Before I splashed on the huge cost of XX1 I did some analysis on my XTR 30T/11-36 1×10 usage in racing last year.

1. I didn’t spin out in 30T
2. Climbing got hard at times but I wasn’t reduced to stupidly low cadence nor walking.

By my sums XTR 1×10 shifter, rear mech and 11-36 cassette is 564g, XTR 11sp is 676g, XX1 is 616g.

For pure racing it seems 1×10 is cheaper, lighter and doesn’t affect my performance negatively. The only downside I can see is it limits the flexibility of my race bike ie not exactly ideal for SDW etc. I think I can live with that.

What’s the question?
Depends on the course
Depends on the bike
Depends on you, why didn’t you spin out?
Did you climb efficiently?

Depends on you, why didn’t you spin out?

Cos he chose the right gear ratios?

For pure racing it seems 1×10 is cheaper, lighter and doesn’t affect my performance negatively

Still racing on 1×9 Sram X0 here, all my non-racing bikes have moved on to 10sp with bigger cassettes, but I try harder when I’m racing so can make do with a harder gear and brute force for the 1-1.5 hrs of an XC race.

I just stick a smaller front ring on for 12/24hr races and sacrifice a bit of top speed which is pretty irrelevant in those events anyway.

I try harder when I’m racing so can make do with a harder gear and brute force for the 1-1.5 hrs of an XC race.

I just stick a smaller front ring on for 12/24hr races and sacrifice a bit of top speed which is pretty irrelevant in those events anyway

This. I’m riding a 34T oval on 40/11. On the times the climbs have felt hard I just treat it like single speed – nowhere to go so just get on with it. Mind you, it’ll go to Afan soon so that’ll be the acid test…

I had a 34/36 bottom gear (with 650b wheels) at Dalby last weekend. It wasn’t low which enough for the climbs and I really struggled to get on top of the gear.

Think I’ll be saving up for 11 speed!

I was running an 11-36 cassette against a 34T oval ring at the Dalby National on Sunday – I was grimacing up the fireroad climb with a cadence of 60. As a result I’ve ordered an 11-42 11speed cassette and new shifter gubbins and chain.

I’d much rather spin up a climb like that than struggle up it.

EDIT: Great minds post alike Nath, hey?

Maybe try using a road cassette if you have a compatible wheel.

For 3-12hr stuff I’m not needing bigger than 30T to be competitive which means I’m not finding climbing too hard. Then again BBD etc isn’t nationals.

I’m running 1×11 on my 29’er xc race bike – 36T front with 40-11 on the rear and seems fine so far. The 36T provides decent speed downhill and on the flat and the 40T rear is enough bale out gear for grinds.

As for Kryton’s Afan acid test – I did just this a few weeks back and happened to set the 19th fastest time out the 9000+ on Strava up the entire Whites Level climb so that sort of gearing is fine round there. (Yeah, yeah swoon away!). 8)

30/36? You’d have to be fit around here if that was attached to a 29er…, mines 30/42 with a front oval.

There’s nothing steep at Afan! 🙂

There’s nothing steep at Afan!

This. It’s all easily singlespeedable.

I am unclear OP, which choice are you looking for the STW hive to validate?

Spunk money at XX1 or keep your XTR 1×10?

There are of course some other options for both 1×11 or 1×10, but are you really bothered about them?

Adding gears is not just about increasing the range, it can be about reducing the gaps between ratios too. If neither of those matter to you in this scenario, then no, probably not much point upgrading. Don’t some downhillers use 1×7 because it’s lighter?

Don’t some downhillers use 1×7 because it’s lighter?

They had the ratio’s they wanted and in some cases they were made up of individual cogs to make a custom cassette. To go 10sp some ended up with 2 or 3 identical cogs so it took 3 clicks to get across to the next ratio. You needed to fill the space of the freehub and use commonly found parts really. SRAM launched the 1×7 DH with the new style mech as it bounced vertically rather than across like the older ones did and they came up with a usable range.

For me in XC and trail/enduro I prefer a difference in my gears, the next one 1t different in some areas is just too subtle. I’m also very aware that gears make no difference to some as I raced with some very strog SS riders who blew the field away.

But the longer it goes and the bigger the climbs the more I like the 10-42 range. I’ve got 32t on the 26 and 32t on the 29r as the 29r is lighter and I push it harder. I’d consider 34t for a flatter race.

Maybe try using a road cassette if you have a compatible wheel

What would that achieve? Gives a far narrower range, he’s not looking to handicap himself 😕

I personally found 1×10 (36t ring, 11-36 on 26″ wheels) fine for riding around, never struggled, it was in racing it could be a bit tall, you’re that much closer to the limit that you don’t have the same reserves when it gets tougher. I prefer 1×11 for sure, even if I don’t use the extremes much.

Don’t some downhillers use 1×7 because it’s lighter?

I thought they did it to use a shorter freehub body and thus wider flange spacing and a stiffer, stronger wheel.

Some courses might warrant a bigger gear.. seem to remember a marathon course years back that had extended fire road sections in it that were done in quite a high gear.

everyone – Member
I had a 34/36 bottom gear (with 650b wheels) at Dalby last weekend. It wasn’t low which enough for the climbs and I really struggled to get on top of the gear

You could always put a smaller ring on the front?

One of the things sram said with the 11sp when it was new was that it was designed so that you could go 2t up or down at the front without needing to alter the chain. For racing they intend you will optimise based on the course.

Can’t really see the need myself. Unless you’re doing a Kansas gravel race one day and the Transvesubienne the next day!

Having done some multi day stage races I can see the point, big ups and tech down you can exploit the better climbing gear and not drop on he way back, fast blast stages ramp it up a little, though that style of racing doesn’t seem to happen in the uk

adsh – Member

2. Climbing got hard at times but I wasn’t reduced to stupidly low cadence nor walking.

If you dropped your gearing would it mean it was less hard and therefore less tiring? I can ride everything I do with 1x 11-36 but it burns my legs a lot faster. Likewise, not spinning out isn’t the be-all and end all- you had a gear you could use but was it the gear you wanted?

You could always put a smaller ring on the front?

True, but then I would have lost top end speed. Whether I would have finished in a different place if I’d changed front ring I’ll never know, but if I can get a wider range of gears while also potentially losing a bit of weight off the bike then its a no brainer surely.

If you dropped your gearing would it mean it was less hard and therefore less tiring? I can ride everything I do with 1x 11-36 but it burns my legs a lot faster.

That’s the issue i had – on a ride you’ve got a bit in reserve, so you can dig a little deeper if you need to use a taller gear than ideal. In a race I didn’t always have that reserve, and would have to walk. Only happened a couple of times, but pain nonetheless.

Although some riders will change gearing on race day, most won’t. 1×11 gives you a chance to have gearing that suits 99% of the time. Last thing I’d want to think about pre race is what chainring to use !!

I dont think I’ve ever spun out in a race with 11-42 rear, 34t front and 650b wheels. I’ve needed the 42t regularly though!!

I suppose it’s less of a question and more of a discussion. The gearhead in me assumed that XX1 was best but I really like the Shimano pull to change on the upshift and I was shocked at the price of the XX1 mech and shifter so I paused to think and realised that I would be paying for flexibility both in cost and weight for a need I haven’t hitherto required in the rather narrow selection of races I do.

Obviously if I went off to Cape Epic etc I’d go XX1 but I’m not. As it is I think I’m better off spending the budget on further weight reduction – RF Next SL.

Does 1x give you a more severe chain line? Cos that does effect drivetrain efficiency quite a bit.

Is there anywhere else you can save 108g on your bike for less money?

That seems to be the overwhelming question here, the cost is the cost, if you’re only considering top end it can’t actually be that much of an issue.