[Closed] 1x11 - not all its cracked up to be?

Exactly, 1x isn't for everyone but we're beginning not to have a choice. Granted, there are still plenty of front mech friendly frames atm.

Anything I've missed?

200 grams of unsprung mass your adding to the rear wheel.

200g? Almost half a pound? What cassette are you going from/to?

If you are racing, I can see the attraction of 2x10 with a nice closely spaced cassette and a decent gap between the chain rings. For me though (and I imagine most of the market) 1x11 is great

9 speed 250gram XT to 11 speed 450gram XT, assuming the weight for 11 speed cassette is correct.

Ah, thought we were talking 10sp currently. Still, that 200g could be brought down significantly if it was a massive issue.

Fairly underwhelmed by 1 x 11. The lack of range is a pain, quite literally, on long slog and steep climbs while I run out of gears on flat roads. The SRAM 11 42 cassette with all the cut outs does a tremendous job of becoming clogged up with mud while the jockey wheels clog up in sympathy in short order. All it does is limit my options on rides with no discernible benefits.

I suspect that chestrockwell has hit the nail on the head. I'll never buy a 1 x frame as it restricts my riding unnecessarily.

Thinking of changing from 2x9 to 2x10 or 1x11 and like the idea of clutch mech and NW rings. Previously tried 1x9 and loved the simplicity but I was on lighter HT, fitter and flatter trails. Think I've got this right but 2x10 i loose about 1/3 of a gear off the low end and 1x11 about 3/4. Quite a few variables to consider including cost.

I'd like to see a smaller 11 speed cassette with nicer gaps (11-34 or 36 maybe) to run with the new x000 series shimano stuff. Either single or double ring.

I doubt it'll happen tho.

What about using a Sram 11-36 road cassette? Yes, you'll need an 11spd road compatible hub but there are plenty of those and it'll work.

That is one thing i have considered, but I'll be leaving it a while. Until i can actually ride a bike again.

It should be pretty straight forward to just lace a road disc hub into an MTB rim.

Anything I've missed?

200 grams of unsprung mass your adding to the rear wheel.

I had already has that in the 'cons' list

I had already has that in the 'cons' list

Rotating mass isn't the same as unsprung weight, although in this case accounts for part of it.

Gears are the most boring part of a bike. Fact.

With a front mech and racing, you are wasting time faffing with front shifts.
If you struggle with the gear spacing in the few meters if trail where you adjust you cadence or power delivery, then your not really racing, youre only there to participate in an event.
With 2x, on 11-34, i want to get out of granny as soon as possible. Running through the cassette range in granny is not a good thing for me when racing. But having a fd just to allow those additional few different ratios when i can make a small close ratio sacrifice is easy to justify.
What about 1x11 10-40 with a 45t "safety" and plus 1or2 teeth on the front chainring?

Hmmm. You're either unable to set front mechs up or you've never ever done the same races as me. Or both.

Definitely the latter anyway.

Im dabbling with 1x10 and 1x11 at the moment full sus is 1x10 30t chain ring with 36 big on the cassette. Some big hills i think an expander would be nice but im making up for it with fitness. My cx bike is 1x11 the range of ratios is sorted at the extremes just a couple of the gaps take a effort to spin up to the next gear. Again i think a jump in fitness and ridding style is going to over come that.
Overall both have + - points and for me so far the + out weighs the - so far.

Oh dear - I spent a couple of hours this weekend converting a bike to 3x1

#rightofftrend 🙁

Lets say you are running 2x10. Probably compact 27/39
For a continuous ratio run, from granny, you hit mid cassette then need to shift into big ring and back to the largest cassette sprocket to not overlap.

Thats 1 chainring shift and 5 cassette shifts to not overlap ratios.

On 1x yes you might be shifting 3, max 4 teeth in 1 shift in the larger sprockets, but that's 1 shift vs 6 with 2x for the same effect.
That's wasted effort and a small amount of trail time under reduced power while making those 6 shifts to maintain a continuous ratio spread.

A 2t or 3t (2x10) vs 3t or 4t (1x11) mid cassette shift [as per parkesie] is made up for with fitness, which is surely a prerequisite for "racing".

My issue with 2x was finding the right gear as you have choices that overlap and I used to find myself in a less than ideal front ring more often than 'never' with 1x. More shifts finding whats right means less speed imo.

I've just gone from 2x9 to xt 11 as my old x0 rear shifter packed in. First ride today.

Its odd, and seemed rubbish on the road in the morning to be honest, but on the trails its amazing how quick you can get into a suitable gear.

I also found the "big-un" to be quite draggy, and not as easy as the 22x34 smallest gear on my previous set up (even though the ratio is the same) , seemed like the chain was crossed so much it added a bit of resistance and noise.

After a few hours in the mud, the dragging/noise had stopped, and I'd got used to and it didn't seem annoying on the road in the aft.

Can't really see a downside at the min, although I do miss my shiny carbon X0 9 speed kit!

I'm not sure if the xt kit is lighter than the x0 kit it replaced, but I'm sure their isn't much in it either way.

By the way, xt 11 speed mini group set is a very similar price to a 1x 10 speed xt mini group set. How have they done that!

I may be missing something here (wouldn't be the first time), but mist 2x cassettes are the same ratios (near enough) as a1x cassette. Therefore the spacing is the same. I had m8000 2x 11 with an 11-40 cassette, the 1x offering usually has a 11-42 cassette, the only difference between the 2 cassettes is the biggest sprockets, all the other gaps are the same. These gaps are in fact almost the same as as on a 11-36 10 speed casette, which is what you get with most 2x10 of 3x10 setups. Obviously you could use a road casette, but I see very few xc racers reducing the range on their cassettes. Also, and the reason I swapped to 1x, is that if you are in the granny ring it is probably quicker to walk/run!

I can see the point in 2x if you live somewhere with proper mountains, but not for racing (24h excluded).

I rather like mine, liked the 1x10 that I took off to fit the 11spd too.

My new bike comes with 2x11 and I'm seriously contemplating binning the double, front mech and 11-40 cassette and slipping on a 11-42 and a 30t front.

ghostlymachine - Member
Hmmm. You're either unable to set front mechs up or you've never ever done the same races as me. Or both.
Definitely the latter anyway.

I'm absolutely loving my 11 speed XT so far. At the weekend up a steep snowy communications mast access road I was riding with a friend who's been riding 1x10 with 11-36 the same as I had a been using and we're very evenly matched fitness-wise. We've both ridden around for about 18 months / 2 years with 1 x 10 XT.

My knee has been hurting me recently so I took the 11 speed plunge in the hope it might help lower the stress through the knees a bit.

The ease and speed I could go up the steep horrible climb on the 42T was very impressive. I just span away from my friend on the 36. He said at the top he was trying to keep with me but there was nothing he could do.

I was expecting to go slower with the 42T and wasn't too bothered as just getting a ride in without knee pain is a huge achievement at the moment. Forget the racing etc. I just want to ride at all. In reality the 42T isn't making me slower. I'm able to carry on turning the pedals where otherwise I'd be gasping for air and stopping.

I'm actually looking forward to finding out more about the 46T XT cassette. I could go up to a 34T front ring then and gain speed on the way down without missing any of the climbing ability.

Or you could have installed a front mech and had that all along.

Whatever... my experience with a front mech was dire once I got fitter and faster... and I will never ever go back. It was pray before a front change that either the chain wouldn't get sucked in and jam between the chain stay or the chain wouldn't just jump straight off into the BB and jam in the mech.

Pre-climb set the front mech just meant you ended up spinning until you ended up at that slow speed. With 1x you power up the first part of a climb, click a few gears and you're at the top already.

So yeah... if you like 2x or 3x... keep them but for racing or anything remotely bumpy... 1x is the dogs and now it has the range and the much lower price of entry.

Really?

I just press the button and bingo, rings shifted.

Much the same as the other post up there ^^^^ If i want to go little to big (or vice versa) i just choose my moment, press the button. Then a couple of clicks on the rear mech and i'm in the next ratio. Not my fault if you get confused by having more than one chain ring.

Then a couple of clicks on the rear mech and i'm in the next ratio. Not my fault if you get confused by having more than one chain ring.

I'm sorry some of you don't like it but it works for a lot of people.

And it doesn't work for me. I've tried it. Dunno why everyone keeps trying to sell it to me based on their own experiences, which i've not had.

Praying for a shift to happen.
Hoping that it doesn't drop the chain.
Just living with a poor gear selection.
Getting confused by how ratios work and the point of a double set up.
Only there to participate, not actually racing if you are using a double (now that's hilarious and i'm sure my sponsors/employers over the years would have been delighted to hear it)

Meh. I'll wait for 1x15. 😉

And FWIW the pointy end of the last race i watched was about 1/3rd 2/3rds split in favour of singles. I suspect that will have shifted slightly this season as more and more new bikes come built as 1x.

Rotating mass isn't the same as unsprung weight, although in this case accounts for part of it.

Yeah I know the difference, I was just being more specific 🙂 .

ghostlymachine - Member

Praying for a shift to happen.
Hoping that it doesn't drop the chain.

That's just setup/part selection issues tbh, 1x should shift as well as 2x or 3x (since it's functionally identical where shifting is concerned) and has better chain retention not worse.

There's totally legit reasons to not like 1x and it seems like you have enough of those, but these 2 aren't.

There's totally legit reasons to not like 1x and it seems like you have enough of those, but these 2 aren't.

the chain wouldn't get sucked in and jam between the chain stay or the chain wouldn't just jump straight off into the BB and jam in the mech.

That's a setup issue it's not the fault of the front mech and is not typical of other peoples experience.

Don't blame the front mech!

In 15+ years I cannot recall either myself or any of my riding friends having issues with the front mech, far more likely to have issues with rear mech, brakes, chain or indexing.

In 15+ years I cannot recall either myself or any of my riding friends having issues with the front mech, far more likely to have issues with rear mech, brakes, chain or indexing.

POSTED 4 MINUTES AGO #

That really surprises me . I've had plenty of instances of people in the wrong front chainring trying to change onto the small ring but not willing to back off the power resulting in twisted or broken chains and worse . I also work in a bike shop and see plenty of evidence of this on repairs that we take in .

That really surprises me . I've had plenty of instances of people in the wrong front chainring trying to change onto the small ring but not willing to back off the power resulting in twisted or broken chains

Now you mention it I do recall two instances of just that, changing up under power and twisting a link, the two riders involved have zero mechanical skills and zero mechanical sympathy and was most likely caused by rider/ poorly setup front mech.

It's just not as big an issue as people are trying to make out, personally speaking it's a non issue, it really is.

ghostlymachine - Member

they are dirksdigglers reasons for not liking 2x. Not my reasons for not liking 1x

OK, not being funny but you could maybe work on making your posts a bit clearer then, because that's really not how it reads at all

I don't think it was setup wrong. It would work perfectly when tested or if you tried to show someone it going wrong. It just didn't perform well when I'd need it to most while out on the trail.

Nobody's saying ditch 2x or 3x if it works for you. My experience on my first MTB in 2013 was that it didn't work very well for me and it made an otherwise enthusiastic new rider unhappy with it's unreliability.

Saying dedicated 1x11 isn't all it's cracked up to be is going to attract a fair bit of flame attention.

Saying 1x10 isn't all it's cracked up to be would be fairer because there is a range issue with 1x10 with normal cassettes and expander cogs are a bodge.

When you add in the extra 11th bail out 42T gear above a 36/37T the 1x11 range is massively expanded and very usable. I don't personally need the 10T SRAM has where I live.

Now I've tried M8000 for myself on my bike and on my steep hills I'm very happy with my setup.

I can't see how ditching a DM oval ring, chain guide, adding a double spider, two new chain rings, a front mech, a front shifter and a new cable inner and outer is going to help me now... it's adding more moving parts that could break and more weight making it need the extra ratios it adds.

See, if I was to post something about some folk being too incompetent to set up and use a front mech, I'd get all sorts of attacks because "no one ever says that". I should really bookmark this post for future reference. Pity I can't be arsed going through the various other similar threads and quoting them all.

[quote="Northwind"]OK, not being funny but you could maybe work on making your posts a bit clearer then, because that's really not how it reads at alla)I'm getting steadily worse at English. I don't interact with a huge number of native speakers. b)think i was on my phone c)i was never particularly good at English anyway.

I'm definitely too incompetent to set up a front mech- there are photos. I hate it. Always get there eventually just by infinite monkeying it though, so it doesn't influence what gears I fit.

contemplating a new bike. Reading thread with lots of interest.
Trouble is it's such a ball ache if it is all not what I would want...

Currently it's either SS (32:17) or 3x8..
Going to be a shock either way. 🙂

Go 2x7.

[quote="scotroutes"]See, if I was to post something about some folk being too incompetent to set up and use a front mech, I'd get all sorts of attacks because "no one ever says that".It's like criticising someone's driving. Might as well ask them to punch you in the nuts for all the good it'll do.

Though once you've worked in a shop for any amount of time you'll feel like punching them in the nuts. The ones they seem to have lubricated with salt paste and tightened with a 2 foot bar.

Just paid for 1x11 for my race HT. Currently running on 1x10 (30T 11-36) which is fine for racing but a bit limiting for training/more general riding.

XX1 cassette
XT m8000 Ispec B shifter
XTR M9000 medium cage mech

Training wheels will run a XT 11-40 cassette (save on XD driver and allow move back to 10speed for other bike)

[quote=ghostlymachine ]sThough once you've worked in a shop for any amount of time you'll feel like punching them in the nuts. The ones they seem to have lubricated with salt paste and tightened with a 2 foot bar.
I've worked in a shop....