i’ve had my bike now for … pretty much forever. it feels like forever anyway; in reality it’s been five and a half years, which in mountain bike terms is actually almost forever. the setup has not changed either: i’ve stuck with the components it came with when i became it’s custodian. ok, the enve wheels came a bit later.
back then 11 speed was cutting edge: the tigger on the left hand side and the front derailleur were retired because the rear cassette offered all the range most people needed. to be honest it’s still ok in most cases. as i get older and find it harder to stay fit (too many projects and too much reading) i sometimes wish there was an easier gear, but i suspect the side effect of that would be a drop in speed and resulting difficulty to stay on the right line.
i’m going to find out soon. i recently acquired a (lightly) used xo1 eagle (i.e. 12 speed) cassette, derailleur, front sprocket, chain & trigger. the old parts were getting a bit tired (the derailleur clutch wasn’t quite as snappy any more and it was getting difficult to shift onto the smallest cog) i figured it was time to make the swap.
the old derailleur has seen a bit of action, that’s for sure. overall i’m not unhappy with its general state after such a long time. derailleurs live a dangerous life: as they stick out to the side it’s not always easy to dodge oncoming rocks and sticks.
look at this dinner plate: 50 glorious teeth to spin uphill when the going gets really tough. the old one (left) will retire and sit in a box for the next few years. who knows when we’ll build a bike that might just work with an 11 speed setup.