1x Gear Set-Ups

I reckon he needs a triple 😉 32/10-42 fairly close to that old 11-32, the 36t gives you a little but that is with the biggest front jump around 🙂

I know it’s fallen somewhat out of fashion now but plenty of people ride singlespeed, up hills that challenge many riders with gears.

Always goes through my mind whenever I see these threads. I haven’t used gears for 15 years but that is maybe because I don’t need them where I live I suppose (i.e. I don’t live in mountains).
Even thinking about using a 30/42 gearing is laughable, if that for riding up the side of buildings?

However, if I did move to gears it would be to a 1x with a cassette range of 11 – 21 (with steps of 1 tooth).

double does fine – I can spin at high cadence.

I love all the fashion led stuff in mountainbiking – It means I buy last years kit hardly used for pennies secondhand.

Seriously tho its the chainline thing that really gets me. My 1:1 gear has a straight chainline, on a 1×10 setup the 1:1 gear often has a horrid chainline.

I like front mechs so much I am considering putting on on my rohloff equipped tandem to get more than 500% gear range ;-). That should upset a few folk!

ride what you like – its about personal preference and balancing advantages and disadvantages One set up is not “better” than another it just suits some folk more

The ‘I singlespeed so I diss a big range of gears’ idea isn’t quite right imo. Singlespeeding involves huge amounts of low cadence power to get up stuff, usually followed by a descent (rest) or a flat (also a rest). The sustained power on a geared bike over all gradients means you don’t often have the massive power on tap that you would on a singlespeed, so having a reasonable gear range makes sense as you can maintain cadence.

I ride both, and on a geared bike I don’t climb like I do on a singlespeed.

Cheifgroove guru – you miss my point. lots of the rides I do have long steep climbs I need those very low gears. I also do not drive to ride – so need a high gear for thed road home. 400% gear range is the minimum I need, to get that on 1x gearing means huge jumps between gears and also spending time on climbs in 1st which has a horrid chainline. On a 2x setup I might be in third on the same climb – with a nice chainline

You’ve rather neatly proved my point! 😉 It is you, as an individual who needs that low gear for your long steep climbs – a rider with stronger legs but no more aerobic fitness might choose to forego those lowest gears and pedal more slowly to do the same climb at the same speed. Likewise a rider who is better at spinning fast may be happy to forego the highest gears for the road sections.

I don’t know how long and steep your climbs are but I manage just fine with my lowest gear being 32-36 on a 27.5 wheel – and there are many options for 1x that would give me a lower gear should I live somewhere with bigger hills. Regarding the high gear, do a mixed off-road/road commute most days and I’ve managed to spin to 40mph with a 32-11 highest gear – I can happily cruise on the flat or gentle descents without getting into what I consider fast spinning.

So for me as an individual, 1x works great in terms of gearing range. For the way you seem to prefer to pedal it sounds like you’d need a 10-42 cassette to get the range you need, which is a much more costly option than 11-36.

Chain line – how much does that matter? I’ve been running the same XT 11-36 cassette, 32 tooth NW chainring, SLX mech and a pair of KMC X10L chains for the past 2200 miles on my full-sus. I swap the chains back and forth now and again when I feel they need a decent clean (shake in a bottle with some paraffin). I measured the chain wear a few days ago and it’s just reached 1/16″ over 12″ or 0.5%. That seems pretty good durability to me?

I do remember chain line mattering with a front mech there to rub at more extreme angles! 😉

The really interesting thing about 2x on that chart is the massive overlap betweenthe rings. The top SEVEN gers on the 24t are almost exactly the same as the lower seven on the 38t, mayb 0.05 or so of a difference. Given that you can get pretty much the same range with a large 12/12 spd cassette, all you’re giving up is a whole load of redundant gears

I don’t get chain rub on my front mech.

I have strong legs and can also spin if I want – I ride a SS sometimes Bad aerobic fitness tho

The chainline issue with 1x upsets me like fingernails down a blackboard. That probably says more about me than anything else tho 😉 This is why I only have one bike left with a dérailleur ( one SS, one alfine, one rohloff one 2×9) The only reason its not been converted is weight. I like things to be “right” hence all my bike runs silently with no creaks or chainrub or brake rub

so having a reasonable gear range makes sense as you can maintain cadence.

Exactly, and coming from a single speed riders viewpoint a reasonable gear range is much smaller than 11 – 46. I am just coming at it from a different angle of increasing number of available gears rather than decreasing.

Not that I will ever use gears, I am still strongly following the 2003 fashion…

honourablegeorge – don’t forget the better chainline.

honourablegeorge – don’t forget the better chainline.

Chainline is fine for me, it might not fit the tight definitions of perfect but hell it works, lasts and has a hell of a good range.

The chainline issue with 1x upsets me like fingernails down a blackboard. That probably says more about me than anything else tho

If it’s saying more about you then you can probably rest assured the rest of us really don’t care as much 😉
These threads seem to always be full of Singlespeeders/2x/3x riders coming up with reasons why 1x doesn’t work. The news it it does.

Chainline in reality is pretty much irrelevant, the difference between a double and single is about 3mm- exactly the difference between being in the 1st cog, and being halfway inbetween the 1st and 2nd cog, in terms of angle of deflection. I could work out exactly what that is but I can’t be assed, it’s bugger all anyway.

Just did a quick sum and it appears the chain deflection is less than 1 degree more with 1x vs 2x. So outside of some people’s heads, does the variation in chain line matter at all? The numbers would suggest not!

On chainline – on my 2×9 setup my 1:1 gear is almost straight chain. on a 1x setup the 1:1 gear is at the extreme more or less. Big differnce

despite being an advocate of 2x, I can see the benefits of 1x in that it enables the designer more freedom with the frame design. If all you’re doing is “deleting the front mech stop” then don’t bother.

On chainline – on my 2×9 setup my 1:1 gear is almost straight chain. on a 1x setup the 1:1 gear is at the extreme more or less. Big differnce

I see your point – but other than the visual difference, what is the functional difference?

I’m starting to think that the 2x and 3x zealots are actually the ones being led by form over function…

Functional difference – a straight chain is more efficient and wears less and wears the sprockets less

Probably fairly insignificant in the real world but its the sort of thing that annoys me.

Functional difference – a straight chain is more efficient and wears less

You say that – but is there anything other than hearsay which supports this? The world of engineering is full of things that are ‘obviously true’ but when tested have been proved wrong or negligible.

I believe so but don’t have links Certainly not wrong but possibly negligible in the real world. Not negligible in my funny mind tho 😉

been on 1×9 for ages

never had a clutch mech, device or narrow/wide chainring and never lost a chain

I am very happily using 1×11 on my main mountain bike. It brings me a slight lightness of spirit. My last couple of bikes have been bought complete though, so I haven’t had to price up the SRAM bits individually. That may well have helped.

I run a 30T ring with a 10-42 cassette (29er). The low gear is pretty low. I’m well aware that a fitter and more determined rider would feel the lack of a taller gear at the top end 🙂

I went 1×10 earlier this year and really like it, haven’t once tried to reach for the left lever.
I’m on 32t NW + 11-42t suntour ms3 (i tried an oval but didn’t get on with it)

Can’t see myself on a 2x system again for MTB

I’m a little surprised that this continuation of the 1×11 thread has garnered so much opinion. I’ve been reading – and avoiding – these threads because it has been a non-issue for me for some time. Just like disc brakes on road bikes 😉

Been 1×10 for a couple of years and I love it. Performance across the board is such an improvement, it’s not costly and i’ve not noticed any increase in wear. My most common gears tend to be in the area with best chainline, and have not felt under or over-geared. Love a quiet transmission and have had zero dropped chains in 2 years of running it. I run 32/11-36 on a 2 29er HTs, and perfect for my riding. I don’t live in a particularly hilly/mountainous area but do ride in the mountains without issue – as chief said above, would go 40 or 42 if i lived somewhere like that. Happy to go 1×11 and no return to 2x or 3x. Will probably end up 1x on the road bike soon too.

tjagain – Member

Functional difference – a straight chain is more efficient and wears less and wears the sprockets less

Probably fairly insignificant in the real world but its the sort of thing that annoys me.

I’d say it’s hugely insignificant and just ot borned out by people’s experience in the real world where 1x drivetrains are lasting really well.

So, up until mid-summer, I’ve always ridden with a 3x something-or-other setup. Then I bought a new bike with all shiny new modern bits. Bigger wheels, huge bar, no stem to speak of, dropper post and a 1×10 drive setup with a clutch rear mech. I’m definitely getting killed by this setup on long draggy climbs, even with a 40t expander on the rear. However, I am rather…large boned…and struggle on most climbs anyway. Where I’m really enjoying the 1×10 setup though, is on the descents. No more thrown chains, or chains jammed between the rings and the front mech. This was a common enough occurrence on my old bike, generally after a rooty / rocky descent, immediately followed by a sudden sharp climb that required rapid gear changes, or more often than not, a comedy pedal spin whilst looking down at a loose chain in despair.

I’m also enjoying just not having to think about front mech shifts anymore. Will it change up or down on demand? Or has the mud and leaves clogged everything up too bad? I reckon I’m a 1×10 convert. It has it’s downsides for me, as I’m not fit enough to cope with what I feel is a reduced range of gears, (although that could all be in my head), but I just feel it works better, and there’s less to go wrong.

C. 🙂

Is it only me that never drops chains on 2x? Maybe because I am scrupulous about setup and maintenance?

<standard answer> It’s cos you is a mincer.

Anything remotely rough or fast and my old 2×10 setup used to slip the chain.

I’m 1×10 on my Aeris at moment (no support for front mech) and I’m going 1×11 at the end of the month due to longer distances and bigger climbs I’ve been doing.

I was slightly envious by the end of the 25 miles we’d done of the 30 gears one guy had.

I pretty fit for my size and I managed the 25 miles and 2800ft of climbing (32t front, 36 rear), but my legs were spent!

I don’t get the 1x versus front mech debate. Both are available and have their pluses, use whatever suits your needs.

Is it only me that never drops chains on 2x? Maybe because I am scrupulous about setup and maintenance?

Brand knew well built bike, perfectly set up and box fresh components and dropped on the first ride…

I don’t get the 1x versus front mech debate. Both are available and have their pluses

except in this specific thread where mike is considering the requirement for a front mech cable guide/stop on the 27.5″ Prince Albert frame

which ‘everyone’ is waiting for.

I’m a big fan and have been using them for ages – used to use 1×9 with a proper chain device way back.

Currently using 1×11 on my hardtail and really like it – the GX cassette and mech were not too expensive but seem to be lasting really really well.

The the sake of a couple of guides, I’d make your frame compatible with front mechs.

Been looking at 1x for my 26″ bike. I ride in the Lake District on triple 22/32/44 and 11-32 9spd.

I regularly drop into my 22 – 32 lowest gear (e.g. nan bield pass)

I also infrequently spin out 44 – 11 on downward road link sections.

The nearest range 1x would be something like 34T with 11-46.

But would I miss the top gear / would the lowest be low enough?!

Is it only me that never drops chains on 2x? Maybe because I am scrupulous about setup and maintenance?

No, unsurprisingly my front mech works really well as a retention device, chain is completely enclosed between mech cage and bash ring, you would need to split the chain or remove the bash to get it out.

I regularly drop into my 22 – 32 lowest gear (e.g. nan bield pass)

I also infrequently spin out 44 – 11 on downward road link sections.

The nearest range 1x would be something like 34T with 11-46.

But would I miss the top gear / would the lowest be low enough?!

32 46 is pretty much the same as 22 32 but then you would only have 32 /11 at top which is a way off 44 11

If you are regularly using the top and bottom then a 1x will be a compromise

anyway, now we have decided.

what colour should the new PA be?
and will it be simply called a prince albert or does it need some nominal tweak to explain the tweaks?

but then you would only have 32 /11 at top which is a way off 44 11

Next time you get to a hill like that leave it in the equivilent of 32/11 or 32/10 see what the difference is

tjagain – Member
Is it only me that never drops chains on 2x? Maybe because I am scrupulous about setup and maintenance?

Not only you. As you pointed out in another thread, I reckon too many folk are choosing the wrong gear ratios when descending.

Is it mainly a full-suspension thing where the rear mechs can’t keep up with suspension travel and subsequent chain growth/contraction?

, I reckon too many folk are choosing the wrong gear ratios when descending.

Yet another thing 1x fixes 😉

I’ve already said that I think 1x is ideal for those that can’t coordinate the use of two thumbs.

Two thumbs? Gears dropper and lockout? Maybe 2x is for people who have preconceptions…