Ok, humour me, and sorry if this has been done before – on the basis that you can run a 1 x 10 with an 11 – 42 cassette and a 1 x 11 with an 11 – 42 cassette, so having exactly the same upper and lower range, but with a different number of steps in between, is this just a spinal-tap themed joke by the bike industry, or is there really an advantage to running a 1 x 11 over 1 x 10?

is there really an advantage to running a 1 x 11 over 1 x 10?

Smaller jumps between gears

I’ve got exactly that on my bikes, 1×11 on the Whyte and 1×10 on the YT, both 11-42.

In my opinion there are very little noticeable advantages out on the trail.

A bit Spinal Tap, a bit ‘it’s better’.

Ideal would be a 10 speed 11-42t cassette with an M8000 rear mech, but a good 11-42t 10 is about the same price as an XT 11-42t 11, so I’ll be sticking with 11 speed. I’ve had 18m and 4/5 chains out of my XT cassette, so I think I’ve had plenty of value out of it.

The 1 extra gear makes (predictably) 1 gears worth of difference.
Newer stuff tends to work better though. SRAM especially have put a lot of attention to detail into their 1×11 kit – especially the cassettes. This comes with a cost increase but I much prefer the performance compared to 1×10 in pretty much every way.

I’m looking to go 11 speed as I’ve got well over 2.5k out of my 10 speed and my new frame wants (although doesn’t need…) Boost cranks. To get some useful benefit I’m going for a SRAM GX 10-42 cassette and changing the chainring from a 32 to a 30 so I’ll keep pretty much the same top end but gain an easier climbing gear because I’m lazy.
Just can’t decide on GX or XT mech and shifter…..

rickonwheels – Member
Ok, humour me, and sorry if this has been done before – on the basis that you can run a 1 x 10 with an 11 – 42 cassette and a 1 x 11 with an 11 – 42 cassette,

SRAM 1×11 is 10-42 – that 1 less tooth means a pretty meaningful difference with gear range.

Also, 10s was all designed around a max 36t cassette, so shifting with an expander ring tensds to be compromised to some extent.

That said, if you hve a 1×10 setup that you’s happy with, there’s not much advantage in upgrading. Buying new, with 11s gear now down to SLX level, you’d be silly not to.

10-42 gives you a nicer range than 11-42 the 11-46 addresses that somewhat but at a weight penalty.
So if your sticking with Shimano then you get some closer gaps. If you get the SRAM you get more range and less weight with nice shifting.

Smaller jumps between gears

But is that an advantage? I’m currently running a 1 x 10 and a 1 x 9 and I really don’t notice the difference in gap – I tend to jump through the gears 2 or 3 at a time when accelerating and then several at a time when I need to change down. Maybe I don’t have much finesse!

I’m currently running a 1 x 10 and a 1 x 9 and I really don’t notice the difference in gap

But your 1×9 isn’t 32t from top to bottom

But your 1×9 isn’t 32t from top to bottom

Nope, neither is my 1 x 10 🙂

Yep so if you had the range with less increments it would be different

Smaller jumps between gears

But is that an advantage?

I think it is, yes.

It’s one louder isn’t it.

But also, wide range 1×10 is a bodge that doesn’t really work. 1×11 does the job of my previous 2 and 3x set ups and leaves my thumb free to work my dropper.

No advantage really – however I went from 1×10 with an 11-36 cassette and 28 tooth chainring. It worked fine but span out a little early on the flat and on the downs, but wasn’t really a significant hindrance. I eventually went 1×11, but with the SRAM XD Driver thing so went 10 – 42 on the cassette. This enabled me to increase the chainring to 32T and have pretty much the same granny gear as before, but gave me more range at the higher end.

Cant say I notice or am bothered about the smaller jump between gears. I guess if your more of an XC rider on smoother and more consistent trails it might be important, but for the terrain I ride I’m mostly changing more than one gear at a time anyway so it’s no bother.

Advantages? Annoys the life out of luddites on here.

1×11 makes your wallet lighter so you climb hills faster.

I haven’t 1*11 yet but running 11-40 10 speed using a Sunrace cassette with SRAM type 2.1 x9 mech.

The gaps (on 11-40) are fine imo if you’re not a one cadence kind of rider. At 10 teeth and/or 42 or more teeth I think you’re going to start feeling it a bit more across the block depending on pedalling style and terrain.

The mech is in my view a bit of a compromise as it wasn’t really designed with quite such a big rear cog in mind.

You can get round this with rad cages etc. But at that point I’d be thinking 1*11.

If I was starting from needing a whole new drivetrain I’d go 11 or 12 and get the big, all integrated from the factory option.

When I switched out to a single ring I still had a good mech and shifter so stuck with 10speed.

teethgrinder – Member

A bit Spinal Tap, a bit ‘it’s better’.

Yep, one goes up to 11 – I know everyone has already said this but **** it #hellocleveland

Personally there wouldn’t be any advantage, I rarely if ever shift one gear at a time, I’m just not that smooth, I smash ’em in 3-4 at a time.

So I wouldn’t ‘upgrade’ from one to the other, what I would do however would do would be to buy a nice one when my old one was knackered, I had an XT 9sp an 10sp SLX and now a 11sp XT because they were what was nice at the time.

Thanks all, so the consensus seems to be that 1 x 11 is generally a nicer shifting experience, partly because modern stuff is just better, and partly because of smaller gaps.

Advantages? Annoys the life out of luddites on here.

Not just luddites – it annoys the life out of cheapskates like me! Will probably go for a 1 x 11 when my 1 x 10 disintegrates, hopefully they’ll be in the bargain bin by then..

If you don’t have a problem with your 10sp don’t bother changing till you need to. Prices are already tumbling as the trickle down happens. I know I’d of expect to be looking at a gx level eagle next upgrade I do.

I rarely if ever shift one gear at a time, I’m just not that smooth, I smash ’em in 3-4 at a time.

i often shift, decide i was better before and shift back.

Are you a me, or a pJ?

My current zee mech with RADr cage and saint shifter outshines by far the 11 speed XT, XTR and SRAM X01 I’ve previously upgraded to.

Also back down to an 11-36 cassette, got sooo much chain wrap with the RADr cage and the jockey wheel is nice and close by about the same distance in every gear.

Went down to a 28t chainring as I never used my previously 30-11 top gear.

Would love a 10-36 cassette, 10 speed, 12 speed spacing, bring out the drive side hub flange, also improves chainline across the block, could maybe drop to a 26t chainring. OOO, then design a suspension frame around 26t, maybe a linkage driven SP, you could retain masses of anti-squat and massively reduce the brake-squat.

Massive cassettes are stupid.

Who actually needs the range of 1×11 let along 1×12 on an MTB?

////tangent

It’s really very simple. It may be a benefit for some (if they find jumps too big on a 1×10 with wide range cassette) and not for others. Just like I have mates who could ride mountains on their SSs where I couldn’t.

Otherwise the argument is that we could all just ride bikes with two gears with the same range but with massive jump between the two.

When 1×10 became a thing, I ran a 32T front chainring with a Sunrace 11-42T cassette and 10 speed XT. I was very pleased with the results, but it was ultimately a bit of a kludge in that my rear mech had a longer B screw fitted and ran grumbly in the lowest gears. It wasn’t quite as sweet shifting as my old 11-36T cassette. I also had to fit a washer to the hanger bolt to space the mech away from the cassette teeth. That aside, I believe that the new Deore is built for 1×10 from the outset (please correct me if I’m wrong).

My 11 speed XT has been ace, shifting quality feels nicer and the chain jumps between cogs without hesitation or complaint. But then it cost me a new cassette, shifter and mech to achieve that.

Otherwise the argument is that we could all just ride bikes with two gears with the same range but with massive jump between the two.

I don’t think anyone would argue to that extreme, though a dual speed kind of appeals! it would be a massive uncomfortable jump over that range – I was just wondering if the gap between gears on a 1 x 10 and 1 x 11 was big enough to notice in normal use.

FWIW, the reason I ditched my double front chainring, and went for a single 30t ring was that I hated the jump between the big ring (can’t remember how big it was) and granny gear, always took planning to not suddenly find myself spinning like an idiot when I suddenly encountered a steep up and needed to invoke the front shifter.

For me, a 11-42 as 10 speed is fine. If I changed to 11 speed, I’d be looking for a bigger sprocket (46+) to make use of that extra gear.

I’m a fan of the SRAM 1×11 10-42. 1150 GX cassette, GX Mech and X1 shifter costs about the same as M8000 and is lighter. Whether it works better is subjective. As above you could mix it up and fit sram cassette with Shimano mechanics, or even go totally nuts and go for the Hope 10t top cassette…

Have fitted the GF’s bike with 1×10 using a Sunrace cassette and Raceface 30t up front with Shimano mech. Works fine. No faff with the mech. Crisp shifting.

Still has the same low end for the climbs as the old 2by set up. She loses the last few gears but given our riding is primarily alpine that’s not really a problem. Very rarely do we have to descend on the road, and if we do then I’m not going to expend any energy on it.

I’ve got SRAM 1×11 and it works fine. Do I notice the jump between the gears compared to the 1×10? Not really….

Thing I’ve noticed is the mechs have improved. Had slack 1×10 mech and rather than just repair I upgraded and just went 1×11 at the same time. Much better mech, and shifter. Drivetrain with the newer kit seems more solid.

For me by the time I had to bodge a rad cage to get it to work 1 x 11 wasn’t really any noticeable amount more in cost, plus I knew it would work.

prawny – Member
But also, wide range 1×10 is a bodge that doesn’t really work.

Works perfectly for me with a RADr cage – it’s hardly a bodge, is it? That’s something you’d use duct tape, a bit of wire and some baler twine for.

superstu – Member
For me by the time I had to bodge a rad cage to get it to work

Is “bodge” the word of the week?

There is supposed to be a new Deore 1×10 wide range mech out by now, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

Not just luddites – it annoys the life out of cheapskates like me! Will probably go for a 1 x 11 when my 1 x 10 disintegrates, hopefully they’ll be in the bargain bin by then..

Doesn’t have to be expensive (relatively speaking). I replaced my kit when my 10spd cassette was looking at bit knackered and my rear mech was also starting to show signs of advanced wear and tear so was looking at a new cassette and rear mech anyway. At the same time I decided to change my wheels out for something nicer with blingy hope hubs so that sorted the XD driver thing and the drivetrain – SRAM GX cassette, rear mech, shifter and chain, came in for less than £200. So admitidly the wheels were a bit on an unnessary ‘upgrade’ but the drivetrain was a bit of a bargain I thought. My 1×10 setup before worked fine, no issues, shifted fine so no reason to replace other than due to attrition. But upgrades are a bit like busses – you don’t get any for ages then all of a sudden you get a couple at once.

Appreciate some get 1 x 10 to work but if you are buying goat links, rad cages and longer b screws it’s all a faff isn’t it? I’m not worried about other things but I just wanted something I know will work. And if you have to buy any combination of those three the cost savings is negligible. Just my opinion. Best shifter I have is my zee for what it’s worth and that’s 10 speed.

The steps between gears is the same in the upper and lower end.

Only difference in a cassette 11-42 (or 46) is between 15 and 21 cogs: 11speed has 17 and 19 cogs, whereas 10speed only 18.
No other differences.

I’d consider 11speed only if you want to go with XD driver and a 10-42