sets out there. What am I missing?
Another question: would it even be feasible to custom-build my own drivetrain with a 5-gear cassette, to use with 2 rings on the front, and if so, how complicated would it be?
The bag is a Carradice Nelson Longflap, mounted on a Bagman QR Expedition rack. In that pic, it’s about 12 years old and is now 22 years old. Still going strong. The transverse saddle bag is my preferred carry method for everything other than self-supported loaded touring.
The longflap aspect of the bag lets you do some ridiculous stuff.