Discussion
okgo said:
Watchman said:
I don't either but there's likely a lack of mechanical sympathy in operation there. Seems to happen a lot to her friend too (also female). I look after both bikes and I can never make it happen on my stand or brief test rides.
If I could afford it, I would buy her an electronic gearset.
Electronic doesn't stop that sort of thing, sadly.If I could afford it, I would buy her an electronic gearset.
I know what you mean, the same reason I see more ladies grinding up a hill with many more gears to use, or churning a huge gear on the flat, funny one.
I had hoped electronic shifting might solve this but now that I've thought about it, there's nothing to be gained by increased accuracy if I've already got the indexing spot-on today (I have) and the riders are simply pushing too hard on the pedals.
I will continue to try and educate them. Although... I might see about moving my wife to a 1x. She never has problems with the towpath bike.
Funnily enough the reason it never happens to me is because I don't have the leg-strength to grind. My paltry few hundred miles a year is laying me to waste.
Daveyraveygravey said:
I might be misunderstanding this, are we talking about when the chain comes off at the front? If so, I find using the handy front derailleur nearly always puts it back on?!
If someone does not have the basic mechanic understanding not to shift under immense load, or from a cross chain situation then its unlikely that coaxing it back on using the front mech is within grasp either. And of course some bikes are designed it seems for the chain to get jammed when it comes off vs being easy to shift back on.okgo said:
Daveyraveygravey said:
I might be misunderstanding this, are we talking about when the chain comes off at the front? If so, I find using the handy front derailleur nearly always puts it back on?!
If someone does not have the basic mechanic understanding not to shift under immense load, or from a cross chain situation then its unlikely that coaxing it back on using the front mech is within grasp either. And of course some bikes are designed it seems for the chain to get jammed when it comes off vs being easy to shift back on.My winter bike is 1x11, 44T chainring and 11-32 cassette. I can get up everything in the Surrey hills and I've also done the club winter chaingang (~40km/h average speed) on it, so for me it works fine. I freewheel down some of the bigger hills but that gives me a rest 
By not going for a ridiculous range cassette (10-42 or whatever) the jumps between gears isn't noticeable. I think I'd stick to 2x on a bike that I might race on as you really need the bigger gears. But I'd happily build up a nice ti summer bike with 1x for general riding.
If you've got Di2 try setting it to full synchro shift - you'll soon realise how many gears are redundant (duplicated) on a 2x system
By not going for a ridiculous range cassette (10-42 or whatever) the jumps between gears isn't noticeable. I think I'd stick to 2x on a bike that I might race on as you really need the bigger gears. But I'd happily build up a nice ti summer bike with 1x for general riding.If you've got Di2 try setting it to full synchro shift - you'll soon realise how many gears are redundant (duplicated) on a 2x system
My pal Matt Brammier used to ride for Aqua Blue Sport, they rode a 1x 3T. Even he found it not ideal, but they coped and the marginal win on weight was worth it.
For mortal man not on the pro circuits, the ride will be fine, what becomes less ideal is having to have a wide ranged rear cassette and the indexing challenges that can come from it.
My Gravel bike as a 1x (SRAM Force One). 42T upfront, 11-42 on the rear. For a gravel bike it is fine. 1:1 ratio for hills is more than you need....and the only loss is high-speed, mostly downhill. That element would become more challenging on a road bike. I can't comfortably spin my bike above 45/50kph, whereas I can push it a good 10kph faster on my road bikes with 50/34 and 11-30.
To make it work on a road bike, it would need to be a bigger ring upfront, IMO, which means an even bigger dinner plate cassette, with bigger jumps between. The challenge may end up being a derailleur that can cope?
For mortal man not on the pro circuits, the ride will be fine, what becomes less ideal is having to have a wide ranged rear cassette and the indexing challenges that can come from it.
My Gravel bike as a 1x (SRAM Force One). 42T upfront, 11-42 on the rear. For a gravel bike it is fine. 1:1 ratio for hills is more than you need....and the only loss is high-speed, mostly downhill. That element would become more challenging on a road bike. I can't comfortably spin my bike above 45/50kph, whereas I can push it a good 10kph faster on my road bikes with 50/34 and 11-30.
To make it work on a road bike, it would need to be a bigger ring upfront, IMO, which means an even bigger dinner plate cassette, with bigger jumps between. The challenge may end up being a derailleur that can cope?
I think the group set manufactures have come on a long way since 3T ran 1x 11 speed with Aqua Blue. Hats off to them for running it in the Pro peloton.
Now there is wide range12 speed from SRAM 10-36. Plus the Campag Ekar 13 speed. Rotor also offer 1x 13 speed.
If my calculations are correct, at 90RM cadence using Campag Ekar 1x 44T chainring and 9-36 cassette with 700x30c tyres, velocity speed is 35.5mph.
Not too shy ?
I have a 3T Strada, bought from Merlin but the team spec so Aqua Blue colours and lovely 60mm wheels.... 50 at the front, 11-36 at the back. The gaps are a little annoying as I was previously riding 52/36 and 12-28. I’ve got a 44t chainring to fit if I go somewhere really hilly but I’ve managed most big climbs around here with the 50t, Cheddar Gorge, Burrington etc
I probably climb a bit slower on it as cadence is lower but it’s a superb bike to ride and overall, I’m probably faster on my normal routes compared to the previous bike, you just pedal harder .
Aqua Blue had numerous issues but SRAM and 3T suggested the issue was likely to be the daily swapping of chainrings and cassettes to suit and alignment issues
For the pro peloton, 1x will never be the answer except for some of the one day classics maybe
I probably climb a bit slower on it as cadence is lower but it’s a superb bike to ride and overall, I’m probably faster on my normal routes compared to the previous bike, you just pedal harder .
Aqua Blue had numerous issues but SRAM and 3T suggested the issue was likely to be the daily swapping of chainrings and cassettes to suit and alignment issues
For the pro peloton, 1x will never be the answer except for some of the one day classics maybe
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 29th October 17:01
I agree with most of what everyone else has said - for many amateur riders, 1x is just fine.
If you’re a serious club rider and regularly get in chain gangs where your speed and cadence need to be just perfect, you might miss the additional gears of a 2x. If you’re a more casual rider, I doubt you’ll notice it.
I test rode a couple of Masons recently - a Resolution with SRAM Red etap 2x11 and a Definition with SRAM Rival 1x11. On a little 13k loop from Mason HQ, I was actually a little quicker on the 1x on a mix of hilly roads and light gravel/tow path. It’s not a completely fair comparison and my average was only about 24km/h for both rides, but I thought it was interesting that I was perfectly happy with 1x for everyday riding.
If you’re a serious club rider and regularly get in chain gangs where your speed and cadence need to be just perfect, you might miss the additional gears of a 2x. If you’re a more casual rider, I doubt you’ll notice it.
I test rode a couple of Masons recently - a Resolution with SRAM Red etap 2x11 and a Definition with SRAM Rival 1x11. On a little 13k loop from Mason HQ, I was actually a little quicker on the 1x on a mix of hilly roads and light gravel/tow path. It’s not a completely fair comparison and my average was only about 24km/h for both rides, but I thought it was interesting that I was perfectly happy with 1x for everyday riding.
I have been running 46 x 36-11 with 11 speed Shimano for over a year and it's the best modification I have made to my bike.
The fluidity of the changes is great and I would say it suits the rolling terrain you usually get in this country.
And gaps between gear seem almost perfect (mind you the fastest are 11,12,13 but I had another cassette with 11,13 instead and it was a bit annoying).
The fluidity of the changes is great and I would say it suits the rolling terrain you usually get in this country.
And gaps between gear seem almost perfect (mind you the fastest are 11,12,13 but I had another cassette with 11,13 instead and it was a bit annoying).
Edited by chris7676 on Friday 30th October 10:41
snobetter said:
I won a gravel frameset which was one by, I run a 44 and 11 speed 10 - 42, so top and bottom is the same as my 2x road bike. Take it all over Devon and beyond, never had an issue, never felt I needed a slightly different gear.
If you were racing, probably different
This hits the nail on the head for me.If you were racing, probably different
My road bike is 1x with a 42t up front and a 10-42 cassette. It's done week long trips in the Alps, Pyrenees, Cllassics sportives etc and I've never once had issues with the gaps between gears.
I don't have a bike with a front mech now, the road bike, commuter, MTB and CX bikes are all 1x or singlespeed.
First proper ride on a 1x drivetrain last night. 2 hours of CX training at a very muddy track. Lots of picking the bike up, jumping over things, putting it back down again, sliding down banks, falling off, sprinting up steep slopes and running up stairs and I didn't have a single chain drop. Bike was caked in mud by the end but had no chain suck issues. Super impressed.
I rode (borrowed) a 3t Strada for 3 months this year with a 52 and 11- 36 (ex team bike running SRAM force). Yes not the best gearing for hills but got up everything I went over and can't say I missed the extra gears most of the time (although used for one TT where gearing not ideal due to gaps)
Loved it so much I picked up one of the Merlin framesets and building up with a grx mech to allow for larger cassette options. So yes for me, happy with 1x on the road and sticking with it.
Loved it so much I picked up one of the Merlin framesets and building up with a grx mech to allow for larger cassette options. So yes for me, happy with 1x on the road and sticking with it.
ScotHill said:
Don't the 12 speed cassettes and the dinner plate sized 11 speed cassettes cost a bomb to replace though?
To be honest, the respective replacement cassettes are pretty much a similar price, if you are comparing like for like. Ie Shimano Deore with Deore, SRAM Force with Force.If you are swapping from 2x to 1x with larger cassette, you will need a longer cage rear mech.
okgo said:
If someone does not have the basic mechanic understanding not to shift under immense load, or from a cross chain situation then its unlikely that coaxing it back on using the front mech is within grasp either. And of course some bikes are designed it seems for the chain to get jammed when it comes off vs being easy to shift back on.
If you are in a cross chain situation, won't any gear change improve that situation? You're either in the largest cogs or smallest at both ends, so the only change you can make would be a better one?Luckily, neither my road or mtbs lose the chain at the front that often, and the times when it has jammed have been almost nil.
Daveyraveygravey said:
If you are in a cross chain situation, won't any gear change improve that situation? You're either in the largest cogs or smallest at both ends, so the only change you can make would be a better one?
Luckily, neither my road or mtbs lose the chain at the front that often, and the times when it has jammed have been almost nil.
Given the angle the chain is coming at when you go from biggest at the back and big ring to small ring is such that it falls off more often than any other combo I think. Luckily, neither my road or mtbs lose the chain at the front that often, and the times when it has jammed have been almost nil.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff