1x vs 3x: The Maths
- Thread starter CassidyAce
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1× drivetrains are meant to be used for riding mostly uphill in woodland, on muddy trails. A do it all bike does not exist, it's a consumers pipe dream. A 1× with 11-52 & 32 chainwheel on an mtb isn't the perfect set up for a long ride on the highways and byways of the world.
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I've got 1x11 and 1x12 and can't say I find the gaps too much, especially for proper off road riding. Saying that, the Whippet I just sold was 1x12 but I think it would have been better suited to 2x10. I use my 1x11 gravel bike on plenty of canals and it's spot on.
Didn't Sram make 1x simply because they were bab at front mechs? It's defo the Emperors new clothes and the main benefits have only come to light after it was well established but for most of us it's also not really a disadvantage IMO.
Canals are funny things. Flat - but not flat when you take bridges into account. There is no resting on canal rides either and if you do serious miles on them a gear change can be welcome compared to a SS.
Something like a 8 or 9 speed road close ratio block with the right sized chain ring will work a treat IMHO.
ultrazenith
Senior Retro Guru
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It's not quit 1x but for a number of years I've been building my own 8 speed wide range cassettes, by breaking and splicing together the cogs from a 9 speed 12-36 and an 8 speed 11-34 cassette. I then use a 30 tooth middle ring, which give me suitable gearing for everything bar fast road riding, at which point I shift onto the out ring. The inner ring is from 1996 and hasn't been touched by a chain for 5 years.
Oh, and I've also been using friction shifting in my thumbies for the past 5 years, somehow it's far better than indexing once the muscle memory's trained up.
Oh, and I've also been using friction shifting in my thumbies for the past 5 years, somehow it's far better than indexing once the muscle memory's trained up.
Nah...... 12 - 28T - and go the whole hog with a short cage road RD. Take no prisoners for riding on a canal path.
BarneyRubble
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Well, I guess based upon most of the above comments that I'm in the minority when I say, "I love 1X bikes!". 
I have a 2x10 SRAM setup on my 2013 Whyte 129 full suss 29er, 1x11 on my 2016 GT Grade Gravel bike (an upgrade to GRX 810 drive chain from the stock 105 double) and 1x on my 1996 GT bravado resto mod gravel bike (middleburn and Shimano Deore 10 speed with clutch). I've also had dozens of bikes with 3x over the years.
I can say hand on heart that when riding either of the 1x, I never think to myself "I wish I had more ratios". Like one of the previous posters said, if the hill is too steep, I change to an easier gear, if I'm flying downhill and spin out the pedals (rare on any bike these days, too scared of crashing) then I freewheel and have a little rest.
My 1x bikes are easier to set up, look cleaner/simpler and have fewer parts to adjust/break/replace. The chain line can look a bit stretched at the extremes of the cassette on the GRX setup, but I do a couple of thousand miles a year on this bike (as it suits the terrain where I live) and I can honestly say I don't think I am wearing out chains any faster than on a 3x set up. A much bigger factor in chain wear for me seems to be keeping the drive chain clean and freshly lubed. Where I live hills that require the biggest cog at the rear are few and far between, so the occasional use doesn't equal massive chain wear.
It does amuse me that some people get so animated about this subject - nobody is forcing anybody else to choose a particular setup, so just use what works for you!
I have a 2x10 SRAM setup on my 2013 Whyte 129 full suss 29er, 1x11 on my 2016 GT Grade Gravel bike (an upgrade to GRX 810 drive chain from the stock 105 double) and 1x on my 1996 GT bravado resto mod gravel bike (middleburn and Shimano Deore 10 speed with clutch). I've also had dozens of bikes with 3x over the years.
I can say hand on heart that when riding either of the 1x, I never think to myself "I wish I had more ratios". Like one of the previous posters said, if the hill is too steep, I change to an easier gear, if I'm flying downhill and spin out the pedals (rare on any bike these days, too scared of crashing) then I freewheel and have a little rest.
My 1x bikes are easier to set up, look cleaner/simpler and have fewer parts to adjust/break/replace. The chain line can look a bit stretched at the extremes of the cassette on the GRX setup, but I do a couple of thousand miles a year on this bike (as it suits the terrain where I live) and I can honestly say I don't think I am wearing out chains any faster than on a 3x set up. A much bigger factor in chain wear for me seems to be keeping the drive chain clean and freshly lubed. Where I live hills that require the biggest cog at the rear are few and far between, so the occasional use doesn't equal massive chain wear.
It does amuse me that some people get so animated about this subject - nobody is forcing anybody else to choose a particular setup, so just use what works for you!
This.
And when the novelty of having salvageable knees wears off, you join the dark side and everything is single speed
But remember good boots
Makes you a better hiker than anything
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