I’ve got 1×11 (SRAM X1) on my Whyte running a 32T at the front and the only downside is that I spin out a bit on the road. I really like it mainly as it’s so simple and doesn’t drop the chain even in horrendous mud!

As far as trendy I’m guessing I must be as I’m considering an oval 34T for the front!

If you care about it you can run a frame with shorter chainstays and or use wider tyres with better mud clearance (no front mech

I’m still on 1×10 because try as I might I can’t rationalise £150+ mechs and cassettes. Round here the biggest hills have a prominence of about 100m so easy enough to blast up in 32-36 and then recover a bit. Having said that after years of riding SS only I didn’t miss the granny ring in places like the Lakes either, 32-36 actually feels quite spiny when stood up and mashing!

maxtorque – Member
The biggest “advantage” for me, the one i found the most surprising was just how it “simplifies” trail riding.[…] i just love riding, and not having to think about gears really!

This is it for me. My own bike will probably stay on 2x until the current drivetrain wears out, but having borrowed a few bikes on 1×11, I love not having to think about front shifts. I’ve also noticed that in the places I ride regularly, the range I’m currently using on a 34t cassette with my granny ring roughly corresponds to a 1x setup with a 42t back and 30 – 32t front.

The walking speed argument never reallys stacks up for me. Some people prefer to ride even if its not faster.

But that doesn’t mean you should gear for what I want either does it

thanks for the replies everyone.

i won’t be changing my groupset on my bike for a while,as it still works,but when i do upgrade,it’s something to think about.

my bike is steel (26″ too) so the weight isn’t a big issue,and been pretty lucky with front mech issues too.

i am very tempted to go 2 x 11 new xt,as i use my bike for everything (it’s my only bike currently).on road as well as off,so like having the big chainring.

will take 1×11 into consideration though.

Also, a walking speed of 4mph up a hill that’s too steep to ride a bike up? That’s probably a bit optimistic. Having said that, I’ve been in situations where I’m riding so slowly that I’m going no faster than someone walking and pushing a bike…

Front mechs get sprayed with crud and clag up, and when you think about it, its a pretty old-fashioned agricultural design

Superficial – Member

Also, a walking speed of 4mph up a hill that’s too steep to ride a bike up? That’s probably a bit optimistic.

TBH it’s not often that steepness alone makes you need or want lower gears- on really steep stuff you can’t generally spin up it anyway. It’s really long grinding climbs, those ones that are just slightly too steep or too draggy and burn you up.

For me it’s the road past mamore lodge, and I think for quite a few others, that is the Climb Of 1×10 Regret. I can get up it, but it’s not that much fun and I could definitely go lower. Or I can walk up it, at basically the same speed as pedallers.

Still happily on 2 x 9 here. Gripshift so shifter weight is **** all. Front mech weight more or less what a chain device weighs. I only use about 5 gears anyway.

1 x 10 made sod all difference to 1 x 9 in my experience so don’t think I’ll ever go 1 x 11 unless it’s already on a future bike I buy.

It’s great for the mechanically inept who, apparently, struggle to set up a front mech.

This.

I just got some shifters that attach to the brakes so my bars are very tidy. This seems to matter to some.

what on earth has the front mech ‘set up’ got to do with the price of fish? I think you’re missing the point. It’s a slight point I’ll grant you but a point nonetheless. My front mech was perfectly set up before I went 1×10 but I still think 1×10 (or 1×11) is simpler, cleaner and and just easier. Nothing wrong with front mechs but if, like me, you come to the conclusion they are of no use whatsoever then why have them? The same argument applies to 3×10 vs2x10. If, on the other hand you feel you benefit from having a front mech then why change?

I expected to hate it – I’ve been riding mostly Rohloff and Pinion off road for many years so used to a very wide gear range and lots of ratios.

Unexpectedly so far it’s been going really well. It’s only done southern riding – Isle of Wight and North Downs – on a hardtail but I’ve yet to drop a chain and not yet had to push up anything. Particularly with SRAM brakes the bars are really nice and clean.

On the downsides, I’m expecting that the lack of the really low ratios I’m used to on the other bikes will become more of a problem if I take it anywhere properly steep.
It was finickety to set up – took me far longer than I remember with 9 or 10 speed.
I snapped a chain on the third ride (then rethreaded it wrong and messed with the cable tension to try and get it shifting. Still not right).

i am very tempted to go 2 x 11 new xt,as i use my bike for everything (it’s my only bike currently).on road as well as off,so like having the big chainring.

Now this one really does confuse me, what does 2×11 do for you that 2×10 doesn’t? Is it just because it’s 11?

what on earth has the front mech ‘set up’ got to do with the price of fish?

Many people on many threads have quoted difficulty in setting up a front mech or general maintenance as a reason for going 1x. Anyone with even basic ability should be able to keep a front mech running well with very little effort.

Biggest for me is frame designs can be better with a 1x system. Sooner 1x is the norm, the better.

I’m 11 speed, maybe use 9 of the gears, the 10 tooth and 42 tooth hardly get touched.

I’m not sure about everyone elses bodies, but i feel like i much prefer harder for a shorter time rather than easier for a longer time, hence if i’m in pain on a climb, i insist on giving it some to get it over and done with, when i did have a granny ring and when i’ve tried bikes with a granny ring, it only seems to eek out the pain for me.

They are also MTBs, what does it matter if you spin out on road sections? my 1×11 gets me about 28mph comfortably anyway.

Front mechs and multiple rings are terrible anyway, even when they are working “perfectly”.

I’m on 1×10 11-36 out back 32T front. I’ve not yet found anything I can’t climb up in that that I couldn’t get up with a regular granny ring, so It makes no sense to carry the weight of shifter, cable, and mech and granny ring.

easy decision.

I have had the 1 x 11 fitted as original equipment to my new bike.

I didn’t expect to like it, as I have always been a Shimano man for geared systems.

I like it alot, it shifts very well, makes hardly any noise or chainslap.

Seems very logical in in hub geared sense of changing.

Simple up or down selection, makes riding on the trail easier – seem to concentrate on the riding more than the gear selection.

1 x 11 will become my new preferred system in future , SRAM or Shimano.

For me, as normal trail rider, much better.
Regards

Denis

1x anything is ‘Enduro’ innit? Therefore it has to be awesumz.

1x anything is ‘Enduro’ innit?

Massive on the XC scene

Also, a walking speed of 4mph up a hill that’s too steep to ride a bike up? That’s probably a bit optimistic.

Precisely.

There is a climb near me that takes around 20 minutes and has a few sections that are pretty steep. Last week I didn’t feel like killing myself, so pushed up the steep bits. This week I was more up for it so rode the whole way up (using my 22×36 granny for the steep bits). Overall I was 3 minutes faster this week than last week. Of course that may not have all been on the walking bits, but I’ve yet to encounter any climb where I’m anywhere near as fast walking up as I am riding. As soon as I get off and push I know it’s not going to be a good time. If nothing else, once you’ve dismounted it’s hard to resist the temptation to take a little breather.

But, of course, all of this misses the point. You either enjoy the challenge of trying to ride all the way up a hill or you don’t. If you don’t that’s fine by me, but if you do then going 1x just makes things that little bit harder.

Having said all that, I’ve just put my HT 29er back to 1×10 (with a 28T chainring and a 42T expander sprocket). I tried that setup in the winter and didn’t like it, so went back to 2×10. But it’s summer now and I’m a bit stronger (not fitter, but stronger) than I was in the winter, so I’ll give it another go.

chestrockwell – Member
Anyone with even basic ability should be able to keep a front mech running well with very little effort.

They’re easy to set up. It’s keeping them perfectly indexed that’s the problem. Slightest cable stretch, muck, worn chainring, worn chain and it’s screwed, chain dropping, jumping, won’t shift easily, jams or you get chain suck.

It’s a terrible brute force design. Whack the chain hard with the cage to drop it down, jam the cage against the chain to ramp it up.

I was fed up with endlessly having to redo it to keep it sweet, and even then chain suck and jamming was pissing me off. Chain suck is rare on 1x with a clutch, but even when it happens it’s not going to jam behind the cage and gouge out your frame.

2x is worse than 3x. 2x is a nice idea in that the range of a 2×10 covers most of what people use in say 3×9. Problem is 2×10 is a much larger jump between the chainrings and that means more harsh shifting and inevitable problems. I got hacked off with my SRAM 2×10, 26 jump to 39. The big drop back down frequently would drop the chain entirely, regardless how perfect I got the stops.

And don’t even get me started with 2x chain guides, except to say one MRP guide got ripped apart thanks to much of the above.

Binned, 1×10, I’m so much happier, and fitness meant I really don’t miss the couple of gears top and bottom I lost.

Easier and simpler
Can run a n/w ring
Less weight
Can put a 22t emergency granny on and change by hand if really needed

The only real disadvantage of 1 x 10 has been the lack of a very low granny equivalent (without rebuilding mechs and adding dinner plate unramped aftermarket 42t cogs)

1 x 11 removes that disadvantage and Shimano XT 1 x 11 means not having to change to a different free hub (I think)

I didn’t realise how much less faff 1 x 10 was until I hired a bike on holiday that had 2 x 10 and godawful CTD levers on the fork and shock. I seemed to spend the whole ride either in the wrong setting or pressing levers like I was playing the piano!

Don’t think anyone has mentioned it yet, a minor point for me is that its easier to clean!

They’re easy to set up. It’s keeping them perfectly indexed that’s the problem. Slightest cable stretch, muck, worn chainring, worn chain and it’s screwed, chain dropping, jumping, won’t shift easily, jams or you get chain suck.

Bobbins, unless you’re using stuff far past the point it should be replaced. Doing this will affect any system.

Bobbins, unless you’re using stuff far past the point it should be replaced. Doing this will affect any system

but it affects a 1x system far less. Plenty of us prefer to run a drive train into the ground than constantly replace stuff

Completely secure chain which never comes off and doesn’t slap all over the place has to be the main benefit for me, plus just works so simply that you stop having to think about gears at all.

I went 3×9, 2×9, 1×9, 1×10. No thinking when using it. Can’t dawdle up hills so it keeps me fitter. Minimal maintenance. Doesn’t drop chains. If my local hills were bigger I’d probably go 1×11 but I’m strong enough to cope fine here.

Has anyone mentioned how much the behaviour of full-sus bikes changes with chainring size? It’s a really big deal and 1×11 solves a ton of problems, as well as making it easier to fit in big wheels and tyres.

However there are plenty of current bikes which are designed for 2x or 3x and with the switch to 1×11 they bob horribly uphill.

Many people on many threads have quoted difficulty in setting up a front mech or general maintenance as a reason for going 1x.

They have? Most threads have people sight 1x being generally easier to setup and maintain, which of course it is. But I don’t recall anyone saying they found front mechs “difficult” just that they wanted a marginally simpler life…

Anyone with even basic ability should be able to keep a front mech running well with very little effort.

Indeed.
But it feels more like you’re projecting something a bit personal, around “mechanical prowess” onto people’s personal choice of bicycle drivetrain… The world is full of minor differences Get over it…

On both of my bikes the front mech on my 1x setups have given me no hassle at all 🙂

The simple up down the gears just works better for me. The main things when considering it is to look at the numbers (top of the page) and try it as personal experience trumps the internet every time.

Indeed.
But it feels more like you’re projecting something a bit personal, around “mechanical prowess” onto people’s personal choice of bicycle drivetrain… The world is full of minor differences Get over it…

Yeah exactly. I think front derailleurs are a PITA, and that’s not because I’m a mechanical moron. It’s probably because my super strong legs put more tension through a chain so the front mech needs to work harder. Those with 3x and 2x setups off road probably have little chicken legs or something.

Also, I expect almost all 1x users have spent time on 2x and 3x setups previously and are therefore qualified to answer the question being asked. Whereas conversely most people who are still on 2x/3x have never used 1x for any length of time.

Lighter, more secure but most importantly one less thing to think about when riding.

Recently borrowed a bike while my shock was in for tuning, it was 2×10 as opposed to my usual 1×11. I kept finding myself getting confused, messing up sections etc as I was distracted by thinking about gear shifts. Imagine it’d be worse in a race scenario when on the limit.

But it feels more like you’re projecting something a bit personal, around “mechanical prowess” onto people’s personal choice of bicycle drivetrain… The world is full of minor differences Get over it…

I can assure you I’m projecting nothing and have stated many times that my ‘mechanical prowess’ is somewhere around average at best. I just find it amusing that people seem to need to make up reasons for going 1x and go on about it as if it’s some super evolution in MTB’s when it’s simply another choice that has up sides and down sides.

There’s no right or wrong answer. If you like 1x then well done, there needs to be no other reason.

When ‘new’ products come out that prove to be popular, those who don’t like or can’t afford them inevitably find numerous reasons why they’re not so good and that they’re just the result of marketing hype, like everyone buying them are just brainless sheep…

I have an open mind about this, but I gave been very grateful for those going 1×11 or 1×10 in particular as it has meant that I have been picking up chainrings cheap, both on classifieds here and elsewhere. This means that I can change my xt level 2×10 drivetrain ( rings, cassette and chain ) for about £75 which is less than half the price of a 1×11 cassette last time I looked. As things stand at the moment am not convinced that for me it is worthwile spending all the extra cash to gain a slight performance advantage.

As far as dropping chains etc. I have just come back from a week in the alps and with a clutch mech I had not one chain drop in the entire week, that was without any chain device fitted.

As a “bottom 20% fitness” rider, I was really wary of 1×11 and loosing my granny ring, but this year I got a 1×11 on a Codine 29er. Love it to bits. The bars look less cluttered, its far simpler to move between gears without grinding when not paying much attention and discovering the ground is now steeper. Im now amazed that I ever had 27 gears when 11 is more than enough.

Its probably not worth a specific upgrade, but if your looking at a new bike or drive chain anyway its a definite plus.

It just works really well, na faffing about and have plenty of range – for the riding I do, multiple front rings seem an unnecessary complexity. I was getting annoyed with the amount of duplicated ratios which always seemed mad.

Simplify and add lightness seems appropriate to bikes as well as cars to me.

Can you add lightness???

© Colin Chapman

A lightness applicator