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The gaps on a 1x system are the same as sticking in the middle ring on a 3x system and moving up and down the cassette.
No, the gaps on an 11 speed 11-46 cassette will be wider than those on a 9 speed 11-32. They have to be.
Thousands of miles. No chainsuck.
Lucky you. Those rings were famous for being very short lived, and I went through quite a few myself.
9-speed ratios:
11 / 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 21 / 24 / 28 / 32
11-speed ratios:
11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-46
So the 11-speed cassette is basically a 9 speed 11-32 with two extra sprockets added, with very large jumps on the bottom two.
I have only ever ridden 3xN mtb, 2xn Road bike and 1x1
but I know that 1x10,11,12 etc is wrong.
I have no evidence but it's just wrong
When I actually get to ride 1x n it will probably be fine.
No, the gaps on an 11 speed 11-46 cassette will be wider than those on a 9 speed 11-32. They have to be.
The smallest nine cogs on the 11spd cassette cover, guess what? 11-32T, the extra two gears are 37T & 46T. The spread is slightly different in that the 9spd starts 11, 12, 14, whereas the 11spd goes 11, 13, 15, ... but same number of cogs cover the same range. 😉
Edit: beaten by @hols2
this thread reminded me of:
I suppose earlier generations had to sit through all this huffing and puffing with the invention of television, the phone, cinema, radio, the car, the bicycle, printing, the wheel and so on, but you would think we would learn the way these things work, which is this:
1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;
2) anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;
3) anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really.
douglas adams.
yes!
more mud clearance, better chain retention on descents, dropper remote friendly, less flappy cables, & lighter
hols2
Member
9-speed ratios:
11 / 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 21 / 24 / 28 / 3211-speed ratios:
11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-46So the 11-speed cassette is basically a 9 speed 11-32 with two extra sprockets added, with very large jumps on the bottom two.
Gearing change is proportional (which is why the gaps start out small, 11-12-14, then get wider), so 32-37 is almost the same difference as 28 to 32 (14.2% vs 15%) and a smaller difference than 24 to 28.
I’m convinced for my road bike, never mind MTB. 10-42 on 46. Gaps are bigger but not as much as I thought. Range is enough for my riding: Spin out speed is faster than I can go on the flat, and faster than I want to go downhill; easiest gear is easier than the compact I had before. The simplicity is great. And the silence. I think it looks better too.
But if you are trundling along at 30mph+ on the flat and/or doing very long steep climbs with luggage, and/or like to keep a really constant cadence, then it’s not going to work for you.
it depends on what you ride and how you ride.
if you like downhill and dropping your saddle then a left handed dropper lever makes sense.
gear wise 1x11 32t-11/46t is plenty at top and bottom for me. if i want to go faster offroad i pump the bike.
just got a 2x11 gravel bike, that once i've finished a road ride challenge,
i'll make it 1x11 and fit a dropper to the left hand lever..
double and triple cranks only have so many gears anyway and you cant use half of them from chain crossover, newer mtb are designed for 1 by and so just work
Alas not
New bike 5010 last year 1 x 11
Missing ability to nudge up down gears.
Road my 20y Klein with 3x9. And like the more easier jump between gears.
Too many big steps.
Perhaps my 60 y knees need protecting
Doesn't take much to plan range.
When rear cassette goes then moving to 2x
Fortunately bagged a 5010 with front mech mount.
My 15 y heckler went to 2x from 3x and was OK with swap.
Whilst it looks neater, the gear steps are too much.
Going to 1 x 12, means new wheel.
Front mechs are shit - always have been, always will be.
There's always some contrarian nutter on here who will argue that they need a gear so low you could walk much quicker, whilst simultaneously having access to a gear that's higher than any World Cup DH racer uses.
JP
Wait till y’all try singlespeed...
😉
1 x is for the technically inept. Nothing compares to the satisfaction of mastering a smooth similtaneous double shift.
jjprestidge
Member
whilst simultaneously having access to a gear that’s higher than any World Cup DH racer uses.
Those guys are thundering down hills. The gearing on dh bikes is fine for dh but no good for road, which a lot of people ride on their mtbs to get to trails. DH gearing isn't really relevant.
(my trailbike has higher gearing than my dh bike now i think of it)
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12-reasons-1x-drivetrains-suck/
May one offer the above treatise for your consideration?
(turns and runs away giggling)
Sanny
You see, this is why I love STW.
I get all stressed over the crap happening in the news then I come on here and actually de-stress over how passionate we get over gearing options etc.
I really do love this place.
Serenity via the details of bike life.👍
Those guys are thundering down hills. The gearing on dh bikes is fine for dh but no good for road, which a lot of people ride on their mtbs to get to trails. DH gearing isn’t really relevant.
SRSLY?
You spin out 36x11 on the road on an mtb you also ride proper off road on?
With your love of super grippy tyres I find that incredibly difficult to believe.
I don't even spin out that gearing on derestricted Ebikes (downhill over 38mph I'll generally just tuck... long before spinning out).
1x1.
It’s the future.
There’s always some contrarian nutter on here who will argue that they need a gear so low you could walk much quicker, whilst simultaneously having access to a gear that’s higher than any World Cup DH racer uses.
Don't forget the WC XC guys, probably more relevant when you actually see the courses they ride in real life. As well as tech most on here would be demanding an enduro bike for, there will be flat sections and even slight downhill on tarmac and hard pack around the finish area. There's been a number of contested sprint finishes in recent years. Don't think any of them have bigger than a 38 single ring these days.
I'm nudging overweight and not particularly fit - tuesday night I could hold 23mph on the flat tarmac, 29er on ardents, 32x11 gear. slight downhill tarmac or fire road and I can push that same gear a bit faster (about 26 seems to be my upper limit), so its not the gearing thats slowing me, but my physical inability to put down enough power to overcome the air and rolling resistance, without a bit of gravity assist.
1×,2×,3× ...been on all 3 ...just use what works for you...sora 9 speed 34/50,11/40(comversion) works great for my uses...not masses of off road but mostly rough roads or bridleways..never had a front mech fail(can be a faff sometimes but a good clean goes a long way)never dropped a chain and when I have on other bikes(rarely)it was adjustment issues...
Dont take others words for it were individual ..so use what fits you ..whether it be 1×,2× or 3×...
May one offer the above treatise for your consideration?
(turns and runs away giggling)
Sanny
A magazine writer who still believes what he wrote in 2016 is relevant?? Bizonkers! 😆
1 x is for the technically inept. Nothing compares to the satisfaction of mastering a smooth similtaneous double shift.
Nothing? Your riding must be VERY boring.
You must be like those track days billies who insist on heel and toeing every downshift while scaring themselves at 6/10ths of lateral grip.
I am convinced. I definitely know how to set up (Ex-bike shop mechanic) and also use a front mech. From ‘87 - 2013, I used them all the time.
For me, it’s one less thing to think about. No more shifting to the big ring to prevent chain bouncing off, less planning of changes to minimise dual-shifting etc... On a technical trail, anything that makes things simpler is a real plus.
I have no issues with 1x11 range, let alone Eagle 1x12. They both just work and give me the gears I need every time. It also makes a more ergonomic dropper lever possible.
I must say though, I am a big proponent of using what works for you. If you prefer 2x or 3x - that’s totally fine. Use what you like and enjoy the ride.
Exactly, use what you want/have. I have 1x11 and wouldn't dream of going back to a front mech, it works for my riding, I couldn't care what anyone else does...
Embrace the choice. I'll admit that with 1x11 (30x10-42) I wanted one more low gear to twiddle up some lakes climbs and will get a smaller chainring to swap in for that kind of trip in future but for the bulk of my local riding it's spot on.
My Gravel bike also has 1x11 (40x11-40) and it's great for its usage but for a dedicated road bike I'd probably still go for a double.
I can see the appeal of 1x in scenarios such as...
The climbs you typically face are of a similar gradient, so you have a chainring and cassette that covers your normal riding.
You ride on mucky trails, changing at the front might go all pear-shaped while using mud for oil.
You don't clean your drivetrain after mucky rides.
I tried 1x8 for a while a couple of years ago (34T with 11-30 cassette iirc), it worked for my typical commute routes and hill reps. But then I discovered Copsewood/Dell Rd climb hiding just off Woodmill Lane I'd used on and off for years https://www.strava.com/segments/2558982 , which I still need to compare to Blissford Hill https://www.strava.com/segments/957214 , because right now I think the Midanbury climb is worse and a well kept Hampshire cycling secret... A few reps most days for a best part of a week wrecked my knees and so I went back to 2x, to get access back to my Wazoo's 24T granny ring.
My bikes are currently;
3x10 (soon to be 2x11)
2x10
2x11
2x11
2x11
1x11
There are good reasons for the way each of them is set up. Horses for courses and all that...
It’s at this point that those of us with hub gears or gearboxes interject smugly and then ride off (almost) silently
Yes but are you in that gear that is all soft and rubbery?
I've been running a x1 set up for quite a few years now after 20 odd years on various x3.
Although I've lost the biggest gears I've gained more lower ones and for me, having fewer gears doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm not racing but i still feel that I'm going as fast as previous but now have the ability to scale stuff I'd maybe toil on before. I'll tend to settle into gear and work harder and shift less. It's a bit like having a singlespeed with gears!
Riding a rigid bike and heading out into pretty wild places with a simpler set up works for me as well. I don't think front deraillers were particular bad or breakable but less is almost the same. I've actually daydreamed about an adventure type set up with a x2 up front with a round 32 and an oval 30 might be cool to try at some point as a nerdy experiment.
And although its ridiculous to even say this, visually, i think bikes look so much better with a x1 set up.
My bikes currently are
2x10 - fatbike
1x9 - ebike
rohloff 14 spd - tandem
SA 3sp - road bike
Going the opposite way from 1x1, I've ridden a recumbent trike with 3x9x3 (hub gear, 9sp cassette, triple chainring).
Last time the rear hub was shifting right, my dad was using it with a nice tight block (even though it's very heavy and you can't stand up and honk up hills, you don't really need the lowest of the gears available from this setup.)
I love 1x, one of the best things to happen to MTB in years. On my Voodoo Bizango with its SRAM NX 1x11 the chain has never fallen off, got jammed or suffered any issues whatsoever. The gear range is just about ok, really steep hills require a level of power I can't sustain for very long and I can spin out downhill but by then I'm going as fast as I dare anyway so it's not an issue.
The GX 1x12 I rented recently was even better, looking forward to getting my own soon.
I have a 1x10 and a 2x11. Way prefer the 2x. No drawbacks as far as ground clearance goes, can climb anything and hit 40mph (alright, 39.6) on a road downhill. Always feel like I run out of gears at both ends on the 1x. Struggle to climb the same stuff. Clutchless XT mech on the 2x never dropped a chain. 1x spat the chain off on the first ride. Yes, it looks modern and trendy but I'm not convinced there's any real advantage. Still, I only stopped riding a 26" 3x9 Marin two years ago so I'm probably stuck in the past. To be honest, I took the 2x XC hardtail away for a week after a couple of months riding the 1x full sus, was amazed at how snappy and versatile it felt. Went faster round Haldon on the hardtail...
At the end of the day just ride your bike and be happy.
jjprestidge
Member
whilst simultaneously having access to a gear that’s higher than any World Cup DH racer uses.
Those guys are thundering down hills. The gearing on dh bikes is fine for dh but no good for road, which a lot of people ride on their mtbs to get to trails. DH gearing isn’t really relevant.
(my trailbike has higher gearing than my dh bike now i think of it)
It's 2019, not 1989 - what are you doing riding your mountain bike on the road?
JP
I ride my mtbs on the road a fair amount.
Nipping down the docs or chemist etc...But mainly to get to the natural trails near me.
I think a lot of people do, can't just be me that does this surely?
I hope anyway! Lol
jjprestidge
Member
It’s 2019, not 1989 – what are you doing riding your mountain bike on the road?
Like I said- getting to trails. I have 1x on everything but I won't deny it's way inferior for that one job than my old 3x was. I prefer it for the actual important stuff, but it's a tradeoff.
I think Victor Meldrew would definitely not approve of x1.