Sevo,

I grew up on the front range and lived there most of my adult life, I have ridden most trails there since Manitou bikes were handmade in Green Mountain Falls and get back to the Springs to ride 2 or 3 times a year and while the climbing makes anything I have done in Michigan, Illinois or Wisconsin seem dainty, it is by and large, as you know, middle ring riding for a reasonably strong rider. I am not sure where near the Springs a two hour climb is, but I have definitely ridden other parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Old Mexico Utah and Arizona that are much, much steeper than what the southern front range has to offer. If you hit the epics of Central and Western Colorado, you will see very few SSer’s and just as few setups without a small ring. It does not take a weenie to spin a 22 on a 26er let alone a 29er and many riders much much stronger than myself (and I suspect you as well)have done it.

Calling riders who ride three rings and want more spin out of their niners weenies and suckers makes me raise my eyebrow more than a little.

c’mon surly — give us mr. whirly!! we want mr. whirly!! we need mr. whirly!!

…MR. WHIRLY, paging MR. WHIRLY, to MG’s Dos Niner, STAT.

So if its going to be Middleburn it has to be the sexy UNO or nothing !

Time to get really strong like the big lads posting earlier on….

Jeremy UK - it is a shame that Middleburn only make their beautifull SS integrated crankset/ring as a 32T when a 30T is what a lot of twentyninersinglespeederophiles want - if this is wrong please let me know and the saving plan will be ramped up !

Some of us SS riders also like to spin - in an attempt to emulate the efficiency of Contador on a climb - when you run anything bigger than a 1.9 on the back a 30T:17T is just so much more efficient and effective to ride when racing 2+hrs on a hilly course… The great ‘out of the saddle on every incline mash’ is ego boosting but not the quickest way for most mere mortals in the end.

And smaller rings are stiffer too (but as Cloxxki says - less efficient - true but who notices that when you have a gritty chain !)

http://www.mountain-goat.de/pd2123563470.htm?categoryId=1

sorry - shop is in german - but i’m shure theres a shop in your country too

Yes, 94/58 BCD cranks are out there, and yes- the upcoming Mr. Whirly cranks promise to be a hot seller. My take is that most of the choices offered here are either square taper, which has its drawbacks, or as in the case of the Surly crank, are do-it-all cranks that are going to be very spendy.

I think what lots of folks would love to see is a two piece crank from Shimano that recieves wide OEM spec, is supported by the vast majority of IBD’s and online shops, and has a 94/58 BCD. Also adding in the availability of chainring sizes to suit any riders needs. If Shimano, Truvativ, FSA, or another manufacturer would step up to the plate here with a reasonably priced and widely available unit like this, I think we’d hear the end of this.