[Closed] 1x11 and long XC rides.

yes, I do. I have a 22T old school granny alongside a 32T oval (Absolute I think, or might be a S/Star with an Absolute in the parts bin waiting to go on) on an extender cogged 11-40 10spd set-up.

Never had any issue, there's no shifting ramps on the larger ring to try to pick it up, and also given I spaced the chainset so that the 'single' ring is mid cassette (or use a triple chainset using Granny and middle), the inner is virtually straight line on about 3rd cog at the back, so hardly cross chained at all in 2 or 1 and any bend is away from the middle ring. It does mean that trying to run granny and 6 or 7 is about all I'd run before it crosschains badly the other way - but then given the stealth granny is for 'oh ****, another big hill' emergencies G and 4 is about all my little legs would do at that stage anyway

(32:40 is the same ratio as 22:27.5 which is G and 4 give or take, if I'm in G and 5 or higher I could do it on the main ring anyway)

Excellent, thank you 🙂

IME, with the exception of racing, the further you ride, then the greater need for lower gears as downhills become more about recovery. 22 hours into a 24 hours ride and it still isn't low enough. My preference is 26 x 42 on my fatbike and 29+ - might be a bit spinny for some, but I still pass other riders going uphill. It also helps going 'offpiste' on loose surfaces, sand and snow where mashing a gear simply results in a spinning rear wheel.

@dovebiker - I had 28x42 as my lowest gear on my fat bike out in Rovaniemi and definitely used it a few times whereas I rarely used the top gear - that was usually on the downhill road sections. A 26T would have been a better spread for me.

Going off-piste didn't require gears as it usually resulted in snow angels 😳

That stealthy granny idea is genious

Agreed, it gives you all the advantages of a 1x setup, but with the option of a 2x when it's needed. Awesome idea.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing but find it a faff to stop and move the chain from one ring to the other when I want a bailout gear or when I want to shift back to the 1x cog.

I might see if I can bodge together some sort of mechanism to move the chain from one ring to the other without having to stop and get off the bike.

That would be todally the best option... I'd get all the respect and kudos for having a gnarpoonlike 1x system, but with all the flexibility and advantages of loads of gears. I think I'm going to call it the Umwerfer.

Sorry mate, I beat you to it a few posts ago.

Expect to hear from my Solicitor about Patent Infringement

Sorry ScotRoutes. Your shonky grammar confused me.

Or at least I thought it did. Having re-read your post, your grammar was spot on, and reading it again taking account of the Oxford commas, it actually makes perfect sense.

Humble apologies.

Yeah yeah........

For 90+% of my riding I don't need a stealth granny, or a mechanically shiftable granny. i also don't need an extra shifter, and a front derailleur gathering mud on my downtube.

For rare occasions, massive days out, etc., I like to have my 35g insurance policy, which can be fitted with 4 bolts in a few moments the day before*

On these days the ability to change gear with a lever isn't a major help, because at that point a few moments off the bike changing it manually gives a bit of respite / chance to stretch / lie on the floor with cramp.

* who am I kidding. For 35g it can stay on. But I'm still not fitting a shifter, derailleur and cables.

For 35g it can stay on

I'm relieved you wrote that. I was starting to get brainache at the thought of someone taking time to remove/add a granny before each ride.

I had a 30 chain ring and 11-42 cassette on a 29er and found it hard on the climbs yet at the top-end it would spin out at 45kph so hardly ever used it so am now going to change to a 28 chain ring and lose some top end speed.

The low-end gearing is far more important than the top-end, how much time do you really spend pedalling at 40+ kph off road, compared to how often I'm going up a steep hill and wish I had a lower, more powerful, gear ?

Plus, lacking at the bottom-end bothers me a LOT more than having to cruise at anything over 40kph. Especially on long distances e.g. 40-60 miles.

I'm relieved you wrote that. I was starting to get brainache at the thought of someone taking time to remove/add a granny before each ride.

I did use to - but it wasn't each ride, it was once every now and then (maybe a few times a year). But then I realised first swig out of the waterbottle made more of a difference and gave up 😉

Ride Sram X1 10-42 on a 30 - all day up / down no worries. Left 3x on my hardtail XC for long days with uphill but found I just adjusted my style, got fitter, spin faster and never bother taking out the lightweight xc any more.

1x doesn't even save all that much weight or space. You'll just be slower than you need to be overall.
Don't be tempted by lame fashion.

6079smithw - Member
1x doesn't even save all that much weight or space. You'll just be slower than you need to be overall.
Don't be tempted by lame fashion.

Lol at the idea of adding a manual-shift granny gear for the fashion victims who have to have the latest 1x trend regardless of its unsuitability.

Lamé fashion? I could never pull off metallics.

OP - I went back to 2x because I wanted a greater gear range for my long distance rides. I'm sure someone will have posted their spreadsheet demonstrating how 1x can match 2x (but the best 1x systems cost more). I was not willing to spend the extra money on the best 1x to solve a problem i didnt really have since 2x gave me what i needed.

It's a funny fashion 1x. Lots of people do it but often at a compromise (less slick gear changes, missing high and low gears, cassettes wearing out quickly, having to push up steep hills etc).

Also, everyone on this forum is anonymous and no one knows how each other rides, how fit, their version of a long day, trail centre, mountains or canal tow path etc. It's only you who'll know if it's right for you. Try it and see how you get on. You might love it.

I'm sure someone will have posted their spreadsheet demonstrating how 1x can match 2x

One thing's for sure. I know what I ride, and what I want/need more than anyone else, which is why my response to anyone who say "xxx is all you need" is "no, xxx might be all YOU need".

There's a reason Shimano make front mechs still, and it's not because they're behind the times. And new Di2 overcomes MTBers' inability to coordinate 2 shifters too.

On the one bike I did put 1x11, the frame being able to accept 2x and having 73mm BSA BB was a major selling point. And the Shimano 1x11 crank is actually 2x11 but with no granny installed. I can upgrade to 2x11 at any time for peanuts.

The 3x9 XC bike will get upgraded to 2x11 sometime. That's the one I'll do 7-8 hour mountainy rides on. And sod the dropper too.

Let me get this straight... some people are going 1x but then leaving a granny ring on but not bothering with a mech and shifter!!!!

Fashion gone crazy, surely this is 2x but with the inconvenience of having to get off and physically move the chain!

If you say "I run with 32T chainring" then you have to qualify it with the wheel size you are using it with. Very roughly: a 2T difference in the size of the chainring is equivalent to the difference between 29 & 27.5 and between 27.5 and 26. So 32T on 29er is the same as 34T on 27.5 and 36T on 26" (very approximately but it's close enough for most analysis)

Don't know where edenvalleyboy gets his "less slick gear changes, cassettes wearing out quickly, having to push up steep hills" from. An XT cassette is going to wear just as quickly or slowly in a 1x system as in a 2x or 3x one. Similarly for the gear changes - it's only like being in the middle ring all the time. There is going to be greater wear on the chainring as there's just the one so it gets all the wear rather than sharing it between two or three.

There [b]is[/b] a loss of range, with a 1x10 setup (XT cassette with extender), it's about three ratios so you can choose where to lose them. I typically go for one at the bottom end and two at the top. Even so it's rare that I use either the 11T or the 40T cog, I've just got back from a 77Km ride in the Dales with 1550m of ascent, the lowest gear I used was 32:32, I'd got the 36 & 40T ratios left. Some steep hills in there: 25%, as well as some very slutchy ones.

I've posted before that it's not for everyone, but the blanket statements: "it's not for long distance XC" are demonstrably false.

Loving Scotroutes' ninja granny up there... 🙂

Personally I'm fine with 32t 10-42. My 2x10 bikes had gravitated to 26/38 and 11-34's which were faster at the top end, but to my mind once your past the scary no bail out granny, the bulk of the problem is Shimano deciding to keep the old FH and therefore lumbering any adopters with 11t top. Unnecessary limitation.

Should have mentioned that the loss of three ratios going to 1x10 was from a 3x9 drivetrain not a 3x10.

Fashion gone crazy, surely this is 2x but with the inconvenience of having to get off and physically move the chain!

Have you actually read any of the posts about it. It's not there to be used, it's an insurance policy just in case. On the days when it is needed it's not going to make a huge difference to the overall ride and the chance to get off and stretch as you change isn't a major issue.

For 35g, what's the issue?

And anyway, wtf gives anyone the right to tell me what works or not on my bike for (some of) my rides. Fashion victim? No, I have a setup that works for 95% of my rides and an insurance policy for 5%. Carrying a 2x setup that isn't needed for 95% of my rides just because it is needed maybe three times a year - that sounds stupid to me.