36/28 isn't going to cut it for most people who live in hilly areas. Plenty of people around here are grinding up climbs on 34/34 or 34/36. 36/28 is a brutal gear to be climbing in for a lot of people.
10-36 x 44 here. Can't think of a climb under 20% that 44/36 would make me struggle. Still better than 36/28. Sometimes I miss a little on the top end but I could go 46. Anyway, never going back to 2x
I love my 2x10 Force Doubletap, but I see your point. For some reason I've never been able to duplicate its nearly flawless performance on a customer's bike.
Never had any problems with my Force FD. Also 1x depends on the strength and fitness of the rider. A 46/33 crank paired with a 10/36 cassette is going to help more less fit/powerful cyclists up hills than a 1x 48T crank. Likewise a 2x 48/35T crank is going to give more range with the 10/36 cassette
It's all about terrain, speed range and personal preference. I can operate at low and high cadence, live in the Netherlands (no climbs at all, except the occasional 30-ish second bridge climb...) , so I always move between 26 and 38 km an hour... One by would be fine for me, and a lot of other Dutchies who don't take their bike to other countries...
I was in your cuontry and remember that sometimes it is difficult to ride when wind blows to your face - it was more effort than going uphill (ca 1km over see level) in my country.
@@chriskros8858 we call those the "Dutch mountains" there are super windy days but I don't ride my road bike on those days. Normally 25 kph in a headwind is doable for me. But I guess it's not for everyone 😅
I switched to 1x. Most underrated advantage is actually bigger jumps. I find I change gears less and more purposefully. So when I change a gear I actually feel a difference and it's a natural jump. Where as on the normal 2x road jumps you were constantly changing trying to find the perfect gear and the dilemma of shifting down on the front and jumping up on the back or now wait lets switch back on the front then back down on the back. Now I just feel free and less anxious if I am in the right gear. Nothing wrong with not pedaling at a perfect 90rpm 100% of the time.
This actually makes a lot of sense if you tried it. With bigger jumps between gears, you have to make do with increasing or reducing cadence until you finally shift. I understand this goes against the usual roadie dictum of maintaining constant cadence, but anyone with MTB background can see what it means.
Interesting to take a downside and pretend it's a positive. It's like electricity, you can choose to be really deliberate with it and use a cellar instead of a fridge, but I'll keep my fridge, thank you very much :)
This explanation is exactly why i consider 2x electric shifting the 1x killer. Besides the comment about gear jumps anyway, ive always liked tighter spacing. But the whole front chainring debacle is solved with electric shifting. My bike has 20 speeds of sequential gearing and i never touch the shifter for the front derailleur. The software handles everything "automagically"! It even came preset to avoid cross chaining and its all adjustable in the software. When im going into a steep climb and the going gets slow, my bike drops itself into the small ring, when i shift for speed it puts me in the big one! Ez-pz
I'm using road bike 1x 50T 11t-46t cassette. It's cleaner, less part to maintain, and i had climb any uphill in my locality without a problem so far. As a casual rider I don't have any reason to go for 2x
I chose 2x 50/34 11-36 105 di2. Its plenty clean and easy to maintain. I also have not met a hill i hated, nor loved... im also a casual rider i would say, I only cycle for me, my peace of mind, and my health. I do enjoy the tighter gearing of the 11-36 cassette, it allows me to keep my cadence how I like. The di2 can also be setup in software to become a virtual 1x for 20 speeds of sequential shifting. It can also be set to avoid cross chaining automatically, increasing the life of the components. Before owning electric shifting, i thought of it as a nice thing to have for shifting performance over the years. After owning it and getting to know it. I think electric shifting is the future and a 1x killer. Theres also a vast disparity with groupset manufacturers. SRAM is realizing 70%+ 1x sales and Shimano is realizing 70% 2x sales. The main thing i dont like seeing is the lack of options for us riders. Like Specialized removing the front derailleur mount on the new diverge, it basically made the bike a non option for me while the salesman told me the other ones are "old models being phased out"... Pushing me towards another bike with a few casual words.
105 2x all the way for me. 50/34 front and 11-28 rear with road wheels & tyres; 11-36 on the spare wheels with 38mm tyres. Literally takes 2 mins to swap over. No chain length issues switching over. Long-cage RD works fine without an extender.
I like your thinking! 105 di2 here. 50/34 and 11-36 on 40mm pirelli gravel h. I still ride this on the roads/bike trails, but my bike trails can get sandy, and by that i mean how much sand not if its there... the 11-28 sounds interesting. Is that still 105 or ultegra? Im still a green cyclist. Ive been saving for the bike (specialized roubaix) while riding a mtb that was given to me. The bike has been on 5 rides, i finally hit my 50 mile goal! I havent taken my bike off pavement yet, besides some hard packed decomposed granite. Im awaiting my tubeless repair kit. 6 extra teeth sounds like a slightly sloppy chain, but maybe not horrible on road use? I had 4 extra teeth in my mtb chain, its how it was given to me. I got a new chain and just sized it to the old one. After it slapping around a bit i looked into things and did my own chain setup, I had 4 extra links. The chain no longer slaps. But it is a full suspension mtb, the rear is dynamically moveable, and i was doing things with it i dont do on the road bike. Like launching off 4 foot walls @ my park! And lastly. The di2. I only made the jump because the bike was on sale. $500 more for di2 and a better futureshock (dampened). Also the version with mechanical 105 was unavailable. I tried to order a new BMC roadmachine (supports 40mm) before the specialized, but i was told February... I was then between building my own time bike or buying a specialized. Even with the time frame on sale it was still out of my range for the build I was trying to make. I had test ridden the roubaix and it was comfortable which is part of why I chose it as well.
I totally disagree. How do you conclude that it will bugger up your knees? I have used 3 and 2 ring drive trains my whole life. I fitted a 10-45 Deore XT with a 38T and it is far superior on all terrain. PS I have a carbon speed bike.
@@Leo-gt1bx no, its not superior on "all terrain". You see a 1x falls short on roads, a form of terrain. 2x is still capable off the road, making it the more "all terain" groupset. And if one were to splurge for electric, they could have the software manage the 2x12 into a 1x20 sequential shifting drivetrain. In my opinion 2x electric is so good mountain bikers should take a look. I get they ran in fear from front derailleurs due to the old 3x mechanical stuff. My mtb has 3x up front and i all but refuse to use the front derailleur. But electric 2x has me questioning why 1x exists and if it will dissappear. like the fad of using a 3x front derailleurs on old "tight" road cassettes to ride mountains.
Love my 1x. 46T front, eagle 10-52 rear. No longer need to double shift because the ratio are so close together or having to live with that horrendous front shifting! Each to their own but for me…Riding road is blissful once more 👍
Recently done the same, can't believe how good it is. Better? Time will tell. However it's easier, simpler, bigger range is welcome. The big jumps on the lower gears are not an issue if you're on a steep gradient.
I’ve recently gotten back into cycling and bought a Kona Rove DL with a 1x setup and have really enjoyed it. I even recently rode in a century on it. I really like the simplicity and for my purposes it works fine.
I'd definitely go for 3x if such were available. You get everything: short gearing, long gearing and small gaps between gears. Especially sub-1:1 gearing is needed on long steep ascents by not-so-fit riders.
You can get the Shimano Tiagra groupset in 3x, possibly even with hydraulic brakes (I know you can in 2x). The easiest ratio is sadly only 30 x 32, but I've heard the pull ratio of Tiagra 10spd rear derailleur is the same as 11spd, so large capacity GRX derailleurs might work.
I've got 1x on my Nukeproof gravel bike and 2x on my out-of-commission Allez. Now that I'm riding the gravel bike pretty much everywhere, I definitely miss being able to hit the perfect ratio on long road rides, especially as I start to get tired. That said, I love the simplicity of the 1x for single track and rough stuff where shifting under load happens more regularly. Plus, using the left brifter to control the dropper post instead of a derailleur is awesome.
I have given 1x a try in the past few months, and I have to admit it is nice to just shift up and down and not have to worry or think about when I need to be shifting my front derailleur. My gravel bike build has a mullet setup with a 48t chainring and a 10-52 in the back. There are definitely cadence implications but they don't affect me. It feels similar to how I felt with my old 10 speed bike as far as the shifts go, and I got on fine with 10 speed for years so I don't feel like I'm having any drop in performance. The 1x experience has me thinking of doing a XPLR 1x setup for road bike use since a 48t/10-44t would give me the same gearing range as a 48/35t 10-33 setup. One disadvantage of 1x (electronic at least) is that when you forget to charge your battery, you aren't able to just swap your battery from the front to hold you over.
I have been using 1x setup since 2016. I noticed that I had clear advantage over my friend everytime he shifted from big to small chainring and small to big chainring. Two obvious things happened to him at that particular moment, first he lost time due to the shifting. Secondly, his gear ratio jump was bigger than mine.
If we look at it purely from the gear ratio point of view, a 1x is as good as riding 2x 8/9 speed. It’s not about the over lapping gears, but the smaller jumps that matters, at least for me. I don’t race but I love long endurance rides. A 2x helps me maintain my cadence without abruptly jumping from a too hard to a too easy gear and this is true both when climbing or just cruising in the flats.
I've found 44t with a 10-36 is the sweet spot for road 1x. Swap the cassette for 10-44 and you have great gravel gearing without swapping anything else.
And what terrain do you ride in? I’m from the lower Rockies desert area, with flat plains, rolling hills, 30 mile climbs and hour long descents. No way a 1x would work.
@@desertpunk6705 I rode this setup in Reno, NV just fine. You do have to match your ride intensity to terrain more than you would with other setups. No alpine mountain passes on z2 days.
Living in Dorset, I am not strong enough to get away from my 52-36 11-34. The punchy sharp hill terrain means I need a wide spread, especially at the low end. Especially as most downhills aren't that long and have a gravelly T junction at the bottom.😂
I didn't think I had any application for 1x, until I was messing around with my 38 tooth, and noticed.. this is NOT that bad add a couple teeth.. I can drop a derailleur and shifter.. did it and no regrets : ) for a Road/touring set-up like city, commuting, shopping, 100% applicable, I would say for sprinting or climbing, 2x is needed
1x = fewer parts, cheaper to manufacture and assemble, you don't need to go any farther to know why the bike brands are pushing it. I figure that 2x gives you only two or three more usable gears than the same speed-number 1x system, but generally those are the usable gears you really want to have (either for pushing faster or getting bailed out on a climb).
I have 1x on my XC Mountain Bike, 2x on my Gravel Road Bike, and 3x on my Hybrid. I like using the 3x most. It’s more engaging and more versatile. But I’m happy with each for how I use those bikes.
… vs 3x. I still ride 3X drivelines. If you’re not a manufacturer that needs for us to chuck out highly functional hardware & replace it, they just make sense. As for cross-chaining, what are your 12 spd chain angles from 1st to 12th? Hmmm? I don’t mind carrying a few extra grams worth of options. My bikes are geared for mostly mid-ring action. My go-to daily for example, from the mid-ring I use 5 to 7 of 9 gears in the middle of the cassette _w/ a decent chain line._ The big ring is for fast descents, or running flat & (or) downwind w/ the higher-gear side of the cassette _& a decent chain line,_ The small ring of course, w/ the large-cog side of the cassette, is for climbing/upwind work _w/ a decent chain line._ If I were expecting to qualify for the world tour any time soon I might be more serious about shaving seconds off a 200k ET, but I’m not & never will be. I’m a fitness & pleasure rider who happens to be on the strong side of completely average. For a truly competitive rider grams do count, & a couple of sq centimeters of frontal area actually do count. For those of us who aren’t, other factors count _more_ - like comfort, durability & safety. My light town bike, or what amounts to a cafe/pub bike, that’s a 1x7. The only bike I have that isn’t steel is a CF Specialized Allez w/ a 2x. Every other bike I have is a 3x - the road bikes, the touring bikes, the 80s MTB that was turned into what amounts to an urban assault bike more than 20 yrs ago - all 3x, because that works as well now as it did 50 yrs ago.
I switched to 1x three years ago when I bought a Rose Backroad and I'm nog going back to 2x. For most non professional riders 1x gives everything you need. First I used a smaller cassette (11-32) for the mostly flat rides in my surroundings and a 11-42 cassette for more hilly rides but I found out that with a 42 or 44 ring in front a 11-42 works fine, even on rides in my flat surroundings. I don't miss the smaller gaps in the bigger gears. Made also a switch to a derailleur cage by Garbaruk so I can even go bigger in the rear (up to 51). That gives me all that I need.
Let’s not forgot the age factor: Although I love the efficiency, clean lines and simplicity of 1x, as a 60 year old guy who wants to keep riding in all road terrains including hills, I can’t help but think 2x is the better choice to be able to keep riding in my senior years. I’m afraid to go 1x at my age!
I love 1x on my mtb and gravel bike, but my road bike will stay 2x, the big jumps on 1x cassette for the road will affect my efficiency on Long rides dramatically. 1x on road bike is ok for tt bikes. 52/36 with a 11-34 is all you need for fast group rides and climb just about anything while keeping the Cadence within 8-10 instead of 15-20. 2x not only gives you a wide range but gives you a close gear ratio which is necessary for the road. 1x only gives you range but not close gear ratio which it's okay for off-road use
IMO... 2x will never die on long lumpy road, rides, stages and road specific grand fondos. You just need the full range. However, flat stages, TTs, hill climbs, crits, and pure gravel might all go the way of 1x very soon.
Honestly, where I ride, there's no point in a small ring. If it had been an option I could've gotten a 1x and been perfectly fine. If I was still living somewhere quite more hilly, I'd probably still think 2x was a good idea.
I hear you but one could argue that if the majority of your riding is done in a flat area (like me), a 1x (maybe with a change of cassette before a trip) could possibly work well enough. It's all conjecture anyways, I don't intend to convert my 2x anytime soon...@@belverticale
Right - where you ride makes all the difference. I can go East to Northeast for flats, or South to Southwest for abrupt & steep but fairly short lumps. The bike I like for the flats is a CF Specialized w/ a 52/40 2x, & I almost never shift that bike off the big ring.
@@yukiko_5051 Strongly disagree, no major climbs doesn'T mean no hills or positive gradients where I need to lower resistance, doesn't mean I don't need to adjust ratio due to wind or weather conditions, when I ride with other folks or when I race. Single speed or fixie makes absolutely no sense, I'm not cruising around, I'm training hard.
I agree with all the research this man has done. Less mechanical failure is always the better setup in my opinion. With a big enough cassette you wouldn't have a disadvantage during a climb.
Looks: 1x better. Race: If you choose specific cassette and chainring combination for every different stage 1x better. Daily use and Endurance: 2x definitely more efficient.
1x only looks good when the largest rear cog is not much bigger than the front chainring (let's say 46R-42F), but those mullet set-ups (+50R-30-something F) are as ugly as the namesake hairdo.
A small advantage on 1x systems using Di2 is battery longevity, since theres only one shifter and derailleur to feed. But very good point from Jamie that I never thought of: Even if 2x has bigger range cross chain comes to play to achieve it. 1x since 2018 here and only one dropped chain that I can remember.
Depends if you are referring to range as ‘amount of gears’ or ‘difference between the highest and lowest gear’. Given a similar cassette, 2x has more range. There is also less cross chaining (when used properly) on 2x than 1x, as each chainring is only using 5-6 sprockets, so is only moving 2-3 each way, whereas on 1x you are moving 5-6 each way.
@@Gufolicious Strange thing to say because according to the Di2 I´m 58% on the middle cogs and you don´t even know what size of transmission I use and what chainring(offset). Care to explain further and contradict Jumbo-Visma team along too?
As an older slightly overweight rider, I would never go 1x. Living in a mostly flat terrain, I normally use the big chainringring and the six smaller sprockets, so 1x would be ok - until there comes along a hill or I pass my vacations in the Alps, when I tend to need more than a 1:1 ratio to not be pushing the bike uphill.
I recently sold my road bike and while waiting for my new bike to arrive, I have been riding my mountain bike on the road a bit. It's helped me realise that for me 1x doesn't work on the road. Climbing is okay, in fact the lower gearing make climbing great. The trouble is on the flat I'm constantly changing up or down because I can't find a gear that suits my cadence.
which is your MTB gear ratio? Just curious... As a Decathlon's employee told me once "A MTB isn't for the road". My dream bike, which I expect to buy next month, is the Canyon Roadlite 6, which is 1X and has a 46T chainring and 10-51 cassette (12 sprockets), something I dreamed to have some time ago and didn't know it existed. I have a 22T-30T-40T 11-34T MTB and on the road compared to my 48-34T 11-34T road bike, there is no colour, the road bike is so much faster, even downhill I never managed to get close to 40Km/h on my MTB but I can reach up to 54Km/h on my road bike with ease in certain areas
@@xosece i have recently bought a mtb hibrid (rigid fork and slick tires) for urban use with a 38t X 9-50 transmission and i have been able to reach 60 kph in downhills and even 50+ in less inclined descents. I am very satisfied by now.
@@xoseceYou're probably not climbing steep enough roads to not reach 50kmh on descents on your mtb. I could reach 60kmh on my mtb and 72kmh on my gravel bike on the same route. A roadbike could probably be faster.
@@xosece It's 1x12 10-52 cassette with a 32 tooth chain ring. I'm more of a spinner rather than a grinder with an average cadence of around 90 rpm. Someone with stronger legs might not have the same issues. My next bike will probably be a Specialized Roubaix running 105 Di2. I quite like the Roadlite, but two bikes is enough for me. I thought about buying one for my wife but she said she'd rather keep her old bike and buy more shoes.
@@xosece I do have a RoadLite AL 6.0 (since 2015), 2x (105), and I switch the wheels depending on what use I'll have: road (wheels with 28mm tires) vs gravel (wheels with 38mm tires). Happy to have a 2x.
Most Ekar long time reviews I've seen from users say the gear shifting isn't particularly smooth however... Maybe with an electronic shifter that could be better though.
@@becyk_du_quebec I didn't said buy ekar 😅I said 13 gears is enough 😎 Lets hope for new sram red to be 13 speed but I doubt it because it's a race groupset. Maybe next gen rival will go 13 speed 😋
The last 2 ti gravel bikes I bought for me and the wife were built up using Ekar. I've ridden 1x on the mtn bike for years so there was no acclimation for me and it's my preference. The wife is a grinder on her Bianchi in the mountains so Ekar actually makes her faster since she's not looking to push the big ring on purpose. She can just find her cadence and go. I'm hoping we get a wireless Ekar group soon. I'm wanting to build up a new climbing bike and it's going to be a 1x drivetrain. I'd prefer Campy but would use Sram if needed. I love to work on my bikes (I normally build them from the frame up) so swapping cassettes and chainrings wouldn't be an issue for me.
Ekar is harder to fine-tune, but when it's in place, it's great. Also, you don't need to charge your bike, which is a real pain on Sram. Lastly, Campagnolo's braking performance/modularity is far better than Sram and Shimano (and yes, I've extensively used all 3).
Bought an all road gravel bike with rival 1x in 2014. Gamechanger. I then converted road race bike to rival 1x. I like the larger gaps between gears because I will always choose the harder gear, rather than relaxing in an easier gear. This pushes me to be faster in all conditions especially into the wind.
The main advantage of a 1x is the absence of the front derailleur, so savings in cost, weight, complexity and a bit less chain rub. If I lived in a place with no big hills, it would make sense. But I live in British Columbia, which has big hills pretty much everywhere, including the islands off our west coast, and 1x just doesn’t give the range. Electric shifting basically eliminates chain rub. Rear derailleurs are a bit lighter and definitely less complex for 2x than the huge ones needed for 1x. Aerodynamics for non-racers are basically meaningless. I need the ability to have the front chainring smaller, or at least the same as the largest back gear, and I need the ability to have the front chainring large enough to maintain 45 kph/30 mph on the flats while spinning the pedals at around 100 rpms. So it depends on the riding you do, the distance you want to cover and the steepness of the terrain.
Saving cost and weight is are no arguments for 1x. The huge +40 teeth steel cogs weigh a lot more than a single aluminium chainring, and the prices for 11- and 12-speed 10/11 to 50+ teeth cassettes are outrageous, not to mention that chain wear is more severe and faster on 1x requiring more frequent replacement.
The world tour teams they interviewed have team of mechanics who swap out unlimited cassettes provided by sponsors to tailor the gearing to each upcoming stage in a tour, whether mountain or flat or mix of both. For us regular people, a 2x setup is the duh answer to that problem!
one of our hardest climbs here i immediately change to my 34x34 or higher 34x28 etc instead of trying the 48x34 big ring. i would have snapped chains with that
In the future if we see 13,14 or even 15 speed group sets offered across the board by SRAM & Shimano. Then choosing 1x will be more compelling and we will see more 1x. There is no right or wrong answer in choosing 1x or 2x. It is simply what works for you. It is great we have a choice.
I've never had front detailer issue ever with my Shimano. And when I've tried bunny hopping my road bike, the rears will shift not the front discs. If your just doing flat city, then this single makes sense.
"Cross chaining" as in, bad chain line also occurs on 1x. Measure it, I dare you. More cogs in the back make them thinner and the chain thinner and thus weaker as well. With a proper 2x11 set up, you get 16 different gear ratios, with the overlap happening only in the "cross chained" gears, meaning, win - win. Oh, and GRX lets you choose a wider drop in the front (two different mounting-hole diameters, finally!). I mean, all ride whatever you want, I am happy if you are happy! But these half-informed discussions are hard to bear, really.
I got 2 racing bike 1x and a 2x setup and they are both great and amazing. The benefit of 1x is worry less on cross chain that's why 1x is a thing. It's not about the weight or wind drag but because of cross chain worry.🎉
I've got a 1x on my MTB. And I love it, especially the simplicity of it. So if I'm honest I'm biased towards 1x and I really want it to work so bad for my roadbike too...but then again I'm more on the "heavy" side in cycling terms at least, so I don't really see myself surviving the mountains with a 36/28 equivalent...
I was among the first using 2 years ago Sram Red etap 22 single front chainring 50 and cassette 11-30 and it was well enough for me. Now I using Sram force ASX front 48 X 10-33 and it's perfect. 48 chainring front Alugear for 50 dollars. Works like a charm.
this the most reasoned debate I've seen about 1x vs 2x. I wouldn't mind a 1x set-up like Jamies basically on my old Tiagra set-up I have a compact with a 12-28 casette, as I don't race I wouldn't mind bigger gaps inbetween the gears than I have so for a future bike 1x would be fine provided I get at least the equivelant range. Many cheaper 1x's only have a smaller casette size of 11t on the paired with something like a 42 tooth chainring, which doesn't offer a very high gear.
My biggest problem is the huge gap on cadence between gears. You are probably looking at over 10 rpm change. That’s a lot and is so uncomfortable to ride.
Your video now sparked a strong curiosity to try a one by set up for my bike. I can get some used parts and try it. Often times i find myself cross chaining in order to be in a comfortable cadence with my 2x.
One of my bikes is a 1x 50t 11-30 rear, I struggle with any climb that is above 8% with more than a minute long. Yes one easy solution is to get a 11-34 rear, but loosing some of that teeth is also going to cause in between gears which I could not afford to do at a crit race. I could upgrade to a 12-spd and throw another $1.5k out. I resolved the issue simply by getting another bike with a 2x setup for climbs. In the end, the 1x just sitting in the garage now
It all depends on which system results in more profit to bike manufacturers. Then that system, and that system alone, will be forced upon us whether we like it or not.
My first bike was 1*1 then I graduated to 1x3 which was awesome. But things have moved on, why make the compromises required for 1 x if you don't have to. For an all rounder bike for all terrain it's 2x no contest. Back in the day cyclo cross bikes where often 1x 5 or 6 , so for specific applications like pure off road 1x maybe. One thing to remember is, despite claims to the contrary, with 1x you are forcing the chain out of straight alignment leading to faster chain wear. And finally, 12 speed is too many, the ideal set up 2x10 ( 2x8 even better if you don't mind slightly bigger gear jumps)
I’d be interested in a an additional vlog to this where you review a range of 1x setups for average bikes. How much does your setup cost? Would a budget 1x setup if available be worth a punt for experimentation?
The single biggest advantage of 2X that 1X simply cannot ever provide is the ability to perform an "emergency" downshift to a way lower gear by moving from a big gear to a small gear (on the front), which is easier to do smoothly than the other way around. Yes, the main purpose of 1X is to sell stuff to cyclists who can be easily duped.
2x, and 3x groupsets are more efficient to used than 1x specially in wall-like climbs, both on road bike and mountain bike. I hope they bring back the 3x groupset with better components...👍👍👍
I own 3 bikes (all sram 11 speed), i only use 2x11 on my lightweight road bike which is being used only in the mountains - low gears for climbs and high for descends (dont see the need for 2x in other usage then this). I think the industry Is Trying to go 1x completly (sram, classified). I predict new sram red Will be perdominantly 1x (with 2x option for he pros). Mark my words 😜
Last summer had 44x11-50 garbaruk setup on my gravel( all road ) bike. And while I could get up mostly everything with ease. Steepish Gravel roads, alpine climbs etc.grinding noises and jumps between gears on the road made me switch to 2x. No grinding noises on easiest gears with 2x. I guess if sram comes up with something similar to their transmission but only for road/gravel, it could be a real do it all option.
1x13 (10-40 with a 38t chainring. Perfect for an “all road” bike (10,11,12,14,16,18,20,22,25,28,32,36,40). Better: 1x14 with a 13t OR a 44t cog added to the above cassette).
Depends where you ride. I have a lot of steep hills where I live, in the 15%+ range so I need low enough gearing to get up them. If I was a pro maybe 1x be OK but I'm definitely not!
as of recently, I found my dream bike, the Roadlite 6. It has the best of both worlds, something that I wanted for ages. 1X drivetrain, 46T chainring and 10-51T cassette. Plus it looks superb. I got a Decathlon 48-34T 11-34T road bike and a Giant Talon 2 (2016) 22T-30T-40T 11-34T MTB and the easiest gear of the Canyon Roadlite 6 is 46T-51T, which is 1 tooth easier than the 30T-34T middle chainring of my MTB with which I climb almost everything. On my roadbike, 34T-34T is quite hard in my area, sometimes I have issues with that. When by sheer chance I found it, I gotta admit, I cried.
I got a 48/35 x 10-36. That pretty much covers everything. If I were to go the n+1 route, I would convert this bike to 1x for flat rides or fast rides without very steep climbs. But with just 1 road bike, the widest range I can get is better. There's a lot of hills around here, so I need a very easy gear if I want to be able to get up steep climbs or stay in zone 2.
SRAM needs to support running their 10-42 2x. With a 46/32 the range is incredible. I run it on my gravel bike. 1x is great but it’s a trade off. Even with a 10-52 your chainring will either limit climbing or top speed.
I have 1x on my mountain bike which is ok but I want to stay with 2x on my road bikes. I like being able to have 11 gear options on the small chain ring for long hills. I wish companies would stop changing things just to sell more things we don’t need.
What do you think about adding a two speed hub? You could close the gaps between gears, reduce the size of the cassette and have a taller gear for top speed?
I am not one for racing so a 36T 1X chainring (typical inner chainring) and a 10-51T MTB cassette is perfect for me. I ride solo and its very hilly around here so climbing is easy then I coast down the hills. Maybe once I am thinner and stronger I will exchange the 10-51T MTB cassette for a 11-34T road cassette.
It's a lie that 1x is more efficient. Even 3x is more efficient than 2x. On 1x you have one or two gears which are relatively in line with the cassette. For each front chainring you could multiply this. Next is the built-in chain catcher on the front derailleur....
I have 2 bikes and one of them is 1X, for flat road I always use 1X with 54T chainring and 11-28 cassette and have never had problems and for flat road and a little hilly I think it can still be used.
The 1x is more aero for sure but only efficient if u stay on the middle of the block If u move towards either end it will be crosschaining a bit and looses its advantage and Moore .. what u can even hear if the drive train was not the cleanest On the mountain bike it had other reasons and advantages that far exceed efficiency on the pedaling But on the road bike …only if i ride in the flats (tt)
I don't believe 1x could cover my needs with the current offers. I most often find myself in either the top three gears or the bottom three. A 1x chainring pretty much has me choosing one end to throw away. Until there's 7-63t cassettes, 2x will have a place.
I have a 11/34 cassette paired with a 52t chainring. The combination is quite noice on both climbs and flats. But i wish shimamo offers 10t cogs and microspline hubs for road bikes.
Problem: the chain ring offset, i.e. an (almost) straight chain line on higher cogs (3 or 6mm off-set)or, on lower cogs ( 0 or 1mm off-set). Also depending on frame design and bottom bracket width. One or another both are chain burners, just like in mtb. Along with pornographic prices, bikes are turning into a big mess of compatible and incompatible parts and systems.
probably depends where you live, i ride a fixed gear on 49x17 ratio and i live near the mountains. it gets really hard sometimes and I see lots of people on geared bikes going very slow as well up hills. if your more into strength and endurance like me the 1x should be more than plenty. those big cogs must be nice.
SRAM 1x fixes one big problem. The wireless battery on the SRAM front derailleur is so big ugly, it interferes with the rear tire. Say goodbye to wide rear tires! That’s why SRAM started doing 1X drivetrains. They are just marketing it like it’s a good thing.
I live in Austria, I can't see myself getting a 1-by. I'm not a pro, and I saw myself going much faster uphill by installing a cassette with bigger cogs. I'd only ever go for something along the lines of 1:1 for my smallest gear.
$200 dollars for front derailleur, a brake lever should be cheaper to produce than a shifter, maybe $50. I know $250 is a marginal gain when bikes cost $5k plus but it would be worth considering.
As far as chain wear comparisons it seems it would be more wear with the X2 and the rubbing of the chain on the front derailleur when at the top and bottom of the cassette.
The rubbing on the outside of the chain plates is negligible compared to the far wider side-to-side stretching and forced big jumps between sprockets on a 1x setup. Chains and cassettes wearing much faster is the actual reason how the much smaller Sram got the giant Shimano convinced to push 1x.
I am expecting to build up a bike in a few months. 48t Chain ring with a 10-36, or a 50t with an 11-44 cassette. I looked at some calculators and don't think I will miss dropping chains or the "closer range" that you get if you were to dance between chainrings in the middle of the cassette.. Who does that anyway?
have you checked a bike like the Canyon Roadlite 6? It is 1X (1x12) and it has a 46T chainring and a 10-51 cassette. Dunno about similar bikes (sure there has to be one, the Roadlite 5 is similar) but when I found that one I got all emotional, it was like a dream come true
I had a 2x Dura Ace setup that the front derailleur never worked right and it would drop chains. I switched to Sram axs 1x 12 speed and love it! Never dropped a chain and it’s so smooth and quiet. No rattles or clunks.
From an old cyclist -- when comparing gears, why not talk about "gear inches"? A single number that tells you all you need to know about a particuar gear ratio.
Their Front Derailleur sucks SO MUCH, SRAM has nothing to lose by ditching it!🤦♀️🤷🏽♀️🤦♀️ For the record, I own TWO Road bikes with Electronic SRAM Transmission.
36/28 isn't going to cut it for most people who live in hilly areas. Plenty of people around here are grinding up climbs on 34/34 or 34/36. 36/28 is a brutal gear to be climbing in for a lot of people.
10-36 x 44 here. Can't think of a climb under 20% that 44/36 would make me struggle. Still better than 36/28. Sometimes I miss a little on the top end but I could go 46. Anyway, never going back to 2x
Too right. Pushing 60 with feeble legs I like my 3x with a 30-32. There are hills in Yorkshire.😂
I go up 10% on 39/28
Why brutal? wouldn't it be easier with a small crank combo like 28/36 up front ?
@@DannyPacheco-j6f I was meaning 28 at the back and 36 at the front.
Weirdly Sram is pushing 1x being the company that isn't able to make a reliable front derailleur that doesn't drop the chain regularly.
I love my 2x10 Force Doubletap, but I see your point. For some reason I've never been able to duplicate its nearly flawless performance on a customer's bike.
@@monkmchorning I hated my 2x10 Force Doubletap. It used to throw the chain all the time.
Hated my Force AXS double tap FD, slow, imprecise and regular chain drops. Just garbage. Ultegra 12 is so much better.
haha 100%
Never had any problems with my Force FD. Also 1x depends on the strength and fitness of the rider. A 46/33 crank paired with a 10/36 cassette is going to help more less fit/powerful cyclists up hills than a 1x 48T crank. Likewise a 2x 48/35T crank is going to give more range with the 10/36 cassette
It's all about terrain, speed range and personal preference. I can operate at low and high cadence, live in the Netherlands (no climbs at all, except the occasional 30-ish second bridge climb...) , so I always move between 26 and 38 km an hour... One by would be fine for me, and a lot of other Dutchies who don't take their bike to other countries...
I was in your cuontry and remember that sometimes it is difficult to ride when wind blows to your face - it was more effort than going uphill (ca 1km over see level) in my country.
@@chriskros8858 we call those the "Dutch mountains" there are super windy days but I don't ride my road bike on those days. Normally 25 kph in a headwind is doable for me. But I guess it's not for everyone 😅
@@grvl307 it wa s in Zeeland on seaside.
I had heavy Batavus and on 1st gear I was going ca 5 kph😄
@@chriskros8858 haha, that's where I'm from, I cycle there a lot. It can be very windy there!
@@grvl307 yes but fortunately in opposite direction I was as sailing yacht:)
I switched to 1x. Most underrated advantage is actually bigger jumps. I find I change gears less and more purposefully. So when I change a gear I actually feel a difference and it's a natural jump. Where as on the normal 2x road jumps you were constantly changing trying to find the perfect gear and the dilemma of shifting down on the front and jumping up on the back or now wait lets switch back on the front then back down on the back. Now I just feel free and less anxious if I am in the right gear. Nothing wrong with not pedaling at a perfect 90rpm 100% of the time.
This actually makes a lot of sense if you tried it. With bigger jumps between gears, you have to make do with increasing or reducing cadence until you finally shift. I understand this goes against the usual roadie dictum of maintaining constant cadence, but anyone with MTB background can see what it means.
Interesting to take a downside and pretend it's a positive. It's like electricity, you can choose to be really deliberate with it and use a cellar instead of a fridge, but I'll keep my fridge, thank you very much :)
i think that's more of a skill issue, not knowing when to shift.
This explanation is exactly why i consider 2x electric shifting the 1x killer. Besides the comment about gear jumps anyway, ive always liked tighter spacing. But the whole front chainring debacle is solved with electric shifting. My bike has 20 speeds of sequential gearing and i never touch the shifter for the front derailleur. The software handles everything "automagically"! It even came preset to avoid cross chaining and its all adjustable in the software.
When im going into a steep climb and the going gets slow, my bike drops itself into the small ring, when i shift for speed it puts me in the big one! Ez-pz
@@HAVATITEagreed
I'm using road bike 1x 50T 11t-46t cassette. It's cleaner, less part to maintain, and i had climb any uphill in my locality without a problem so far. As a casual rider I don't have any reason to go for 2x
... fewer* parts* to maintain. But you have to maintain them more often as they wear faster.
I chose 2x 50/34 11-36 105 di2. Its plenty clean and easy to maintain. I also have not met a hill i hated, nor loved... im also a casual rider i would say, I only cycle for me, my peace of mind, and my health. I do enjoy the tighter gearing of the 11-36 cassette, it allows me to keep my cadence how I like. The di2 can also be setup in software to become a virtual 1x for 20 speeds of sequential shifting. It can also be set to avoid cross chaining automatically, increasing the life of the components.
Before owning electric shifting, i thought of it as a nice thing to have for shifting performance over the years. After owning it and getting to know it. I think electric shifting is the future and a 1x killer.
Theres also a vast disparity with groupset manufacturers. SRAM is realizing 70%+ 1x sales and Shimano is realizing 70% 2x sales. The main thing i dont like seeing is the lack of options for us riders. Like Specialized removing the front derailleur mount on the new diverge, it basically made the bike a non option for me while the salesman told me the other ones are "old models being phased out"... Pushing me towards another bike with a few casual words.
105 2x all the way for me. 50/34 front and 11-28 rear with road wheels & tyres; 11-36 on the spare wheels with 38mm tyres. Literally takes 2 mins to swap over. No chain length issues switching over. Long-cage RD works fine without an extender.
I like your thinking! 105 di2 here. 50/34 and 11-36 on 40mm pirelli gravel h. I still ride this on the roads/bike trails, but my bike trails can get sandy, and by that i mean how much sand not if its there... the 11-28 sounds interesting. Is that still 105 or ultegra?
Im still a green cyclist. Ive been saving for the bike (specialized roubaix) while riding a mtb that was given to me. The bike has been on 5 rides, i finally hit my 50 mile goal!
I havent taken my bike off pavement yet, besides some hard packed decomposed granite. Im awaiting my tubeless repair kit.
6 extra teeth sounds like a slightly sloppy chain, but maybe not horrible on road use? I had 4 extra teeth in my mtb chain, its how it was given to me. I got a new chain and just sized it to the old one. After it slapping around a bit i looked into things and did my own chain setup, I had 4 extra links. The chain no longer slaps. But it is a full suspension mtb, the rear is dynamically moveable, and i was doing things with it i dont do on the road bike. Like launching off 4 foot walls @ my park!
And lastly. The di2. I only made the jump because the bike was on sale. $500 more for di2 and a better futureshock (dampened). Also the version with mechanical 105 was unavailable. I tried to order a new BMC roadmachine (supports 40mm) before the specialized, but i was told February... I was then between building my own time bike or buying a specialized. Even with the time frame on sale it was still out of my range for the build I was trying to make. I had test ridden the roubaix and it was comfortable which is part of why I chose it as well.
With the hills around me, with a 1x, you'll either have no knees after a month or giant gaps between ratios. For me, 2x wins hands down.
Just get a proper cassette... Alike from Rotor
I totally disagree. How do you conclude that it will bugger up your knees? I have used 3 and 2 ring drive trains my whole life. I fitted a 10-45 Deore XT with a 38T and it is far superior on all terrain. PS I have a carbon speed bike.
@@Leo-gt1bx no, its not superior on "all terrain". You see a 1x falls short on roads, a form of terrain. 2x is still capable off the road, making it the more "all terain" groupset. And if one were to splurge for electric, they could have the software manage the 2x12 into a 1x20 sequential shifting drivetrain.
In my opinion 2x electric is so good mountain bikers should take a look. I get they ran in fear from front derailleurs due to the old 3x mechanical stuff. My mtb has 3x up front and i all but refuse to use the front derailleur. But electric 2x has me questioning why 1x exists and if it will dissappear. like the fad of using a 3x front derailleurs on old "tight" road cassettes to ride mountains.
Love my 1x. 46T front, eagle 10-52 rear. No longer need to double shift because the ratio are so close together or having to live with that horrendous front shifting! Each to their own but for me…Riding road is blissful once more 👍
Recently done the same, can't believe how good it is. Better? Time will tell. However it's easier, simpler, bigger range is welcome. The big jumps on the lower gears are not an issue if you're on a steep gradient.
10-52 is huge though.
I’ve recently gotten back into cycling and bought a Kona Rove DL with a 1x setup and have really enjoyed it. I even recently rode in a century on it. I really like the simplicity and for my purposes it works fine.
I'd definitely go for 3x if such were available. You get everything: short gearing, long gearing and small gaps between gears. Especially sub-1:1 gearing is needed on long steep ascents by not-so-fit riders.
I've got a 3x on an old full sus 29er mountain bike. Absolutely love the climbing gears. You can spin up anything.
You can get the Shimano Tiagra groupset in 3x, possibly even with hydraulic brakes (I know you can in 2x). The easiest ratio is sadly only 30 x 32, but I've heard the pull ratio of Tiagra 10spd rear derailleur is the same as 11spd, so large capacity GRX derailleurs might work.
All my bikes are 1x and I've never dropped a chain. It's cheaper, easier to maintain, and makes the bike look cleaner. Lastest build is ultegra di2 1x
I've got 1x on my Nukeproof gravel bike and 2x on my out-of-commission Allez. Now that I'm riding the gravel bike pretty much everywhere, I definitely miss being able to hit the perfect ratio on long road rides, especially as I start to get tired. That said, I love the simplicity of the 1x for single track and rough stuff where shifting under load happens more regularly. Plus, using the left brifter to control the dropper post instead of a derailleur is awesome.
I have given 1x a try in the past few months, and I have to admit it is nice to just shift up and down and not have to worry or think about when I need to be shifting my front derailleur. My gravel bike build has a mullet setup with a 48t chainring and a 10-52 in the back. There are definitely cadence implications but they don't affect me. It feels similar to how I felt with my old 10 speed bike as far as the shifts go, and I got on fine with 10 speed for years so I don't feel like I'm having any drop in performance. The 1x experience has me thinking of doing a XPLR 1x setup for road bike use since a 48t/10-44t would give me the same gearing range as a 48/35t 10-33 setup.
One disadvantage of 1x (electronic at least) is that when you forget to charge your battery, you aren't able to just swap your battery from the front to hold you over.
Whats your frames on the gravel and road bikes?
I have been using 1x setup since 2016. I noticed that I had clear advantage over my friend everytime he shifted from big to small chainring and small to big chainring. Two obvious things happened to him at that particular moment, first he lost time due to the shifting. Secondly, his gear ratio jump was bigger than mine.
I would never touch a front mech again.
If we look at it purely from the gear ratio point of view, a 1x is as good as riding 2x 8/9 speed.
It’s not about the over lapping gears, but the smaller jumps that matters, at least for me. I don’t race but I love long endurance rides. A 2x helps me maintain my cadence without abruptly jumping from a too hard to a too easy gear and this is true both when climbing or just cruising in the flats.
Exactly, great minds think alike!
I've found 44t with a 10-36 is the sweet spot for road 1x. Swap the cassette for 10-44 and you have great gravel gearing without swapping anything else.
And what terrain do you ride in? I’m from the lower Rockies desert area, with flat plains, rolling hills, 30 mile climbs and hour long descents. No way a 1x would work.
@@desertpunk6705 I rode this setup in Reno, NV just fine. You do have to match your ride intensity to terrain more than you would with other setups. No alpine mountain passes on z2 days.
@@dvoob thanks
Living in Dorset, I am not strong enough to get away from my 52-36 11-34. The punchy sharp hill terrain means I need a wide spread, especially at the low end. Especially as most downhills aren't that long and have a gravelly T junction at the bottom.😂
I didn't think I had any application for 1x, until I was messing around with my 38 tooth, and noticed.. this is NOT that bad
add a couple teeth.. I can drop a derailleur and shifter..
did it and no regrets : ) for a Road/touring set-up
like city, commuting, shopping, 100% applicable, I would say for sprinting or climbing, 2x is needed
1x = fewer parts, cheaper to manufacture and assemble, you don't need to go any farther to know why the bike brands are pushing it.
I figure that 2x gives you only two or three more usable gears than the same speed-number 1x system, but generally those are the usable gears you really want to have (either for pushing faster or getting bailed out on a climb).
I have 1x on my XC Mountain Bike, 2x on my Gravel Road Bike, and 3x on my Hybrid. I like using the 3x most. It’s more engaging and more versatile. But I’m happy with each for how I use those bikes.
… vs 3x.
I still ride 3X drivelines. If you’re not a manufacturer that needs for us to chuck out highly functional hardware & replace it, they just make sense.
As for cross-chaining, what are your 12 spd chain angles from 1st to 12th? Hmmm?
I don’t mind carrying a few extra grams worth of options. My bikes are geared for mostly mid-ring action. My go-to daily for example, from the mid-ring I use 5 to 7 of 9 gears in the middle of the cassette _w/ a decent chain line._ The big ring is for fast descents, or running flat & (or) downwind w/ the higher-gear side of the cassette _& a decent chain line,_ The small ring of course, w/ the large-cog side of the cassette, is for climbing/upwind work _w/ a decent chain line._
If I were expecting to qualify for the world tour any time soon I might be more serious about shaving seconds off a 200k ET, but I’m not & never will be. I’m a fitness & pleasure rider who happens to be on the strong side of completely average. For a truly competitive rider grams do count, & a couple of sq centimeters of frontal area actually do count. For those of us who aren’t, other factors count _more_ - like comfort, durability & safety.
My light town bike, or what amounts to a cafe/pub bike, that’s a 1x7. The only bike I have that isn’t steel is a CF Specialized Allez w/ a 2x. Every other bike I have is a 3x - the road bikes, the touring bikes, the 80s MTB that was turned into what amounts to an urban assault bike more than 20 yrs ago - all 3x, because that works as well now as it did 50 yrs ago.
I switched to 1x three years ago when I bought a Rose Backroad and I'm nog going back to 2x. For most non professional riders 1x gives everything you need. First I used a smaller cassette (11-32) for the mostly flat rides in my surroundings and a 11-42 cassette for more hilly rides but I found out that with a 42 or 44 ring in front a 11-42 works fine, even on rides in my flat surroundings. I don't miss the smaller gaps in the bigger gears. Made also a switch to a derailleur cage by Garbaruk so I can even go bigger in the rear (up to 51). That gives me all that I need.
Let’s not forgot the age factor: Although I love the efficiency, clean lines and simplicity of 1x, as a 60 year old guy who wants to keep riding in all road terrains including hills, I can’t help but think 2x is the better choice to be able to keep riding in my senior years. I’m afraid to go 1x at my age!
Nah I think it is a better bet.
I love 1x on my mtb and gravel bike, but my road bike will stay 2x, the big jumps on 1x cassette for the road will affect my efficiency on Long rides dramatically. 1x on road bike is ok for tt bikes. 52/36 with a 11-34 is all you need for fast group rides and climb just about anything while keeping the Cadence within 8-10 instead of 15-20.
2x not only gives you a wide range but gives you a close gear ratio which is necessary for the road. 1x only gives you range but not close gear ratio which it's okay for off-road use
IMO... 2x will never die on long lumpy road, rides, stages and road specific grand fondos. You just need the full range. However, flat stages, TTs, hill climbs, crits, and pure gravel might all go the way of 1x very soon.
2x is better. I’d definitely consider a 1x with a rear hub gearing system if it was light, simple, reliable, and inexpensive.
Honestly, where I ride, there's no point in a small ring. If it had been an option I could've gotten a 1x and been perfectly fine. If I was still living somewhere quite more hilly, I'd probably still think 2x was a good idea.
One hears this argument...but really this means you'd never, ever bring your bike somewhere outside your local area where there's a hill?
I hear you but one could argue that if the majority of your riding is done in a flat area (like me), a 1x (maybe with a change of cassette before a trip) could possibly work well enough. It's all conjecture anyways, I don't intend to convert my 2x anytime soon...@@belverticale
Right - where you ride makes all the difference. I can go East to Northeast for flats, or South to Southwest for abrupt & steep but fairly short lumps. The bike I like for the flats is a CF Specialized w/ a 52/40 2x, & I almost never shift that bike off the big ring.
Well, if there's no hill in your area then it's logical to ride fixie or single speed rather than a roadbike
@@yukiko_5051 Strongly disagree, no major climbs doesn'T mean no hills or positive gradients where I need to lower resistance, doesn't mean I don't need to adjust ratio due to wind or weather conditions, when I ride with other folks or when I race. Single speed or fixie makes absolutely no sense, I'm not cruising around, I'm training hard.
I agree with all the research this man has done. Less mechanical failure is always the better setup in my opinion. With a big enough cassette you wouldn't have a disadvantage during a climb.
Looks: 1x better.
Race: If you choose specific cassette and chainring combination for every different stage 1x better.
Daily use and Endurance: 2x definitely more efficient.
1x only looks good when the largest rear cog is not much bigger than the front chainring (let's say 46R-42F), but those mullet set-ups (+50R-30-something F) are as ugly as the namesake hairdo.
A small advantage on 1x systems using Di2 is battery longevity, since theres only one shifter and derailleur to feed.
But very good point from Jamie that I never thought of:
Even if 2x has bigger range cross chain comes to play to achieve it.
1x since 2018 here and only one dropped chain that I can remember.
Depends if you are referring to range as ‘amount of gears’ or ‘difference between the highest and lowest gear’. Given a similar cassette, 2x has more range.
There is also less cross chaining (when used properly) on 2x than 1x, as each chainring is only using 5-6 sprockets, so is only moving 2-3 each way, whereas on 1x you are moving 5-6 each way.
u know you crosschain way less on a 2 by than on a 1 by.
@@Gufolicious Strange thing to say because according to the Di2 I´m 58% on the middle cogs and you don´t even know what size of transmission I use and what chainring(offset). Care to explain further and contradict Jumbo-Visma team along too?
Liked the presenting style. More of that👍👍👍
2x gives you range and closed gear ratio, which is perfect for the road.
1x only gives you range, which is perfect for off-road usage
As an older slightly overweight rider, I would never go 1x. Living in a mostly flat terrain, I normally use the big chainringring and the six smaller sprockets, so 1x would be ok - until there comes along a hill or I pass my vacations in the Alps, when I tend to need more than a 1:1 ratio to not be pushing the bike uphill.
I recently sold my road bike and while waiting for my new bike to arrive, I have been riding my mountain bike on the road a bit. It's helped me realise that for me 1x doesn't work on the road. Climbing is okay, in fact the lower gearing make climbing great. The trouble is on the flat I'm constantly changing up or down because I can't find a gear that suits my cadence.
which is your MTB gear ratio? Just curious... As a Decathlon's employee told me once "A MTB isn't for the road". My dream bike, which I expect to buy next month, is the Canyon Roadlite 6, which is 1X and has a 46T chainring and 10-51 cassette (12 sprockets), something I dreamed to have some time ago and didn't know it existed.
I have a 22T-30T-40T 11-34T MTB and on the road compared to my 48-34T 11-34T road bike, there is no colour, the road bike is so much faster, even downhill I never managed to get close to 40Km/h on my MTB but I can reach up to 54Km/h on my road bike with ease in certain areas
@@xosece i have recently bought a mtb hibrid (rigid fork and slick tires) for urban use with a 38t X 9-50 transmission and i have been able to reach 60 kph in downhills and even 50+ in less inclined descents. I am very satisfied by now.
@@xoseceYou're probably not climbing steep enough roads to not reach 50kmh on descents on your mtb. I could reach 60kmh on my mtb and 72kmh on my gravel bike on the same route. A roadbike could probably be faster.
@@xosece It's 1x12 10-52 cassette with a 32 tooth chain ring. I'm more of a spinner rather than a grinder with an average cadence of around 90 rpm. Someone with stronger legs might not have the same issues.
My next bike will probably be a Specialized Roubaix running 105 Di2. I quite like the Roadlite, but two bikes is enough for me. I thought about buying one for my wife but she said she'd rather keep her old bike and buy more shoes.
@@xosece I do have a RoadLite AL 6.0 (since 2015), 2x (105), and I switch the wheels depending on what use I'll have: road (wheels with 28mm tires) vs gravel (wheels with 38mm tires). Happy to have a 2x.
I fitted a 10-45 SLX with a 38T front and an XT Mech and shifter and It is absolutely perfect, no more 2x ever again.
Ekar 13 speed has almost same usable gears as shimano 2x11. For normal riders 1x13 would be perfect.
Most Ekar long time reviews I've seen from users say the gear shifting isn't particularly smooth however... Maybe with an electronic shifter that could be better though.
@@becyk_du_quebec I didn't said buy ekar 😅I said 13 gears is enough 😎 Lets hope for new sram red to be 13 speed but I doubt it because it's a race groupset. Maybe next gen rival will go 13 speed 😋
I’ve had 1x11, 1x12 and 1x13. All work fine, but less gears means more drawbacks. For most amateurs, the range is enough.
The last 2 ti gravel bikes I bought for me and the wife were built up using Ekar. I've ridden 1x on the mtn bike for years so there was no acclimation for me and it's my preference. The wife is a grinder on her Bianchi in the mountains so Ekar actually makes her faster since she's not looking to push the big ring on purpose. She can just find her cadence and go.
I'm hoping we get a wireless Ekar group soon. I'm wanting to build up a new climbing bike and it's going to be a 1x drivetrain. I'd prefer Campy but would use Sram if needed. I love to work on my bikes (I normally build them from the frame up) so swapping cassettes and chainrings wouldn't be an issue for me.
Ekar is harder to fine-tune, but when it's in place, it's great. Also, you don't need to charge your bike, which is a real pain on Sram. Lastly, Campagnolo's braking performance/modularity is far better than Sram and Shimano (and yes, I've extensively used all 3).
Manufacturers don’t seem to care what consumers want.
I have been rubbing 1x only for a few years. I've never felt I was missing gears. I run 44t changing and 9-50 cassette
Bought an all road gravel bike with rival 1x in 2014. Gamechanger. I then converted road race bike to rival 1x. I like the larger gaps between gears because I will always choose the harder gear, rather than relaxing in an easier gear. This pushes me to be faster in all conditions especially into the wind.
The main advantage of a 1x is the absence of the front derailleur, so savings in cost, weight, complexity and a bit less chain rub. If I lived in a place with no big hills, it would make sense. But I live in British Columbia, which has big hills pretty much everywhere, including the islands off our west coast, and 1x just doesn’t give the range. Electric shifting basically eliminates chain rub. Rear derailleurs are a bit lighter and definitely less complex for 2x than the huge ones needed for 1x. Aerodynamics for non-racers are basically meaningless. I need the ability to have the front chainring smaller, or at least the same as the largest back gear, and I need the ability to have the front chainring large enough to maintain 45 kph/30 mph on the flats while spinning the pedals at around 100 rpms. So it depends on the riding you do, the distance you want to cover and the steepness of the terrain.
Saving cost and weight is are no arguments for 1x. The huge +40 teeth steel cogs weigh a lot more than a single aluminium chainring, and the prices for 11- and 12-speed 10/11 to 50+ teeth cassettes are outrageous, not to mention that chain wear is more severe and faster on 1x requiring more frequent replacement.
48x36 would be a vicious grind up many of my local climbs in the South Downs.
The world tour teams they interviewed have team of mechanics who swap out unlimited cassettes provided by sponsors to tailor the gearing to each upcoming stage in a tour, whether mountain or flat or mix of both. For us regular people, a 2x setup is the duh answer to that problem!
one of our hardest climbs here i immediately change to my 34x34 or higher 34x28 etc instead of trying the 48x34 big ring. i would have snapped chains with that
In the future if we see 13,14 or even 15 speed group sets offered across the board by SRAM & Shimano. Then choosing 1x will be more compelling and we will see more 1x.
There is no right or wrong answer in choosing 1x or 2x. It is simply what works for you. It is great we have a choice.
I've never had front detailer issue ever with my Shimano. And when I've tried bunny hopping my road bike, the rears will shift not the front discs. If your just doing flat city, then this single makes sense.
front derailleur* (never trust your auto-complete) / if you're* just doing ...
"Cross chaining" as in, bad chain line also occurs on 1x. Measure it, I dare you.
More cogs in the back make them thinner and the chain thinner and thus weaker as well.
With a proper 2x11 set up, you get 16 different gear ratios, with the overlap happening only in the "cross chained" gears, meaning, win - win.
Oh, and GRX lets you choose a wider drop in the front (two different mounting-hole diameters, finally!).
I mean, all ride whatever you want, I am happy if you are happy!
But these half-informed discussions are hard to bear, really.
I got 2 racing bike 1x and a 2x setup and they are both great and amazing. The benefit of 1x is worry less on cross chain that's why 1x is a thing. It's not about the weight or wind drag but because of cross chain worry.🎉
I've got a 1x on my MTB. And I love it, especially the simplicity of it.
So if I'm honest I'm biased towards 1x and I really want it to work so bad for my roadbike too...but then again I'm more on the "heavy" side in cycling terms at least, so I don't really see myself surviving the mountains with a 36/28 equivalent...
It would be very interesting to make the same comparison on an alpine climb
I was among the first using 2 years ago Sram Red etap 22 single front chainring 50 and cassette 11-30 and it was well enough for me. Now I using Sram force ASX front 48 X 10-33 and it's perfect. 48 chainring front Alugear for 50 dollars. Works like a charm.
this the most reasoned debate I've seen about 1x vs 2x. I wouldn't mind a 1x set-up like Jamies basically on my old Tiagra set-up I have a compact with a 12-28 casette, as I don't race I wouldn't mind bigger gaps inbetween the gears than I have so for a future bike 1x would be fine provided I get at least the equivelant range. Many cheaper 1x's only have a smaller casette size of 11t on the paired with something like a 42 tooth chainring, which doesn't offer a very high gear.
My biggest problem is the huge gap on cadence between gears. You are probably looking at over 10 rpm change. That’s a lot and is so uncomfortable to ride.
Your video now sparked a strong curiosity to try a one by set up for my bike. I can get some used parts and try it. Often times i find myself cross chaining in order to be in a comfortable cadence with my 2x.
If you struggle with the gears get a 44T front and 10-50 rear in 12 speed. Nearly the same low range as a compact and better on the climbs
One of my bikes is a 1x 50t 11-30 rear, I struggle with any climb that is above 8% with more than a minute long. Yes one easy solution is to get a 11-34 rear, but loosing some of that teeth is also going to cause in between gears which I could not afford to do at a crit race. I could upgrade to a 12-spd and throw another $1.5k out. I resolved the issue simply by getting another bike with a 2x setup for climbs. In the end, the 1x just sitting in the garage now
It all depends on which system results in more profit to bike manufacturers. Then that system, and that system alone, will be forced upon us whether we like it or not.
That reminds me of......disc brakes!
Right? Just like they did with indexed shifting and clipless pedals! Friction shifters and toe clips worked perfectly fine! Fuck the bike industry!
My first bike was 1*1 then I graduated to 1x3 which was awesome. But things have moved on, why make the compromises required for 1 x if you don't have to. For an all rounder bike for all terrain it's 2x no contest. Back in the day cyclo cross bikes where often 1x 5 or 6 , so for specific applications like pure off road 1x maybe. One thing to remember is, despite claims to the contrary, with 1x you are forcing the chain out of straight alignment leading to faster chain wear.
And finally, 12 speed is too many, the ideal set up 2x10 ( 2x8 even better if you don't mind slightly bigger gear jumps)
I live in an area where the hills vary between long and steep. I’m running 30/46 x 11-39.
I’d be interested in a an additional vlog to this where you review a range of 1x setups for average bikes. How much does your setup cost? Would a budget 1x setup if available be worth a punt for experimentation?
Not sure why so many people complain about setting up FD, I find FD much more forgiving and very easy to setup…
The single biggest advantage of 2X that 1X simply cannot ever provide is the ability to perform an "emergency" downshift to a way lower gear by moving from a big gear to a small gear (on the front), which is easier to do smoothly than the other way around. Yes, the main purpose of 1X is to sell stuff to cyclists who can be easily duped.
2x, and 3x groupsets are more efficient to used than 1x specially in wall-like climbs, both on road bike and mountain bike. I hope they bring back the 3x groupset with better components...👍👍👍
2 by Shimano shifts smooth as butter.
I own 3 bikes (all sram 11 speed), i only use 2x11 on my lightweight road bike which is being used only in the mountains - low gears for climbs and high for descends (dont see the need for 2x in other usage then this). I think the industry Is Trying to go 1x completly (sram, classified). I predict new sram red Will be perdominantly 1x (with 2x option for he pros). Mark my words 😜
I hope not, I want 2x for the new SRAM red
I love almost everything about x1. Only downside is thay they are really sensitive to derailleur adjustments with rear.
Last summer had 44x11-50 garbaruk setup on my gravel( all road ) bike. And while I could get up mostly everything with ease. Steepish Gravel roads, alpine climbs etc.grinding noises and jumps between gears on the road made me switch to 2x. No grinding noises on easiest gears with 2x. I guess if sram comes up with something similar to their transmission but only for road/gravel, it could be a real do it all option.
1x13 (10-40 with a 38t chainring. Perfect for an “all road” bike
(10,11,12,14,16,18,20,22,25,28,32,36,40).
Better: 1x14 with a 13t OR a 44t cog added to the above cassette).
1x is far easier to control and maintain. For casual riders like me, it could be a much better option.
Depends where you ride. I have a lot of steep hills where I live, in the 15%+ range so I need low enough gearing to get up them. If I was a pro maybe 1x be OK but I'm definitely not!
Haha 1:33 is brilliant! 😂
as of recently, I found my dream bike, the Roadlite 6. It has the best of both worlds, something that I wanted for ages. 1X drivetrain, 46T chainring and 10-51T cassette. Plus it looks superb.
I got a Decathlon 48-34T 11-34T road bike and a Giant Talon 2 (2016) 22T-30T-40T 11-34T MTB and the easiest gear of the Canyon Roadlite 6 is 46T-51T, which is 1 tooth easier than the 30T-34T middle chainring of my MTB with which I climb almost everything. On my roadbike, 34T-34T is quite hard in my area, sometimes I have issues with that. When by sheer chance I found it, I gotta admit, I cried.
I agree -this is why I changed cassette 42t to 51t so I have 40/51t in my 1x11 GRX812 drive.
2 (or 3) x 10 = ALWAYS !
Looks like I am not alone in the Jurassic Park...
I got a 48/35 x 10-36. That pretty much covers everything. If I were to go the n+1 route, I would convert this bike to 1x for flat rides or fast rides without very steep climbs. But with just 1 road bike, the widest range I can get is better. There's a lot of hills around here, so I need a very easy gear if I want to be able to get up steep climbs or stay in zone 2.
... there are* a lot of hills ... / and you'd even have better gearing if Sram offered an FD capable of shifting a bigger difference than 13 teeth.
SRAM needs to support running their 10-42 2x. With a 46/32 the range is incredible. I run it on my gravel bike. 1x is great but it’s a trade off. Even with a 10-52 your chainring will either limit climbing or top speed.
as I mentioned on other messages, what about something like the Canyon Roadlite 6? 1X (1x12) and a 46T chainring, 10-51 cassette.
I have 1x on my mountain bike which is ok but I want to stay with 2x on my road bikes. I like being able to have 11 gear options on the small chain ring for long hills. I wish companies would stop changing things just to sell more things we don’t need.
Your 1x = 36/28 . That might be ok for the pros but useless for any normal riders who ride anywhere with any hills at all.
What do you think about adding a two speed hub? You could close the gaps between gears, reduce the size of the cassette and have a taller gear for top speed?
Two speed hubs are more complex than a front derailleur, and you'd be stuck to a custom set of wheels.
1x on the road is definitely a lot more realistic than just a decade ago, fair play sram, I think my next bike will be 1x
Cross chaining on 1x even further reduces its usefulness. Don't get suckered into the hype.
@@roadcyclist1 Nah, not really. Cross chaining is a non issue......it's never worried me; the gears are there to be used.......
Mine won't
I am not one for racing so a 36T 1X chainring (typical inner chainring) and a 10-51T MTB cassette is perfect for me. I ride solo and its very hilly around here so climbing is easy then I coast down the hills. Maybe once I am thinner and stronger I will exchange the 10-51T MTB cassette for a 11-34T road cassette.
Flyin', talkin' , Allez Sprints are real mean bikes man
don't sleep on alloy on the flats and descents 🔥
I love 1x i have it in both my bikes.
That cruising speed 👌🏿 😎
It's a lie that 1x is more efficient. Even 3x is more efficient than 2x. On 1x you have one or two gears which are relatively in line with the cassette. For each front chainring you could multiply this. Next is the built-in chain catcher on the front derailleur....
I have 2 bikes and one of them is 1X, for flat road I always use 1X with 54T chainring and 11-28 cassette and have never had problems and for flat road and a little hilly I think it can still be used.
No flat roads in my place - uphills everywhere.
The 1x is more aero for sure but only efficient if u stay on the middle of the block
If u move towards either end it will be crosschaining a bit and looses its advantage and Moore .. what u can even hear if the drive train was not the cleanest
On the mountain bike it had other reasons and advantages that far exceed efficiency on the pedaling
But on the road bike …only if i ride in the flats (tt)
I don't believe 1x could cover my needs with the current offers. I most often find myself in either the top three gears or the bottom three. A 1x chainring pretty much has me choosing one end to throw away.
Until there's 7-63t cassettes, 2x will have a place.
Love my 1by road bike 👌 never feel under geared with a 46 33t smallest gear , if it gets really steep just have to stand up
I have a 11/34 cassette paired with a 52t chainring. The combination is quite noice on both climbs and flats. But i wish shimamo offers 10t cogs and microspline hubs for road bikes.
48/36 for lowest gear is hopeless
Problem: the chain ring offset, i.e. an (almost) straight chain line on higher cogs (3 or 6mm off-set)or, on lower cogs ( 0 or 1mm off-set). Also depending on frame design and bottom bracket width. One or another both are chain burners, just like in mtb. Along with pornographic prices, bikes are turning into a big mess of compatible and incompatible parts and systems.
probably depends where you live, i ride a fixed gear on 49x17 ratio and i live near the mountains. it gets really hard sometimes and I see lots of people on geared bikes going very slow as well up hills. if your more into strength and endurance like me the 1x should be more than plenty. those big cogs must be nice.
SRAM 1x fixes one big problem. The wireless battery on the SRAM front derailleur is so big ugly, it interferes with the rear tire. Say goodbye to wide rear tires! That’s why SRAM started doing 1X drivetrains. They are just marketing it like it’s a good thing.
I live in Austria, I can't see myself getting a 1-by. I'm not a pro, and I saw myself going much faster uphill by installing a cassette with bigger cogs. I'd only ever go for something along the lines of 1:1 for my smallest gear.
$200 dollars for front derailleur, a brake lever should be cheaper to produce than a shifter, maybe $50. I know $250 is a marginal gain when bikes cost $5k plus but it would be worth considering.
As far as chain wear comparisons it seems it would be more wear with the X2 and the rubbing of the chain on the front derailleur when at the top and bottom of the cassette.
The rubbing on the outside of the chain plates is negligible compared to the far wider side-to-side stretching and forced big jumps between sprockets on a 1x setup. Chains and cassettes wearing much faster is the actual reason how the much smaller Sram got the giant Shimano convinced to push 1x.
I live in a fairly flat area, so a 60t with a wide range 11-30 cassette is plenty of gear range.
The perfect straight chainline of the 60x17 is ideal for pootling around at 90rpm
meanwhile im still using 3X setup 48/38/28 with 28-11 or 32-11 casette 😄
The verdict is.... It depends..on the terrain you ride on.
I am expecting to build up a bike in a few months. 48t Chain ring with a 10-36, or a 50t with an 11-44 cassette. I looked at some calculators and don't think I will miss dropping chains or the "closer range" that you get if you were to dance between chainrings in the middle of the cassette.. Who does that anyway?
have you checked a bike like the Canyon Roadlite 6? It is 1X (1x12) and it has a 46T chainring and a 10-51 cassette. Dunno about similar bikes (sure there has to be one, the Roadlite 5 is similar) but when I found that one I got all emotional, it was like a dream come true
You must be strong man. I use 40/51t very often.
I had a 2x Dura Ace setup that the front derailleur never worked right and it would drop chains. I switched to Sram axs 1x 12 speed and love it! Never dropped a chain and it’s so smooth and quiet. No rattles or clunks.
From an old cyclist -- when comparing gears, why not talk about "gear inches"? A single number that tells you all you need to know about a particuar gear ratio.
Then we'd have to explain to all the Americans and Europeans what an inch is!
@@roadcc25.4 mm, I believe. Now, back to inches for the gears
Their Front Derailleur sucks SO MUCH, SRAM has nothing to lose by ditching it!🤦♀️🤷🏽♀️🤦♀️ For the record, I own TWO Road bikes with Electronic SRAM Transmission.
Their front derailleurs are "top notch" apparently.