So my chain finally died this weekend (5quicklinks :S) and the rest of the drive is worn to death too.

Last set up was 1×10 shimano Zee 32 x 11-36.

Thinking maybe of joining the future and going 1×11, but I remember hearing that the shimano 1×11 wasn’t up to much when it first came out. Is that still the case?

If I go to Sram I’ll need a new rear hub (deore atm so no chance of changing the freehub to XD), possibly time to upgrade my wheels too 😀 .

Looked at the shimano XT 1×11 groupset on chainreaction here, and they also have this . Is the crankset imperative?

What are you guys all running, what are your experiences, what do you recommend etc.?

On my good bikes, 2 x 9 with LX shifters, XT and XTR deraillers, Deore 26-36 rings, and XT 11-34 cassettes. Other bikes have 3 x 9 with assorted bits, mostly Deore. I still have 26″ wheels too.

If your mech and shifters are OK how about Sunrace 11-42 10 speed cassette and go 1×10?

That’s what I run on one of my bikes and works well.

Sram have a 12 speed cassette that fits a standard HG freehub, just to throw more options at you!

Actually, so do Sunrace!

o0o0o will that sunrace cassette work with a short cage zee mech?

I have Shimano 1×11 on both my bikes as that’s what they came with. Shifter, mech and cassette SLX with Raceface cranksets. Been great so far, no worries at all.

Suntour and shimano 11spd cassettes work fine with Sram shifters and mechs. No need to change to a XD driver unless you want to try the Sram cassette. I went from 10-42 30t to 11-46 32t On my 29er. I’d say the later with a suntour mx8 is a nicer range of gears.

I’ve 11 speed XTR shifter and mech on an 11-46 XT cassette and chain. works perfectly

Xt/slx 2×10 on the hardtail. Xt 2×11 on the bouncer.

Hardtail: 1×10 – Shimano XT mech and SLX cranks, either 30T or 32T AB oval chainring. Cassette is 11-36T with Hope TRex 40T with the 17T removed.

Spearfish: 1×11. Raceface AEffect crank with direct mount 30T round chainring (not got round to getting an oval for this yet), 11-42T Shimano cassette, Shimano XT mech.

Fat bike: 1×10 – Raceface AEffect crank with direct mount 28T AB oval chainring, Sunrace 11-42T cassette, Shimano XT mech

I personally found the move from 1×10 to 1×11 underwhelming…. in terms of £££ cost vs real benefits

Not saying it’s not ‘better’ … but it is somewhat use dependent,wheel size and what you ride.  12 or 13 speed wouldn’t change my life either…

All my cranks are 2x … I just stuck on NW rings…

The Zee mech is limited to however many teeth anyway without adding a goat link or similar.  That aside and a Deore mech you could stick on a 40 or 42 expander cog…

The negatives to >10 speed .. chains cost more, chain links ‘non-reusable’… you can’t switch just an expander…

If I was buying a new chain, cassette shifter and mech ANYWAY… I’d probably go 1×11 but I have a full 1×11 except shifter I can’t be bothered upgrading.

I’ve 11 speed SLX shifter and XT mech on an 11-42 XT cassette and KMC-X11chain. works perfectly 🙂

Absolute Black oval chainring on Race Face Turbine at the pedal end.

Also have a hardtail with 2×10 XT/XTR mix that works great too.

SRAM 1×11 and 1×12 here.

Next one will be a pinion gearbox

Sram have a 12 speed cassette that fits a standard HG freehub, just to throw more options at you!

Actually, so do Sunrace!

They also weigh just as much as a complete X01 11spd groupset!!

11spd X01 on the hardtail, cassette is hanging on in there at 3000miles

12spd xo1 on the gnarpoon, 1200 miles, should probably fit a new chain

Me_OAB 1×11 SLX with Sunrace Cassette

Eldest_OAB 1×11 XT/Deore and oval ring.

Youngest_OAB 2×10 Deore

Mrs_OAB 2×10 NX

XT di2 2×11 with syncro shift. Tried 1×11 last year but found it all too limiting and didn’t like the massive jumps in gear ratios between gears.

4 bikes all 11-46t XT or sunrace cassette with either GX 11s or XT 11s

mainly 34T chainrings 32T on fatwheeled lout

waiting for the trickle down shimano 12 speed with the 10-51T to XT

1×10 GX derailleur, shifter & cranks with 11-42 Sunrace cassette.

The cassette lasts for ages but the GX is nowhere as good as X9 gear.

Was fettling my MTB this week, and realised the rear mech was fubarred.

Briefly considered the upgrade to 2×11 – would have cost about £160 as I already have a spare chain for my Arkose, but in the end just bought a new XT mech and some fancy new cables.

It works for now.

As a fully paid up member of nerd-club, I would love Di2, but can’t really justify the expense.

@jimdubleyou – I’m with you on the Di2, I thought about it for the Spearfish but it was nearly triple the price and things like auto-trimming and multi-shift (or whatever it’s called when you can select when to shift between chainrings) are pointless on 1x setups. I’ve yet to smash a rear mech but I think I’d rather break a mechanical XT than a Di2 mech.

BFe: XT M8000 11-42t cassette, mech, shifter, crank, Superstar 32t oval N/W, HG54 10 speed chain

HB160: Hope 10-48t cassette, SRAM XX1 mech and shifter, Hope crank, Hope 32t ring, SRAM chain

The SRAM is OK but prefer the Shimano, especially the double upshift.  I like the Hope cassette, though.

Just to qualify the above:

T-130 … M8000 shifters, mech and 11-42, XT M785 cranks,

26″ Hardtail … Zee shifters, Deore Mech  11-32 SLX with SLX 685 cranks

Mega 275, Saint Shifters, Cranks, Zee mech and 11-36 XT

Kids HT … M8000 shifters and Mech and 11-42 — Old Deore LX cranks cut down.

Kids FS … as above with Zee cranks (cut down)

Spares bin .. 2x11sp chains (new), 6 pack of chain links, M7000 rear mech, M8000 shifter (but i-spec B) … M685 shifter (bar mount) … spare M8000 11-42…

Essentially if I could be arsed I could but the i-spec II for the shifter and make the mega 1×11….

1×10 xt/xtr on my mtbs for many thousands of miles. ill change cables cassette and chainring/chain when stuff wears out

If I go to Sram I’ll need a new rear hub

you could fit 11sp NX

Kinda got carried away with “upgrading” to 1x11spd. Maybe I could just slap a new cassette, chain and NW chainring on there.

Just have to wait for somewhere to have a sale on 104bcd narrow wide chainrings.

On my nukeproof mega I have a slx mech and shifter (second mech due to the old ones cage folding in half)

Just got some nice new saint cranks as the slx ones that came with it bent and the threads got damaged from catching a stump

I’d stay away from slx cranks if your buying new ones as the other one took a clip on a root and the pedal damaged the threads so it sat at a funny angle, wasn’t even the worst hit too didn’t come off because of it

The mech and shifter have been faultless tho smooth shifting and good chain retention (with the clutch on)

The slx cassette is worn now and has been skipping so I’m gonna get a sunrace 11-50 just hope it will play nice with the mech , the 42 is fine for most climbs but the 50t will be nice to change into for a bit of a break

Anyone tried that cassette with a slx mech?

Kinda got carried away with “upgrading” to 1x11spd. Maybe I could just slap a new cassette, chain and NW chainring on there.

If you need a new cassette as well … perhaps worth the jump?

£65 for SLX Shifters and Mech @ CRC?

Next one will be a pinion gearbox

haha. That’s the solution…

The bike industry might move to 1×12 pretty quick.

Personally think that’s boring. “Everyone is running 1×11 or 1×12 these days…”.

What I love:

2×10 Deore M6000 in mountain goat set up. 11…42 cassette with front 24T + 34T / new side swing front mech.

So rugged, so good, so low cost!

XTR/XT 1×10 11-42 with expander on two bikes (26 and 27.5) and SLX 1×11 11-42 on a newer 29er, but I’m about to try 27.5+ on that so have bought s/h wheels with XD driver and 10-42 SRAM cassette.

Not planning on upgrading to 11 speed on the other bikes – I like the 1×10 with the cassette expander.

Ragley has 3*9 xtr

Ibis has 1*10 zee with a radcage and 11/46 cassette and a 30t upfront.

9zero7 has a rohloff.

Wife’s pivot has 1*11 slx

Her salsa has 3*10 xt.

Doesn’t really make much odds to me although all the other combos work better than the zee and radcage mashup so don’t. Go down that route.

FS 26″ bike 3×8  (22-32-42 x 11-30) Shimano XT derailleurs with Deore shifters

HT 26″ bike 1×8 (30T x 12-36 bodged from an 11-32 SRAM cassette with the 11T removed and the 36T sprocket from a 9 speed cassette aded ) Sram X4 shifter, SLX shadow+ 10sp derailleur with a spacer on the cable anchor to make it work with the cable throw from the the 8speed SRAM shifter

OP – I’d recommend sticking with the 10 speed – on a budget? Get a sunrace or shimano 11–42 cassette, a superstar NW ring (30 or a 32) and a mech hanger extender from Ebay (£3)  a new chain.

FTR I have full GX 11spd on my FS and a 1×10 Frankentrain on my CX with 11-40 sunrace cassette, 40T NW and 105/XT mechanisms

1×11 nx on my main bike with xt 11-46 cassette , mech just died, was same with other sram stuff i had before, works nice, just doesnt last

1×10 slx / sunrace 11-42 on my winter hardtail on the other hand lasted for yonks

do i replace nx with x01 or just go full xt, is 11speed xt ok?

11sp XT here.

It works well, I use SLX cranks because I always have, they seem to be pretty bomb proof and good VFM.

Downsides are running a single means I’m using 1st a lot on steeper stuff and in nearly 15 years of riding I can’t think of another set-up that ate through cassettes so quickly. I’m 11-42 at the mo, next cassette (this one is 600k old and won’t take a fresh chain) will be 11-46 so I’m hoping to spread the load a bit more between 1st and 2nd.

Next groupset will be GX Eagle, not because of any real dislike of the XT set-up, just I’m buying a Bird and the Sram stuff is way better VFM.

Both bikes are Shimano shifters (XT & XTR) & mechs (XT) with 11s 10-42 GX cassettes and Race Face cranks. Can’t think how they’d be any better to be honest.

I have that very groupset with the exception of the chainring which is Blackspire Snaggletooth.

The chainset isn’t imperative for it to function but i do really like it, it works well, is a tried and tested format and looks good, (just make sure you protect the outer of the crank arms against foot-rub and it will remain as new. BBs are also cheap and last really well.

Personally I don’t think the shifting is great for the second best groupset in the range. It’s OK but I expected better.

Havig said all that, have you priced the individual parts up? I imagine you can gather that groupset cheaper by shopping around. E.g I paid £91 for the chainset (no ring)…

me FS 11-50 sunrace, XT mech and shifter (deore crank 30t raceface)

me HT 11-46 XT, SLX mech and shifter (XT crank 30t oval absolute black)

Lewis FS 11-50 sunrace XT mech and shifter (NX crank 28t snaggletooth)

Samuel HT 11-46 XT, SLX shifter and mech (no name 30T one piece that came with the bike)

I’m on 1×10 still

Deore M6000 11-42 cassette, chain and RD

Saint shifter

Raceface chester cranks and BB

Superstar 30t chainring.

I’ve got it dialed in really nicely now and the new M6000 RD is a lovely bit of kit.

Have a bit of a triggers broom setup and having replaced cassette, chain, and RD all recently, I could have easily been on my way to a 1×11 setup.

Going to hold out for a while and go 1×12 in the future and skip 1×11

1 X 10 on both bikes.

Sun-race 11-40 / 34t SRAM 9 mech and shifter

XT 11-36 / 32T Shimano Zee / Deore shifter

I think the Zee mech would struggle at 40T from how it sits under the 36 unless you can get some kind of donkey link or whatever under it.

I could happily be 2*10 with a closer ratio cassette on either bike.

You don’t have to stick to one brand.

I run SRAM shifters & mech, with Shimano cassette and Shimano compatible freehub, and KMC chain.

e.g.

SRAM X1 11sp shifter
SRAM GX 11sp mech
Shimano XTR 11-40 11sp cassette
KMC X11.93 chain
SRAM X-Sync direct mount chainring (GXP X0 cranks)

on one bike. Variations on others. One has an XT 11-42 cassette and the another has an X01 mech. Also Works Components chainring on one.