I was in the 1x camp for years with a 38t in the front and 10-42 in the back on an all-road bike (officially a gravel bike but for me it's the one to do it all). Used it on anything from flat road rides to mountainous off road rides (I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where we have both). On only off road with mostly long steep climbs it was great but I always felt held back on road and on undulating terrain (too many shifts to get from climbing to a descending gears and vice versa) and the chainline always felt too extreme to me. This year I bit the bullet and splurged on a 2x12 sram wide groupset. This gave me everything I've missed before. On long offroad climbs I have more bottom range than I would ever need with the 30-36. On road, I have tightly spaced gears and the best is that on most hilly off road rides I stay mostly in the middle of the cassette and only shift in the front which to me feels amazing. It's unfortunate that you can't get this sort of gearing from other brands, though I think ekar comes close but you still have to sacrifice on either top or bottom.
46/30 chainrings and 12-34 cassette is plenty for me and I would venture to say 90 percent of the people out there. People also ask me if I spinout, and I do, around 35mph or 56 kmh. I personally don't care to pedal anymore because that would be a downhill and coasting is cool. Anyone who says they spend a fair amount of time in say 50+ and 10 or 11 cog is a liar or pro from my experience. Cheers! and thanks!
Don't know what tyres you have, but even with the bigger gravel tyres your cadence must be about 110, or near to 120 with road tyres - if you can sustain it for over 20 seconds even at low resistance of some descend, you must be a pro yourself. Or you know, join the group of 50+x10 riders
I did it as an amateur. Wasn't even an roadbike but an cross hybrid with a 48t -11t. Was averaging 52 kph on the flat. And i was spinning out. I did have some help from mother nature though. 12-14m/s of wind on open fields straight from behind. Meaning that even at 50kph+ i had literally no air resistance to speak off.
@@feedbackzaloop I do have what I think may be a particularly high normal cadence, spin bike, genetics who knows. You are correct, I'm doing about 115, not for long but way longer than 20 seconds. Then I coast. Spinning fast does nothing for my poor power to weight ratio, so no one is going to think I'm a pro. Spin to win but you have to have the power to back it up. LOL Hills are my only competition, hence the lower gearing.
@@larrymcgoldrick3471 genetics or not, you seem to have extraordinary neuromuscular activation and optimal fiber composition - maybe since you specialize in climbing, you did not do specific training and are afraid to gain extra 5 kilos of muscle... You know, power is cadence times torque - you already have one and saying it "does nothing" is an understatement
Coming from mountain biking I’ve setup all my gravel bikes mullet 1X with the 10-52 Eagle out back. 2 wheel sets, one for road and light gravel… the other for heavy and single track, etc. Both sets have an Eagle cassette mounted ready to go. I can’t figure out why anyone would want to have anything else unless you’re a professional doing something very specific and can’t afford imperfection. It’s an amazing setup that does everything.
1X works for me. Don't race, don't have any issues with spinning out as that's what the freewheel is for, and not in a hurry to get anywhere. Ride in Bali on small hilly back roads or the main bypass road which is pretty much flat. I use a 38 X 12-28. Never found anything over 30% that I can't get up and as I said if I reach 45km/h on a downhill, I freewheel. I'm 63 and still manage to average 28km/hr on most rides with my 1X set up, on my hard tail hybrid. I gave up racing 40years ago, so just happy to get out for a couple of hours in 35 degrees heat to enjoy myself and keep fit.
about 3-4 years ago, being curious, I switched my Ridley with Tiagra groupset to 1X. Just loved it. Since then I built a 1X gravel bike with GRX. Now I'm building an endurance bike with mechanical Rival also with a single chainring. For me peace of mind, less weight, and just quiet. BTW just discovered your channel. Great insight, good advise for us common home mechanics. Cheers from Canada.
I’ve been running 1x on my bikes since 2010, I then bought it over to the road. And I’m with you, if your not racing and you don’t pretend to be a heman then most will be actually surprised how fast you can go and what you can climb, do I spin out , nope I live in Suffolk I’m lucky to climb 300meters in a 70mile ride, what matters round here is flatland pace. I naturally have quite a high cadence band I’m happy to spin at 80 then go all the way through to 105 rpm in one gear. With a 46t 10-33 I’m in the middle of the block and doing 20-21mph @90rpm, that’s my working gear. In 10tooth cog I’m doing nearly 40mph at 100rpm. Tbh I can’t push that on the flat for to long. People that moan have never tried and many ride larger cassettes now so many should be used to the gaps
50/36 with 11-42 cassette on my Super X quiver killer, tried 1x but not keen. 50t for the fast roads traveling to the gravel and 36 for gravel hills. Loving the content, keep up the great work.
I totally agree with you. My ride is the SuperX as well, I run the Campag Ekar with two wheel sets, one for gravel at 42mm tires and one with Conti 28s. For my non-competitive riding it is the perfect two bikes in one solution.
I have used a Trek Crockett as a road bike for years 1x11 10-36 × 46. Liked it so much I'm building a lightweight climbing bike with the same gear ratio.
I don’t run 1x on my road bike but I did get rid of the 11t sprocket on my cassette as I was never using it. I now ride a 12-29 the majority of the time and I have single tooth jumps up to 17t, which is far more practical.
Ultegra Di2 50/34 and 11/34 on my recumbent Cruzbike. I need that on the recumbent especially the lower gears for climbing. 105 mechanical on my Basso Venta, 50/34 and 11/30. I haven’t went down to my smaller chainring yet, maybe when I hit some bigger hills I will, 😂. Again, a great video. Thank you.
I Spy a Cannondale Super X 😁 agree issues keeping in a road group (riders on full compact 11/32 ) both on flat or uphill either slightly under geared on road so spin out or if swopped out for higher geared chainring then slightly over-geared on lowest gear on hills . (No issues on road bike case you’re all wondering 🤣). Agree ease of maintenance, relaxed ride on hills, RD clutch brilliant chain seating solid on really ropey roads /potholes /road caves. Great for solo road on mucky lanes and hills. But excels as a substitute for traditional MTB (where no jumping or massive rock fields) far more manoeuvrable, easier to manhandle, fast and thrilling. Very capable and robust build while a light bike, surprising how far you can push the CX boundaries if so inclined. Good pick Paul 👍
Seven bikes and all 1X. Some are geared differently for different missions. Like you, if I indeed get close to spinning out, I'll be going fast enough personally and the descent will be over in less than a half minute. I never find the gaps between gears too big - I "condition" myself for the difference! I'll admit the simplicity and quiet, seamless operation are appealing to an OCD rider that will not tolerate any noise from component contact:)
I'm running a 1x on a cyclocross frame and it is awesome. I found the 44 tooth the best compromise on my setup too. Get used to spinning sometimes, it's not that big of a deal. I've been taking some ques from the way hill climb bikes are setup. Lightweight and efficient.
I've been running a 1x system on my bike for the 2 years or so (1x9 originally, upgraded to 1x11 Sensah SRX Pro this past summer) and have put nearly 20,000km on it. I currently run a 46t front / 11-32t rear and that's all that I need for the extremely flat terrain here in Shanghai. The 32t is more than enough for any 'climbs' here (basically only up onto bridges) and the 11t can get up to 60km/h without spinning out, which again is enough for any 'descents' that I might encounter. Love not having to worry about fiddling with a front derailleur. I will be building up a new light / fast bike in the spring and while I was originally planning to go with 2x for that, after some careful consideration I have mostly decided that I will be using a 1x12 system (the new version of the Sensah SRX Pro that is 12 speed) for that since I just couldn't think of any reason why I'd need the front derailleur.
I got a real frankenbike 1x among my bikes I honestly love for Long slower rides. Old ultegra with 1x10 40t front 11-36 rear. Perfect for even spinning up some of the mountains around Vancouver!
Like yourself I do most of my cycling on the roads of the Lake District, doing endurance and sportives rides. I have been using a 2 x 11 setup with an 11-40 cassette and 50/34 chainrings. This makes the hills a bit easier and I still have the speed on the flats.
you can now easily go 1x12 using the sensah 1x12 gravel or any mtb 1x12 paired with a bar end shifter from microshift for instance. It works really well. I have 1x12 11-46 44 and I'm super happy with it. Pure roadies won't like it because of the jumps of course. I totally agree with you
I've ridden a 1x11 on my road bike for about a season. 11-42 in the back, 40 in the front, Shimano GRX RD-812 rear derailleur and Ultegra R8000 STI levers. It was pretty nice for riding alone or in very small groups in a variety of terrains (including quite a lot of mountains), the gear range was more or less enough for my needs, and what I enjoyed the most was not having to bother with frequent front shifts on routes with short hills. While riding alone, I wasn't bothered by the jumps between gears, not even when I was going over 28-30 km/h on flats. However, the penny dropped when I started doing group rides with a rather fast group. Finding the right gear when riding in a bunch at 30-35 km/h was nearly impossible. I had to constantly switch between 40/15, 40/13 and 40/11 and it was nearly impossible to find the right cadence either way. I do admit that I have a rather narrow cadence range at which I feel comfortable, especially once I go over 220-240W, and after a few group rides during which I suffered quite a bit, I decided to move back to my previous 46/30 x 11-32 2x11 setup. Since then I replaced my R8000 groupset with a Campagnolo Centaur 2x11 one and never thought again about going 1x. Besides that, as my frame had VERY short chainstays (397 mm is less than most road bikes, let alone cyclocross or gravel bikes), the chain was quite noisy in the largest and smallest sprockets due to the rather extreme angle it made with the plane of the sprockets (the shorter the chainstays, the higher the angle). The issue was somewhat alleviated by using a regular chainring and a chain catcher instead of a narrow-wide chainring (which was itself noisier as its teeth engaged the chain more aggressively). I would consider going 1x again on a bike with long chainstays (410-420 mm at least), but I wouldn't use it for group rides. Going 1x12 or 1x13 would be an option to somewhat mitigate the gear gap issues, but narrow chains and narrow chain-sprocket tolerances mean less margin for misalignment or contamination (dirt, sand, etc.). For now, 2x11 is the sweet spot for me, and I wouldn't even mind going back to 2x10 for what it's worth.
@@Mapdec not really, and not actively anyway. I can't be bothered to do any form of structured training, I just go out (or on my home trainer) and ride. Riding 1x did indeed somewhat force me into using a wider cadence range, but that only happened at lower power outputs and/or during short efforts (≤ 5 min) at higher power outputs (≥ FTP).
Great! Preaching to the choir (of me :D). I ride pretty similar setups on my bikes. On the fast and sporty one, Alugear 50 narrow-wide 1x plate on ultegra cranks, SRAM 10-42 casette and rival rear mech. I like fast and rolly terrain so it works perfect. Up to 7% I'm flying, beyond that, I wouldn't enjoy it anyway, but it's doable just fine (for me). On my winter/commuter/touring, I have the Apex 11-42 casette, Sram Apex rear mech and apex bb30 cranks (bit of a pain to install on a rotor bsa30 BB) with 42 teeth. Cannot beat the simplicity and value. No issues with shifting on both mechs. 1:1 ratio is so useful for climbing with luggage. A propos Aqua Blue, seriously, I don't know how the hell they were dropping chains with narrow-wide chainrings and clutched mechs... Only instance of a dropped chain I had was when I bent my mech hanger (APEX mech survived unscathed to serve on a different frame) and I shifted beyond upper limits, jamming my chain between spokes and cassette.
My wife and I have cycled 9200km across Europe over the past 7 months on 1x (34/42) set up on our touring bikes. We couldn’t get some parts during the pandemic back in Oz so went with what we had. Except for the occasional ridiculously steep climb it has been perfect for our over 50kg set ups 👌🏼
Have been running a 11-36 with a 36 chainring for about 7 years on the road. Have done 600km rides on it, and rides in the Pyrenees. Works great. First chainring wore out at 65,000 km. Sram CX-1. And I’m a Shimano fan boy….
As an old school roadie I don't tend to Big Ring it in winter so in effect I'm riding a 1x. I know nothing of riding off tarmac! never heard such a thing!! :-)
have been using 42x11-42 on my commuter for years, because when I was younger it did not feel as I needed any other than the big chain ring up front, well sometimes when I was tired I had to go down to the middle one when I was super duper tired in a xc race but under normal circumstances the big one up front (42) was all i needed, now when I just recently got past my 40th birthday I realised that I really struggle with my 1by drive train. Oh, I hate getting old as one need so much more training to retain the straighten/fitness when back in then all u needed to do is look at a weight the get fit :P
I must admit that I thought I would never like the 1x11 set up but I am fully converted. I created a hybrid Frankenstein bike from an old Kona Kula hard tail 26"er and put some nice narrow Easton flat bars on it with some 700c Hope 20Fives, changed the fox forks over to fully rigid and then looked at the what I had lying around for the drive setup. l used a Shimano SLX crankset fitted with a Hope 38T chainring. The rear cassette is an 11X30 Shimano 105. The only problem is, I am spinning at well over 100rpm when my speed is north of 27mph but for my daily commute bike it is perfect for quickly accelerating through the traffic and getting me up to speed. On the big descents I just need to get as aero as possible and took in. It's not safe to pedal beyond 35mph. So glad that I gave it a go, the bike puts a smile on my face and gets some weird looks and the chain hasn't dropped to date.
I run 38-11x42 on my gravel bike but often ride on the road to get to the gravel. I love the 1x and consider it the best all around gearing on any of my bikes. This is what I ride in the winter but come summer I want to go fast so back to 2x, 52-36,11x28 😊
I've used 42T 1x 11x42 on gravel and mountain bike and have zero complaints. In the process of picking up another road bike that is 2x 52/36, 11x28 and strongly considering converting it to 1x. Curious, based on your experience of your thoughts of converting to a 1x 46T? I live in the northeastern USA, and it is hilly. Trying to keep expenses down since it's equipped with an 11x28 cassette? Thx
I’m against 1x for road and gravel bikes. One of the things you give up is Gearing Range - which has some significant ramifications - discussed below. Simplicity has its virtues. It can be a liberating feeling, and for some people, range is not a big deal. For some riding situations it’s not a big deal. Yet, for others, that seriously changes the fun factor and ruins the ride. One of the advantages for multiple chainrings is range - Gearing Range - meaning more span from the lowest to the highest available gear. In practical terms, it means having lower gears that allow you to climb the longer steep sections, and having higher gears so you can pedal down the fast descents. 2. Efficiency is the second big advantage. Efficiency in 2 areas - First being able to stay in your physiological operating window, and second, the ability to avoid inefficient situations like cross chaining that chew up your watts and spit them out as worn-out parts. 3. Confidence. Knowing that when you show up for a ride or a race you will have the needed ratio range. When racing for the first time on a select course or traveling to a destination ride, for example, you know you’ll have the gear availability for both climbs and descents, as well as physical and environmental conditions. So how to choose? The First Question to ask: “How much do I shift the front chainrings?” Or, perhaps more insightfully, “How much WOULD I shift the front rings if they shifted perfectly?” The re-phrased question above is really more telling because studies show that people don’t generally trust their front shifting, so they don’t do it as often as would best benefit them and their ride. Looking further at facts, it has been shown that the human body naturally has a condition (cadence and body position) where it can produce the most power for the longest time. That window, is, of course, different for each person (fast-twitch, slow-twitch, etc.). And, though we can train the body to expand the natural window, the edges of the window are inherently less efficient. This window of power and efficiency is exactly what has driven the bicycle industry to more and more close ratio gears. Your body naturally wants to stay in that window, so as the road tips up or down slightly, or as the wind changes, the natural desire is to have that 5% or 10% change in ratio to match the conditions and keep cadence and power in that physiological efficiency window. The biggest problem with these kinds of discussions comes from the emotional baggage that underlies the analytical. As humans we follow our friends and those we admire - we want to have the “new” and “greatest” stuff. Nothing wrong with that - unless what’s new doesn’t work optimally for the individual. Don’t get trapped in what other people are doing. While it is true that to be successful with a single front ring (in a hilly environment) you need to be pretty strong, it does not follow that using a single chainring makes you strong. ALSO, and perhaps more important, because you’re strong it does not mean you should ride a single front chainring (It also does not mean you shouldn’t). It’s been proven over and over - You are fastest when you’re able to stay in your physiological operating window. (Note, that’s YOUR physiological window, not your buddy’s, and not the pros we love watching.)
Cool. You are right. Front shift anxiety is real! (Future vid there). I have to say that my physiology has adapted through using 1x and the turbo trainer. Using lots of cadences and practising them on the turbo has meant I have adapted and quite like 1x. Totally not for racing. You might only have the power to push the big gears for a few seconds, but those few seconds matter in a break.
I've running 1x Scram rival 46x10-30. I love it. Since I live in Florida I was never in the small chainring. If I move somewhere with hill I can just get a smaller chainring. This is why I prefer scram over Shimano
I love the simplicity of 1x and don’t mind the gear jumps. My cycling is typocally mixed surface riding and some local exploring in the countryside- I’m all in on 1x11 (40x10-42)
@@paulb9769 Hi Paul, I’m running Shimano GRX 800 groupset, except for the cassette, which is a sram 10-42 on a Wheelset with an XDR freehub. Gives a bit more range vs shimano’s 11-42.
Just bought a giant rapid (flat bar road bike / hybrid) and converting it to 1x. Like you I probably won't miss the 50t big ring and have tried to think what gears I'll actually use. I've gone for a 38t up front and a 42/11 on the rear, had a similar ratio on my gravel bike so thought it would be a good starting point. Can always put a larger chainring on if it's under geared.
I've not tried it, nor a road bike, cyclocross bike. But on my 29er enduro bike, where I live this chainring size is overkill, I would run out of road, and cassette is too small so would struggle on the climbs at least on an mountain bike, but not sure how an road bike would be, never tried it. I have 11-50T X 32T oval, but I think even 30T would suit my set up. So 1x drivetrain is great on an mountain bike, but I think it is even for a commuter probably an road bike if the chainring and cassette are suitable. But the huge chainring makes me curious.
I live in Los Angeles & do quite a bit of climbing & therefore descending with cars around. If I push during the descent cars don't try to pass dangerously which has me spinning out my 52/11 often! I am really interested in trying the classified hub for the bonuses you mentioned with the quiet drivetrain!
I used about the same setup for a few years- cyclocross bike with GP5000(40t or 44t, 11x42, Apex). Great aesthetics and easier maintenance, but lacked extra low gearing I prefer for very long rides. 2 tooth spacing at 11-13 is a big jump and limits the usefulness of the 11t cog for short training rides. Miss the simplicity, but 2x is the choice for now. 1x would still be great for many use cases.
If I ever did get another bike, I might want to try 1x for the road. Pretty flat around here and a 12 speed road setup would be plenty adequate for my needs. I'm interested if the narrow wide chainrings used on this setup wear well compared to standard road rings. No possibility of running this on an older frame for sure. Mountain, I just left all 3 rings on and got a 12x42 cassette. I like to tinker with this stuff. 1x11 would probably be cheaper.
Considering 1x on my next road bike, but i'd be looking at the sram xplr derailleur with 10-44 cassette and a 46t chainring up front. That way i'd have slightly better than 50-11 at the top end while having almost having 1-1 as my low gear. I think 12 speed is negating the need for most people to need a double now as well as the range is there and the gaps arent so big. The spanner is I can get a 2x force etap with the same rear end for similar €€€ and so now i'm considering both options...
@@Mapdec yeah, either way I'd be getting the rival power cranks, a bit heavier but aesthetically superior to force. Its a head vs heart situation, head is force 2x with xplr mullet, heart is straight up rival xplr 1x. I do long distance events and races so the simplicity of 1x is very appealing, one less thing to go wrong
One of the benefits of 1x is how easily adjustable it is. My tour bike has a 44T ring but, if a tour involves heavy luggage and/or many climbs, I can swap to a 42T or even a 40T without the chain slacking too much. It works wonders! 😃👍🏻
I've just put my first ever 1x on my new gravel bike with a mullet set-up. Just a 38t chainring, too. Works fine for offroad, and I don't mind the smaller gears for going downhill - freewheeling at 50km/h is fine for that bike. But for road sections I do miss the closer ratios of a road cassette, and much prefer a double for that reason. I really like 1 tooth gaps between gears. It's not about gear range for me and I've alwasy been happy with smaller gears in general. I pedal along the flat at 95rpm although these days I do spin out lower than when I was younger (about 120-130rpm is about my max now, used to be 160). So, for a long-range endurance bike I'd get frustrated with the wide range cassette.
@@Mapdec Actually for winter riding I used to mainly ride fixed gear on a 43x17 - great for developing cadence range. Once hit 200rpm (!) on a steep descent - a scary experiece I never, ever want to repeat😀
70-75 rpm feels the most comfortable to me so I do find myself trying to go into a higher gear on the descents quite often when riding 50 - 11 Aside from a huge tailwind or riding in a large peloton, I could never push anywhere near those higher gears on a flat course, so I’m sticking with my compact crank.
I was a nervous triple to single chainring convert. After breaking my second Cannondale F29 frame, I then bought an Ibis DV9, as for one, I could fit the lefty fork ( by about 30 thou !! as fixed fork braces) and they have no front mech, so, had to change to 1X from 3X. Being nervous on my lack of speed on fast off road descents , I thought it could be a disaster . But running a 1X 11, I sourced a larger Shimano chainring to add 2 extra teeth to the front. Bike as a whole runs more stable on tricky descents and I have noticed, I have a faster bike on Strava segments. But, on smooth trails, it does show a drop in speed. But I put that down to being older and slowing down instead now. Would I go back to a double or triple ? Well, just bought a Planet X Tempest with Sram Rival groupset, single front chainring. Its sublime with its operation and its perfect gearing for what I need it for. I do have Di2 on my road bike and that has the great front mech adjustment when you move across the cassette it trims is, so you never get chain grind on the mech. Single chainrings, I have used for years on singlespeed mtb's and being a deeper tooth design does keep the chain from doing anything untoward and falling off . Also clutch rear mechs working with them on geared bikes, I am yet to loose a chain. I would check chain tension, chain length and chain line before blaming the chainring for the chain falling off.
AXS XPLR with a 42 up front works like a charm for my allroad bike. I'm seriously considering a 46 up front with the same set up for my next road bike. Yes, some of the ratio jumps are a bit bigger than ideal, but unless you're racing or doing a pretty high-end group ride, it's not a problem in the real world. I'd go with Ekar, but the ridge on the hoods bothers my hands 😕
I switched to 1x on every bike in spring 2017, when a buddy crashed his bike and needed a left shifter in a hurry, that was all the excuse I needed. Started with a 56t ring and a dummy front derailleur as a chainguide, so I never had much problem with spinning out, throw a 60t on for race day
@@Mapdec well technically it's been a series of TT frames, but I use them with drop bars. TT frames make the best road bikes, they're the only ones long and low enough for my long upper body and short legs
@@Mapdec I'm currently running a MiracleBike TT912, it's actually a really versatile platform. The reach is 437mm so I can use a reasonable 110mm stem, and the head tube is 170mm, so I'm not way up in the sky with my hands. The seatpost has a really generous range of adjustment, the rail design has 65mm of fore/aft adjustment so it's a bike that can fit anyone. I just used a standard road fork and handlebar
Yeah, I went to a 2x on my Topstone because I use it for commuting and there's 1 really long stretch of road with a long straight descent on the way to work where I spun out at 45mph (~70kph) (running SRAM ETAP so 10t small gear and 40t chainring) and while that's plenty fast I wanted to see if I could push and break 50mph to try and get the time down to under an hour (48/35t chainring up front). But yeah, I was spinning out at like 110rpm at 45mph, the 2x is mostly unnecessary unless you're racing or can just put out 400W like it's nothing.
I’ve got a gravel bike and been running an 11spd setup with 1x. I’ve got two wheel sets; gravel with 11-42 and road with 11-36 using a 42 front. Been ideal and maintenance is reduced. When going out on the road club run others scratch there heads and see it as something alien. Think off-road people are a bit more open minded than roadies 🤣
I prefer 2x on my Gravelbike, tbh. Since I bought my bike before GRX was a thing I have a bit of a weird setup going on after a couple of upgrades which were spread over time. I changed the Tiagra crank to a 36/46 Shimano FC-CX50 but swapped the 36t chainring with a 34t. And in the back I use 11-36 10-speed Cassette and a GRX400 derailleur. Gives me a low enough gear to get up the hill and some decent top speed when I use it in "road bike mode".
I have the same Cannondale with a stock 40t chainring, and need bigger option in the front. Please share with advice how to adopt GXP cranckset in this BB size and asymmetrical chainstays?
It is a combination of off the shelf Wheels Mfg adapter and an FSA Adapter that has been shaved in a lathe. Be very careful as the correct chainline gives just 2mm clearance.
I run a 46 chain ring by WolfTooth & 9-46 eThirteen helix 11 speed cassette , I never spin out. I will eventually purchase a Specialized Aethos with a 1x setup as well. Love the 1x simplicity
I totally agree with the usability of some of gearing in the 2x setups and the noise reduction is a consideration for me. Have you tried the chain guides? Probably noisy. I’m running a 53/39 with a 11-25. I’m going to try a 46 1x and may have to jump the rear to 11-28. I just need a 110 BCD spider…😂
It’s not just the issue of spinning out in the top gear. The bigger issue with 1x for the road Is cadence; less gears to choose from and often feels like your either in too high or too low a gear. This isn’t really an issue with gravel or mtb as the terrain varies so much; but on road it definitely does make a big difference.
40 tooth chainring, 11 to 40 9sp cassette does me nicely and at 68yrs don't use that top gear that often, I rode fixed gear for 40yrs and have a fast natural cadence.
I did Transcontinental race on 11sp 38x10-46 (Force RD / Garbaruk cassette) and it was spot on. Just built up a new all road bike with 12sp xplr 40x10-46, which is even better. 2x is dead to me, cannot stand the annoying double shifts every time you change the front ring
I have kind of a rare situation, living in the mountains. I’m not a racer, so a compact with a big-range cassette works well for me. But I do twenty-minute descents where I spin out my top gear the whole time. I’ve considered mixing compact and standard rings, but I’m worried about the shifting performance suffering.
I live and ride 99% of my time in The Netherlands.... The flat part... Last year, I built up a bike specific for the terrain. Some considerations made: 1. When it's super flat and 100 mile ride includes 100ft of climbing, you spend a lot of time seated, A LOT. And your weight never shifts. A comfortable position is paramount. So that was considered. 2. Weight not an issue. So favoured aero choices. 3. There's lots to avoid, and tight winding roads, so handling was a top consideration. But the the biggest impact was gear choice. When I arrived here I was riding a 50/34 on 11-32... Pointless. I never touched the 32 and just as rarely the 11. I now have a 50/32 with a 12-25... I'd get a 12-23 if I could find one somewhere. But it's had a dramatic impact on riding round here for me. Most, if not all, of my club mates laughed and looked at me puzzled when I said I was getting rid of the 11... But even on flat, even with a strong back wind, it's rarely touched. Even with a 12, i'm still beating them in the town sign sprint.
I am not surprised. Going below 14-15t does impact mechanical efficiency by quiet an bit. Then we mortals can't sustainably put down the watts required for 50+ kph. Sure we all can for a few seconds but we will all lactate up quickly. Which will slow us down for the rest of the ride. Being able to pedal more efficiently at your prefered cadence is better. I live in the netherlands too. But here it ain't flat. So an 12-25 is not an option. Here i have roughly 600 meters of elevation in an 80k ride. More when mountainbiking. But your right just look at what you ride and pick accordingly.
Wow is that the supersix evo se model? How is the ride for 1 bike to do it all - grando fondo, gravel and triathlon? My lbs recommended the model. He said its really good. Whats your take? You also mentioned theres a red flag on the rear hanger? It was in one of your short videos. Is it better value for money building from the frame or better to buy a complete bike?
I ride an 87 Raleigh Technium with 42 tooth chainring in front and 14-28 six speed freewheel. It’s fine for the terrain I want to ride 95% of the time.
I've gone 1x on road bike when breaking a front derailleur and finding no replacements in stock before. After riding it for about a month, I'm certainly not a fan - a lack of gear range on a compact chainset. It's definitely a different scenario for CX bikes, and potentially for wide ranged 1x road cassettes.
@@Mapdec yeah next want to try the SRAMpagnolo set up. That is parts to make your sram one by work with the ekar cassette. It is a new ratchet mechanism to make mechanical sram work as a 13. Made by ratio technology
I have 1X7 38T front and 12-32T rear and find it great for casual riding..plenty of low gearing for climbing and top gear is fine on the flat. I freewheel downhill so don't have a problem there.
Do the components wear out more quickly though? Theoretically, you’re spending more time with the chain at a more extreme angle, wearing out gears and chain faster, no? Essentially like riding “cross-geared” more often. Just wondering.
3t gave up on the 1x Strada, they have just released a new edition with a front derailleur. Other question would it be possible to run the new 105 di2 1x?
I’m thinking of getting a gravel bike Marin Headlands and it has a 40 front one by with an 11-42 cassette but as I’ll be mainly riding on the road apart from summer riding and a small amount of gravel I’m wondering if I can get away with it.
I'm new adopter to the 1x system on my new gravel bike and I was having this debate while stopped for coffee this morning with a club mate.... He said the drops between each gear is too big, I'm yet to feel this as I'm only 2 rides in on fairly easy trail paths.... But would love to hear what other people's views are that have more experience than and him 👍
I tried 1x11 on my road bike but I can hear the chain grinding on large end and small end of sprocket, due to extreme chain angle. I also notice the chain plate wears out pretty fast on 1x11, there is gold anodising on YBN chain so easy to spot. Yes I do like the simplicity of doing without Fd.
11 speed 1x is so last year My Ti long distance road bike is using a 1x 12 speed mechanical Sram force 42t with a Ethirteen 9 - 50t cassette on a XD driver. The Sram shifters were converted using a ratio technology kit The rear derailleur is a Sram force with a oversized garburuk cage to get the capacity 👍😏😏🚴😆
@@davekashuba4730 works loverly, if not better than the original Sram shifter part. Not had any issues. Set it up myself and had no problems. However, if a personal is not mechanical savvy they might have issues.
@@Mapdec 13-15-17-19-21 gaps of m8000 are just perfect for me, 11-13-15-17-20 of e13 are all over the place. Seems not so different from the first glance, but with a different chainring the math gets sqewed significantly. It's just since I built the setup, realized I'm not that spinner I used to be. Plus, have you seen its price?!😅
I run a single R8000 chain ring 50t x 30. My specialized allez e5 sl weighs 7.5kg & I have run a 1x for at least 4 years, about 6000 miles. I just run chain catcher. Just the job.
When Sram released road 12 speed I switched to 1x and never looked back. Enough gears for all kinds of terrain. Btw is that Endura helmet ? Was looking into it. Looks good as well as a price. Is it good and comfy enough to switch from POC and Specialized helmets ?
1x, 2x, 3x, Rohloff… depends where you ride, how long you want to ride, how fit you are and so on. If your physical strength manages a 1x11 on a certain tour, some other might not. I use 1x usually on my commuter bikes, however I would not dare to remove my 50/34 x 11/32 on my road/endurance bike nor would I remove the 46/30 x 11/40 on my gravel bike. I want to keep my cadence over a certain distance which leads me usually to 2x. Maybe in another life, when I am born with super muscles I‘ll just use a single speed. 😉
there is a football game on now & i'm not in the same room :) I went 1x 2 yrs ago with ekar. Seems to work ok for me (gears every now & again go a little off piste - that's campag for you i guess). I use bike for training & ultra rides. Wife (not a sexist comment here) struggled with 2x & knowing which gear to use. Last year i bought her a bike with 1x & she loves the simplicity of it and the range for her is good (40x9-36).
Even a 2x with a 11-32 feels gappy to me, surely is awful for road. And a ten tooth cog, (that you actually have to use because you already have a smaller gear range) is a garbage idea.
I’m not with you with this one. Wiltshire and Somerset have steep short climbs followed by long shallow down hill runs. On my commute home I run from 6mph climbs to 38 mph flat sections. So it kind of depends if the ups and downs are even then 1x can work but if the ups sharp and the down hill is shallow and you need to pedal then 2x is still for me.
@@Mapdec loving the channel. As a 2x rim brake rider my opinions based on 40 years experience racing bikes and working in aerospace f1 and education don’t count for much against the marketing based channels.
I ride a three speed IGH (good old Sturmey-Archer SRF3). If I ever get a derailleur bike, I’ll get a 1x. Plenty of range, and wider steps don’t bother me; I adjust my cadence.
It’s certainly old school! I was inspired by reading about the pre-war Raleigh/Sturmey-Archer team: IGH road bikes were a thing, and still make sense for where I ride (New York City). I am seriously thinking about a State Bicycles 4130 Road, which is 1x8. I’m not racing, and I don’t live in the mountains. A 1x (or an eight speed IGH) would be all I could possibly need.
On an roadbike? no never. point isn't spinning out the top gear. Point is the smaller gaps in the casette. Example with a 50-34t (i use smaller due to having an gravel) You'd have a 11-32 casette for that close to 1x1 ratio. That has much smaller jumps then a 11-42t casette. Which allows me to stick better to my natural cadence. That said my XC mountainbike is a 1x12 and i would not make it any other way. But on MTB trails i tend to attack ascends and recover on the flat or downhill sections. With my gravel i try to keep my heartrate in a zone.
I’m able to ride most of the year without blowing the cobwebs off the small chainring - running 50/34 with 11/28. Pretty much a 1x just with a 50 up front. Front mechs don’t get much use on my bikes 😳
I run 1x11 44T and EThirteen 9-42 cassette on my Felt VR4. Bombing a hill at 52mph felt stable since my legs weren’t thrashing about at speed, plenty of range. Big jumps though. 9x44 = 11x54
@@Mapdecthe one I have is the E-Thirteen XCX, I also have a 9-46 (TRS+) that I accidentally found out does work on my Force 1 Mechanical rear derailleur.
I was in the 1x camp for years with a 38t in the front and 10-42 in the back on an all-road bike (officially a gravel bike but for me it's the one to do it all). Used it on anything from flat road rides to mountainous off road rides (I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where we have both). On only off road with mostly long steep climbs it was great but I always felt held back on road and on undulating terrain (too many shifts to get from climbing to a descending gears and vice versa) and the chainline always felt too extreme to me. This year I bit the bullet and splurged on a 2x12 sram wide groupset. This gave me everything I've missed before. On long offroad climbs I have more bottom range than I would ever need with the 30-36. On road, I have tightly spaced gears and the best is that on most hilly off road rides I stay mostly in the middle of the cassette and only shift in the front which to me feels amazing. It's unfortunate that you can't get this sort of gearing from other brands, though I think ekar comes close but you still have to sacrifice on either top or bottom.
46/30 chainrings and 12-34 cassette is plenty for me and I would venture to say 90 percent of the people out there. People also ask me if I spinout, and I do, around 35mph or 56 kmh. I personally don't care to pedal anymore because that would be a downhill and coasting is cool. Anyone who says they spend a fair amount of time in say 50+ and 10 or 11 cog is a liar or pro from my experience. Cheers! and thanks!
Don't know what tyres you have, but even with the bigger gravel tyres your cadence must be about 110, or near to 120 with road tyres - if you can sustain it for over 20 seconds even at low resistance of some descend, you must be a pro yourself. Or you know, join the group of 50+x10 riders
I did it as an amateur.
Wasn't even an roadbike but an cross hybrid with a 48t -11t.
Was averaging 52 kph on the flat. And i was spinning out.
I did have some help from mother nature though.
12-14m/s of wind on open fields straight from behind.
Meaning that even at 50kph+ i had literally no air resistance to speak off.
@@feedbackzaloop I do have what I think may be a particularly high normal cadence, spin bike, genetics who knows. You are correct, I'm doing about 115, not for long but way longer than 20 seconds. Then I coast. Spinning fast does nothing for my poor power to weight ratio, so no one is going to think I'm a pro. Spin to win but you have to have the power to back it up. LOL Hills are my only competition, hence the lower gearing.
@@larrymcgoldrick3471 genetics or not, you seem to have extraordinary neuromuscular activation and optimal fiber composition - maybe since you specialize in climbing, you did not do specific training and are afraid to gain extra 5 kilos of muscle... You know, power is cadence times torque - you already have one and saying it "does nothing" is an understatement
Very true
Coming from mountain biking I’ve setup all my gravel bikes mullet 1X with the 10-52 Eagle out back.
2 wheel sets, one for road and light gravel… the other for heavy and single track, etc.
Both sets have an Eagle cassette mounted ready to go.
I can’t figure out why anyone would want to have anything else unless you’re a professional doing something very specific and can’t afford imperfection.
It’s an amazing setup that does everything.
That's exactly my setup, works brilliantly for me.
1X works for me. Don't race, don't have any issues with spinning out as that's what the freewheel is for, and not in a hurry to get anywhere.
Ride in Bali on small hilly back roads or the main bypass road which is pretty much flat.
I use a 38 X 12-28. Never found anything over 30% that I can't get up and as I said if I reach 45km/h on a downhill, I freewheel. I'm 63 and still manage to average 28km/hr on most rides with my 1X set up, on my hard tail hybrid.
I gave up racing 40years ago, so just happy to get out for a couple of hours in 35 degrees heat to enjoy myself and keep fit.
I don't watch football. I only watch bike stuff. Lately, I've been watching you. So no pressure. And thanks!!!!!
Thanks Jason.
about 3-4 years ago, being curious, I switched my Ridley with Tiagra groupset to 1X. Just loved it. Since then I built a 1X gravel bike with GRX. Now I'm building an endurance bike with mechanical Rival also with a single chainring. For me peace of mind, less weight, and just quiet. BTW just discovered your channel. Great insight, good advise for us common home mechanics. Cheers from Canada.
Welcome Marco.
LOVE this video!! Have been thinking about this myself, who knows maybe it will happen this summer!!
I run nearly exactly the same: 44T in front, 11-42 cassette. Love it. Don’t miss the top gear.
@0:57 Hambini doesn’t care if your BB and cranks work or not. All that matters to him is that the pen is working.
🤣
I’ve been running 1x on my bikes since 2010, I then bought it over to the road. And I’m with you, if your not racing and you don’t pretend to be a heman then most will be actually surprised how fast you can go and what you can climb, do I spin out , nope I live in Suffolk I’m lucky to climb 300meters in a 70mile ride, what matters round here is flatland pace. I naturally have quite a high cadence band I’m happy to spin at 80 then go all the way through to 105 rpm in one gear. With a 46t 10-33 I’m in the middle of the block and doing 20-21mph @90rpm, that’s my working gear. In 10tooth cog I’m doing nearly 40mph at 100rpm. Tbh I can’t push that on the flat for to long. People that moan have never tried and many ride larger cassettes now so many should be used to the gaps
Nice.
50/36 with 11-42 cassette on my Super X quiver killer, tried 1x but not keen. 50t for the fast roads traveling to the gravel and 36 for gravel hills. Loving the content, keep up the great work.
Cheers Darren
I totally agree with you. My ride is the SuperX as well, I run the Campag Ekar with two wheel sets, one for gravel at 42mm tires and one with Conti 28s. For my non-competitive riding it is the perfect two bikes in one solution.
Yes Marco! I am doing pretty much the same thing.
I have used a Trek Crockett as a road bike for years 1x11 10-36 × 46. Liked it so much I'm building a lightweight climbing bike with the same gear ratio.
I don’t run 1x on my road bike but I did get rid of the 11t sprocket on my cassette as I was never using it. I now ride a 12-29 the majority of the time and I have single tooth jumps up to 17t, which is far more practical.
Appreciate the input > putting a new bike together w/GRX and had been considering it...
(80% road use)
Ultegra Di2 50/34 and 11/34 on my recumbent Cruzbike. I need that on the recumbent especially the lower gears for climbing. 105 mechanical on my Basso Venta, 50/34 and 11/30. I haven’t went down to my smaller chainring yet, maybe when I hit some bigger hills I will, 😂. Again, a great video. Thank you.
I Spy a Cannondale Super X 😁 agree issues keeping in a road group (riders on full compact 11/32 ) both on flat or uphill either slightly under geared on road so spin out or if swopped out for higher geared chainring then slightly over-geared on lowest gear on hills . (No issues on road bike case you’re all wondering 🤣).
Agree ease of maintenance, relaxed ride on hills, RD clutch brilliant chain seating solid on really ropey roads /potholes /road caves. Great for solo road on mucky lanes and hills. But excels as a substitute for traditional MTB (where no jumping or massive rock fields) far more manoeuvrable, easier to manhandle, fast and thrilling. Very capable and robust build while a light bike, surprising how far you can push the CX boundaries if so inclined. Good pick Paul 👍
Cross bikes make great endurance road bikes. Who would have guessed 😂
Seven bikes and all 1X. Some are geared differently for different missions. Like you, if I indeed get close to spinning out, I'll be going fast enough personally and the descent will be over in less than a half minute. I never find the gaps between gears too big - I "condition" myself for the difference! I'll admit the simplicity and quiet, seamless operation are appealing to an OCD rider that will not tolerate any noise from component contact:)
OCD here!! Right on. 😊
I'm running a 1x on a cyclocross frame and it is awesome. I found the 44 tooth the best compromise on my setup too. Get used to spinning sometimes, it's not that big of a deal. I've been taking some ques from the way hill climb bikes are setup. Lightweight and efficient.
I've been running a 1x system on my bike for the 2 years or so (1x9 originally, upgraded to 1x11 Sensah SRX Pro this past summer) and have put nearly 20,000km on it. I currently run a 46t front / 11-32t rear and that's all that I need for the extremely flat terrain here in Shanghai. The 32t is more than enough for any 'climbs' here (basically only up onto bridges) and the 11t can get up to 60km/h without spinning out, which again is enough for any 'descents' that I might encounter. Love not having to worry about fiddling with a front derailleur. I will be building up a new light / fast bike in the spring and while I was originally planning to go with 2x for that, after some careful consideration I have mostly decided that I will be using a 1x12 system (the new version of the Sensah SRX Pro that is 12 speed) for that since I just couldn't think of any reason why I'd need the front derailleur.
I’m with you dude.
I got a real frankenbike 1x among my bikes I honestly love for Long slower rides. Old ultegra with 1x10 40t front 11-36 rear. Perfect for even spinning up some of the mountains around Vancouver!
Like yourself I do most of my cycling on the roads of the Lake District, doing endurance and sportives rides. I have been using a 2 x 11 setup with an 11-40 cassette and 50/34 chainrings. This makes the hills a bit easier and I still have the speed on the flats.
Thanks David.
you can now easily go 1x12 using the sensah 1x12 gravel or any mtb 1x12 paired with a bar end shifter from microshift for instance. It works really well. I have 1x12 11-46 44 and I'm super happy with it. Pure roadies won't like it because of the jumps of course. I totally agree with you
I've ridden a 1x11 on my road bike for about a season. 11-42 in the back, 40 in the front, Shimano GRX RD-812 rear derailleur and Ultegra R8000 STI levers. It was pretty nice for riding alone or in very small groups in a variety of terrains (including quite a lot of mountains), the gear range was more or less enough for my needs, and what I enjoyed the most was not having to bother with frequent front shifts on routes with short hills. While riding alone, I wasn't bothered by the jumps between gears, not even when I was going over 28-30 km/h on flats.
However, the penny dropped when I started doing group rides with a rather fast group. Finding the right gear when riding in a bunch at 30-35 km/h was nearly impossible. I had to constantly switch between 40/15, 40/13 and 40/11 and it was nearly impossible to find the right cadence either way. I do admit that I have a rather narrow cadence range at which I feel comfortable, especially once I go over 220-240W, and after a few group rides during which I suffered quite a bit, I decided to move back to my previous 46/30 x 11-32 2x11 setup. Since then I replaced my R8000 groupset with a Campagnolo Centaur 2x11 one and never thought again about going 1x.
Besides that, as my frame had VERY short chainstays (397 mm is less than most road bikes, let alone cyclocross or gravel bikes), the chain was quite noisy in the largest and smallest sprockets due to the rather extreme angle it made with the plane of the sprockets (the shorter the chainstays, the higher the angle). The issue was somewhat alleviated by using a regular chainring and a chain catcher instead of a narrow-wide chainring (which was itself noisier as its teeth engaged the chain more aggressively).
I would consider going 1x again on a bike with long chainstays (410-420 mm at least), but I wouldn't use it for group rides. Going 1x12 or 1x13 would be an option to somewhat mitigate the gear gap issues, but narrow chains and narrow chain-sprocket tolerances mean less margin for misalignment or contamination (dirt, sand, etc.). For now, 2x11 is the sweet spot for me, and I wouldn't even mind going back to 2x10 for what it's worth.
Cool. Did you ever try and improve your cadence range?
@@Mapdec not really, and not actively anyway. I can't be bothered to do any form of structured training, I just go out (or on my home trainer) and ride. Riding 1x did indeed somewhat force me into using a wider cadence range, but that only happened at lower power outputs and/or during short efforts (≤ 5 min) at higher power outputs (≥ FTP).
Great! Preaching to the choir (of me :D). I ride pretty similar setups on my bikes. On the fast and sporty one, Alugear 50 narrow-wide 1x plate on ultegra cranks, SRAM 10-42 casette and rival rear mech. I like fast and rolly terrain so it works perfect. Up to 7% I'm flying, beyond that, I wouldn't enjoy it anyway, but it's doable just fine (for me). On my winter/commuter/touring, I have the Apex 11-42 casette, Sram Apex rear mech and apex bb30 cranks (bit of a pain to install on a rotor bsa30 BB) with 42 teeth. Cannot beat the simplicity and value. No issues with shifting on both mechs. 1:1 ratio is so useful for climbing with luggage.
A propos Aqua Blue, seriously, I don't know how the hell they were dropping chains with narrow-wide chainrings and clutched mechs... Only instance of a dropped chain I had was when I bent my mech hanger (APEX mech survived unscathed to serve on a different frame) and I shifted beyond upper limits, jamming my chain between spokes and cassette.
My wife and I have cycled 9200km across Europe over the past 7 months on 1x (34/42) set up on our touring bikes. We couldn’t get some parts during the pandemic back in Oz so went with what we had. Except for the occasional ridiculously steep climb it has been perfect for our over 50kg set ups 👌🏼
Sweet!
Have been running a 11-36 with a 36 chainring for about 7 years on the road. Have done 600km rides on it, and rides in the Pyrenees. Works great. First chainring wore out at 65,000 km. Sram CX-1. And I’m a Shimano fan boy….
65k km and a single chain-ring?! You are lying.
@@rosomak8244 How'd you go with the 36t chainring on road... ? Seems small
As an old school roadie I don't tend to Big Ring it in winter so in effect I'm riding a 1x. I know nothing of riding off tarmac! never heard such a thing!! :-)
have been using 42x11-42 on my commuter for years, because when I was younger it did not feel as I needed any other than the big chain ring up front, well sometimes when I was tired I had to go down to the middle one when I was super duper tired in a xc race but under normal circumstances the big one up front (42) was all i needed, now when I just recently got past my 40th birthday I realised that I really struggle with my 1by drive train. Oh, I hate getting old as one need so much more training to retain the straighten/fitness when back in then all u needed to do is look at a weight the get fit :P
I must admit that I thought I would never like the 1x11 set up but I am fully converted. I created a hybrid Frankenstein bike from an old Kona Kula hard tail 26"er and put some nice narrow Easton flat bars on it with some 700c Hope 20Fives, changed the fox forks over to fully rigid and then looked at the what I had lying around for the drive setup. l used a Shimano SLX crankset fitted with a Hope 38T chainring. The rear cassette is an 11X30 Shimano 105. The only problem is, I am spinning at well over 100rpm when my speed is north of 27mph but for my daily commute bike it is perfect for quickly accelerating through the traffic and getting me up to speed. On the big descents I just need to get as aero as possible and took in. It's not safe to pedal beyond 35mph.
So glad that I gave it a go, the bike puts a smile on my face and gets some weird looks and the chain hasn't dropped to date.
Cool. I love this about bikes, that we can hack something to suit. Well done.
I run 38-11x42 on my gravel bike but often ride on the road to get to the gravel. I love the 1x and consider it the best all around gearing on any of my bikes. This is what I ride in the winter but come summer I want to go fast so back to 2x, 52-36,11x28 😊
I've used 42T 1x 11x42 on gravel and mountain bike and have zero complaints. In the process of picking up another road bike that is 2x 52/36, 11x28 and strongly considering converting it to 1x. Curious, based on your experience of your thoughts of converting to a 1x 46T? I live in the northeastern USA, and it is hilly. Trying to keep expenses down since it's equipped with an 11x28 cassette? Thx
I’m against 1x for road and gravel bikes. One of the things you give up is Gearing Range - which has some significant ramifications - discussed below.
Simplicity has its virtues. It can be a liberating feeling, and for some people, range is not a big deal. For some riding situations it’s not a big deal. Yet, for others, that seriously changes the fun factor and ruins the ride.
One of the advantages for multiple chainrings is range - Gearing Range - meaning more span from the lowest to the highest available gear. In practical terms, it means having lower gears that allow you to climb the longer steep sections, and having higher gears so you can pedal down the fast descents.
2. Efficiency is the second big advantage. Efficiency in 2 areas - First being able to stay in your physiological operating window, and second, the ability to avoid inefficient situations like cross chaining that chew up your watts and spit them out as worn-out parts.
3. Confidence. Knowing that when you show up for a ride or a race you will have the needed ratio range. When racing for the first time on a select course or traveling to a destination ride, for example, you know you’ll have the gear availability for both climbs and descents, as well as physical and environmental conditions.
So how to choose? The First Question to ask: “How much do I shift the front chainrings?” Or, perhaps more insightfully, “How much WOULD I shift the front rings if they shifted perfectly?”
The re-phrased question above is really more telling because studies show that people don’t generally trust their front shifting, so they don’t do it as often as would best benefit them and their ride. Looking further at facts, it has been shown that the human body naturally has a condition (cadence and body position) where it can produce the most power for the longest time. That window, is, of course, different for each person (fast-twitch, slow-twitch, etc.). And, though we can train the body to expand the natural window, the edges of the window are inherently less efficient.
This window of power and efficiency is exactly what has driven the bicycle industry to more and more close ratio gears. Your body naturally wants to stay in that window, so as the road tips up or down slightly, or as the wind changes, the natural desire is to have that 5% or 10% change in ratio to match the conditions and keep cadence and power in that physiological efficiency window.
The biggest problem with these kinds of discussions comes from the emotional baggage that underlies the analytical. As humans we follow our friends and those we admire - we want to have the “new” and “greatest” stuff. Nothing wrong with that - unless what’s new doesn’t work optimally for the individual. Don’t get trapped in what other people are doing.
While it is true that to be successful with a single front ring (in a hilly environment) you need to be pretty strong, it does not follow that using a single chainring makes you strong. ALSO, and perhaps more important, because you’re strong it does not mean you should ride a single front chainring (It also does not mean you shouldn’t). It’s been proven over and over - You are fastest when you’re able to stay in your physiological operating window. (Note, that’s YOUR physiological window, not your buddy’s, and not the pros we love watching.)
Cool. You are right. Front shift anxiety is real! (Future vid there). I have to say that my physiology has adapted through using 1x and the turbo trainer. Using lots of cadences and practising them on the turbo has meant I have adapted and quite like 1x. Totally not for racing. You might only have the power to push the big gears for a few seconds, but those few seconds matter in a break.
Try fixed. You'll expand your efficient range. Farm tractor to Ferrari! A thrill to ride 30mph at 140 rpm in a 74 inch gear!
I've running 1x Scram rival 46x10-30. I love it. Since I live in Florida I was never in the small chainring. If I move somewhere with hill I can just get a smaller chainring. This is why I prefer scram over Shimano
I love the simplicity of 1x and don’t mind the gear jumps. My cycling is typocally mixed surface riding and some local exploring in the countryside- I’m all in on 1x11 (40x10-42)
Nice.
What components are you using?
@@paulb9769 Hi Paul, I’m running Shimano GRX 800 groupset, except for the cassette, which is a sram 10-42 on a Wheelset with an XDR freehub. Gives a bit more range vs shimano’s 11-42.
@@dmbambino I have just ordered an 11 speed XT rear. I am now anoyed I did not go 12.
Just bought a giant rapid (flat bar road bike / hybrid) and converting it to 1x. Like you I probably won't miss the 50t big ring and have tried to think what gears I'll actually use. I've gone for a 38t up front and a 42/11 on the rear, had a similar ratio on my gravel bike so thought it would be a good starting point. Can always put a larger chainring on if it's under geared.
I've not tried it, nor a road bike, cyclocross bike.
But on my 29er enduro bike, where I live this chainring size is overkill, I would run out of road, and cassette is too small so would struggle on the climbs at least on an mountain bike, but not sure how an road bike would be, never tried it.
I have 11-50T X 32T oval, but I think even 30T would suit my set up.
So 1x drivetrain is great on an mountain bike, but I think it is even for a commuter probably an road bike if the chainring and cassette are suitable. But the huge chainring makes me curious.
I'm running a 3x10 shimano-sram mixed groupset. Really enjoying the daily videos. 👍
Thanks TD. I hope I can keep it going
I live in Los Angeles & do quite a bit of climbing & therefore descending with cars around. If I push during the descent cars don't try to pass dangerously which has me spinning out my 52/11 often! I am really interested in trying the classified hub for the bonuses you mentioned with the quiet drivetrain!
The classified hub does offer up some interesting options. I’m not sure I need that many gears, maybe the range though.
I used about the same setup for a few years- cyclocross bike with GP5000(40t or 44t, 11x42, Apex). Great aesthetics and easier maintenance, but lacked extra low gearing I prefer for very long rides. 2 tooth spacing at 11-13 is a big jump and limits the usefulness of the 11t cog for short training rides. Miss the simplicity, but 2x is the choice for now. 1x would still be great for many use cases.
Now with the APEX 12 speed 11-44 cassette, you get 11-12-13-15 onwards. It's really good.
If I ever did get another bike, I might want to try 1x for the road. Pretty flat around here and a 12 speed road setup would be plenty adequate for my needs. I'm interested if the narrow wide chainrings used on this setup wear well compared to standard road rings. No possibility of running this on an older frame for sure. Mountain, I just left all 3 rings on and got a 12x42 cassette. I like to tinker with this stuff. 1x11 would probably be cheaper.
Considering 1x on my next road bike, but i'd be looking at the sram xplr derailleur with 10-44 cassette and a 46t chainring up front. That way i'd have slightly better than 50-11 at the top end while having almost having 1-1 as my low gear. I think 12 speed is negating the need for most people to need a double now as well as the range is there and the gaps arent so big. The spanner is I can get a 2x force etap with the same rear end for similar €€€ and so now i'm considering both options...
It is crazy how prices workout out. Consider repair cost. Look at cost of cassettes and chain rings
@@Mapdec yeah, either way I'd be getting the rival power cranks, a bit heavier but aesthetically superior to force. Its a head vs heart situation, head is force 2x with xplr mullet, heart is straight up rival xplr 1x. I do long distance events and races so the simplicity of 1x is very appealing, one less thing to go wrong
One of the benefits of 1x is how easily adjustable it is. My tour bike has a 44T ring but, if a tour involves heavy luggage and/or many climbs, I can swap to a 42T or even a 40T without the chain slacking too much. It works wonders! 😃👍🏻
Triplle front cranks are fickle to adjust. However 2x are very very easy going in this regard. I
I've just put my first ever 1x on my new gravel bike with a mullet set-up. Just a 38t chainring, too. Works fine for offroad, and I don't mind the smaller gears for going downhill - freewheeling at 50km/h is fine for that bike.
But for road sections I do miss the closer ratios of a road cassette, and much prefer a double for that reason. I really like 1 tooth gaps between gears. It's not about gear range for me and I've alwasy been happy with smaller gears in general. I pedal along the flat at 95rpm although these days I do spin out lower than when I was younger (about 120-130rpm is about my max now, used to be 160). So, for a long-range endurance bike I'd get frustrated with the wide range cassette.
160 😳
@@Mapdec Actually for winter riding I used to mainly ride fixed gear on a 43x17 - great for developing cadence range. Once hit 200rpm (!) on a steep descent - a scary experiece I never, ever want to repeat😀
Good knees dude
70-75 rpm feels the most comfortable to me so I do find myself trying to go into a higher gear on the descents quite often when riding 50 - 11
Aside from a huge tailwind or riding in a large peloton, I could never push anywhere near those higher gears on a flat course, so I’m sticking with my compact crank.
I was a nervous triple to single chainring convert. After breaking my second Cannondale F29 frame, I then bought an Ibis DV9, as for one, I could fit the lefty fork ( by about 30 thou !! as fixed fork braces) and they have no front mech, so, had to change to 1X from 3X. Being nervous on my lack of speed on fast off road descents , I thought it could be a disaster . But running a 1X 11, I sourced a larger Shimano chainring to add 2 extra teeth to the front. Bike as a whole runs more stable on tricky descents and I have noticed, I have a faster bike on Strava segments. But, on smooth trails, it does show a drop in speed. But I put that down to being older and slowing down instead now. Would I go back to a double or triple ? Well, just bought a Planet X Tempest with Sram Rival groupset, single front chainring. Its sublime with its operation and its perfect gearing for what I need it for.
I do have Di2 on my road bike and that has the great front mech adjustment when you move across the cassette it trims is, so you never get chain grind on the mech.
Single chainrings, I have used for years on singlespeed mtb's and being a deeper tooth design does keep the chain from doing anything untoward and falling off . Also clutch rear mechs working with them on geared bikes, I am yet to loose a chain. I would check chain tension, chain length and chain line before blaming the chainring for the chain falling off.
Thanks. I have never had a chain come off. Really not sure what those pros were doing.
I don’t remember anything from the video.. I couldn’t stop looking at the helmet… what brand is it?
Haha. It’s a SMITH. My fave.
AXS XPLR with a 42 up front works like a charm for my allroad bike. I'm seriously considering a 46 up front with the same set up for my next road bike. Yes, some of the ratio jumps are a bit bigger than ideal, but unless you're racing or doing a pretty high-end group ride, it's not a problem in the real world. I'd go with Ekar, but the ridge on the hoods bothers my hands 😕
I have that problem too. Thought it was just me!
I switched to 1x on every bike in spring 2017, when a buddy crashed his bike and needed a left shifter in a hurry, that was all the excuse I needed. Started with a 56t ring and a dummy front derailleur as a chainguide, so I never had much problem with spinning out, throw a 60t on for race day
Is this on a TT bike?
@@Mapdec well technically it's been a series of TT frames, but I use them with drop bars. TT frames make the best road bikes, they're the only ones long and low enough for my long upper body and short legs
@@galenkehler oh. That’s interesting. Never really considered that.
@@Mapdec I'm currently running a MiracleBike TT912, it's actually a really versatile platform. The reach is 437mm so I can use a reasonable 110mm stem, and the head tube is 170mm, so I'm not way up in the sky with my hands.
The seatpost has a really generous range of adjustment, the rail design has 65mm of fore/aft adjustment so it's a bike that can fit anyone. I just used a standard road fork and handlebar
Yeah, I went to a 2x on my Topstone because I use it for commuting and there's 1 really long stretch of road with a long straight descent on the way to work where I spun out at 45mph (~70kph) (running SRAM ETAP so 10t small gear and 40t chainring) and while that's plenty fast I wanted to see if I could push and break 50mph to try and get the time down to under an hour (48/35t chainring up front). But yeah, I was spinning out at like 110rpm at 45mph, the 2x is mostly unnecessary unless you're racing or can just put out 400W like it's nothing.
Haha. That’s awesome Evan
😂. Me going downhill when reaching 32 or 33 mph, start applying the brakes!!
I’ve got a gravel bike and been running an 11spd setup with 1x. I’ve got two wheel sets; gravel with 11-42 and road with 11-36 using a 42 front. Been ideal and maintenance is reduced. When going out on the road club run others scratch there heads and see it as something alien. Think off-road people are a bit more open minded than roadies 🤣
I prefer 2x on my Gravelbike, tbh. Since I bought my bike before GRX was a thing I have a bit of a weird setup going on after a couple of upgrades which were spread over time. I changed the Tiagra crank to a 36/46 Shimano FC-CX50 but swapped the 36t chainring with a 34t. And in the back I use 11-36 10-speed Cassette and a GRX400 derailleur. Gives me a low enough gear to get up the hill and some decent top speed when I use it in "road bike mode".
I have the same Cannondale with a stock 40t chainring, and need bigger option in the front. Please share with advice how to adopt GXP cranckset in this BB size and asymmetrical chainstays?
It is a combination of off the shelf Wheels Mfg adapter and an FSA Adapter that has been shaved in a lathe. Be very careful as the correct chainline gives just 2mm clearance.
I run a 46 chain ring by WolfTooth & 9-46 eThirteen helix 11 speed cassette , I never spin out. I will eventually purchase a Specialized Aethos with a 1x setup as well. Love the 1x simplicity
So I'm ring 1x7 chainring 34 cassette 12/32 good enough for me
I totally agree with the usability of some of gearing in the 2x setups and the noise reduction is a consideration for me. Have you tried the chain guides? Probably noisy. I’m running a 53/39 with a 11-25. I’m going to try a 46 1x and may have to jump the rear to 11-28. I just need a 110 BCD spider…😂
It’s not just the issue of spinning out in the top gear. The bigger issue with 1x for the road Is cadence; less gears to choose from and often feels like your either in too high or too low a gear. This isn’t really an issue with gravel or mtb as the terrain varies so much; but on road it definitely does make a big difference.
@paddyotoole On road I echo that always feels half / one gear off the mark 👍
40 tooth chainring, 11 to 40 9sp cassette does me nicely and at 68yrs don't use that top gear that often, I rode fixed gear for 40yrs and have a fast natural cadence.
That’s awesome. Do we even need 11 speed. Can we adjust to 9sp? You pose a great question
When I had 53/39 it may as well have been a 1x. For riding around, a 1x3 would be perfect.
I did Transcontinental race on 11sp 38x10-46 (Force RD / Garbaruk cassette) and it was spot on. Just built up a new all road bike with 12sp xplr 40x10-46, which is even better. 2x is dead to me, cannot stand the annoying double shifts every time you change the front ring
Front shift anxiety 😦
I have kind of a rare situation, living in the mountains. I’m not a racer, so a compact with a big-range cassette works well for me. But I do twenty-minute descents where I spin out my top gear the whole time.
I’ve considered mixing compact and standard rings, but I’m worried about the shifting performance suffering.
That rarely works well. What speed are you going when you spin out, and at what cadence?
@@Mapdec at 40mph I'm spinning somewhere around 110rpm, which I find difficult to maintain. Even at 35mph I'm getting over 100rpm.
I live and ride 99% of my time in The Netherlands.... The flat part...
Last year, I built up a bike specific for the terrain. Some considerations made:
1. When it's super flat and 100 mile ride includes 100ft of climbing, you spend a lot of time seated, A LOT. And your weight never shifts. A comfortable position is paramount. So that was considered.
2. Weight not an issue. So favoured aero choices.
3. There's lots to avoid, and tight winding roads, so handling was a top consideration.
But the the biggest impact was gear choice.
When I arrived here I was riding a 50/34 on 11-32... Pointless. I never touched the 32 and just as rarely the 11.
I now have a 50/32 with a 12-25... I'd get a 12-23 if I could find one somewhere.
But it's had a dramatic impact on riding round here for me.
Most, if not all, of my club mates laughed and looked at me puzzled when I said I was getting rid of the 11...
But even on flat, even with a strong back wind, it's rarely touched.
Even with a 12, i'm still beating them in the town sign sprint.
I am not surprised.
Going below 14-15t does impact mechanical efficiency by quiet an bit. Then we mortals can't sustainably put down the watts required for 50+ kph.
Sure we all can for a few seconds but we will all lactate up quickly. Which will slow us down for the rest of the ride.
Being able to pedal more efficiently at your prefered cadence is better.
I live in the netherlands too. But here it ain't flat.
So an 12-25 is not an option.
Here i have roughly 600 meters of elevation in an 80k ride.
More when mountainbiking.
But your right just look at what you ride and pick accordingly.
Great post. Thank you
Wow is that the supersix evo se model? How is the ride for 1 bike to do it all - grando fondo, gravel and triathlon? My lbs recommended the model. He said its really good. Whats your take? You also mentioned theres a red flag on the rear hanger? It was in one of your short videos. Is it better value for money building from the frame or better to buy a complete bike?
See todays vid. Uploading now.
I ride an 87 Raleigh Technium with 42 tooth chainring in front and 14-28 six speed freewheel. It’s fine for the terrain I want to ride 95% of the time.
I've gone 1x on road bike when breaking a front derailleur and finding no replacements in stock before. After riding it for about a month, I'm certainly not a fan - a lack of gear range on a compact chainset. It's definitely a different scenario for CX bikes, and potentially for wide ranged 1x road cassettes.
The big question is what size ring and cassette and what speed is it?
I ride Sram rival 11-42 with a 42 front mechanical which is perfectly fine wouldn’t mind trying 1-13 Campagnolo as I’m a bit of a campey fan.
I love single ring setups. I am running rivai one with a e13 9-46T it is so worth it to have a cassette over 500% . Look into e13 cassettes they rock.
Thanks. A few have mentioned it now.
@@Mapdec yeah next want to try the SRAMpagnolo set up. That is parts to make your sram one by work with the ekar cassette.
It is a new ratchet mechanism to make mechanical sram work as a 13.
Made by ratio technology
I have 1X7 38T front and 12-32T rear and find it great for casual riding..plenty of low gearing for climbing and top gear is fine on the flat. I freewheel downhill so don't have a problem there.
1x7 - I’m down with that idea.
Do the components wear out more quickly though? Theoretically, you’re spending more time with the chain at a more extreme angle, wearing out gears and chain faster, no? Essentially like riding “cross-geared” more often. Just wondering.
Not that I have noticed. But I do clean things a lot.
Sight correction on the BB, it's a BB30A83. Used only on this SuperX and the same year topstone
3t gave up on the 1x Strada, they have just released a new edition with a front derailleur.
Other question would it be possible to run the new 105 di2 1x?
Yes. I know. The big flop… some of them broke too. Yes. You can go 1x. I would hold off if you can. A new GRX must be just round the corner.
Is there anything less than a 10 tooth you can get on the back cassette? Spinning out is not a fun feeling.
9t is possible now.
I’m thinking of getting a gravel bike Marin Headlands and it has a 40 front one by with an 11-42 cassette but as I’ll be mainly riding on the road apart from summer riding and a small amount of gravel I’m wondering if I can get away with it.
A chainring swap is cheap and easy
I'm new adopter to the 1x system on my new gravel bike and I was having this debate while stopped for coffee this morning with a club mate.... He said the drops between each gear is too big, I'm yet to feel this as I'm only 2 rides in on fairly easy trail paths.... But would love to hear what other people's views are that have more experience than and him 👍
I got used to it really quickly and just developed a range of cadences.
I tried 1x11 on my road bike but I can hear the chain grinding on large end and small end of sprocket, due to extreme chain angle. I also notice the chain plate wears out pretty fast on 1x11, there is gold anodising on YBN chain so easy to spot. Yes I do like the simplicity of doing without Fd.
Did you check the chain line? Sound like something off.
I've found 1x has a voracious appetite for chains. It's difficult for me to get more than 2000km out of one.
Wow. I’ve not seen that myself. Have you checked chain length?
@@Mapdec All fine! Steel touring Salsa Fargo with 11-46T and a... let's politely say strong rider.
11 speed 1x is so last year
My Ti long distance road bike is using a 1x 12 speed mechanical Sram force 42t with a Ethirteen 9 - 50t cassette on a XD driver.
The Sram shifters were converted using a ratio technology kit
The rear derailleur is a Sram force with a oversized garburuk cage to get the capacity
👍😏😏🚴😆
I have cog envy
@@Mapdec Obviously 😏😏
Just curious how that Ratio Technology kit is working for you?
@@davekashuba4730 works loverly, if not better than the original Sram shifter part. Not had any issues. Set it up myself and had no problems. However, if a personal is not mechanical savvy they might have issues.
Been almost through the first cassette of 46x11-46 setup and would continue, only wish I could fit 50t in place of a smaller ring.
How about a 9-42 from eThirteen?
@@Mapdec 13-15-17-19-21 gaps of m8000 are just perfect for me, 11-13-15-17-20 of e13 are all over the place. Seems not so different from the first glance, but with a different chainring the math gets sqewed significantly. It's just since I built the setup, realized I'm not that spinner I used to be.
Plus, have you seen its price?!😅
@@feedbackzaloop ah. Yes. There is that.
1x with an e*13 (9 to 54) cassette should be great on Non-Racing Roadbikes. I sometimes miss below 1:1 transmissions even on my 2y Bike.
I run a single R8000 chain ring 50t x 30. My specialized allez e5 sl weighs 7.5kg & I have run a 1x for at least 4 years, about 6000 miles. I just run chain catcher. Just the job.
Forget 1x Vs 2x. Those socks over the bib tights hurt my eyes!!
It’s the future.
When Sram released road 12 speed I switched to 1x and never looked back. Enough gears for all kinds of terrain. Btw is that Endura helmet ? Was looking into it. Looks good as well as a price. Is it good and comfy enough to switch from POC and Specialized helmets ?
It’s a SMITH My fave.
a bit of topic here but are the transfers on your cannondale forks original or a retro fit ?
They are original.
1x, 2x, 3x, Rohloff… depends where you ride, how long you want to ride, how fit you are and so on. If your physical strength manages a 1x11 on a certain tour, some other might not. I use 1x usually on my commuter bikes, however I would not dare to remove my 50/34 x 11/32 on my road/endurance bike nor would I remove the 46/30 x 11/40 on my gravel bike. I want to keep my cadence over a certain distance which leads me usually to 2x. Maybe in another life, when I am born with super muscles I‘ll just use a single speed. 😉
Pinion gear box
there is a football game on now & i'm not in the same room :)
I went 1x 2 yrs ago with ekar. Seems to work ok for me (gears every now & again go a little off piste - that's campag for you i guess). I use bike for training & ultra rides.
Wife (not a sexist comment here) struggled with 2x & knowing which gear to use. Last year i bought her a bike with 1x & she loves the simplicity of it and the range for her is good (40x9-36).
Sounds great. Not sexist just simple w/kg and personal preference. Vik is the same, just likes the minimalist simplicity.
Even a 2x with a 11-32 feels gappy to me, surely is awful for road.
And a ten tooth cog, (that you actually have to use because you already have a smaller gear range) is a garbage idea.
I’m not with you with this one. Wiltshire and Somerset have steep short climbs followed by long shallow down hill runs. On my commute home I run from 6mph climbs to 38 mph flat sections. So it kind of depends if the ups and downs are even then 1x can work but if the ups sharp and the down hill is shallow and you need to pedal then 2x is still for me.
Good info Toby. Cheers.
@@Mapdec loving the channel. As a 2x rim brake rider my opinions based on 40 years experience racing bikes and working in aerospace f1 and education don’t count for much against the marketing based channels.
@@tobycolin6271 marketing is like the anti engineering department.
If you ride your route in the reverse direction it would have long shallow climbs with short steep descents.🤔
@@j2hats and in either direction 2x would still be better.
I ride a three speed IGH (good old Sturmey-Archer SRF3). If I ever get a derailleur bike, I’ll get a 1x. Plenty of range, and wider steps don’t bother me; I adjust my cadence.
thats hardcore Rudolph
It’s certainly old school! I was inspired by reading about the pre-war Raleigh/Sturmey-Archer team: IGH road bikes were a thing, and still make sense for where I ride (New York City). I am seriously thinking about a State Bicycles 4130 Road, which is 1x8. I’m not racing, and I don’t live in the mountains. A 1x (or an eight speed IGH) would be all I could possibly need.
I broken my 39T once and was left with my 53T with a 11-28 cassette, does that count? 🤣🤣🤣 Needless to say anything over 5% inline was a grind...
On an roadbike? no never.
point isn't spinning out the top gear.
Point is the smaller gaps in the casette.
Example with a 50-34t (i use smaller due to having an gravel)
You'd have a 11-32 casette for that close to 1x1 ratio.
That has much smaller jumps then a 11-42t casette.
Which allows me to stick better to my natural cadence.
That said my XC mountainbike is a 1x12 and i would not make it any other way.
But on MTB trails i tend to attack ascends and recover on the flat or downhill sections.
With my gravel i try to keep my heartrate in a zone.
Rocking a 52-11/25 on my road bike for all my riding around Stockholm. Never used the 36 small ring anyways…
Cool.
I’m able to ride most of the year without blowing the cobwebs off the small chainring - running 50/34 with 11/28. Pretty much a 1x just with a 50 up front. Front mechs don’t get much use on my bikes 😳
1x .. grinding 1 cassette.. every rotation at a time .
Never use 50/11 so agree
I run 1x11 44T and EThirteen 9-42 cassette on my Felt VR4. Bombing a hill at 52mph felt stable since my legs weren’t thrashing about at speed, plenty of range. Big jumps though. 9x44 = 11x54
Oh. 9-42. That’s interesting
@@Mapdecthe one I have is the E-Thirteen XCX, I also have a 9-46 (TRS+) that I accidentally found out does work on my Force 1 Mechanical rear derailleur.
I have a apex 1x from 2017 42 in front and a 11-28 pignon this is a 11 speed.
T
Woah.
only thing worse, is that helmet lol
Here in Florida … 50t x1 …..
😳
Sure this has been said already but 10 more gears than my bike. (Not my TT that has 11).
You watch gcn? 😂 i think dylan johnson is what youre looking for professionally lmao
Gcn is what you watch if youre in your first year of cycling 😂
Laughs in climbing gear
11 speed!! You´re lucky not to use rim brakes, or you´d be dead meat by now. We all know that. Don´t we?? Of course we do.. Rgr
Dead.