Yup agree with most of this, except the no cables bit. I'd rather turn a barrel adjuster once every now and then than charge batteries which degrade over time and are expensive and proprietary to replace.
@@prasad530 60 bucks is the price of a normal decent (nothing fancy) rear derailleur... "several years" isn't exactly impressive either, I prefer bike stuff to be around for several decades.
Just converted my new Specialized Crux from 1x to a 2x. SRAM Force Etap, 46/33 front ring, 10/36 12sp cassette, love it! Using the bike as an endurance road bike, the new gearing is low enough for our 14% stingers, and I can now keep up with the fast roadies downhill. And, smaller tooth jumps between cogs. Night and day difference, not going back to the mullet.
Yeah also converted from 1x to 2x. My mechanic was really confused. But I use my bike both for bikepacking (heavy) and I put it on the trainer for Zwift. 1x really wasn't cutting it at all. I don't worry about spinning out anymore and also have better gearing for uphill when heavy.
Indeed.. was totally on board until the end. Front mechs and cables; seriously - so everyone should be on 1x with electronic shifting...? A hearty "f*ck that" from my bar-end-shifted triple and I!
@@Mike-de7wv Well, it's a mechanic's perspective! He gets to work on other people's bikes and hates when they come back for that half turn of the barrel adjuster once the cables settle in. I like maintaining my bike and I just love that feeling when everything just works perfectly after I've dialed it in.
2x10 is more versatile even in just urban riding IMO. My daily ride has sections where 50km/h+ is easily achievable for decent stretches. Flatish sections where it's nice to push along at 35-40km/h. But then parts where you're stuck behind foot traffic on a 10% grade for 50m.
I have a lefty fork bike, when you puncture you don’t have to take the wheel off at the front as it’s fully open with having an open fork, thus full access.😊
Been a pro mechanic for nearly 20 years myself. If you can’t set up a front derailleur that works for more than six weeks you need to find another job. The front derailleur on my personal gravel bike worked great for four years with no adjustment and it was the worn out chainring that ruined the shifting. Thousands of miles and no issues.
Agreed. Front derailleur are a good thing. Shimano is definitely the best make sure the front clain line is in spec use thier chain rings and chain and it will always work. Also pre tension the cable and seat the ferrals in . Never have any problems using Shimano 1.2 mm stainless with their 4 mm housin either and Shimano cable grease is worth the high cost less is better anyway. Avoid the short plastic ferral the longer ones are just fine plus they are less likely siese to the adjuster barrel and get stuck in the frame. A dab of grease on the ferral also goes a long way. Do all this and adjustments will be minimal and last for at least 5 maybe 10 years. Generally don't use sealed ferrals except the one on the chain stay and any that are pointed to the sky where water can pour in. Never use a metal ferral with a shifter that has a plastic housing seat either as it may damage the seat . It often can be fixed but it is a bit of cobble job. Keep your shifters lubed and they will stay working too that stuff from the factory doesn't last forever something light and yearly ( more often for winter) is better here. I use a mineral based ATF ( non synthetic automatic transmission fluid it won't hurt plastic) and a small amount of Lucas Red n Tacky to thicken it a bit. Works good on derailleur pivots and brake pivots too.
I'm a complete amateur, but I was able to replace the cable and housing on my front derailleur without any difficulty. A trick I've heard of is to deliberately tighten the ferrules into the stops on an exposed cable run, by pulling the cable to the side, before even attempting to adjust the setting. What I did, however, was to run complete housing without an exposed section. I did that for improved weather resistance, since there are harsh winters here and I store the bike outdoors (under eaves). I'm also using a coated cable to eliminate friction. Works a treat.
Aside from any debate regarding front mechs, this is for the most part great advice from someone who clearly has a lot of first-hand experience. Much appreciated. Many thanks.
As mechanics you get to understand that there are two camps for bicycle performance and maintenance- recreational and racing. They each have different goals and come with their own requirements in terms of parts, setup, and cost. Racing is so much more expensive and finicky.
@@jmanswat2457 I definitely agree with you but I would add to both categories a subcategory of wanting to go with trends. A lot of things out there get slapped on to new bikes that get marketed in a way that makes people think they need the newest tech to keep up when in reality the differences are marginal at best. I see this for both racing and recreational.
@@xAudiolith yh. I learned that last year. I always rode alloy (2013, middle of the road, Cube endurance bike) until i bought a carbon Cervelo, a bike that the pros used to win the tdf, like 15 yrs ago. But i barely improved on any of my times. I tt'd my way to work probably like 40 times, not even 1 km/h of difference in speed while being 1.5kg lighter. I did my favorite lap of about 75km a few times on both bikes and it wasn't smoother nor faster nor did i feel any difference at the end of the ride. I feel scammed. It's so disheartening. It's all in your legs and all those gains are all in your head.
I have to disagree with them on Muck-Off and Cannondale. Never had a buildup with Muck-Off, and I own a Cannondale. Great bike. Though I must say those lefty forks look ridiculous.
@@NoBrakes23 But 1x isn't objectively superior. It is more expensive and loses gearing range. My main bike is 1x (Deore 10 speed) but I honestly wish it was a 2x because I go to gear up after that top gear more than you'd think.
I recently switched from a compact Shimano 105 2x bike to a Sram Axs Xplr groupset which is 1x13. I compared and I'm not actually losing that many gears (especially the ones I care about) due to how they set up the smallest cogs to be quite incremental before bigger tooth gaps in the large cogs. It's been fine on the road - yes I spin out if I am trying to pump out power over 35MPH, but that doesn't really matter to me since I am not racing and can just tuck those descents. The gearing on climbs is actually a bit better with the extended range (despite there being a bigger jump between those cogs). Plus I just really enjoy the simplicity of a single shifter being dedicated to up or down, without worrying about shifting a front mech on more technical trails. I agree that it doesn't make sense yet for most racers as those little tooth gaps do matter in a lot of cases for keeping an ideal cadence on rolling terrain. But we did see quite a bit of 1x usage at Paris Roubaix this year! I doubt Sram would force that on riders if they didn't find it sufficient for the course.
@@Cobalt985 It's just the geared rider mentality. I'm having fun with a chill geared single speed road bike in a moderately hilly city. You can do longer/harder peak efforts in the uphills when you at times also get rest when reaching high enough cadence that you'll rather coast.
I love front mechs, allows you to ride a 26" wheel MTB everywhere. 3 x 8 running 22/32/44 and 11/32 gives everything from 40mph downhill on road tyres during winter fitness rides to sub-walking pace climbs on the trails. I can usually make them last a year or two and they come with a sticker on the cage which you just line up with the teeth on the largest chainring during installation. Subscribed though as I agree with everything else in this vid
I replaced my 11/32 cassette with a 11/42 one, it's kinda useful when you try to climb on rocky terrain with the granny-42t combo lmao. I really love my 3x8 setup man
I don't get the hate for front mechs. They are easy to adjust, they don't break and I don't want a 50-tooth cassette so that I can get up a steep hill. The only problem I ever had with my front mech actually was a slipping barrel adjuster - all it needs are a few twists and it is good enough. You shift 100 times more on the rear derailleur and these are a pain to adjust: with wearing cables, chains and other factors, you effectively have a window 45 kilometers per year where it really shifts flawlessly,
It's just nice as a mechanic and shop not to have to deal with them and stock them and have the right ones that are compatible with whatever, and finding an alternative if we don't have yours, etc etc etc. There's enough on a bike that needs servicing so It's nice when there's one system deleted
@@jmanswat2457 Yeah but that's true for most road bike parts, isn't it? Same goes for rear derailleurs with 3 common groupset tiers from 2 manufacturers (sorry, Campy), different generations, cage length and even color options... I would argue that taking away 2x from a road bike in most regions would impact your riding on every tiny climb - a bit like saying: run your car on all-season tires so that the shop isn't bothered with changing them every season. As a rider/customer, my expectation is that drivetrain parts except from wearing components need to be ordered if I had a failure, anyway.
I just bought a new GRX 810 2x group, and the supplier shipped the 1by left shifter by mistake. I have a spare bar-end friction shifter and I'm seriously thinking of running the FD that way. How's that for a mullet build?
@@jmanswat2457 - except the FD is the part that's about the most fit and forget item on bike. Why should customers compromise their riding, just because lazy mechanics can't be bothered to do their job.
Muc-off lube: I use it without any issues of getting it off, however there’s a trick, if it’s one of the ceramic series lubes, just use soap and water. Degreaser doesn’t do a thing but dawn dish soap and warm water and it comes right off.
I live in Bristol and I weigh 116kg - having a 52/36 instead of a single 46 or something has meant that I can really put the power on when I want to go fast and enjoy having a bike as nice as I do, but I can also actually slug it up the massive hills without dying half way up. I'm not exactly unfit but I am no pro - so I like having those really low ratios on hand when I need them, while still having the capability to sprint at full tilt every now and then even if only for 20 seconds :D Obviously it is another thing that can go wrong - but you have to ask questions about the way you take care of (or don't as the case may be) your bike if mech cables corroding is that serious of an issue. It's not exactly hard to make sure your bike is put away dry and kept dry while it is put away - at least I've never had any corrosion issues
I live in Bristol too and love my front Mech, the only bike without a front mech I've ever enjoyed riding was a folding bike, but I would only ride that a couple of miles at most, if I wanted to go further it would stop being fun quite quickly and I'd quite like a lot more gears.
@@mrichards55 I am surprised how sufficient is 36/11-34 on my Decathlon Riverside 120. With Microshift switching it is just perfect in gear department. I'd say one-by is generally great, if set is right.
@@m1mbz Obviously, you had no intimate relations with the single speed. It can blow one's mind how excellently single ratio can do. I have no big problems with gears, yet it is and feels messy on triple, simple and sufficient on _proper_ one-by, while exactly joy and sensation on single speed.
Zero issues with corroded cables, still have the same Sram RED front gear cable when I first put it on the groupset 11 years and 40,000kms later. Adjusted it once maybe twice.
I have a 3x9 bike. The other day I calctulated a bit and it turned out that this setup is about equivalent to a 1x14 because of the many similar/identical gear ratios. I think that a 2x12 is still have a place on the bikes. If you chose a cassette with less jumps between cogs, with a crankset where the small chainring is like 60% of the big chainring, you could have a "road" and a "terrain" set of speeds.
I'm a forgetful person. I like double because if I'm down it goes up n vice versa. No guesswork what the levers gonna do. I wish it just came with one button that switches between the 2.
@halfblood_drag0n Agreed... 3x literally has no point at all. There's no purpose for the middle gear. Just has 2x, and use the cassette more. Also, I do hate 2x as well. Not that it's useless, it's definitely great, and can be hard to get as much range out of the cassette with a 2x chainring, but then all the problems that come with it, it's just not worth it.
What a fun video! I really enjoyed it! I'm going to disagree about the gear cables for just one reason - COST. Wireless setups are great - I have SRAM AXS on my new Trek - but it was EXPENSIVE! Even the newest "entry level" wireless setups are still 2x-3x the cost of a traditional entry level cable groupset. If the cost continues to fall in the next 5-10 years and the cost difference goes away or becomes negligible, then sure, it's the way to go. Yeah, I'm also keeping my front mech for now because my 62 year old butt needs those super low gears on my road bike.
I totally agree about needing a front Mech. Dude in the video is a just trendy and jumping on the 1x bandwagon. I live in a mountainous area, I use both rings equally. Not to mention if you've rode enough you know that the big ring feels different than the small ring, even if the gear inches are the same. So to say it unnecessary is foolish.
This is golden!! Especially the bar tape insights is so valueble - since as a weekend warrior, you change it once, maybe twice a year if you even bother. And then you just get what looks good...
I will stick with 2X up front, for now. I like the wider range available if I go to the hills. Good info throughout the video, I appreciate y'alls efforts.
I'm with you - 2x for the gravel! The differential in speed makes it almost a necessity.... 1mph climbs, 40mph descents... RANGE! and Quick jump shifting™ using the front mech!
I have a 3x and don't want to miss the range either. Tbh one tooth less on the back or one more on the front and I wouldn't make it up the hills when riding with luggage. I am even thinking on upgrading to a Casette with 36 instead of 32 teeth max
I've been using Conti gatorskin tyres for over 5 years in all weather conditions and I have never ever had a problem with grip , and I ride twisty hilly roads in South Devon . Also on the rare occasion when I do get a puncture , again absolutely no problem getting tyre on or off , I'm a big fan of these tyres .
Regarding getting tyres on and off, that's because there are two versions of Gatorskins. The folding bead one is fine, goes on without much hassle, very straightforwards. The wire bead version is an absolute bastard of a tyre that is near impossible to get on and off and has led to multiple tyre levers of mine getting snapped whilst trying to get it on and off rims. Horrible to live with, should never have been created
Eh they do give you a good deal of puncture protection but you are definitely giving up a good deal of grip, ride comfort, rolling resistance, and weight on Gatorskins---which is to say quite a lot. I used to use them before I knew better. Gp5000s or other top level tires will make your bike feel like new. If the roads are bad where you live I would suggest going tubeless.
Since more than 20 years I'm on Conti GP 4000. Once I've tried Gatorskin on my commuter when using it on often London's wet roads. It was horrible nightmare. Sometimes it was spinning without any grip when I've tried to suddenly accelerate.
Gradually ramping up the outrage, I was with Nic all the way up to front mechs 🤣 Definitely agree about Hunt wheels though. No end of problems with bearings, pulled and replaced with better quality ones but still wheel side bearing in the freehub repeatedly fell apart over winter. Looks like a preload tolerance thing.
@@twillyspanksyourcakes Zero Friction Cycling recently posted a video comparing transmission losses between 1x and 2x, the data is pretty conclusive, I think I’ll stick with 2x and keep the watts.
And cables. His beef with cables just seemed to require you to buy stainless ones and just learn how an adjuster works. I'd take that any day over stupid expensive repairs on electrics
@@twillyspanksyourcakes I suppose you're right, the margins are higher and so is parts/servicing costs. Personally you'll never get me to abandon a system with as much flexibility as mechanical drivetrains have. You can technically run Campag 10 speed shifters with a Suntour Vx derailleur and Shimano 8s cassette. With a bit of maths and ingenuity almost anything is possible with a mechanical setup.
Wheelside bearing in the freehub on Hunt wheels only lasts about 3000kms, but that's the only downside of these (they are strong, fast, solid, reliable in all weathers and most of all exceptionally well priced). Suggestion: buy a replacement freehub from them, it's 40€, so that when you start hearing that horrible metallic grinding sound signalling the end of the life of your bearing, you just swap freehubs easily and replace bearings with other ones with no rush
@@guytatler9769 Agreed. I am not a "road cyclist", though I ride on the road quite often. Mechanical will ALWAYS be all I use. I do not want to contribute all that shit to e-waste in a few years.
I have been riding road bikes for 24 years and I never had any problems with front mechs. I even didn't know such problems existed. Also, I have been using Gatorskin tires for few years and I really like them. I never had a puncture.
Unwarranted criticism of Speedplays. If you use 4-hole bolt pattern shoes, you don’t need the heavy cleat adapters and the system ends up being one of the lightest. Also, they’re easily user serviceable and last forever. Haven’t had any issues with cleats. The problem is most users don’t follow Speedplay’s instructions, which are to lubricate the cleats every other ride. If you do that, you’ll be fine.
I do like the front mech. My MTB is 1x and I'm happy with it, but on the road, I like to have those couple of extra gears in the top end without giving up range. On my touring rig, I could not do without. I live in a very flat area with a lot of wind so I need a large top-end gear to get places fast, but I do ride some steep stuff when I'm out on a multi-day ride with my tent and sleeping bag so I also need the range. I guess it depends on the situation you are riding in.
I can't see it taking off either. The only way to get around the limited gear range is having a gigantic dinner plate sized cassette and not only does that make the jumps more extreme but it also means you're constantly cross chaining.2x has cleaner lines and smaller jumps, hard to give up that practicality.
i have the e*thirteen 9-50t cassette in the rear, that gives amazing range. have a 30t on a mtb, 32 on xc bike and 38 on my gravel bike. up to 50km/h and down to snail speeds on 25°+ gradient climbs it leaves nothing to be desired for. and if im going 55 or 60km/h it is still acceptable.
@@Ropetable I did look into riding with those since they are awesome but so expensive!! I go through a chain every 9 months or so as is and tend to get 2 or 3 chains out of my cassettes before they are worn out. The whole 11-speed package (an SLX 11-42 cassette with 3 KMC chains) costs me roughly €140 for 2 years and 3 months of riding.
Love front mechs . Quickest shift when racing when suddenly onto a hill ,shift from front big ring to small front ring when most are crunching up the rear sprockets.
I like a front mech. I tried a mates 1x gravel bike and found I was either spinning too fast or grinding. Most of the time I couldn’t find a comfortable gear ratio.
I disagree, but that's a personal thing. On road bike - 2by is way to go I have build Turing bike for myself (cx/gravel kind of thing) and I have 48t front and 11-51 Shimano on the back.. and it's fine for me.. But I also ride on the velodrome and on the track bike outside.. so I don't mind big steps between gears
Hands off my front mech! No 1x for me. It means less gear changes in terrain with many short hills and keeps my chain better aligned on the rear sprocket. I even think 1x12 speed is a step back from 2x9 speed. 11s and 12s have crazy expensive chains and casettes and are more critical in set-up . My front mechs have given 0 issues over the past 25 years with 10-15k/year through summer and winter. Just regular maintenance.
I like front mechs, too. Especially if you are driving with luggage. In this case even smaller hills will be hard to cycle. Especially if you only do it a fey times in a year. I really liked to switch to the lowest gear possible then. Maybe 2x front mech would be sufficient when having a 12x casette. But still I'd like to be able to switch.
Yo, the last one is the last straw. I agree with the most part but, front mech is where i personally drew the line. It's cheaper and easier to get wide range of gear for gravel using 2x10 groupset than using 1x12. Especially when Tiagra hydraulic/ grx 10 speed is pretty much basic* standard for gravel .
But can you actually get better gearing with 2x? For speed probably, but for climbing, you can get a 46-30 up front and an 11-34 in the back (or maybe a 11-36 tops, but that is not officially supported for Tiagra). At the same time it's not very hard to have a 10-46 or even 10-50 for 1x, combine that with a 40t or 42t up front, and it's very similar, but with better climbing gears. I switched from a Tiagra set to Apex1, and so far haven't found anything to complain about.
@@kornenator i run tiagra using 48-32t combo with 11-36 without derailleur extender. No issues so far. I still got top speed and some climbing gear. Since it's hard to get GRX crank comes with 165mm length. Besides the jump on wide range 1x11 is too much for me. And oncd again the 10 speed components is far cheaper to replace and maintain.
I went 1x last year on a gravel bike and has been great for me admittedly I'm a casual rider but find the range enough, so simplistic and clean looking to boot...
LOVE this video. As a bike mechanic of almost 20 years myself I agree with so much of this. Especially the Muc off chain lube. I can’t stand cleaning that stuff off people bikes.
Is it a specific lube that does it or is it a certain type of terrain that it's so bad with? I was highly recommended muc off by the two mechanics at the shop when I was going to get something else and have personally never had a problem with it being bad to clean
In my experience, it’s Muc-Off Wet Lube, the blue one, which is particularly awful. Even correctly applied, the first ride in wet conditions on roads and it retains all the grime and grit splashed up from the surface and dries into a black gunk, almost like a glue or sealant, coating chain and gears. You won’t have the same problem with Muc-Off Dry Lube, the yellow one, because it washes off in even the lightest of rain, leaving your chain to rust. I agree with the video: +1 for Fenwicks All Conditions.
This is awkward…i switched from wd40 lube for bike to muc off dry or wet lube and tho i did a good choice lol i felt the lube was way better than the messy wd40
Feel the need to come to Hunt's defence here. I'm 77Kg and have multiple alloy and carbon Hunt wheels which I've ridden the hell out of both on the MTB (Trail Wides), racing CX (Carbon 30 tubulars), on gravel (4-Seasons), and on the road (Aerodynamasist Alloy), and apart from the V1 trailwide rims being a bit too easy to dent (nolonger an issue with the v2's), all these wheels have been faultless, and customer support and all communications with Hunt have been really positive. Love em!
What bike are you ridding now I am finding that my lighter bikes are more fun to ride as I get older but have a mike apple bike that is steel that rides like a dream… so really enjoy ridding still at 76
@@MikeSmith-qu5ew Actually I just bought a Giant Contend SL2. Nice and upright riding position and takes fat tyres. Converted it to 1x of course. Semi internal cabling only. A real common sense bike.
David that is a good choice for sure,I am always trying to upgrade but need to more up right at 76 and need some warm weather I am in Wisconsin and the winters are long.
@@davidadams8342 David I have one apple bike its a perfect frame steel and the paint is perfect its a touring bike with a fit that is fast. I have not seen a bike as nice. Do you ride a lot still its tough for me with the traffic but still get out for rides.
LEFTY - If you get puncture on the road it is not neccessary to take the wheel off at all, simply take the tire off and fix the inner tube. Comment about necessity of taking brake caliper off is not right.
I fit my derailleurs 2 years ago and haven't touched them since other than trim. Haven't even changed the housings. Not sure what cables and housings he's using... 2x also makes it considerably easier to get your bike on the trainer.
7:40 I don't have to go to a bike shop to re-do my cables every 6 weeks... I install them, ride them for a season and replace them. During the season, they shift crisply and reliable. Never had one braking, never had problems whatsoever.
I like front mechs, means you can get less gears at the back. Less gears at the back: wider and thus stronger chain. 8-9 speeds is fine, but yes, with front mech :). Also, I don't care about weight much ^^
I've ridden and worked on bikes for decades. Got no problem with gear cables (or brake cables, for road riding). I love Muc-Off lubes. The gunk that forms on my cogs and pulleys is no harder to clean than when I use other lubes. I love 1x drive trains but front mechs still have a reason to exist. Thanks for the fun video!
I use muc off lubes and have had no problems cleaning extremely neglected winter chains and cassettes in an ultrasonic cleaner, so it may be down to what is used to degrease.
one by on my road bike (46t) has proven perfect in undulating countryside and it does lighten and simplify the drive train - have 3 sets of Hunt wheels used on road, Cx and gravel and had zero issues - agree with his view on Sram axs and thinking of going that way after issues with di2 battery cables - on tires Conti Grand Prix/4000/5000 have served me well in all seasons
I never had much problem with front derailleurs. 2x10 is the best mtb setup. Just that nobody wants to admit it. I have same range with a $30 11-36 cassette as those stupid pizza pie $400 cassettes. And no 10 tooth jumps. Nice and tight😅
I started work as a professional bike mechanic as soon as I was legally able to work back in 1996 as a fresh high school graduate, and worked in the industry until 2010. I agree on most counts, but front derailleurs are not going away, for the fact that any other option that is not using a chain is just so much more inefficient, and the range of gears offered by huge jumps in chainring size is simply currently unmatched. Also as a former Fit Kit certified fitter, Speedplay pedals are easier to set up and use than any other road pedal, for both the consumer and bike fitter. No guessing on float as you dictate where you want it, set the fore/aft and lateral to compensate for wider narrower need for q-factor. With the other delta style cleats, the lateral adjustment will ultimately affect how much you can toe the cleat in/out.
I worked on and off for 13 years in the bicycle business. I was the top manager in a shop chain that was in the top 100 of shops in the country according to BDS. I trained a lot of people to become mechanics. The president of the largest bicycle club in the United States was going around telling everybody that I was the best in the state. I had no personal relationship and I'd only see him come into my shop once. My point is I've seen a lot of silly opinions in the bicycle business in a lot of silly products. It seems like the products are more silly than ever. That's what burned me out on the business. I kept seeing new products launched that were garbage. Only to have enthusiasts with too much money and too few brains come rushing into the bike shop with a magazine in their hand saying, "Do you have this yet? do you have this yet?" Speedplay pedals are not one of those products. I am one of the original purchasers of speed play pedals and I love them. Especially since I suffered knee damage courtesy of a drunk driver in 1990. Speed play pedals are much more comfortable than SPD and egg beater pedals because they have completely free range of pivot where the others have spring loaded pivot. It's a huge difference if you have knee problems. And like you stated, installation is the easiest you can have. As far as the weight of the cleats, they're not particularly heavy so I don't understand that comment In the video. Additionally, speed play have by far the most corner clearance of any pedal made. When I was an avid cyclist doing 300 miles a week I practice taking corners while pedaling all the way through the corners. I could do a much deeper lean with Speedplay pedals once I got them. And as far as he's comments about triple cranks and double cranks and also about cables, I think he's dead wrong. I think those are ridiculous opinions. He's not going to enjoy using a single chainring with a limited rear gear range in the White mountains of New Hampshire. He's not going to want them in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He's not going to want them and Aspen, Colorado. If he's having a problem with cables rusting up it means he's not building the bicycles improperly. On every bicycle that I assembled - and I have assembled thousands of bicycles - I always trimmed the housing and then put the lightest coating of white lithium grease on the cables and would take the cables out and pump the housing full of Teflon lubricant. I know from my own bicycles that the cables just won't rust if you do that. And they'll smoothly shift. From a business point of view, he should want his customers to come back to have their cables readjusted during the break-in. That's an opportunity for the shop to show its new customers the accessories that they should now realize would make their experience more enjoyable. Instead of them buying the bare minimum of accessories such as a water bottle and cage for perhaps $20 or $30 or $40, they'll eventually set themselves up with about $500-to-$1,000 worth of accessories that fit their needs and actually make their cycling experience much more pleasurable. That all really starts with the tune-up after a break-in of a new bicycle. And it's the skipping shifting because of stretch cables that will drive those new enthusiasts back to the shop to get the adjustment. If they don't see a problem and don't feel a problem they won't bring the bike back in for those adjustments. You know what I mean.
I 100% agree with you regarding Speedplays. Best pedals, longest lasting cleats, no hassle adjustment to ANY personal requirements, double side benefits - easy engadgement and double life.
As the owner of a Lefty fork on my gravel bike I can say with absolute certainty that you CAN take the brake caliper off to fix a flat. Also as a user of speedplay I disagree with the durability statement. I have ridden with them for 30 years and find that they've operated flawlessly; all iterations. I had to switch my last pair after 20K miles only because they changed the cleat set up. 1X on the gravel but my other bikes have front mechs and I love all the gear choice for the road.
I agree 100% about the front mech : With over 12,000km of road riding on a “one-by”, I’m never installing a front mech again! As it turns out this guy is right and life really is better without a FD. But if you like yours, by all means keep it! 😄
Have been running gatorskins and their iterations in Seattle for years and years and one of the things I really like about them is that they are quite sticky in cold (not icy) and wet conditions. Let go of your brakes in the corners, watch out for wet leaves and steel.
People who say Gatorskins have no grip in the wet just don't know how to ride in the wet. There, i said it! Have done a few thousand miles on mine and a few hundred of those in the rain. No grip issues or punctures.
lefty is legit cool. Looks strange, performs well and honestly it's not meaningfully harder to replace a wheel than it is on bolted or standard thru-axle wheel (at least with the removeable disk mount, older ones are harder). Also, you can repair a flat without taking the wheel off.
Team Front Mech Here. Both mountain biking and road. I have a wider gear range. Front mechs don't weigh much at all and mine have been working flawlessly on bikes for 20 years (with appropriate cleaning, lubrication, and a cable replacement now and then.) I think the primary advantage to a 1x drivetrain is on a full suspension mountain bike where things get crowded down by the bottom bracket (especially with wider tires being used.) But hey, the right answer is whatever bike is the most fun for you and gets you out riding. For me that is a 1992 Yeti Ultimate fully rigid on trails and a Merlin on the road. I will cheer for anyone and everyone out on a bike. Bikes are among the best human inventions of all time. Best return on investment of any money I have ever spent! Have fun this summer everyone!
Been riding a Specialized Roubaix for the last 4 years, previously despite having a professional bike fit still had some issues with shoulder/hands on rougher road surfaces - no more. Works for me, and so far no issues whatsoever with the Future Shock.
Having a front mech means I can be on the big ring and if I suddenly need to go into a much easier gear, I can drop onto the small ring in a heartbeat and away I go. You cannot do that with a 1X because to get an easier gear you have to go bigger, not smaller, and that's always more of a challenge for any shifting system. Besides that, 2X or even 3X allows for much smaller jumps between ratios while still allowing for a wide range overall. I'm sure 1X has its place -- like on my e-bike -- but to say the front mech no longer has a place? Nonsense. And cable shifting? It's worked just fine for decades and still does as long as it's properly adjusted, and keeping it adjusted is only tricky until a new cable fully "beds in" or whatever term you like. No charging of batteries, no fiddling with an app to achieve some supposed state of gear changing nirvana, just smooth, fast, reliable shifting _at a reasonable price_ to boot. Again, electronically-controlled shifting has its place, but to say nobody should still be using it? Nonsense.
Dropping the front ring is about the same as dropping three rings in the back. I don't know what ancient groupset you are using that doesn't allow you to do that.
@@NoBrakes23 Sure you can do it. Do it under load, and keep doing it, and I'll crack a beer, pull an arm chair, and keep watching you do that the whole day 😂.
Nic is a legend. Keep him on the channel. Not quite as grump as James, but I'm sure with some training you will get him up there. Brilliant, keep the videos coming.
I use 3*9 on my winter/gravel/dirt bike and looking at prices online I can buy a front mech, chain, cassette and middle and 'big' (44T), all Shimano, ring for a price of a 12speed chain.
I converted a 3x9, V-brake hybrid to drop bars with long-pull drop bar brake levers and indexed bar-end shifters. That might seem weird to some people, but it works really well, and a set of 3x9 brifters would have cost about twice the price of all four separate levers.
@@rangersmith4652 done exactly the same with a Giant Escape, works great and seems to give me everything a fancy expensive gravel bike offers at a fraction of the price....oh and it has carrier mounts too 🙂
When I was building up my steel Heron Road frame back in 2004, I built it as a 1x10 and used a downtube shifter for the rear derailer (mech) so the brake levers would match. There was no terrain I rode that an 11-25 rear coupled with a 42 tooth front would not easily handle. And I did about 95% of my riding in the 14, 15, 16, and 17 tooth rear gears. I built my own wheels and I put an all carbon fork, a SRAM crankset, and Dura-Ace rear derailer and brakes on it. It weighed 17 pounds. I had to rebuild the wheels with stronger rims, and replace the fork with an aluminum/carbon fork, so now it weighs a bit over 18 pounds. I still ride it. richard -- "Modern industrialized states [are] resentful of a few cleverly arranged pounds of tubes and spokes. The cyclist creates everything from almost nothing, becoming the most energy-efficient of all moving animals and machines and, as such, has a disingenuous ability to challenge the entire value system of a society. Cyclists don't consume enough. They can propel themselves 1500 pollution-free miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of petrol. The bicycle may be too cheap, too available, too healthy, too independent and too equitable for its own good. In an age of excess it is minimal and has the subversive potential to make people happy in an economy fuelled by consumer discontent." -Jim McGurn, 1994
I'm guessing the front mech comment was there to stimulate social engagement. Much prefer quick access to a larger ratio when pulling away, rather than firing through the cassette. My Hunt wheels seem OK in the 8 months I've had them so far. The LBS did recommend Fulcrum but they didn't do a QR version.
Starting from 3:12 it seems the audio is out of sync, I tried refreshing the page, but it looks it might be an error with the video. Thought you might want to know! :)
I swear by my Hunt wheels, have done over 10k miles on the road on them, still on original bearings/axles. Not much riding in the wet though. Got another pair for my mountain bike, looking forward to how they'll bear.
Would love a video of some different bikes/brands you guys like both from a mechanics- and a bike fitters perspective. I feel too many brands are difficult to bikefit for a lot of people, and/or is hard to upgrade across different component-brands.
Hunt wheels are amazing, great quality and value. I have the trail wheels on my Enduro bike and they have taken a battering. The fact they send you out replacements no questions asked is just good customer service. I ordered the wrong freehub body and they sent me out a new one. Completely my mistake but means I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from them again.
@@erickaracsonyi4415 since this I’ve crashed and damaged the rim (still running with a tube but won’t seal tubeless). They have offered a discounted replacement or repair under their crash warranty scheme. Can’t fault them!
Now it all makes sense.... 😂 Does Nic want an apprentice for a week, love to learn more of his wisdom. Loving the channel Francis and Jimmy great job guys...
I'm so glad to see "big" tire clearance as an issue -- for DECADES all the "with it" mechanic snobs were telling us how Fred it was. But I see the "with it" mechanics have substituted "1x is all you need" nonsense for skinny tires. Chain Line Matters!
Oh, yeah, tire clearance is important. But I forget how tight the clearances are on road-racing bikes. My idea of “minimum sensible clearance” for a road bike is 38mm tires _plus fenders_ .
Just bought some Bbb Gravel Ribbon, and it's great, seems to be stretchy without looking like it's stretched and is comfy, easy to wrap and grippy. Looks good too imo
It's really hilly where I live, so I need a front mech to give me the range to go zoom zoom on the downhill and keep a comfy cadence on the uphill. Over the summer, I regularly climb a 2mi hill with an average gradient of 5%
1x - and my Sunday ride is 100km 1.460 height meters (new Shimano Ultegra 12sp). Yes, more gears would be nice on the steepest sections (>8%), but it’s funny how quickly you adjust.
I’m glad to have a front mech, I live in the mountains. Most things have a place. Choice is important.
ปีที่แล้ว +6
I just switched from 1x to 2x, after a year of use. I was missing those grany-gears when doing 10% grades with a well loaded bike on a tour. I was running 38x12-42, and it was barely enough, and somewhat hard and/or expensive to source parts for. Now i run 2x8 36-22x11-34. Gives me equal high gear with a nice low one. I would prefer a crank with replaceable chainrings and a 38-22 setup, and those rings would also be easy to source. I use square taper BB, and road rim-brakes for the same reasons. Low-tech, easy to maintain :)
I think front mechs are still a thing especially w/ road and gravel. I do see the point of 1X, and I've been 1X since around 2006 or 2007, so when SRAM brought out the 1X group, I jumped on it! The narrow-wide and clutch derailleurs were a revolution! Supacaz tape can be stubborn, and I can see from a full-time mechanic's perspective, but even not working in a shop, I've probably wrapped over 150 bikes with that tape, and don't much mind wrapping it. However, the finish is well worth it, amazing tape that actually improves over time! I have some new Ergon Gravel on order so we'll see. I really like Ergon's products so I'm exited about their tape. I can't much disagree/critique any of the other stuff...the Press to threaded Wheel Mfg. BB is fantastic! Definitely an upgrade for compatible press-fits!
I had terrible knee pain after long rides - couldn't resolve it until I put speedplays on. They were expensive but they've lasted for years w/ minimal care. No more knee pain. Easy in and out.
I don't think I've had any major problems aside from the initial effort to get things right at the start. When you have new cables and everything is installed properly it feels like a dream, so the only real downside is that it just doesn't feel as nice when the cables stretch and if you are sensitive to feel you'll be constantly tweaking them or potentially servicing more which isn't always fun.
The thing about slick tires not working in the rain is completely ridiculous. It seems he’s “fallen for the marketing” of car tires - the contact patch of a bicycle tire is narrow enough that water is displaced to each side before there is any risk of hydroplaning. I live in the rainiest city in the US, and I’ve used gatorskins for years without any trouble. However, friends of mine who use knobby mountain bike tires, or thicker “commuter bike” tires with lots of tread have had several scary accidents in wet conditions.
Nice video. I agree with you . 60 yrs on the road. I parked the expensive carbon bikes. I ride gravel on fat tires 45mm on Salsa 35 on DIVERGE. Wish the diverge fit wider. Found that paint sealant by Torgue makes mud fall off with a pump sprayer. Shimano spd pedals ìnexpensive and work. I want durable . I get miles off pavement. All cables redone every season. Bikes in my shop. Have them going back 90 yrs. 74 yrs old ride 1200 miles or more monthly. Never miss a day. Ride on
In regards to speedplay pedals, he showed the older version but I absolutely love wahoos new version, never had an issue once setup and the cleats are fantastic when both walking or clipping in even after walking over dirt or mudddy roads.
@@razeemali2322 My own experience is that you have to keep pumping greasein them prevent bearing to axle play and then the grease will leak out during a ride all over your white dmt knit kicks. The cleats wear out really fast while being expensive and when worn out have a lot of lateral play in them which then can destroy you kneecaps over a longer period of use.
I have the older Speedplay Zero pedals on seven bikes and have no issues other than the price of replacement cleats. At least in the Zeros unlike the even older X/2 models the cleat springs are the same on both pedals so I older need to buy cleats half as often.
Speedplays are easy to operate and feel nice. I'm not giving them up! The downside is that emergency release is by stripping the thread off the cleat bolts... (When I crashed the cleats pulled halfway of the shoes, so that the pedal body could rotate and slip between the locking lugs.)
Appreciate the tips, especially on Cannondale. I have a Cannondale MTB (Jekyll) and noticed that they've hopefully given up on the Ai dishing. It;s been a great bike, but ended up buying a new wheeleet, so I'd have the OEM's as a backup in case of a crash that bricked a wheel. If I go on a road trip have to make sure I have the backup b/c no LBS is likely to have a compatible wheel in stock. Replacing chainrings or BB's is an adventure in trying to find who has the right offset. Cannondale's proprietary setups were a case of sound engineering overcoming common sense! I like having no front mech, but wish the 12-sped cassette didn't cost 3x-4x the cost of the 9spd cassette on my commuter bike that's a 3x9.
speedplay defense. Super eays to clip into. Also, I've had no pain issuses due to poor fitment. Just lucky I guess. I have had to take one appart to add more grease, other wise, love'em.
+1 for speedplays. Been using them for 15 years. Never had a problem and the new cleats with the rubber cover are certainly expensive but they last forever.
@@WeirdNumber1 I always glue the rubber bottoms on or they tend to fall off when pushing off from a dead stop. I have found numerous ones out on the road so I know I am not the only one with the problem............
For off road use 1x is the way to go, but on tarmac a 2x is still the best setup. You can compensate for low speed gears with a wider range cassette... but the smallest cog on a cassette is still limited to 10 teeth. On most hybrid / gravel bikes running 1x the chainring is smaller than the big ring on a 2x so you are likely to spin out on a downhill. I guess you could fit a 10 to 51 mtb cassette on a road bike along with a large chainring but I haven't seen that yet 😅
I think the idea that front derailleurs are superfluous is _really_ context dependent, and there are a lot more types of bike riding than just “road racing”, “offroad”, and “gravel”. For starters, you’re leaving out all the touring bikes (which pretty much _need_ a wider range than a 1x derailleur setup can manage). But also a lot of folks commuting or doing their shopping, who might not be particularly powerful cyclists, might be carrying a significant load, and might need to get somewhere in a bit of a hurry. Or people who use the same bike for fun rides and utility rides. I almost never used my top gear on my commute, but without panniers or a bag on my back, I could hit 38mph on a flat-and maybe I should’ve been able to spin that fast in a lower gear, but I couldn’t. OTOH, I never used the lowest few gears on my commute, either-but if I hit a steep hill when I was tired at the end of a long fun ride, or had an extra 40# of shopping on the bike, I was really happy for those extra gears. So, on any given ride, I probably only used about 60% of my total gear range, but over time I needed 100% of it. Also, I’m not a machine. Some days I’m tired. And when you bike for transportation, not just for fun, you don’t always have the option of not biking when you’re tired or sick or hungry. So there were days when everything was just a gear or two lower than usual, on the exact same route.
While I genuinely like Nic and agree with most of his points. However he's also a victim of his own expertise/privilege. A few points I'd disagree with: 1. Hunt Wheels: they're a direct to consumer brand = their reputation depends providing a service as comparable to a physical shop's turnaround time. Quick/immediate service = things must be breaking often is a logical false equivalency which you can test by attempting to apply the inverse (terrible warranty service = A+ QC?) 2. Anti-Mechanical drivetrains: this bad advice borderline elitist. Wireless groupset is a $1000 USD minimum upcharge on a complete bike. Majority of bang for buck bikes sold are in the $1500-3000 USD range. Ann extra $1000 USD on a drivetrain (components least likely to give you measurable performance benefits) makes even less sense compared to sinking spare $ into tyres/wheels/a bike fit/touch points/shoes. Nic says "don't just listen to marketing" yet he's drunk the kool-aid to the point of poor procurement advice. Wireless drivetrains have forced product managers to spec $300 wheels on $5000 bikes because consumers have been told it's what they "need".
Same here. I really like speedplay and I have been using them for years. The new speedplay wahoo are far better than the previous generation. I also found the super durable.
Having the right tool for the job is important, If you are not climbing steep hills and don't carry gear, a 1x will be just fine. I have a 1x. but when I'm climbing off road especially with gear, I'm going with at least a 2x. I even recently set up my gravel bike with a 3x. I am able to adjust my cables when I need to so it works for me. For others 1x is the way to go. Whatever gets you out riding and happy is all good.
Yeah that front mech is a hot take for sure. Only so much range you can garner from a single chain ring with a 12 speed cassette. If you're commuting exclusively on the bike and it's a flat city then sure, but otherwise I'll take the double range of gearing any day
@@njs461 appreciate I've probably phrased that poorly. What I meant was the increments between the two ranges of high and low are limited by a single chain ring and 12 speed cassette. A 12 speed with the same high and low rear cassette as a 2x12 speed will not offer the same range of gear choices; half in fact if we "do the math" 😉
@@bernardlinde Perhaps they apply way too much, don't get rid of the access, and then don't use their bikes very often? It's something that could happen with certain dry lubes since these tend to be wax based.
4:06 Dude, when you get puncture on a front wheel with Lefty fork, you DONT have to take the wheel off to replace a tube, what are you talking about? :D
I commuted for years on Gatorskins in all weathers and yes you are completely correct in saying that they have zero grip in the wet. I could actually get the rear wheel to slip when pulling away from a standing start in the rain even when seated. They were also as you mentioned a right pain to get on and off if you ever did get a puncture or wanted to to replace one.
As a non-pro, 1x is the way to go. An 11 speed cassette at the back assures I have the range of gears and I actually prefer a the jump between gears. With 2x I was usually shifting about 2 gears at a time anyway, especially when on grave. Good video!
I love the "Nic hates..." clips. His tips can save incredible amounts of time for the home mechanics, although he occasionally misses the mark -- the 2x setup is essential for us older guys who need lower gears for the hills. My SRAM Force works perfectly, once I figured out the trick -- buy the shim kit that SRAM should include in the first place.
Found myself agreeing with every-single-gripe Nick had 😢😮 …except for cables on the rear derailleur. Preferably Campagnolo. And if it’s a road bike then 2x with cables would be acceptable provided the bike is custom steel 😂 👍👍👍
I'm in complete agreement, recently swapped a mechanical Campag 11 speed on the lower end for Chorus EPS. Rear derailleur issues within 2 months and back to mechanical. Bike stayed steel throughout
@@guytatler9769 What didn't you like about EPS? I have always loved the feel of mechanical Campagnolo. Nothing matches it. I'm so tempted to try electronic, but I suspect I'd miss the really tactile feel of a shift.
@@ericsaari2901 I initially liked the Chorus EPS and didn't particularly miss the feel of the mechanical shift as it was rather similar. It's a really lovely groupset to use. However you don't want to own it, the experience of dealing with and owning EPS is the most, nerve racking anxiety inducing experiences I've ever had with bike parts, and I've owned several bikes infamous for catastrophic failure. Wires don't disconnect at the battery and components so if you damage one, it's a whole new component. Information on repairs from Campagnolo is scarce and unhelpful, often just advising replacing whole units at exorbitant cost. Frankly the fear of these huge bills isn't justified by significantly improved performance, it was nice and better than the mechanical stuff, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't a massive, game changing leap forward from the mechanical shifting and definitely not worth the insane running costs.
I like front mechs, gear cables. Even prefer mechanical Discs. I don't like having to charge my bike up. I charge enough crap up. I don't like fumbling around with internal cables either. I like a good simple fast light machine. That is what bicycles are about.
I agree I changed to 1x and have never looked back on my now 1x10 105 road bike I have never had the issue of being in the wrong gear and I never EVER use the granny ring 😊
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Yup agree with most of this, except the no cables bit. I'd rather turn a barrel adjuster once every now and then than charge batteries which degrade over time and are expensive and proprietary to replace.
Yup same, and intentionally routing cables internally rather than hiding them with a cover or within a grove is just such a dickmove.
100% and if you do any weighted touring, I think you need a front derailleur.
EXACTLY - I also hate that bikes are becoming thing you can't work on yourself. Not everyone is a pro cyclist. We don't need all this crap.
SRAM batteries are 60 bucks and last for several years. Welcome to modernity, change isn't always bad.
@@prasad530 60 bucks is the price of a normal decent (nothing fancy) rear derailleur...
"several years" isn't exactly impressive either, I prefer bike stuff to be around for several decades.
Just converted my new Specialized Crux from 1x to a 2x. SRAM Force Etap, 46/33 front ring, 10/36 12sp cassette, love it! Using the bike as an endurance road bike, the new gearing is low enough for our 14% stingers, and I can now keep up with the fast roadies downhill. And, smaller tooth jumps between cogs.
Night and day difference, not going back to the mullet.
Yeah also converted from 1x to 2x. My mechanic was really confused. But I use my bike both for bikepacking (heavy) and I put it on the trainer for Zwift. 1x really wasn't cutting it at all. I don't worry about spinning out anymore and also have better gearing for uphill when heavy.
Team front mech. Seems to be more versatile when you constantly switch between smooth tarmac roads, gravel roads and woods in one ride.
I need the gearing range on my 9-speed so I run 46/30 on the front. I could go 1x if I had space for like a 52t rear cassette sprocket
Indeed.. was totally on board until the end. Front mechs and cables; seriously - so everyone should be on 1x with electronic shifting...?
A hearty "f*ck that" from my bar-end-shifted triple and I!
@@Mike-de7wv Well, it's a mechanic's perspective! He gets to work on other people's bikes and hates when they come back for that half turn of the barrel adjuster once the cables settle in. I like maintaining my bike and I just love that feeling when everything just works perfectly after I've dialed it in.
2x10 is more versatile even in just urban riding IMO. My daily ride has sections where 50km/h+ is easily achievable for decent stretches. Flatish sections where it's nice to push along at 35-40km/h. But then parts where you're stuck behind foot traffic on a 10% grade for 50m.
Yup, I do all that plus hills with a bike loaded pretty heavy with my crap
I have a lefty fork bike, when you puncture you don’t have to take the wheel off at the front as it’s fully open with having an open fork, thus full access.😊
Was gonna say! It is tricky when you do want to take the wheel off though.
why don't they make a lefty rear wheel frame
Same here, it's way easier to remove the tire on a lefty.
@@alf3071 Think long and hard and the answer will come to you. Don't ask.
So, do you have a lefty but still uses tube tires???
Been a pro mechanic for nearly 20 years myself. If you can’t set up a front derailleur that works for more than six weeks you need to find another job. The front derailleur on my personal gravel bike worked great for four years with no adjustment and it was the worn out chainring that ruined the shifting. Thousands of miles and no issues.
Yeah I'm not a pro mechanic (I just work on my own bikes as a hobby) but my front derailleurs never caused any problems
Agreed. Front derailleur are a good thing. Shimano is definitely the best make sure the front clain line is in spec use thier chain rings and chain and it will always work. Also pre tension the cable and seat the ferrals in . Never have any problems using Shimano 1.2 mm stainless with their 4 mm housin either and Shimano cable grease is worth the high cost less is better anyway. Avoid the short plastic ferral the longer ones are just fine plus they are less likely siese to the adjuster barrel and get stuck in the frame. A dab of grease on the ferral also goes a long way. Do all this and adjustments will be minimal and last for at least 5 maybe 10 years. Generally don't use sealed ferrals except the one on the chain stay and any that are pointed to the sky where water can pour in. Never use a metal ferral with a shifter that has a plastic housing seat either as it may damage the seat . It often can be fixed but it is a bit of cobble job. Keep your shifters lubed and they will stay working too that stuff from the factory doesn't last forever something light and yearly ( more often for winter) is better here. I use a mineral based ATF ( non synthetic automatic transmission fluid it won't hurt plastic) and a small amount of Lucas Red n Tacky to thicken it a bit. Works good on derailleur pivots and brake pivots too.
I'm a complete amateur, but I was able to replace the cable and housing on my front derailleur without any difficulty. A trick I've heard of is to deliberately tighten the ferrules into the stops on an exposed cable run, by pulling the cable to the side, before even attempting to adjust the setting. What I did, however, was to run complete housing without an exposed section. I did that for improved weather resistance, since there are harsh winters here and I store the bike outdoors (under eaves). I'm also using a coated cable to eliminate friction. Works a treat.
Fully agree, but my god some of the Shimano front derailleurs are so fussy.
Aside from any debate regarding front mechs, this is for the most part great advice from someone who clearly has a lot of first-hand experience. Much appreciated. Many thanks.
As mechanics you get to understand that there are two camps for bicycle performance and maintenance- recreational and racing. They each have different goals and come with their own requirements in terms of parts, setup, and cost. Racing is so much more expensive and finicky.
@@jmanswat2457 I definitely agree with you but I would add to both categories a subcategory of wanting to go with trends. A lot of things out there get slapped on to new bikes that get marketed in a way that makes people think they need the newest tech to keep up when in reality the differences are marginal at best. I see this for both racing and recreational.
@@xAudiolith yh. I learned that last year. I always rode alloy (2013, middle of the road, Cube endurance bike) until i bought a carbon Cervelo, a bike that the pros used to win the tdf, like 15 yrs ago. But i barely improved on any of my times. I tt'd my way to work probably like 40 times, not even 1 km/h of difference in speed while being 1.5kg lighter. I did my favorite lap of about 75km a few times on both bikes and it wasn't smoother nor faster nor did i feel any difference at the end of the ride. I feel scammed. It's so disheartening. It's all in your legs and all those gains are all in your head.
I have to disagree with them on Muck-Off and Cannondale. Never had a buildup with Muck-Off, and I own a Cannondale. Great bike. Though I must say those lefty forks look ridiculous.
" Don't fall for the marketing "
" Ditch the front derailleur "
Some of us have been begging for viable 1x since the 80s. It isn't marketing when the companies FINALLY started listening to us a decade ago.
@@NoBrakes23 But 1x isn't objectively superior. It is more expensive and loses gearing range. My main bike is 1x (Deore 10 speed) but I honestly wish it was a 2x because I go to gear up after that top gear more than you'd think.
I recently switched from a compact Shimano 105 2x bike to a Sram Axs Xplr groupset which is 1x13. I compared and I'm not actually losing that many gears (especially the ones I care about) due to how they set up the smallest cogs to be quite incremental before bigger tooth gaps in the large cogs. It's been fine on the road - yes I spin out if I am trying to pump out power over 35MPH, but that doesn't really matter to me since I am not racing and can just tuck those descents. The gearing on climbs is actually a bit better with the extended range (despite there being a bigger jump between those cogs). Plus I just really enjoy the simplicity of a single shifter being dedicated to up or down, without worrying about shifting a front mech on more technical trails. I agree that it doesn't make sense yet for most racers as those little tooth gaps do matter in a lot of cases for keeping an ideal cadence on rolling terrain. But we did see quite a bit of 1x usage at Paris Roubaix this year! I doubt Sram would force that on riders if they didn't find it sufficient for the course.
@@Cobalt985 It's just the geared rider mentality. I'm having fun with a chill geared single speed road bike in a moderately hilly city. You can do longer/harder peak efforts in the uphills when you at times also get rest when reaching high enough cadence that you'll rather coast.
... just buy a mountain bike(?)
I love front mechs, allows you to ride a 26" wheel MTB everywhere. 3 x 8 running 22/32/44 and 11/32 gives everything from 40mph downhill on road tyres during winter fitness rides to sub-walking pace climbs on the trails. I can usually make them last a year or two and they come with a sticker on the cage which you just line up with the teeth on the largest chainring during installation. Subscribed though as I agree with everything else in this vid
Same here except 3x9 but really 3x7 is all one needs. Sturdy, standard, cheap.
I replaced my 11/32 cassette with a 11/42 one, it's kinda useful when you try to climb on rocky terrain with the granny-42t combo lmao. I really love my 3x8 setup man
I don't get the hate for front mechs. They are easy to adjust, they don't break and I don't want a 50-tooth cassette so that I can get up a steep hill. The only problem I ever had with my front mech actually was a slipping barrel adjuster - all it needs are a few twists and it is good enough. You shift 100 times more on the rear derailleur and these are a pain to adjust: with wearing cables, chains and other factors, you effectively have a window 45 kilometers per year where it really shifts flawlessly,
It's just nice as a mechanic and shop not to have to deal with them and stock them and have the right ones that are compatible with whatever, and finding an alternative if we don't have yours, etc etc etc. There's enough on a bike that needs servicing so It's nice when there's one system deleted
@@jmanswat2457 Yeah but that's true for most road bike parts, isn't it? Same goes for rear derailleurs with 3 common groupset tiers from 2 manufacturers (sorry, Campy), different generations, cage length and even color options... I would argue that taking away 2x from a road bike in most regions would impact your riding on every tiny climb - a bit like saying: run your car on all-season tires so that the shop isn't bothered with changing them every season. As a rider/customer, my expectation is that drivetrain parts except from wearing components need to be ordered if I had a failure, anyway.
I just bought a new GRX 810 2x group, and the supplier shipped the 1by left shifter by mistake. I have a spare bar-end friction shifter and I'm seriously thinking of running the FD that way. How's that for a mullet build?
@@joelv4495Why WOULDNT you want friction on the fd, especially when it's only two chainrings?
@@jmanswat2457 - except the FD is the part that's about the most fit and forget item on bike. Why should customers compromise their riding, just because lazy mechanics can't be bothered to do their job.
Muc-off lube: I use it without any issues of getting it off, however there’s a trick, if it’s one of the ceramic series lubes, just use soap and water. Degreaser doesn’t do a thing but dawn dish soap and warm water and it comes right off.
I live in Bristol and I weigh 116kg - having a 52/36 instead of a single 46 or something has meant that I can really put the power on when I want to go fast and enjoy having a bike as nice as I do, but I can also actually slug it up the massive hills without dying half way up. I'm not exactly unfit but I am no pro - so I like having those really low ratios on hand when I need them, while still having the capability to sprint at full tilt every now and then even if only for 20 seconds :D
Obviously it is another thing that can go wrong - but you have to ask questions about the way you take care of (or don't as the case may be) your bike if mech cables corroding is that serious of an issue. It's not exactly hard to make sure your bike is put away dry and kept dry while it is put away - at least I've never had any corrosion issues
I live in Bristol too and love my front Mech, the only bike without a front mech I've ever enjoyed riding was a folding bike, but I would only ride that a couple of miles at most, if I wanted to go further it would stop being fun quite quickly and I'd quite like a lot more gears.
52/36 and 11-34 is a great setup to put the power down on the flats and climb up almost anything.
@@mrichards55 I am surprised how sufficient is 36/11-34 on my Decathlon Riverside 120. With Microshift switching it is just perfect in gear department. I'd say one-by is generally great, if set is right.
@@m1mbz Obviously, you had no intimate relations with the single speed. It can blow one's mind how excellently single ratio can do. I have no big problems with gears, yet it is and feels messy on triple, simple and sufficient on _proper_ one-by, while exactly joy and sensation on single speed.
Zero issues with corroded cables, still have the same Sram RED front gear cable when I first put it on the groupset 11 years and 40,000kms later. Adjusted it once maybe twice.
I have a 3x9 bike. The other day I calctulated a bit and it turned out that this setup is about equivalent to a 1x14 because of the many similar/identical gear ratios.
I think that a 2x12 is still have a place on the bikes. If you chose a cassette with less jumps between cogs, with a crankset where the small chainring is like 60% of the big chainring, you could have a "road" and a "terrain" set of speeds.
Chainline
I not only have a front mech on all my bikes, but actually a tripple. One-by has it's use but it has it's limitations as well
I'm a forgetful person. I like double because if I'm down it goes up n vice versa. No guesswork what the levers gonna do. I wish it just came with one button that switches between the 2.
the front mech is normally very reliable. gear problems are always with the rear derailleur anyway
dont go for 3x drivetrains, its just a marketing gimmek. any cyclist who knows what their talking about, mountain or road, will tell you the same
That implies, that top manufacturers making tripples really know nothing about bikes, right? LOL@@halfblood_drag0n
@halfblood_drag0n Agreed... 3x literally has no point at all. There's no purpose for the middle gear. Just has 2x, and use the cassette more.
Also, I do hate 2x as well. Not that it's useless, it's definitely great, and can be hard to get as much range out of the cassette with a 2x chainring, but then all the problems that come with it, it's just not worth it.
What a fun video! I really enjoyed it!
I'm going to disagree about the gear cables for just one reason - COST. Wireless setups are great - I have SRAM AXS on my new Trek - but it was EXPENSIVE! Even the newest "entry level" wireless setups are still 2x-3x the cost of a traditional entry level cable groupset. If the cost continues to fall in the next 5-10 years and the cost difference goes away or becomes negligible, then sure, it's the way to go.
Yeah, I'm also keeping my front mech for now because my 62 year old butt needs those super low gears on my road bike.
I don't think he meant wireless, just 1 chain ring at the front and 11 or 12sp at the back.
I totally agree about needing a front Mech. Dude in the video is a just trendy and jumping on the 1x bandwagon. I live in a mountainous area, I use both rings equally. Not to mention if you've rode enough you know that the big ring feels different than the small ring, even if the gear inches are the same. So to say it unnecessary is foolish.
@@frankdatank2570 Yep, I moved from the plains to the mountains. Need that front mech more than ever!
He’s in the industry so he doesn’t have to pay retail for anything. No wonder he loves wireless shifting 😂
The best part was him providing alternatives to the products he doesn't like.
This is golden!! Especially the bar tape insights is so valueble - since as a weekend warrior, you change it once, maybe twice a year if you even bother. And then you just get what looks good...
I will stick with 2X up front, for now. I like the wider range available if I go to the hills. Good info throughout the video, I appreciate y'alls efforts.
I'm with you - 2x for the gravel! The differential in speed makes it almost a necessity.... 1mph climbs, 40mph descents... RANGE! and Quick jump shifting™ using the front mech!
I have a 3x and don't want to miss the range either.
Tbh one tooth less on the back or one more on the front and I wouldn't make it up the hills when riding with luggage.
I am even thinking on upgrading to a Casette with 36 instead of 32 teeth max
It’s just a lot of redundancy really, I’m going single up front next bike.
@@climatechangedoesntbargain9140 As long as the rear derailleur can handle it. I can only have a 30 t on my 3X. (with 28 - 39 - 48 in front)
I wouldn't want a single chain ring on my road bike. Have some steep hills where I live that always require me dropping to the smaller chainring.
I've been using Conti gatorskin tyres for over 5 years in all weather conditions and I have never ever had a problem with grip , and I ride twisty hilly roads in South Devon . Also on the rare occasion when I do get a puncture , again absolutely no problem getting tyre on or off , I'm a big fan of these tyres .
Regarding getting tyres on and off, that's because there are two versions of Gatorskins. The folding bead one is fine, goes on without much hassle, very straightforwards. The wire bead version is an absolute bastard of a tyre that is near impossible to get on and off and has led to multiple tyre levers of mine getting snapped whilst trying to get it on and off rims. Horrible to live with, should never have been created
@@thelonesculler I've used both folding and wire bead and the folding is definitely easier to live with
Eh they do give you a good deal of puncture protection but you are definitely giving up a good deal of grip, ride comfort, rolling resistance, and weight on Gatorskins---which is to say quite a lot. I used to use them before I knew better. Gp5000s or other top level tires will make your bike feel like new. If the roads are bad where you live I would suggest going tubeless.
Since more than 20 years I'm on Conti GP 4000. Once I've tried Gatorskin on my commuter when using it on often London's wet roads. It was horrible nightmare. Sometimes it was spinning without any grip when I've tried to suddenly accelerate.
very true, just lower some pressure as they can take it
Gradually ramping up the outrage, I was with Nic all the way up to front mechs 🤣
Definitely agree about Hunt wheels though. No end of problems with bearings, pulled and replaced with better quality ones but still wheel side bearing in the freehub repeatedly fell apart over winter. Looks like a preload tolerance thing.
@@twillyspanksyourcakes Zero Friction Cycling recently posted a video comparing transmission losses between 1x and 2x, the data is pretty conclusive, I think I’ll stick with 2x and keep the watts.
And cables. His beef with cables just seemed to require you to buy stainless ones and just learn how an adjuster works. I'd take that any day over stupid expensive repairs on electrics
@@twillyspanksyourcakes I suppose you're right, the margins are higher and so is parts/servicing costs. Personally you'll never get me to abandon a system with as much flexibility as mechanical drivetrains have. You can technically run Campag 10 speed shifters with a Suntour Vx derailleur and Shimano 8s cassette. With a bit of maths and ingenuity almost anything is possible with a mechanical setup.
Wheelside bearing in the freehub on Hunt wheels only lasts about 3000kms, but that's the only downside of these (they are strong, fast, solid, reliable in all weathers and most of all exceptionally well priced).
Suggestion: buy a replacement freehub from them, it's 40€, so that when you start hearing that horrible metallic grinding sound signalling the end of the life of your bearing, you just swap freehubs easily and replace bearings with other ones with no rush
@@guytatler9769 Agreed. I am not a "road cyclist", though I ride on the road quite often. Mechanical will ALWAYS be all I use. I do not want to contribute all that shit to e-waste in a few years.
I like Nick's honesty! We need more of his rants please
I have been riding road bikes for 24 years and I never had any problems with front mechs. I even didn't know such problems existed. Also, I have been using Gatorskin tires for few years and I really like them. I never had a puncture.
I think most of the FD "problems" he stated are just "neglect" issues!
@@Bazza1968
I find it funny how a quarter turn on a barrel adjuster is supposed to be a big technical problem somehow.
Gatorskins suck. Have you actually tried a good tyre?
Gatorskins suck.
@@discbrakefan Yes, but I've got tired of fixing punctures on the side of the road.
Unwarranted criticism of Speedplays. If you use 4-hole bolt pattern shoes, you don’t need the heavy cleat adapters and the system ends up being one of the lightest. Also, they’re easily user serviceable and last forever. Haven’t had any issues with cleats. The problem is most users don’t follow Speedplay’s instructions, which are to lubricate the cleats every other ride. If you do that, you’ll be fine.
I do like the front mech. My MTB is 1x and I'm happy with it, but on the road, I like to have those couple of extra gears in the top end without giving up range. On my touring rig, I could not do without. I live in a very flat area with a lot of wind so I need a large top-end gear to get places fast, but I do ride some steep stuff when I'm out on a multi-day ride with my tent and sleeping bag so I also need the range. I guess it depends on the situation you are riding in.
I can't see it taking off either. The only way to get around the limited gear range is having a gigantic dinner plate sized cassette and not only does that make the jumps more extreme but it also means you're constantly cross chaining.2x has cleaner lines and smaller jumps, hard to give up that practicality.
i have the e*thirteen 9-50t cassette in the rear, that gives amazing range. have a 30t on a mtb, 32 on xc bike and 38 on my gravel bike. up to 50km/h and down to snail speeds on 25°+ gradient climbs it leaves nothing to be desired for. and if im going 55 or 60km/h it is still acceptable.
@@Ropetable I hope you mean 25%, not 25°.
@@Ropetable I did look into riding with those since they are awesome but so expensive!! I go through a chain every 9 months or so as is and tend to get 2 or 3 chains out of my cassettes before they are worn out. The whole 11-speed package (an SLX 11-42 cassette with 3 KMC chains) costs me roughly €140 for 2 years and 3 months of riding.
@@woodywoodverchecker haha right, my mistake.
Love front mechs . Quickest shift when racing when suddenly onto a hill ,shift from front big ring to small front ring when most are crunching up the rear sprockets.
I like a front mech. I tried a mates 1x gravel bike and found I was either spinning too fast or grinding. Most of the time I couldn’t find a comfortable gear ratio.
Your mate should try a single speed bike next. He'll love it.
same
I was the same but I have actually converted fully to 1x now.
Exactly
I disagree, but that's a personal thing.
On road bike - 2by is way to go
I have build Turing bike for myself (cx/gravel kind of thing) and I have 48t front and 11-51 Shimano on the back.. and it's fine for me..
But I also ride on the velodrome and on the track bike outside.. so I don't mind big steps between gears
Hands off my front mech! No 1x for me. It means less gear changes in terrain with many short hills and keeps my chain better aligned on the rear sprocket. I even think 1x12 speed is a step back from 2x9 speed. 11s and 12s have crazy expensive chains and casettes and are more critical in set-up . My front mechs have given 0 issues over the past 25 years with 10-15k/year through summer and winter. Just regular maintenance.
I like front mechs, too. Especially if you are driving with luggage. In this case even smaller hills will be hard to cycle. Especially if you only do it a fey times in a year. I really liked to switch to the lowest gear possible then.
Maybe 2x front mech would be sufficient when having a 12x casette. But still I'd like to be able to switch.
Yo, the last one is the last straw.
I agree with the most part but, front mech is where i personally drew the line. It's cheaper and easier to get wide range of gear for gravel using 2x10 groupset than using 1x12.
Especially when Tiagra hydraulic/ grx 10 speed is pretty much basic* standard for gravel .
He sounded like a professional mechanic until the last bit. It's funny he says "don't fall just for the marketing".
But can you actually get better gearing with 2x? For speed probably, but for climbing, you can get a 46-30 up front and an 11-34 in the back (or maybe a 11-36 tops, but that is not officially supported for Tiagra). At the same time it's not very hard to have a 10-46 or even 10-50 for 1x, combine that with a 40t or 42t up front, and it's very similar, but with better climbing gears. I switched from a Tiagra set to Apex1, and so far haven't found anything to complain about.
@@kornenator i run tiagra using 48-32t combo with 11-36 without derailleur extender. No issues so far.
I still got top speed and some climbing gear. Since it's hard to get GRX crank comes with 165mm length.
Besides the jump on wide range 1x11 is too much for me. And oncd again the 10 speed components is far cheaper to replace and maintain.
I run a 46/30 up front with an 11-42 cassette. I just needed a longer chain, around 120 links to get it to work.
and it will last longer and be cheaper to buy a new chain for
I went 1x last year on a gravel bike and has been great for me admittedly I'm a casual rider but find the range enough, so simplistic and clean looking to boot...
LOVE this video. As a bike mechanic of almost 20 years myself I agree with so much of this.
Especially the Muc off chain lube. I can’t stand cleaning that stuff off people bikes.
Is it a specific lube that does it or is it a certain type of terrain that it's so bad with? I was highly recommended muc off by the two mechanics at the shop when I was going to get something else and have personally never had a problem with it being bad to clean
In my experience, it’s Muc-Off Wet Lube, the blue one, which is particularly awful. Even correctly applied, the first ride in wet conditions on roads and it retains all the grime and grit splashed up from the surface and dries into a black gunk, almost like a glue or sealant, coating chain and gears. You won’t have the same problem with Muc-Off Dry Lube, the yellow one, because it washes off in even the lightest of rain, leaving your chain to rust. I agree with the video: +1 for Fenwicks All Conditions.
This is awkward…i switched from wd40 lube for bike to muc off dry or wet lube and tho i did a good choice lol i felt the lube was way better than the messy wd40
Feel the need to come to Hunt's defence here. I'm 77Kg and have multiple alloy and carbon Hunt wheels which I've ridden the hell out of both on the MTB (Trail Wides), racing CX (Carbon 30 tubulars), on gravel (4-Seasons), and on the road (Aerodynamasist Alloy), and apart from the V1 trailwide rims being a bit too easy to dent (nolonger an issue with the v2's), all these wheels have been faultless, and customer support and all communications with Hunt have been really positive. Love em!
At 74 years of age, and having built and maintained my many many bikes thru my whole lifetime I totally concur with every word in this video.
What bike are you ridding now I am finding that my lighter bikes are more fun to ride as I get older but have a mike apple bike that is steel that rides like a dream… so really enjoy ridding still at 76
@@MikeSmith-qu5ew Actually I just bought a Giant Contend SL2. Nice and upright riding position and takes fat tyres. Converted it to 1x of course. Semi internal cabling only. A real common sense bike.
David that is a good choice for sure,I am always trying to upgrade but need to more up right at 76 and need some warm weather I am in Wisconsin and the winters are long.
@@MikeSmith-qu5ew Hello, I met Mike Apple at a WI bike race in Madison- quick fix on my frame. Thanks for jogging my memory!
@@davidadams8342 David I have one apple bike its a perfect frame steel and the paint is perfect its a touring bike with a fit that is fast. I have not seen a bike as nice. Do you ride a lot still its tough for me with the traffic but still get out for rides.
LEFTY - If you get puncture on the road it is not neccessary to take the wheel off at all, simply take the tire off and fix the inner tube. Comment about necessity of taking brake caliper off is not right.
I fit my derailleurs 2 years ago and haven't touched them since other than trim. Haven't even changed the housings. Not sure what cables and housings he's using...
2x also makes it considerably easier to get your bike on the trainer.
7:40 I don't have to go to a bike shop to re-do my cables every 6 weeks... I install them, ride them for a season and replace them. During the season, they shift crisply and reliable. Never had one braking, never had problems whatsoever.
I second the Gatorskins. I prefer fixing a puncture every now and then over waiting for skin abrasions to heal.
I’ve never had a problem with Muc Off dry lube. It leaves no residue 🤷♂️
It does need applying very often though.
I like front mechs, means you can get less gears at the back. Less gears at the back: wider and thus stronger chain. 8-9 speeds is fine, but yes, with front mech :).
Also, I don't care about weight much ^^
Smaller cassette on the back = less weight also, than a massive SRAM 48-10 (or whatever they do 😅)
I've ridden and worked on bikes for decades. Got no problem with gear cables (or brake cables, for road riding). I love Muc-Off lubes. The gunk that forms on my cogs and pulleys is no harder to clean than when I use other lubes. I love 1x drive trains but front mechs still have a reason to exist. Thanks for the fun video!
I scored 3/10, gator skins, muc off and front mech. Hope it’s not a competition ❤️
Gatorskins, Supacaz bar tape and front mech for me.
I use muc off lubes and have had no problems cleaning extremely neglected winter chains and cassettes in an ultrasonic cleaner, so it may be down to what is used to degrease.
@@BrianMcDonald The chain lubes have a poor reputation with people who test these things
Ultegra, infinity elites and all sorted
one by on my road bike (46t) has proven perfect in undulating countryside and it does lighten and simplify the drive train - have 3 sets of Hunt wheels used on road, Cx and gravel and had zero issues - agree with his view on Sram axs and thinking of going that way after issues with di2 battery cables - on tires Conti Grand Prix/4000/5000 have served me well in all seasons
I never had much problem with front derailleurs. 2x10 is the best mtb setup. Just that nobody wants to admit it. I have same range with a $30 11-36 cassette as those stupid pizza pie $400 cassettes. And no 10 tooth jumps. Nice and tight😅
I started work as a professional bike mechanic as soon as I was legally able to work back in 1996 as a fresh high school graduate, and worked in the industry until 2010. I agree on most counts, but front derailleurs are not going away, for the fact that any other option that is not using a chain is just so much more inefficient, and the range of gears offered by huge jumps in chainring size is simply currently unmatched. Also as a former Fit Kit certified fitter, Speedplay pedals are easier to set up and use than any other road pedal, for both the consumer and bike fitter. No guessing on float as you dictate where you want it, set the fore/aft and lateral to compensate for wider narrower need for q-factor. With the other delta style cleats, the lateral adjustment will ultimately affect how much you can toe the cleat in/out.
I worked on and off for 13 years in the bicycle business. I was the top manager in a shop chain that was in the top 100 of shops in the country according to BDS. I trained a lot of people to become mechanics. The president of the largest bicycle club in the United States was going around telling everybody that I was the best in the state. I had no personal relationship and I'd only see him come into my shop once.
My point is I've seen a lot of silly opinions in the bicycle business in a lot of silly products. It seems like the products are more silly than ever. That's what burned me out on the business. I kept seeing new products launched that were garbage. Only to have enthusiasts with too much money and too few brains come rushing into the bike shop with a magazine in their hand saying, "Do you have this yet? do you have this yet?"
Speedplay pedals are not one of those products. I am one of the original purchasers of speed play pedals and I love them. Especially since I suffered knee damage courtesy of a drunk driver in 1990. Speed play pedals are much more comfortable than SPD and egg beater pedals because they have completely free range of pivot where the others have spring loaded pivot. It's a huge difference if you have knee problems. And like you stated, installation is the easiest you can have. As far as the weight of the cleats, they're not particularly heavy so I don't understand that comment In the video.
Additionally, speed play have by far the most corner clearance of any pedal made. When I was an avid cyclist doing 300 miles a week I practice taking corners while pedaling all the way through the corners. I could do a much deeper lean with Speedplay pedals once I got them.
And as far as he's comments about triple cranks and double cranks and also about cables, I think he's dead wrong. I think those are ridiculous opinions. He's not going to enjoy using a single chainring with a limited rear gear range in the White mountains of New Hampshire. He's not going to want them in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He's not going to want them and Aspen, Colorado.
If he's having a problem with cables rusting up it means he's not building the bicycles improperly.
On every bicycle that I assembled - and I have assembled thousands of bicycles - I always trimmed the housing and then put the lightest coating of white lithium grease on the cables and would take the cables out and pump the housing full of Teflon lubricant. I know from my own bicycles that the cables just won't rust if you do that. And they'll smoothly shift.
From a business point of view, he should want his customers to come back to have their cables readjusted during the break-in. That's an opportunity for the shop to show its new customers the accessories that they should now realize would make their experience more enjoyable. Instead of them buying the bare minimum of accessories such as a water bottle and cage for perhaps $20 or $30 or $40, they'll eventually set themselves up with about $500-to-$1,000 worth of accessories that fit their needs and actually make their cycling experience much more pleasurable. That all really starts with the tune-up after a break-in of a new bicycle. And it's the skipping shifting because of stretch cables that will drive those new enthusiasts back to the shop to get the adjustment. If they don't see a problem and don't feel a problem they won't bring the bike back in for those adjustments. You know what I mean.
I 100% agree with you regarding Speedplays. Best pedals, longest lasting cleats, no hassle adjustment to ANY personal requirements, double side benefits - easy engadgement and double life.
As the owner of a Lefty fork on my gravel bike I can say with absolute certainty that you CAN take the brake caliper off to fix a flat. Also as a user of speedplay I disagree with the durability statement. I have ridden with them for 30 years and find that they've operated flawlessly; all iterations. I had to switch my last pair after 20K miles only because they changed the cleat set up. 1X on the gravel but my other bikes have front mechs and I love all the gear choice for the road.
you also dont have to take off the wheel to change a flat on a lefty, they say he is a professional bike mechanic but...
@@anotheryoutuber_ Its easier for me to take the wheel off😁
I agree 100% about the front mech : With over 12,000km of road riding on a “one-by”, I’m never installing a front mech again! As it turns out this guy is right and life really is better without a FD. But if you like yours, by all means keep it! 😄
Have been running gatorskins and their iterations in Seattle for years and years and one of the things I really like about them is that they are quite sticky in cold (not icy) and wet conditions. Let go of your brakes in the corners, watch out for wet leaves and steel.
People who say Gatorskins have no grip in the wet just don't know how to ride in the wet. There, i said it!
Have done a few thousand miles on mine and a few hundred of those in the rain. No grip issues or punctures.
lefty is legit cool. Looks strange, performs well and honestly it's not meaningfully harder to replace a wheel than it is on bolted or standard thru-axle wheel (at least with the removeable disk mount, older ones are harder). Also, you can repair a flat without taking the wheel off.
Exactly! New Leftys use a quick release system to remove the brake caliper with a single flip of a lever. Can't get easier than that.
Totally agree love my lefty Oliver excellent
Team Front Mech Here. Both mountain biking and road. I have a wider gear range. Front mechs don't weigh much at all and mine have been working flawlessly on bikes for 20 years (with appropriate cleaning, lubrication, and a cable replacement now and then.) I think the primary advantage to a 1x drivetrain is on a full suspension mountain bike where things get crowded down by the bottom bracket (especially with wider tires being used.)
But hey, the right answer is whatever bike is the most fun for you and gets you out riding. For me that is a 1992 Yeti Ultimate fully rigid on trails and a Merlin on the road. I will cheer for anyone and everyone out on a bike. Bikes are among the best human inventions of all time. Best return on investment of any money I have ever spent! Have fun this summer everyone!
Agreed on the Skaterskins, a slid on one of those buggers a few years back cost me a broken wheel and very nearly a broken hip.
Been riding a Specialized Roubaix for the last 4 years, previously despite having a professional bike fit still had some issues with shoulder/hands on rougher road surfaces - no more. Works for me, and so far no issues whatsoever with the Future Shock.
Love how nick is the bike shop version or James 🤣 I do love a one buy roadie , I have a 3t definitely had no tyre clear , but does look pretty cool
Having a front mech means I can be on the big ring and if I suddenly need to go into a much easier gear, I can drop onto the small ring in a heartbeat and away I go. You cannot do that with a 1X because to get an easier gear you have to go bigger, not smaller, and that's always more of a challenge for any shifting system. Besides that, 2X or even 3X allows for much smaller jumps between ratios while still allowing for a wide range overall. I'm sure 1X has its place -- like on my e-bike -- but to say the front mech no longer has a place? Nonsense. And cable shifting? It's worked just fine for decades and still does as long as it's properly adjusted, and keeping it adjusted is only tricky until a new cable fully "beds in" or whatever term you like. No charging of batteries, no fiddling with an app to achieve some supposed state of gear changing nirvana, just smooth, fast, reliable shifting _at a reasonable price_ to boot. Again, electronically-controlled shifting has its place, but to say nobody should still be using it? Nonsense.
Use quality cables, and not a lot of adjusting is needed, unless you have a cheap group set.
Exactly. I very rarely need to adjust my shifting with a click or two of the adjusting barrel - oh my what a workout !!! 😂😂 I love my 3x7
Dropping the front ring is about the same as dropping three rings in the back. I don't know what ancient groupset you are using that doesn't allow you to do that.
@@NoBrakes23 Read my post.
@@NoBrakes23 Sure you can do it. Do it under load, and keep doing it, and I'll crack a beer, pull an arm chair, and keep watching you do that the whole day 😂.
this is actually a great video. Get this guy in front of a camera more often!
Please don’t tell him that 😂😂
Yes please.
Nic is a legend. Keep him on the channel. Not quite as grump as James, but I'm sure with some training you will get him up there. Brilliant, keep the videos coming.
I use 3*9 on my winter/gravel/dirt bike and looking at prices online I can buy a front mech, chain, cassette and middle and 'big' (44T), all Shimano, ring for a price of a 12speed chain.
3 x is superb especially if using a friction shifter
I converted a 3x9, V-brake hybrid to drop bars with long-pull drop bar brake levers and indexed bar-end shifters. That might seem weird to some people, but it works really well, and a set of 3x9 brifters would have cost about twice the price of all four separate levers.
@@rangersmith4652 done exactly the same with a Giant Escape, works great and seems to give me everything a fancy expensive gravel bike offers at a fraction of the price....oh and it has carrier mounts too 🙂
@@vaughanbbrean71 That's awesome. Mine is a 2001 Sirrus Comp. Barely handles 33mm tires, that's enough.
When I was building up my steel Heron Road frame back in 2004, I built it as a 1x10 and used a downtube shifter for the rear derailer (mech) so the brake levers would match. There was no terrain I rode that an 11-25 rear coupled with a 42 tooth front would not easily handle. And I did about 95% of my riding in the 14, 15, 16, and 17 tooth rear gears. I built my own wheels and I put an all carbon fork, a SRAM crankset, and Dura-Ace rear derailer and brakes on it. It weighed 17 pounds. I had to rebuild the wheels with stronger rims, and replace the fork with an aluminum/carbon fork, so now it weighs a bit over 18 pounds. I still ride it.
richard
--
"Modern industrialized states [are] resentful of a few cleverly arranged pounds of tubes and spokes. The cyclist creates everything from almost nothing, becoming the most energy-efficient of all moving animals and machines and, as such, has a disingenuous ability to challenge the entire value system of a society. Cyclists don't consume enough. They can propel themselves 1500 pollution-free miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of petrol. The bicycle may be too cheap, too available, too healthy, too independent and too equitable for its own good. In an age of excess it is minimal and has the subversive potential to make people happy in an economy fuelled by consumer discontent."
-Jim McGurn, 1994
I'm guessing the front mech comment was there to stimulate social engagement. Much prefer quick access to a larger ratio when pulling away, rather than firing through the cassette. My Hunt wheels seem OK in the 8 months I've had them so far. The LBS did recommend Fulcrum but they didn't do a QR version.
Starting from 3:12 it seems the audio is out of sync, I tried refreshing the page, but it looks it might be an error with the video.
Thought you might want to know! :)
I swear by my Hunt wheels, have done over 10k miles on the road on them, still on original bearings/axles. Not much riding in the wet though. Got another pair for my mountain bike, looking forward to how they'll bear.
I had the nipple holes tearing after 1 year on my alu HUNTS
Same here, purely love my Hunts, also the envy of my mates as they just continues to roll compared to other bigger and expensive brands
@@nathierfakier6380 there is little magical about them, they need the same maintenance as any other brand. Mine broke after a year.
Destroyed the hub on my Hunt rear wheel twice. They sent replacements without question but it shouldn’t happen.
Would love a video of some different bikes/brands you guys like both from a mechanics- and a bike fitters perspective. I feel too many brands are difficult to bikefit for a lot of people, and/or is hard to upgrade across different component-brands.
Hunt wheels are amazing, great quality and value. I have the trail wheels on my Enduro bike and they have taken a battering. The fact they send you out replacements no questions asked is just good customer service. I ordered the wrong freehub body and they sent me out a new one. Completely my mistake but means I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from them again.
I have 3 sets of hunts. They have been nothing but bomb-proof. I'd always recommend them.
@@erickaracsonyi4415 since this I’ve crashed and damaged the rim (still running with a tube but won’t seal tubeless). They have offered a discounted replacement or repair under their crash warranty scheme. Can’t fault them!
Cannondale Lefty makes fixing a front flat tire EASIER! No need to remove the front wheel.
Now it all makes sense.... 😂
Does Nic want an apprentice for a week, love to learn more of his wisdom. Loving the channel Francis and Jimmy great job guys...
Hunt wheels are great guys and send out replacements quick and easy. Sounds like a good thing.
I'm so glad to see "big" tire clearance as an issue -- for DECADES all the "with it" mechanic snobs were telling us how Fred it was. But I see the "with it" mechanics have substituted "1x is all you need" nonsense for skinny tires. Chain Line Matters!
Oh, yeah, tire clearance is important. But I forget how tight the clearances are on road-racing bikes. My idea of “minimum sensible clearance” for a road bike is 38mm tires _plus fenders_ .
Just bought some Bbb Gravel Ribbon, and it's great, seems to be stretchy without looking like it's stretched and is comfy, easy to wrap and grippy. Looks good too imo
It's really hilly where I live, so I need a front mech to give me the range to go zoom zoom on the downhill and keep a comfy cadence on the uphill. Over the summer, I regularly climb a 2mi hill with an average gradient of 5%
1x - and my Sunday ride is 100km 1.460 height meters (new Shimano Ultegra 12sp). Yes, more gears would be nice on the steepest sections (>8%), but it’s funny how quickly you adjust.
I’m glad to have a front mech, I live in the mountains. Most things have a place. Choice is important.
I just switched from 1x to 2x, after a year of use. I was missing those grany-gears when doing 10% grades with a well loaded bike on a tour. I was running 38x12-42, and it was barely enough, and somewhat hard and/or expensive to source parts for. Now i run 2x8 36-22x11-34. Gives me equal high gear with a nice low one. I would prefer a crank with replaceable chainrings and a 38-22 setup, and those rings would also be easy to source. I use square taper BB, and road rim-brakes for the same reasons. Low-tech, easy to maintain :)
22x36 FTW most people dont need x3 if they pop this cheap bad boy
7:37 Everyone keeps telling me that 1x is dead, but I love it. Thanks for making me feel validated!
I think front mechs are still a thing especially w/ road and gravel.
I do see the point of 1X, and I've been 1X since around 2006 or 2007, so when SRAM brought out the 1X group, I jumped on it! The narrow-wide and clutch derailleurs were a revolution!
Supacaz tape can be stubborn, and I can see from a full-time mechanic's perspective, but even not working in a shop, I've probably wrapped over 150 bikes with that tape, and don't much mind wrapping it. However, the finish is well worth it, amazing tape that actually improves over time! I have some new Ergon Gravel on order so we'll see. I really like Ergon's products so I'm exited about their tape.
I can't much disagree/critique any of the other stuff...the Press to threaded Wheel Mfg. BB is fantastic! Definitely an upgrade for compatible press-fits!
GREAT VIDEO!! Especially helpful for us consumers wanting to avoid hassle and extra costs associated with some ‘duff’ products. I blame the marketing…
I have numerous sets of Hunt wheels, on gravel and road. Been really good, odd freehub, but no worse than Mavic or others
I’m looking at picking up hunt wheels for gravel and my FIL uses them.
I had terrible knee pain after long rides - couldn't resolve it until I put speedplays on. They were expensive but they've lasted for years w/ minimal care. No more knee pain. Easy in and out.
Never really had any problems with front mechs or mechanical shifting/cable issues.
I don't think I've had any major problems aside from the initial effort to get things right at the start. When you have new cables and everything is installed properly it feels like a dream, so the only real downside is that it just doesn't feel as nice when the cables stretch and if you are sensitive to feel you'll be constantly tweaking them or potentially servicing more which isn't always fun.
@@BrianMcDonald last time I adjusted my front mech cable was 2020. 10,000km a year. Sorted.
@@AnvilAirsoftTV are your cables external or partially/fully through the frame?
The thing about slick tires not working in the rain is completely ridiculous. It seems he’s “fallen for the marketing” of car tires - the contact patch of a bicycle tire is narrow enough that water is displaced to each side before there is any risk of hydroplaning.
I live in the rainiest city in the US, and I’ve used gatorskins for years without any trouble. However, friends of mine who use knobby mountain bike tires, or thicker “commuter bike” tires with lots of tread have had several scary accidents in wet conditions.
I think a lot comes down to bike handling abilities and watching the road............
For sudden change in terrain, front mech is faster than having to switch a few gears at the rear mech.
Any rear mech today can change at least 3 gears at time. Some 4 or even more.
@@edudutra at load?
@Climate Change doesn't bargain same load front mech can handle.
If you find the terrain "suddenly" changing on you, then you're doing it wrong.
Unless you’re shifting that rear with AXS.
Definitely need a front mech if you live somewhere hilly but also like riding fast. 11-32 50/34 is my sweet spot.
Nice video. I agree with you . 60 yrs on the road. I parked the expensive carbon bikes. I ride gravel on fat tires 45mm on Salsa 35 on DIVERGE. Wish the diverge fit wider. Found that paint sealant by Torgue makes mud fall off with a pump sprayer. Shimano spd pedals ìnexpensive and work. I want durable . I get miles off pavement. All cables redone every season. Bikes in my shop. Have them going back 90 yrs. 74 yrs old ride 1200 miles or more monthly. Never miss a day. Ride on
In regards to speedplay pedals, he showed the older version but I absolutely love wahoos new version, never had an issue once setup and the cleats are fantastic when both walking or clipping in even after walking over dirt or mudddy roads.
Agree. Not sure why Speedplay was even part of a video on mechanic issues. I can (maybe) see the topic in a bike fit video but why for a mechanic?
@@razeemali2322 My own experience is that you have to keep pumping greasein them prevent bearing to axle play and then the grease will leak out during a ride all over your white dmt knit kicks.
The cleats wear out really fast while being expensive and when worn out have a lot of lateral play in them which then can destroy you kneecaps over a longer period of use.
I had them for years and loved them.
I have the older Speedplay Zero pedals on seven bikes and have no issues other than the price of replacement cleats. At least in the Zeros unlike the even older X/2 models the cleat springs are the same on both pedals so I older need to buy cleats half as often.
Speedplays are easy to operate and feel nice. I'm not giving them up!
The downside is that emergency release is by stripping the thread off the cleat bolts... (When I crashed the cleats pulled halfway of the shoes, so that the pedal body could rotate and slip between the locking lugs.)
Appreciate the tips, especially on Cannondale. I have a Cannondale MTB (Jekyll) and noticed that they've hopefully given up on the Ai dishing. It;s been a great bike, but ended up buying a new wheeleet, so I'd have the OEM's as a backup in case of a crash that bricked a wheel. If I go on a road trip have to make sure I have the backup b/c no LBS is likely to have a compatible wheel in stock. Replacing chainrings or BB's is an adventure in trying to find who has the right offset. Cannondale's proprietary setups were a case of sound engineering overcoming common sense! I like having no front mech, but wish the 12-sped cassette didn't cost 3x-4x the cost of the 9spd cassette on my commuter bike that's a 3x9.
speedplay defense. Super eays to clip into. Also, I've had no pain issuses due to poor fitment. Just lucky I guess. I have had to take one appart to add more grease, other wise, love'em.
You either love them or hate them. No in-between :D
+1 for speedplays. Been using them for 15 years. Never had a problem and the new cleats with the rubber cover are certainly expensive but they last forever.
@@WeirdNumber1 I always glue the rubber bottoms on or they tend to fall off when pushing off from a dead stop. I have found numerous ones out on the road so I know I am not the only one with the problem............
Gatorskins have been brilliant for me for ten years now with no issues road handling and puncture proof…
For off road use 1x is the way to go, but on tarmac a 2x is still the best setup. You can compensate for low speed gears with a wider range cassette... but the smallest cog on a cassette is still limited to 10 teeth. On most hybrid / gravel bikes running 1x the chainring is smaller than the big ring on a 2x so you are likely to spin out on a downhill. I guess you could fit a 10 to 51 mtb cassette on a road bike along with a large chainring but I haven't seen that yet 😅
I got the Campagnolo Ekar 1x13 (40 and 42-9) and since I'm not a pro rider going way above 60 km/h I have not yet spun out. I tried :D
I think the idea that front derailleurs are superfluous is _really_ context dependent, and there are a lot more types of bike riding than just “road racing”, “offroad”, and “gravel”. For starters, you’re leaving out all the touring bikes (which pretty much _need_ a wider range than a 1x derailleur setup can manage). But also a lot of folks commuting or doing their shopping, who might not be particularly powerful cyclists, might be carrying a significant load, and might need to get somewhere in a bit of a hurry.
Or people who use the same bike for fun rides and utility rides. I almost never used my top gear on my commute, but without panniers or a bag on my back, I could hit 38mph on a flat-and maybe I should’ve been able to spin that fast in a lower gear, but I couldn’t. OTOH, I never used the lowest few gears on my commute, either-but if I hit a steep hill when I was tired at the end of a long fun ride, or had an extra 40# of shopping on the bike, I was really happy for those extra gears.
So, on any given ride, I probably only used about 60% of my total gear range, but over time I needed 100% of it.
Also, I’m not a machine. Some days I’m tired. And when you bike for transportation, not just for fun, you don’t always have the option of not biking when you’re tired or sick or hungry. So there were days when everything was just a gear or two lower than usual, on the exact same route.
This mechanic just don't want to work. For the lubes, I have no issues with muc-off, and it washes out like any other.
While I genuinely like Nic and agree with most of his points. However he's also a victim of his own expertise/privilege. A few points I'd disagree with:
1. Hunt Wheels: they're a direct to consumer brand = their reputation depends providing a service as comparable to a physical shop's turnaround time. Quick/immediate service = things must be breaking often is a logical false equivalency which you can test by attempting to apply the inverse (terrible warranty service = A+ QC?)
2. Anti-Mechanical drivetrains: this bad advice borderline elitist. Wireless groupset is a $1000 USD minimum upcharge on a complete bike. Majority of bang for buck bikes sold are in the $1500-3000 USD range. Ann extra $1000 USD on a drivetrain (components least likely to give you measurable performance benefits) makes even less sense compared to sinking spare $ into tyres/wheels/a bike fit/touch points/shoes. Nic says "don't just listen to marketing" yet he's drunk the kool-aid to the point of poor procurement advice. Wireless drivetrains have forced product managers to spec $300 wheels on $5000 bikes because consumers have been told it's what they "need".
He is right on so many fronts! ( But I do favour Speedplay).
I even agree with front mechs!
I also work in the trade!
👍
Same here. I really like speedplay and I have been using them for years. The new speedplay wahoo are far better than the previous generation. I also found the super durable.
@@twillyspanksyourcakes I do, been using a Cervelo with a 46 ring and a 10-36 Sram cassette and it works well!
Having the right tool for the job is important, If you are not climbing steep hills and don't carry gear, a 1x will be just fine. I have a 1x. but when I'm climbing off road especially with gear, I'm going with at least a 2x. I even recently set up my gravel bike with a 3x. I am able to adjust my cables when I need to so it works for me. For others 1x is the way to go. Whatever gets you out riding and happy is all good.
Yeah that front mech is a hot take for sure. Only so much range you can garner from a single chain ring with a 12 speed cassette. If you're commuting exclusively on the bike and it's a flat city then sure, but otherwise I'll take the double range of gearing any day
Do the math you’ll see a 1x has as much range as a wide range double.
@@njs461 appreciate I've probably phrased that poorly. What I meant was the increments between the two ranges of high and low are limited by a single chain ring and 12 speed cassette. A 12 speed with the same high and low rear cassette as a 2x12 speed will not offer the same range of gear choices; half in fact if we "do the math" 😉
@@DanVee94 just wait until that 1x20 drivetrain comes out!
Oh no man ! I just bought a set of Hunt Wheels 😫 So far so good right enough ! Fingers crossed
Been using Muc off wet lube and dry lube for years, never ever had an issue, no idea what people are doing to make it go like concrete!?
Same! Been using the muc-off e-bike lube and never had any issues
With you, Kate! No idea what people do to get it like that. 🤯
@@bernardlinde Perhaps they apply way too much, don't get rid of the access, and then don't use their bikes very often? It's something that could happen with certain dry lubes since these tend to be wax based.
4:06 Dude, when you get puncture on a front wheel with Lefty fork, you DONT have to take the wheel off to replace a tube, what are you talking about? :D
I commuted for years on Gatorskins in all weathers and yes you are completely correct in saying that they have zero grip in the wet. I could actually get the rear wheel to slip when pulling away from a standing start in the rain even when seated. They were also as you mentioned a right pain to get on and off if you ever did get a puncture or wanted to to replace one.
Front mechs make it easier/faster to jump/drop a larger gearing with a single shift. They’re great. Plus better chainline !
As a non-pro, 1x is the way to go. An 11 speed cassette at the back assures I have the range of gears and I actually prefer a the jump between gears. With 2x I was usually shifting about 2 gears at a time anyway, especially when on grave.
Good video!
I love the "Nic hates..." clips. His tips can save incredible amounts of time for the home mechanics, although he occasionally misses the mark -- the 2x setup is essential for us older guys who need lower gears for the hills. My SRAM Force works perfectly, once I figured out the trick -- buy the shim kit that SRAM should include in the first place.
Found myself agreeing with every-single-gripe Nick had 😢😮
…except for cables on the rear derailleur. Preferably Campagnolo. And if it’s a road bike then 2x with cables would be acceptable provided the bike is custom steel 😂
👍👍👍
I'm in complete agreement, recently swapped a mechanical Campag 11 speed on the lower end for Chorus EPS. Rear derailleur issues within 2 months and back to mechanical. Bike stayed steel throughout
@@guytatler9769 What didn't you like about EPS? I have always loved the feel of mechanical Campagnolo. Nothing matches it. I'm so tempted to try electronic, but I suspect I'd miss the really tactile feel of a shift.
@@ericsaari2901 I initially liked the Chorus EPS and didn't particularly miss the feel of the mechanical shift as it was rather similar. It's a really lovely groupset to use. However you don't want to own it, the experience of dealing with and owning EPS is the most, nerve racking anxiety inducing experiences I've ever had with bike parts, and I've owned several bikes infamous for catastrophic failure. Wires don't disconnect at the battery and components so if you damage one, it's a whole new component. Information on repairs from Campagnolo is scarce and unhelpful, often just advising replacing whole units at exorbitant cost. Frankly the fear of these huge bills isn't justified by significantly improved performance, it was nice and better than the mechanical stuff, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't a massive, game changing leap forward from the mechanical shifting and definitely not worth the insane running costs.
@@guytatler9769 Thanks for sharing your experience with it! Sorry for the troubles.
I like front mechs, gear cables. Even prefer mechanical Discs. I don't like having to charge my bike up. I charge enough crap up. I don't like fumbling around with internal cables either. I like a good simple fast light machine. That is what bicycles are about.
I used to have 2x and eventually changed to 1x. Not only is it more pleasant to deal with and maintain, I had overall faster times on the same routes.
I agree I changed to 1x and have never looked back on my now 1x10 105 road bike I have never had the issue of being in the wrong gear and I never EVER use the granny ring 😊