t1maglio

I'll also say this ... maybe its just racing and riding BMX for so long, and I do like a taller gear, but if you learn to spin a LITTLE I don't think gearing is an issue for this. On my DH bike I'm running 34 in the front and 14 or 13 in the back (sorry, I miss typed above). A 34-13 at Whistler was totally fine, I never felt like I needed more gear (and yes, I was hitting Freight, A, and DM). My Slopeduro is 30-15, which for my local trails where I need to pedal up and get a little speed into some of our jumps, is just fine. On my Mini DH I am sitting at 32-15 for local, and at Killington I went down to a 13 in back. Cruising down Black Magic I never needed any more gear ... for sure! I know this is completely personal preference, but I could easily get even harder with my gearing if I wanted to, but I don't think its necessary.

Not that anyone asked, but I'm gonna share my experience with these tensioners. First, I've been riding bmx and mtbs for over 30 years. I definitely enjoy the simplicity of a ss setup and was stoked when I discovered SB1. The other tensioners I'd used up to that point were never strong enough. I sprang for the G3C and have been riding that on a "slope duro" for the last 4 years? Its been flawless. I run a KMC Z1 EHX chain which is way beefier than a normal MTB chain and its has held up the whole time (lol, don't judge me ... but ... its still going). I have run the Reverse Colab (base model now) on my commuter bike for over the same amount of time. Its withstood Wisconsin winters and doesn't have an corrosion, and is still holding tension and handling torquing up hills. I actually just took the original Colab and put it on my slope duro, the G3C is now on my DH bike, and I got another Colab for my new commuter. I also just got one of the Reverse expert tensioners for my new mini DH setup. I have two gears on the the back and I can just slide the tensioner side to side to switch between my bike park gear and my "pedal around the local trails" gear ( I did the same with my DH bike, but switching between a 12 and 13t depending on how big the bike park is. My point is this ... the SB1/Reverse products are awesome. They hold up great. If you are looking for a SS setup, this is the only way to go. The basic Colab has been used by tons of big name riders and IMO does just fine for probably anything you are looking to do. The Expert is under $200, is strong, and more adjustable, and probably the best option. The new Pro model (G3C) is sweet, and cost twice as much as the Expert. IMO, just get the Expert and be done with it ... and if you are a baller, ya, the Pro is awesome! And if you just wanna stick your toe in and see if you really don't need all the gears, maybe just spring for the Colab and see how it goes. I've ridden SS at our local bike parks, but also at Killington, Whistler, and Winter Park ... I never felt a need to have my old cassette. Just my .02 if you care.