Do You Really Need a Front Derailleur? Is 1x Better than 2x?
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With more pro cyclists using 1x drivetrains is now the right time to ditch the front derailleur? I set out to discover the differences and pros and cons.
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After a lot of experimentation and deep thought I’ve landed on the notion that with a 2x front chainring a derailleur is a very good idea.
With 1x always slightly wrong cadence which why I prefer 2x while riding road.
Really depends on how sensitive you are to the change of cadence-power-speed, road condition (hill/flat), how you feel and whether you can adapt... I don't live in a hilly area so I switched to Red 1x 48t 10-33t and man I would never want to go back... no cross chainring no chain drop no laggy front derailleur no redundant gears... if you are not highly sensitive to cadence, 1x 52t oval chainring + Sram Eagle axs + 10-52t cassette can basically cover everything
Having to get off and manually move the chain from ring to ring is a pain and kills your momentum on climbs!
@Alexander G you should ride shimano, the FD shift without you knowing it.
@@orengardz4191 I have a Cannondale s6 evo hm with DA 92 di2, the only noticeable performance difference between etap and di2 is the FD and it’s very subtle. I just love sram b/c it’s easy to install/charge/upgrade firmware/maintain, and 1x is just making it even more convenient.
I have GRX 1x with a wolftooth 38t chainring and 11-42 cassette. I much prefer this over my 2x setup on my other bike. Top speed is reduced with a 38t of course but I'm not a racer and its definitely worth it for the climbs.
It's really hilly where I live, so I'm sticking with my front derailleur. If I lived someplace flat, I'd probably go 1x. That said, I think most people who ride bikes should be running 1x drivetrains. I think we too often forget that most people who ride bikes aren't hardcore cyclists. They just ride for a few miles on the weekends and/or to run short errands. In that context, 1x is king. And it makes it a lot easier for people learning to ride with gears
I think most cyclists would be suited best with an internal gear hub. And while we're at it they would also be suited best with good aluminium mudguards and dynamo lights. "Ass savers" look ridiculous and battery lights are forgotten or run out of power. Any super car and hyper car has integrated mudguards and lights which are never taken off.
@@maxsievers8251 don't disagree with any of that, except internal gear hubs might be out of a lot of people's price range
@@3TZZZ but I like my 50/11 to go zoom zoom downhill. Do I need it? Nope. Would I be fine with that mullet setup? Yep. But my 50-tooth chainring is fun, so I'm keeping it and my front derailleur
@@maxsievers8251comparing cars and bikes is mental.
I need the front derailleur as there are some steep hills near my home and my selection techniques are good shifting - wise .
It’s pretty flat where I live so I use a 42 in the front and a 10-28 in the rear. Works absolutely perfect.
Just changed my roadbike to a 1x using a 44t Absolute Black Oval and a 11-28 Cassette. I have also got a 11-42 cassette I’ve tried and that works well as well. Love it.
So you're either a very strong, semi-pro rider or you walk your bike when you get to steep hills because normal riders cannot pedal up a hill with 44t chainring and 28 tooth cog.
@@holdencaulfied7492 kind of neither really I just don’t have any hills 😂
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts after some longer term testing
I have been using 1x on all my bikes for over a decade and i don't miss the front derailleur at all! On my road bike i use 11-42T cassette with 44T chainring and i never need a higher nor lower gear.
I hear you. I run a 47x9--26 on my 20 inch folding performance bike. And I've never had a problem getting up any hill and can easily accelerate to over 22mph on the 47--9 gearing.
A very balanced, and well explained video. Far better than any 1x vs 2x video that GCN have done, so kudos!
Personally, I use 2x on my road bikes but, as you say, there's probably not much difference. The only thing I would suggest is that 1x is considerably more expensive, with those "dinner plate" cassettes costing big bucks. It might be interesting to see a "1x vs 2x" price comparison video at some point, which I don't think GCN have ever done.
I think these ytb channels received lots of commerical donation from big brands. It's funny to see theirs clown play.
@@user-zu4nl7bm9e cool. Another comment provided at a ratio of “zero fact and all opinion” ratio.
Certainly true at older tech levels ie 10s that 2x will cover the same range at lower cost than 1by 12 say though not once at 12s that there is much difference in cassette costs between the two?
The dinner plates costing $$$ is a big deal since a cassette is a wear item...
@@joelv4495 A SRAM dinner plate will last three to four times longer than a shimano/name you brand cassette. Plenty of articles discussing how the price of the larger cassettes is offset by their longevity.
Changing the chain ring on the roadside. Awesome! You rock. 😀
I run a similar setup that the 1X showed in the video, but with a bigger cassette and smaller chainring, it works for me. 40t front, 10-44 on the back.
But that's not the point of this video. Pros run a single chain ring for aero purposes only, which has zero application to us regular riders. btw, I think you have a great setup.
Great video, the best comparison and 1x and 2x I have seen. 👍
Another great, informative video, David! Appreciate the effort you put into it with a roadside crank replacement! Thanks.
I can see the utility that a 1X system has for strong riders. For them it may be perfect. But I'm not one of THOSE guys! I like to keep my cadence and small jumps between gears. With my 2X I have a 556% range with 14 unique gears - the little ring effectively gives me 4 extra lower gears for climbing, if you discount the cross chaining big-big combo. For me it's a very small price to pay for carrying around an extra ring up front and a front derailleur. And the chain line is generally much straighter and more efficient.
To top that I have a 3X10 touring bike with a 600% range with 14 unique gears.
The reason why pros use 1x is completely different from why we might do it. Their reason is for aero only and is only useful for them because they have insane power and a team of mechanics to switch it back the next day, two things we don't have. That's why this video has no relevance.
thanks for this, it has really helped with my decision!
I have an Apex 1 set up, with a 40 in the front, one of the biggest negatives I have noticed is that I can often "spin out" and don't get anywhere near the top-end speed I had on my road bike with a 54 upfront but then it's only an 11 speed, so maybe with say a 44 upfront and a bigger 12-speed cassette, it would be faster?
People always talk about how gappy 1x cassettes are, but they aren't as gappy as your 2 front rings....
Totally depends on where you live and what you ride. Living in CO and being a lighter weight climber who is not a "masher", I live by the 2x on my road and gravel bikes and would not change.
Same here out in WA state - Col. R. Gorge, the land of hills and headwinds. I gave 1x a try for 2-seasons on one bike and every time I road it about 10-mins in, started wishing I was on 2x. 1x is just too gear-gappy and the relentless gear-hunting, + spinning out on descents is just flat out obnoxious AF. I came to loathe 1x and will never use it again. Shimano 2x11 mechanical Ultegra/GRX combos for the win on my 3 All-Road bikes, all day everyday. No fuss no muss with batteries and all that b.s. . And for me, even if I didn't live here, I'd still never go 1x again, ever. The obnoxiousness of 1x is a big-time ride buzzkill.
@@ernie12man 1X is a sales thing. Its obvious 2X kicks its ass up and down hill. So they say "2X is too hard to shift" Too complicated..............maybe back in the 80's it was. My GRX 2X shifts as quick up front as it does in the back. Faultless...............I hate spinning out quickly down hill.
@@bradsanders6954 Amen, ya, I was suspicious it was b.s. on the 1x so I had to try it to see, and I fully confirmed it's marketing bullshit. And the kicker is this generation of Shimano front derailleurs is the best ever, they shift amazingly well although you need some good wrenching experience to deal with the somewhat tricky setup/adjustment on them. That's the catch there, but absolutely worth it. I came to LOATHE 1x, couldn't get rid of it fast enough and 2 yrs tryin it was 2 too many. Luckily I had a couple 2x bikes in operation then too. But settling for 1x is a head-scratcher. I'm surprised so many people do.
@@ernie12man Its marketing, pure and simple.....this idea of "gear your 1X for the hill you ride"....there are lots of hills and mountains to be climbed...........a strong rider can climb a hill in any gear, so 1X might not matter...other than not having a tall top gear for fast downhills....one way or the other with 1X you lose at the top or the bottom................this argument goes on day and night it seems...its gauranteed to get clicks and running discussion on youtube, so they do it over and over..............
"experts" will gladly tell you what it is you need. Especially on youtube.
@@bradsanders6954 1x is not a sales thing, please don't put out misinformation. I put in on my gravel bike for lower gears. My gravel bike came with 2x and 1:1 ratio for my lowest gear which was just about useless has soon as I was on a steep, rocky trail.
For me its 2x all the way. If you need proper low gears that is . I have a 46/30 front and 11/36 rear. Works for me. Its,a decent enough high gear and i could be happy with perhaps 40t on the front to give 40/11 x 27 = 100 inch gear. But thats getting pretty low for a top gear. To match my lowest gear id need a 11/50 cassette on the rear. On a road bike! Good luck with that !
Really needs to be SRAM to be 1x so that you have that 10t cog at the back so you can use a smaller chainring on the front to get the same ratio
Same ratio but less gears. SRAM 1x XPLR. 🙄
I love how quiet a 1x setup runs. The narrow/wide teeth engage and hold the chain unlike a 2x system which has to derail easily, so you get more chatter. And theres no chain rub or cross chaining issues. You use all the sprockets all the time unlike a 2x system where the smallest cogs are usually the cleanest! Makes the cassette better value for money 😊
1X engages the chain so well, they had to design special wide/narrow teeth to make it work at all, + a guide has to be added to try to keep the chain on the chainring on mt bikes............all crutches, designed to over come the design of one chainring and a wide spread of cogs on the back....+ the front ring has to be solid steel to deal with chainline..........I want the very highest top speed on downhills, and the best climbing gears I can get for 20% grades.........so no 1X here.
@@bradsanders6954 I think you got it reversed: the reason you cannot use a narrow-wide chainring on 2x is that this pattern would seriously make shifting harder - the purpose of the pattern is designed to keep the chain from slipping off the chainring.
In practice, it works very well, especially since SRAM RDs (and Shimano offroad RDs) have a clutch. (I know about Shimano's special RX road rear derailleurs with a clutch, I have just never seen them in real life.)
2x angages chain so well that most riders rub front deraileus most of the rides when they try to find right gear,+ when you need fastly thange gear from flat ride to climb a lot of times chain falls from gears at front,+ when you go on rough rides shifting more often goes wrong and out of sync. Yes, on desscends you get faster gears, but on climbes there are a lot of misconception, that should be put into concideration like gear ratio count, becouse into calculations isn't put main gear, the wheels
David thanks for the intuitive video 👍🏼…. this topic causes many an argument between me and my neighbour, he is old school and does not see the point in 1x 😂…. since having a gravel bike i now ride 1x on road off road simply by having two wheelsets and two cassettes, i perform no worse than normal and im happy with the simplicity of 1x, i dont race i do ride in group rides and never struggle to keep up, maybe i use a little more power 🤷🏻♂️ but its not enough for me to miss or need 2x
Sounds like me. I have a crux pro SRAM with two sets of wheels and two cassettes. Road or dirt I am comfortable and love the simplicity (and low weight). My legs can handle a wide range of cadence, so perhaps that is one factor that makes the one-by more favorable.
Love the helmet color matches that frame nicely 👌
I'm just a casual city rider, I'm using 1x setup with 11-46T cassette. The setup is more than enough to climb any steeps in my area. Cleaner look and less maintenance.
Convert to 1x it is my upgrade planned for may. 42 at front and 11-34 at rear for "very average" rider who lives mainly in flat area - i think it will good.
I live in a mostly flat area, but one part of the city that I'd like to cover has a hill to get up to first. My setup is a 1x 34t at front and 11-42 at rear. While climbing I definitely use the largest sprocket, and while on flat I seldomly use the smallest 11t sprocket. My drive-train covers my town
Yep, people tend to overestimate their actual power output and the need for their top end gears. I have been riding exclusively on 1x for years and it does require careful consideration of the gearing you not only want but need…. But I like it and have no plans of going back to 2x
@@ustadsami I recommend you get a SRAM 11-36 cassette instead (assuming you are on an 11-speed drivetrain). The gearing is IMHO better and you even get a bit more range.
@@RicardoRocha-lg1xo Yes, that is true, you need to put a bit of thought into your gearing. I would always recommend erring on the side of having an additional climbing gear. Even 42:11 is plenty of a lot of people on a road bike.
@@RicardoRocha-lg1xo This. 100% true. My gravel bike has 36t and 11-48 cassette. I spin out at 24mph. It's never a problem in group rides. And the bike is great in steep dirt trails. Although I think I'll set it up for 40 tooth chainring.
I recently bought a Scott Addict gravel 20 with Rival AXS. It's set up w/ mudguards, Panaracer GravelkingSK 38´s, a 46 t chainring and a 10-44 cassette. I have taken it on several group rides on tarmac and have found no issues in keeping up with some of local fast guys. I even did a 120 km ride with an average speed of 32 km/h. Until I got this bike, I swore by 2x setup but I've been pleasantly surprised about how well it has worked out. I don't feel the jumps in gear are too big and I've had no issues on the top end speed of things either. Even on the weekly fast chaingang rides 🙂
I agree, the big jumps thing is a myth unless you ride in a fast peloton (which to me is crazy unless you're getting paid). You more than a 1:1 ratio so your bike will be just about useless if you try to climb steep, rocky trails. I would drop the chainring to a 42 tooth.
Nice video. I just think it is a bit misleading to only change the crankset and not change the cassette/sprocket. Going from 2x to 1x without adapting the range of the sprocket will always make you lose a bit of performance (flat road) or convenience (climbing).
And obviously you will never have the same capabilities on high percentage climbings as with a 2x.
This....totally this. I stopped watching once I saw only a CR swap? 1x12 XPLR with a 44T ring and 10-44 cassette could be very viable with only a couple of drawbacks.
I tried using 1x for a year worked ok but there's always some compromise.
The fact that you can run closer ratio cassette on a 2x is the most important thing for me.
50-34 chainset with 11-30 cassette is perfect for where I live.
Road shimano 2x for years but picked up a second-hand salsa warroad w/sram apex 1 last year. First time on sram and first on a 1x road bike set up. Didn't like the feel of sram, however, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the the bike climbed. Thought it would be worse than my old road bike, but it was better.
My new bike w/105 (cannondale synapse 3L) is better than the warroad, but my positive experience with 1x has me considering it at some point again, if because the right ratio overcomes much of the advantage of a 2x setup and there is a nice simplicity in not worrying about whether I should be in the big or small ring. Same time, 2x lets you play more in finding the best gear for a particular condition.
I've been planning my next build around a mullet Rival / Force Shifters /GX rear mech. When I ride in group rides, the extra gears of a 2x are nice, but I have found myself riding fewer group rides and I don't miss the added steps. I've always been a big ring grinder, so losing that small ring isn't as big of a loss for me as it might be for others.
After 0ver 30 years of riding 2x on the road including 20 years of racing I decided to try 1x set. The main reasons are, firstly I no longer race and my riding is now more of long steady rides (16,000 miles last year). I have also been bitten by the gravel bug, or as I like to call it 'Bridal road rides. As we don't have any real America style roads in the the UK. So these ride for me are Tarmac sections linked to together by Bridal ways, Farm Tracks or roads. Having used a GRX 2x 46/30 with a 12/25 cassette mostly on road for winter I hardly ever use the little ring and spend most my time in the the middle of block. I recently fitted a new 12/25 cassette but only 17,18,19 sprockets were worn out. I also have a Giant Revolt with Sram Force 2x 43/30 with 11/34 Shimano Cassette. I tend to use 43 ring on the road and 30 off road which makes full use to the cassette range. If you actually spend the time work out each gear size for all 24 possible gear combinations against Sram XLPR 1x set up of 40T C/Ring with a 10/44 Cassette there a 14 gears on the 2x 43/30, 11/34 set that are either the same gear size or very close to XLPR 1x setup. So 1x XLPR is actually makes sense to me. Also for my type riding I'm essential running 2x as 1x , as Ispend 90% of my riding on the 46T outer ring. So by going to 1x I will utilise more my cassette, have a better set up for off road riding (I also mountain so know how good 1x works) and lose nothing when riding on road. Dave this video really confirms what I suspected for non race riding if you select the right c/ring and cassette for your riding then 1x is fine. I will be finding out myself soon.
When I switched from a triple to a single ring on my mtn bike, it took maybe 5-10 minutes to get used to not having a front shifter. I'm sure the same would be true with a road bike. The thing is, I run Shimano Di2 on my Tarmac and it never has an issue with the front shifter. I guess if you were racing, anything that lessens the chance of dropping your chain would be an improvement.
2x 50 34 front 11 32 rear, good enough to tackle most scenarios in the UK, I honestly don't know why you would bother with 1x unless you're a CX or MTB rider.
No mention of chain line noise - because you didn’t use a realistic 1x cassette. You should watch Rides of Japan’s video on why he give up on 1x for road. Spoiler alert - the chainstays on road bikes are too short to offer an acceptable chainline at the extremes with an acceptable range of gears on a 1x setup.
And I say that as someone who is quite happy with his 1x system on a gravel bike - which has longer chainstays, obvs.
If you live somewhere flat or with gentle rolling hills 1x is probably a good option. I live in an area with mountains though. 15%+ roads in the foothills with straight fast downhills, flat riding in town, and 1000 m hillclimbs at 7% average. The best option for a 1x I could see would be a 10-42 cassette paired with a 44 tooth chainring but even that is on the limits of happiness on both ends of the gears while having a huge spread for a road bike
10-42 with a 38t chainring would give a nice spread of ratios
@@truthseeker8483 I don't know, I like to push it down hills (as long as it's safe) so 38/10 seems a bit low to me for those occasions. Maybe Campy Ekar with a 42 chainring and a 9-42 cassette would be good. 40 tooth would probably be good too and then you get a nice sub-1:1 gear for those big gradients
Thanks David Arthur I believe 1x for me is a win thanks again for the informative information
I ride a 1 X 8 flat bar road bike. I use it as my general run around and commuter.
Gearing is 48t X 11-32.
I'm a fairly light weight rider at 66Kg.
It's actually my favourite road bike setup I've ever ridden. I like it because where I ride it means you use every single gear regularly. On steep inclines I have to stand out of the saddle but I've yet to find an incline too steep for my gear ratio!
What chainring brand do you have?
David, I'm interested to know why you chose ave speed as the constant matrix, would it not be more conclusive using the same power and recording cadence as the main matrix? Also, the same big chainring on the front with an explorer cassette and derailleur would have arguably given a more direct comparison as you alluded to at the end. FYI, Silca discovered that the 10t on the SRAM, and subsequent chain line costs 6w more than using the 11t!
1x may work only on flat terrains, not more than 5% gradients. Otherwise you will need some monster cassette at back with big jumps between gears.
Personally I prefer 50/34 with 11-25 or 11-28 at back.
I think, 1x will be fine when we get to 15+ gears at the back.
Depends on the rider. I often ride fixed through the hills of south wales. 50/18 will get up most things if you have the power. Personally I hate modern groupsets with huge cassette ranges and semi compact chainrings.
@@kieron88ward my respect, you must be very powerful rider.
Hey @David! 😊
Try an oval chainring. Ovals are the better chainrings for 1x because they are kinda a bigger and smaller chainring in one piece, -2 and +2 teeth (depends on the ovality). The other big plus it, that ypu no longer have to hassle with the front derailleur, which ussually should get spaced out and get angled and still could rubb and throw the chain off.
I get my chainrings custom cnc machined in China (`Stone`) with 16* ovality, cause i am used to Rotor Qxl rings which are not longer in production. Working since day 1 off Sram Axs group introduction. But you could try an Absolute Black aero dm ring as a beginner.
I just recently switched to a Rival XPLR 1X on my Giant Revolt, 46-10 cassette and 46T chainring. I ride mostly road in the mountains of Colorado, and my friend and I like to climb. We shoot for 100FT of elevation per mile. I also ride gravel and singletrack on this, my only bike. I haven't done any road riding in the mountains yet, but have yet to really need sub 1 to 1 gearing. I have given up a little on the top, but not so much as to be a real bother. I suppose with nicer riding weather here, we shall see shortly! Great to see some hard information, and hear your thoughts as always!
For what its worth, i am totally fine with you stating your findings were “inconclusive.” Am currently relying on a 1-x for the first time for predominantly road riding. I think i liked the concept of it more than the actual riding experience.
If you have a 1x that gives the same range as a 2x then the jumps between gears are too big for most people to find an optimum cadence. In terms of maintenance, a front mech takes zero once set up correctly. I’ve had 1x and there’s no way I’d have it again. A nicely set up 2x Grx di2 system is perfect for my needs, either on road or gravel. I can’t see any compelling reason for 1x.
Wout wasn’t using a true 1x as it only had gears for that specific race. He effectively had a 2x that had the inner chainring removed. No way he’d ride that as his normal training bike.
I’ve sat behind 1 by riders on the while cruising on my 39/53 and I always noticed how they are searching for the right gear, up and down the cassette 🤣 noobs falling for bike industry BS, it’s not their fault they just don’t know anything different ☹️
Modern cassettes have big ranges on a 2x set up anyway (the difference from 10 to 11 is not the same as 12 to 13). Thinking of running a 1x with an 11-27 which would be the same spacing as a 2x.
@@kieron88ward range isn’t the issue with 1x. It’s the jumps you have over just 11-12 gears to get that range. And there’s no way you have the same range with a 1x with 11-27 as you do with the same cassette on a 2x.
I run 1x with 54 chainring and 10-33 cassette and never had any problem. Even London to Brighton incl. Ditchling Beacon can be made without break.
The Vegan Cyclist runs the same mullet setup on his road bike that he runs on his gravel bike. That gives him good top end and climbing gears. Although, I think that setup would be a bit nuts on the road for me. On my gravel bike, I don't mind the 1x 99% of the time. There is that rare occasion in which I feel like I'm between gears. That is usually when I'm on pavement or when I'm tucked into a big group.
As for efficiency losses, I don't find that much of argument either if it works well for you. A wrinkle in your jersey can be 5 watts. Over the course of a ride, that would mean extremely little. It only makes a difference if you are in a race at an elite level.
Thanks!
1x is more simple and no cross-chaining - wears out drivetrain quicker - happens but less gears and 2x used right - chain mostly straight - is more effective and versatile in different terrains and weather conditions, but then again one has to pay attention to avoid cross-chaining, but then again with 1x chain in outmost sprockets is bit curved/cross.
But I would maybe like to have less sprockets, wider chain and thicker chainrings for better power.
12-speed drivetrain feels kinda flimsy.
The problem with the 1X on mountain bikes is that the largest front chainring you get is
32 or possibly 34 tooth. So if you have long flat or slightly downhill sections, you're coasting quite a bit.
Not correct: the largest chainrings you can get have 38 teeth, although they do not fit all frames. 36-tooth chainrings are also available and they fit most frames. My frame can take 36-tooth chainrings for sure, probably even 38 teeth. (I run a 34-tooth *oval* chainring, so I need the same clearance as a 36-tooth chainring to make it work.)
However, 38-tooth chainrings give you gearing that is unsuitable for the vast majority of us, at least for mountain biking. For gravel riding it could be right, though.
Great content as always....I wonder what wear and tear would be like over time, as essentially cross-chaining in a few of the gears?
There's still cross-chainring with a 2x setup so probably similar wear and tear
@@davidarthur True!
For my local roads here around Berlin, I barely even need my small chainring even with a 10-28 cassette.
In the end I ride nearly everything on the big chainring and actually cross chain more then on a 1x setup.
But when I'm visiting my family and riding there, I need all my gears.
The solution is clearly another bike :D
@davidarthur been running 1x for nearly 10 years on my winter bike. Its does take a bit of research into gear ratios. I've settled on a 52t chaninring and 11-36 cassette, top gear slightly lower that 53/11 and low gear equivalent to 39/27. I'm still on 11spd shimano so 10-36 cassette not avaialble unless i go with a non shimano/sram cassette with an XDR driver. From experience i do think 48t chaniring with a 10-36 cassette would be perfect for me. For racing, I still use 2x for racing because jumps between each ratio (sprocket) are too extreme when looking to control your cadence.
@@jon_underscore i run the same cassette with Ultegra rx800 rear derailleur. I've run it with non clutch derailleur previously with the b-knuckle sprint set on high tension setting, there is a massive difference with the clutch.
Very useful info. Thanks from Sweden. I think the 2x is history soon. At least as front gearing...
Hi David, thank you for providing your impressions on riding 1x setup. Have you tried the smaller chainring yet? (44t) Is it the sweetspot? I am building a Trek Emonda and would like to go 1x. I am trying to decide whether to go with 44t or 42t with a 10-36 cassette in the back. Thanks a lot. Cheers!
I think you will regret that ratio unless you're never going to ride in the mountains. Where I live, I can't imagine not having at least a 1:1 ratio. Pros use 1x for aero on flat stages and their mechanics switch it back for mountain stages. If I were you, I would have 40t chainring and 11-42t cassette.
@@holdencaulfied7492 yeah, I went 2x12 eventually... 46/33 and 10-33 cassette. Now I have all the gears I need.
@@em_aitch Nice job. I swapped my 50/34 for 46/30 and have 10-32 cassette. I never run out of top end gears. People severely overestimate the large gears they think they need.
Let me start with the fact that
I live in a very flat area. I've been running a 1by Sram Red for almost 2 years, 26-10t cassette and 50T chainring. No issues in that time frame. Also I have a 2by Red that the front mech is never used. So it works for me!
Flat! Does affect things somewhat
I’ve been riding my titanium gravel bike with sram force one 38 chainring with 11-36 and I have no problems riding with my roadie mates. I recently changed to 42 front and 10-42 rear for a recent trip to Gran Canaria. Fat tyres, 1X + no dropped chains
Tried both. Simplicity of the 1x is refreshing but I've only got 8x in back so 2x is better for gear range and cadence. For road bikes with shorter chainstays where chainline is exaggerated and required more drivetrain fiddling.
I guess it’s down to the individual. I have 1x set up on my gravel bike, which I hardly use for gravel and 2x set up on road bike and love both. For those who mention about quiet drive terrain, both my bikes are extremely quiet. So depends on your set up and maintenance I guess. ✌🏾
My winter training bike has an 11-28 11 spd cassette with a 44T chainring. It also has 32mm tyres which again raises the gearing slightly. I’m 65 years old and skinny. I can get up most of the steeper hills around Bristol and Bath. I think some of them are approaching high teens in percentage terms. So it can be done. However, I’m guessing Mr Arthur wouldn’t have chosen such a set-up for last year’s Fred Whitton challenge. Horses for courses. Great on a winter bike; less good on a summer “best bike”.
Horses for courses indeed. I love 1x and don’t miss having a front derrailleur, BUT I probably would if I was considerably stronger
I went back to 2x on my gravel bike this year. More range in both directions. It was the large steps between gears that ultimately made me switch back to 2x GRX. I found myself either at too high or too low a cadence (for me) the majority of time spent on the bike. I was very excited to go 1x and was planning on doing it to my road bikes too, but as the season wore on the excitement turned to disappointment and regret.
1X is at base level, sales work. Something new has to be brought up in order to sell more bikes.
As a basic rider I want a really tall top gear, and a nice low gear. 1X doesnt do that. New 2X works really, really well, faultless.
A strong rider will tell you you dont need any low gear, just crank harder.
1x is fine. Depending on where you live it could be a good choice and does confer simplicity, but you need to have a strong sense of what gears you actually use to make that choice.. 1x with huge cassette jumps don't make much sense for road riding (especially in groups where modulation is important). When I'm in Sweden where it's quite flat, you could easily run a 1x 54t to an 11-25 cassette, but when I'm in the U.S. a 2x is important. There I'd even take 2 x 9 or 2 x 10 over 1 x 12, but again it's down to your style of riding.
Choosing a 2x9 over a 1x12 isn't beneficial in terms of gearing since 2x9 only provides 12 unique gear ratios effectively.
I use 1x on my climbing bike, 46t 10-36 cassette. It has no problems on hills at 7% or so, I did have a slight issue going up Bank road in Matlock, but I don't hit hills like that too often.
Thank you, David. I was wondering, having seen this setup yesterday. QUESTION: What pedals are on the bike? Are they magnetic? Have you done a video about them?
Thanks. They are Wahoo Speedplay pedals
What about 1 x with hub shifting?
I used hub shift for 5 months of commuting and found it to be so much better then deraulier systems.
Or would you be worried about excess weight and less gears?
I recently did a ride where I stayed in the big ring the whole time (48T with 10-36). And no, it wasn't flat. 90km with over 900m of climbing. Made me think about going 1x, but it's not really practical for anything other than high intensity rides (at least around here, different in the Netherlands or in Florida). Sometimes you just want to (have to) chill. Zone 2 is impossible with that setup. Maybe something for N+1.
yep it is certainly harder to stay in "Zone 2" but Zone completely depends what you follow, the computer with 5 zone or the proper 1 2 3 zones, basically its zone 2 until you feel the lactate in your legs then that's tresh hold. Or do you look at power or just heart rate. Your HR could be saying on thing and your legs depending on cadence.
Made the switch to 1x only on the road, don't look back. It's just so much more fun without a FD. More time on the bike, less time in the stand. Switched to Rival 1 (11 spd mechanical) on my 2ndary bike a year ago. 42t chainring coupled with 11-32 in the back. Quietest drivetrain I've ever ridden. Spinning out downhill quickly (which I don't care about since I don't race) and a bit grindy on long steep gradients.
On my main bike I was forced into 1x, irreplaceable carbon FD socket got squashy over time, chain would drop more often than not.
Replaced 48/32+11/27 (11 spd with 16t cog) by a Force AXS 1x 40t +10-33. Got the missing gear for 12%+ climbs now but the 24-28 jump feels big, would prefer a 10-32 cassette.
The 13-15 jump of the 10-36 cassette would drive me crazy.
I'd love to see a 10-35 or 10-36 13 spd cassette to use with Ekar.
for as long as the chainring to cassette ratio is almost the same, I think no problem with that. lowering 1x chainring no. of teeth and getting smaller either 10T or 9T on the rear just to compensate for the ratio. On the other hand, as you took smaller cogs to 10T moving bigger as well for bigger cogs let's say 46-52T for the climb.
I’ve been a long time mtb rider, recently switched to road! A front derailleur was alien to me, but I used it as it’s the norm! Recently built a gravel bike and use the same parts as my road bike so they’d feel similar. And I just knew it was wrong instantly! done a few hundred miles and I want 1x! so a new 11-42t cassette, rear derailleur and 42t crankset ordered later.. I’m now waiting for the post fairies to get them to me! hoping a 36-50t crank translates well to a 42t! only ever used the larger 4-5 gears so dropping down a few teeth should mean I’m using more of the cassette.
im going 1x on my cinelli build. 46t up front and a 10-44 xplr cassette. I will have a 42t chainring in reserve and eventually will get a GX Rd and 10-52 cassette for ultra races in the mountains.
Did you keep the same rear cassette for both? I use a wider range rear cassette as most do
Regarding the pretty large power discrepancies: Were the crank arms different lengths? If they were, might that account for the difference, if you didn’t alter the settings of your pedal-based power meter?
We will see in the TDF this year.
If the pro's use an 1x12 going up the alp d'huez we can see this is an serious thing.
Never going to happen. Pros always want more...
The Pro's don't use a compact crank, they usually run a 53/39. And still they use the big ring for all but the steepest climbs.
You need to talk about E thirteen and Garbaruk or Miche and Campagnolo offerings , David . Also discuss wired derailleur systems as well .
Campagnolo Ekar (1x13) works great for me. It does 60 km/h (coming down an alpine road) just as fine as going up steep trails with rough gravel.
What is the gearing on yours ?
@@brody5211 40 and 9-42
I hardly ever use the 9, but it's nice to have it. If I were doing bike packing, I'd probably chose the 10-44.
I have 2 road bikes I've built, one with 2x and the other with 1x. My 2x bike is definitely more versatile and can tackle most any terrain. My 1x bike though is the smoother bike to ride geared with a 44t/11-32t setup. I can really maximize all the gears, focus on cadence and go out of saddle when I need to sprint or climb. Honestly it really depends on the elevation you ride in and whether or not you have fitness to handle 1x. On a side note, I've done fast group rides with the 1x on hilly terrain and it's pretty easy to keep up in that scenario, but on more flatter rides it would probably be harder to keep up. BTW - you can build a 1x road setup on the cheap, I'm just using a 105 R7000 RD and you can convert a 2x crank into 1x with the appropriate chainring. Chain retention is still good on a non-clutch RD and appropriate sized chain.
Dude, no way you're climbing on 44t/11-32 unless your name is G. Thomas. And even he has a mechanic to switch it back to 2x for the mountains. You're delusional if you think this has an application for non pros unless you only ride on flat terrain.
definitely more applicable to gravel where avoiding front mech issues also comes into play. That said not all front mechs are created equal. Mullet on Gravel or Ekar have definite advantages on range. Also nice to meet you in person at Sea Otter!
I just like how it looks..downsides be damned 😂
Hi Dave, given that some of us like a huge spread of gears (older rider, living in the alps, not as fit as I one was and not a weight weenie) what are your shouts on my setup which I've had for a number of years and which works flawlessly - SRAM PG 1170 11-36 rear cassette matched to am Ultegra 8050 11 speed di2 compact 50-34? I have a BMC Roadmachine SLR01 that I run with 28mm rubinos on 44 Carbon rims for road and have another set of exactly the same rims that I use with 35mm Panaracers for light gravel.
Honestly whatever is cheapest is what I’m going to go with as I don’t race so there’s literally no point to get caught up in all these “lab” stats from brands that don’t reflect real world riding. That’s why I love this video and it was realistic.
Great video. One observation, you didn't change the cassette. Instead, you effectively just reduced the range of your gearing. The whole issue with 1x is if you switch to a cassette to approximate the range of your 2x gearing, what is the impact of the jumps between cogs. Just changing the chainring does not give a lot of information and you could get most of your information simply by calculating gear ratios (You will easily know if gears are not small or big enough, but not get to the heart of the 1x issue). That said, thanks for taking a pass at exploring this. It is a very interesting topic! P.S. Love the color of that Giant. Wish I could find one!
I feel like an 11-40 or 11-42 cassette would've been better based on the data you showed us, since you didn't use the 10t in either instance. Also, you didn't mention that 1x is more aero than 2x! It may have more drag due to crosschaining, but I believe the aero improvements outweigh the drivetrain drag!
Using an average rider, with say, a 4000' climb, would be a much,much better test.
Ive ridden with folks who bought into the 1X on a gravel bike. An 18% grade or steeper has them off and walking.
They're just normal every day riders. ...........1X is nothing but compromise to avoid the horror of shifting a ft derailleur.
If 1X was better the Tour riders would all have them, none do.
@@bradsanders6954 what does that have to do with this? 😅 This is functionally a 2x
@@bradsanders6954 also, 1x is used at Paris-Roubaix and at least one other race by some of the racers
This "aero" thing, I hope your joking. Feet spinning cranks around, 1 or 2 chainrings, and aero is more important than a good climbing gear and 40+ mph top gear.
"I believe" 1 chainring being aero is more important than cross chain drag. I believe some things too, but also like seeing proof.
@@bradsanders6954 1x is more aero than 2x, what's your point here?
Cost. I switched to 1x about the same time that shimano made their chainrings $300 to replace, and proprietary so you couldnt run aftermarket. Just use a 11-32 cassette instead of 11-28 and its pretty much the same. Plus its nice to have the di2 buttons identical on each side for easy 1 handed shifting on either side.
Everyone should try both, and see which they prefer,i was riding double chainrings in front for years and by chance tryed one by and loved it,tryed again few months ago double chainring and didn't really like it, all on the road bike. You need to know how to setup your gearing on one by, i use 44 NW. with 11-32 or,46NW with 11-36.
I run a SRAM Force XPLR 1x group with a 46T Chainring and 10/44 12-speed cassette on an Allez Sprint. It's faster than my Trek Madone Sl6 running Shimano 2x Ultegra. Key is to mix a road bike with a gravel-specific groupset and run the most significant ratios your bike can handle.
There is an element to cycling I've only recently begun using. . . "fashion" as reference to manner of doing and keeping with norms.
What pros do informs us but they will be the ones who (freely) use what tool their sponsor designs for them.
The rest of us ought to reflect on where we come from - like "not racing" and how many bikes we plan to own.
Hey David, good to hear from you. Was wondering what you think of ekar. And is a 13 speed mechanical groupset really possible? By that i mean is it fiddly.
Campagnolo make the Ekar group set, which is 1x13 mechanical gear system…designed for gravel rather than road. Works very well on my Orro Terra C gravel bike, would probably need to change the cassette for gear progression on the road.
@@jasonsanderson3612 thanks! The adhx has caught my eye and ekar is an option. Looks lovely. Never had campy and thinking about trying it. I think it would work well with the trips that i make. Mostly flat. But i wonder if i would spin out. I think its worth a closer look. Thank you for your quick response
@@TonyRentschler thanks buddy👍
I'm waiting to match a 13 speed cassette with a classified hub and a triple crankset just to cover all the possible ratios...
@@davidbell1250 HA!
I run a 1x on my gravel bike with a second set of road wheels. I have a 38 tooth wolf tooth on the front with an 11-42 on the rear. At 69 yo I’m more concerned with having a low enough gear more than having a really tall top gear. For flatter rides I run an 11-34 on the road wheels. I don’t race or do fast group rides so having closer gaps in gear ratios is not an issue. I really like the simplicity of 1x.
For me, on my 2 hybrid bikes, after 8,000 miles, using 44 and 42 Wolftooth chainrings and 11-34 cassettes, I'm sold on them. Much better than the 2x's the bikes came with. However, if I were younger, I'd go with a 46 tooth (hills get harder when you get older).
Not sure about road bike, but on a gravel it totally makes sense to me. I have got 11-46 cassette and 44 chainring for normal riding and 40 chainring when I go bikepacking. I would love SRAM 10-44 or Campa 9-42, but its not worth upgrading yet.
Does 44 in the front und 46 in the back work? With wich derailleur? Thanks for the answer
@@cengizabdul-rahman8971 Sram Apex 1 without any issue. You just need 118 segments chain.
@@ales_krejci Thank you!
interesting my gravel bike is 42T with an 11 speed cassette 11x42T and my road bike is 48x35T (Just changed it from a 50x34T SRAM force to a QUARQ Rival AXS DUB Power Meter) with an 11 speed 11x32T cassette (The road bike is quicker though I love riding the Gravel bike) would you really want to swap the cassette or front change ring all the time? hill climbing / Time trial?
As David mentioned here, there is a British bike company who offer which ever 1x combination of chainring size and cassette ratio that suits your riding, on a fully dedicated 1x engineered frame .
This actually really comes down to, who needs a chainring bigger than mid 40's for normal riding... Once we get rid of the concept of needing massive chainrings, then road 1x starts to make sense. That top end speed you get from a 52t is usually only accessed for seconds at a time.
I run a 38T chain ring which is fine unless you want to go very fast downhill...which I dont....
i went to 1x on my road bike about a year and a half ago. i lost patience with my mechanical SRAM front mech that never seemed to work very well. it is 10 speed, and i have 46 front and 11-32 rear. i know times have changed, but my lowest gear is lower than the 39/25 i had on my first real road bike 20 years ago, but unfortunately i am 20 years older. For almost all of the riding i do it is perfectly fine. Maybe spin out a bit earlier than i would like, but i can live with that. The times i miss having lower gears are when i am exploring new rides and a gradient goes above my comfort zone and the top isn't in sight. For that reason i am seriously considering going back to 2x. But mechanical - so Shimano.
Is there a limit wether it be sram or shimano that you can have upfront on a one by? ie if you are doing flat crits then can u have a 52 or 53 upfront or is a one by system limited to a certain front chainring size? A 50t for instance
As someone who was using a 1x for a while, i gotta say that 2x for a roadbike is superior. The benefits of 1x on road do no outway the downsides. Smaller jumps in gearing is a HUGE benefit compared to the slight inconvenience of setting up the front derailleur.
1x makes more sense on MTB but even then you could make a case against it.
46/10 is a massive top gear, taller than 50/11. I’m late 50s and hardly ever use the 12 or 11 on a double. Personally I would go for a 38 tooth chainring, giving me 50/13 down to 34/32 with a 10-36 cassette.
1 tooth on the front, equals 3 on the rear. I wish my 50/11 top gear was taller on every good downhill.
Im stuck with 1X on my new XC bike. No super low gear, and spins out big time at 25mph....not smart but thats all that can be bought now.
@@bradsanders6954 What gearing do you have on your XC bike. 32/52 is as low as any double goes. 32/10 is similar to 50/15 and can be spun out on Tarmac, but is a challenge off road
Interesting power delta. I'm putting it down to weight/aero gains of losing the FD
been running 1x11 on my kinesis RTD dream build for last 18 months. Even done full panniers touring on it as well as fast club run. I don't regularly ride over 25 mph so don't spin out and like simplicity of the setup alot.
I have a Canyon Grail with one-by sram rival. 10-36 on the rear, 42 chainring (carbon wheels with road tires).
It works amazingly for me.
The missing gears are on the high speed side mainly.
In my idea if you like racing, 2-bys are better because in case of group ride at high speed the gear selection maybe poor.
@@veganpotterthevegan I live in norhtern italy,
The area is the Langhe (mainly hills).
If I go to the Fauniera climb (the mosts famous Giro big climb in my area) or something is missing on the "small" gears side.
But it happens rarely.
I have watched all the videos available from Safa Brian. I especially like his gravel videos. For a long time he drove a front derailleur. Then he experimented for a couple of months with just one gear in the front. But eventually he went back to a front derailleur.
My mother-in-law rides her bike to the grocery store with one gear in the front. I'm not my mother-in-law.
I ride a allez sprint with rival axs and 48t front and 10-36 rear it’s essentially the same range as a 52/36 paired with an 11/28 cassette. It works fine for riding rolling hills fast group rides, or criteriums
I can’t run 10-36 but have 11-36 with 46T front and love it.
Like everything, it’s a compromise. I currently run a 46 up front and 10-50 in the rear on my gravel/all road bike and have no issues. The gaps would be annoying to me personally if I were taking pulls on a fast group ride, but I wouldn’t use my bike for that anyway.
I’m a lot more interested in the result that you matched your previous time and speed with a significantly lower NP and Average Power. Did you calibrate your power meter after switching cranksets?
Back in the day I rode a 52-42 with a 7 speed 28-13 on 5000’ feet of climbing over 30 miles. Not much else available at the time. Now I’m 1 by because I ride mostly single track and commute around. I do see the need for 2 by on the rode with a group that goes all out.
The fact that the 44 was sold out might give you your answer. My tandem is 2 by with a 42-28 only because I don’t want to scare the crap out of newbies I’m introducing biking to😬
It is a compromise. I run 1x 46t with a 11-36 and the biggest climb for miles around is 86m , I got up it last year without using the 36t, if I lived in a hilly area it may be an issue, but I don't. Cadence drift is not really an problem, you don't hear fixie riders talking about maintaining cadence.
Agree about efficiency, but also, I got up the climb with lower power on 1x than my 2x for times within a second of each other.
I have a similar experience with the exact same gear setup. It is my favourite setup.
When 1X is claimed to be an upgrade from 2X, the claimant is pretty much announcing a bias. Even here, with a seemingly begrudging non-conclusive verdict, the host refers to the switch to 1X as an upgrade. It's an option, yes. But an upgrade? No.
Groin from more gear ratio to less is by definition a downgrade if anything lmao
A fair comparison would be to swap the cassette out for a 1x suitable wide range one, then it might be similar gearing with bigger jumps, but less weight than 2x
David what wheel and combo were you using?