[Closed] what are the advantages of 1x11?

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 1x11 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 [i]slightly[/i] 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 1x10 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 1x10 but I still think 1x10 (or 1x11) 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 3x10 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.

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 1x11 gets me about 28mph comfortably anyway.

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

I'm on 1x10 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?

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 22x36 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 1x10 (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 2x10. 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 2x10 covers most of what people use in say 3x9. Problem is 2x10 is a much larger jump between the chainrings and that means more harsh shifting and inevitable problems. I got hacked off with my SRAM 2x10, 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, 1x10, 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 [i]really[/i] 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

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 3x9, 2x9, 1x9, 1x10. 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 1x11 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 1x11 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 1x11 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.

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 2x10 as opposed to my usual 1x11. 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 1x11 or 1x10 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 2x10 drivetrain ( rings, cassette and chain ) for about £75 which is less than half the price of a 1x11 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 1x11 and loosing my granny ring, but this year I got a 1x11 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

[img] [/img]
A lightness applicator

I'm not completely sold on 1x11 yet. I have a fairly narrow cadence sweet spot. The ratio gaps on 1x11 are bit wide for me. Add in if I load my legs up they die and I can't spin a high cadence like some people, so all of my 29er 26/39-11x36 get used every ride in my neck of the woods. I've git Sram xx and it works perfectly, it never drops the chain weighs a few ounces and I can find any gear I want more or less instantly. Ride what works for you, but I do wonder if the guys I see pushing up hills with their 1x10-11 have made the right choice.
Racing aside if I'm out for a bike ride I like to keep riding whether thats 2mph or 60mph.

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...

If that's directed at me you're way off. I don't dislike 1x and may even look at it in the future if I decide to consolidate my bikes in to a couple for specific uses instead of having a collection that cover the same bases. Don't like Sram but the Shimano stuff could work. I'm defo interested in 2x11 as well and cost is not an issue.

I have1x11 on my SC Bronson , the issue I have is once the chain/cassette becomes dirty or covered in mud etc, it becomes very noisy with feedback through the pedals which is annoying and distracting, does anyone else have the same issue. The bikes been back to LBS who checked all indexing and alignment but the problem still happens after a few miles.

Weirdly my SRAM 1x11 is often slightly noisier when completely clean at the beginning of a ride, then once it's a bit grimed up a bit it's really quiet!

Hmm. Maybe that's my problem - riding again yesterday and still having indexing problems at either end of the cassette. Might just be the noise you're describing.

The chain runs at a pretty nasty angle - that's probably what causes the noise. A bit of dirt might just damp the vibrations a bit

andylc - Member
Weirdly my SRAM 1x11 is often slightly noisier when completely clean at the beginning of a ride, then once it's a bit grimed up a bit it's really quiet!

That's a symptom I get now since I changed to Squirt lube. Great stuff and one of the advantages is you don't run a gunked up chain that's sucking in dirt and gunking up the cassette, but that's also contributing to noise as the chain rattles more, even if the rollers are wax coated and it's running & shifting smooth. At least that's what I've concluded. Not too noisy though.

I did the Scott Marathon at Church Stretton this weekend on my new bike – a lightweight FS with XX1. Normally I can climb the steepest stuff on my 29er HT but I seriously missed the lowest gear. I had to push on some of the climbs and was gutted. I may go to a 30t and sacrifice some of the top end. Other than that, I love it.

Got 1x11 on the spesh enduro and initially I found it strange but now I think its the way to go 😀

Great for positive gear changes and easy to setup

Only problem is the bloody price of a new sram cassette !