Witterings

I'm very new to cycling and having any idea on what may make better brakes, tyres, groupsets etc.

You learn as you go along but it's an awful lot to take in all at once and takes a while to get your head round

I'm currently looking at a couple of different bikes in the same range but different spec models ... The "higher" spec / more expensive one has the 1x11 and the one down from that the 2x10 ... what differences would I notice between the two??

Most of my riding at the moment is fairly flat ... BUT ... I'm about to start taking on some hills and whilst I've been cycling a lot recently and become a lot fitter ... after quite a few years of not doing that much ... I'm really not the lightest and will still struggle with hills to start with.

If someone in "lay terms" could tell me which I'd be better with and why and if one would be much better at the "granny gear" stage ... that said I'm not one to be beaten and appreciate whilst hills initially will be hard the more you do the better you'll get and this bike will be a keeper for many years hopefully.

Any help in steering me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

HTupolev

How they compare depends on the particular setup. Which two bikes are you looking at?

50PlusCycling

It depends on the range of the 1x11 setup. If the range is wide enough, it'll be adequate for hills, bridges, highway overpasses, and the like. For genuine mountains I would want a granny gear.

Witterings

It was a general question as I see quite a number of bikes with the 2 different set ups and wanted to understand it although I am currently looking at the Giant Toughroad SLR GX1 vs the GX0

GX1 Link
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/to...-slr-gx-1-2018

GX0 Link
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/to...-slr-gx-0-2018

dsaul

For any road or gravel riding, I would go with the 2x10 system. While you can achieve the same low gear with the 1x11, its difficult to achieve the same high gear and the gaps between the gears will be larger. What that means is, when you change gears on the 1x11, you will have a larger difference in pedaling cadence.

A friend set up his gravel bike with a 1x11 system and he didn't like it, mostly because he felt like he was always in the wrong gear on the road sections. He was either pedaling too fast or too slow and couldn't keep up on the faster sections because the high gear was lower than everyone with a 2x drivetrain. He ended up switching to a 2x system on that bike.

MRT2

Either of these bikes should provide plenty of gear options for general riding. It really depends on your personal preference. Do you hate switching chainrings to get the most out of your drivetrain? If so, then do with the 1 x 11. Do you hate having big jumps between gears? Because the 1 x 11 bike has an 11 - 42 cassette, which has 3 to 5 tooth jumps between gears. For those used to riding road cassettes, those are big jumps. If you don't like big jumps between, go with the 2 x 10, or 2 x 11, or even 2 x 9 drivetrain.

Witterings

Thanks for the input is really useful ... think I'll definitely stick with the 2 x's as it covers more bases and whilst at the moment I'm only using the large chain ring for the riding I'm doing it's not like I'm constantly switching but will cover me for if I do start riding in more hilly areas but that'll be a small part of what I do and I'd really regret it if I went for the 1 x's and didn't like the large jumps between gears.

Cheers for your help

fietsbob

Numbers, Math: chainring t, turns wheel cog t, x times that is your gear .. 53:11 is 4.909:1 ... etc.

that can be known, ... it is not an opinion.

[there are gear charts with visual displays of the results]





...

voyager1

phughes

A 1x has only one chainring up front, and a 2x has two chainrings, so yes, there would only be on shifter on a 1x.

tajar66

On the 2x 10 you will be changing the front rings often depending on the terrain. Cross chaining or big ring big cog or little ring little cog is no bueno.

u235

I do it with my 2x10 CX. My big big is fine and I use it if needed. My little gets a little noisy past 7 but doable depending on the situation and what is coming next. I have a compact and a 11-34. I also do it on my XC 2x11 with a 36-26 and a 11-40. No noise through the whole range. I wouldn't go consecutive miles like that and I am not suggesting to do those routine but...

To stay on topic... what others said.. 1x usually has larger gaps. To some people that is fine and better, to some it is terrible and worse. There is no right or wrong. Me personally with my CX, there are times I wish I had a 1x and large gaps and quick full sweep and there are times I think the gaps are too big and I can't find the right gear. With wide range cassettes, sometimes that right gear may be found in the forbidden cross chain region and I'll use it. It depends

tyrion

In practice I bet there's less cross chaining in the 2x system. In a 1x system with 40t chainring you'll spend more time in the 11t cog. In a 2x system with 48t big chainring you won't be wearing out the 11t cog as much.

c0urt

ordering a 52t tooth for myself to run 1x11,
it takes some getting used to, but i rode single for 11 years and it actually took a bit for me to get back into riding gears. SO the 1x11 was a good halfway point.

MRT2

Not necessarily. It depends on the chainring, and cogs you have on your current ride.

Witterings

I found a couple of videos and watched them last night, on balance I think the potential downside of the 1 x 11 is greater than the upside .... I'd be really interested in trying one over a period of time as I really like the idea of not having to shift on the front bit I don't think I'd ever buy a bike with that set up without having tried it quite extensively.on routes that I often ride .... which you obviously which you obviously don't get the opportunity to do with a new bike which is a shame

ksryder

Try one, ride till you break it, then try the other lol.

After years of 2x I'm going to experiment with 1x on my gravel bike - after my front shifter broke at mile 130 of a 206-mile ride the other day and I was stuck in the 34 tooth little ring for the last 76 miles. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit on the top end (because let's be honest, I don't use it that much) to have the same climbing gear I need.

But maybe I'll hate it and switch back, don't know until I try.

u235

Happened to me on day 1 of a 5 day self supported off road trip. My route was gradual rolling hills and I just manually moved the chain when I needed it which wasn't many times.

Kedosto

The problem I have with 1x systems is the chain line angles. Nothing wears out a chain faster than continuous riding in a gear combo which has the chain running at an angle (front to back). Keeping a straight chain line (as much as possible) gives least over all drivetrain wear. I've seen 1x systems with 36t chainrings. A 36t chainring paired with an 11-40 cassette puts the useful road riding gear combos on the 11, 13, and 15t cogs. 36/13 (with 700x32c tires) yields about 75 gear inches. 75 gear inches is pretty comfortable on the flats, but at that chain line angle it's a chain killer.


-Kedosto

Witterings

Certainly what I picked up from what I read and the videos I linked to whilst in theory 1 x 11 is meant to lessen cross chaining it almost seems to compound it which negates most of the supposed benefits and arguments in favour of having this system when you then add in that the jumps are greater between gears etc. personally I think the negatives outweigh the benefits ... BUT I'd still like to try one but wouldn't be prepared to spend good money on it 1st, would rather go for the "safe" option.

u235

Chain killer relative to what? You spend an extra $25 dollars every 1k-5k miles? Small price to pay if you are getting any positives. I bought my bikes to do things, not to worry about if what I am doing is wearing something slightly faster. We are not talking about catastrophic things here like running into brick walls for the heck of it. No cognitive bias here, I don't have a 1x but not because of any potential difference in chain life.

ph0rk

There are motivated people on either side, and most presentations (like those videos) are trying to convince you their way is the right way. I lean a bit towards 1x, because I like the flexibility and 34/50 compact cranks are both ubiquitous and ill suited to beginning riders, especially in hilly areas.

I have two 2x bikes and two 1x bikes, and they've got their places. I went 1x on gravel because speeds never touch road, and I liked climbing gears - I went from 2x10 to 1x11, and from 28/42 to a 36 front ring, keeping my lowest ratios and losing one or two up top I never used on that bike. Chainline is good because I replaced the crankset at the same time.

The 11s chain on that bike has been more robust and lasted longer than the 10s chain on my 2x10 commuter light gravel bike, because cross-chaining happens more often, I suspect.


I really like the ease with which I can tailor my gearing with a 1x setup - with a 2x, once you reach the lower limit for climbing gears on a 11-36t cassette you're sort of screwed, because if you have a 34/50 compact you either need to hunt down an "adventure" crankset that will let you go 32/48 or 30/46 (a minor change) or a mtb crankset that will let you go lower, but with a wider Q factor.

The 2x setups, on the other hand, have much closer ratios which is a little bit nicer for group road rides or mellow commuting, and with 32/48 and 11-36 I have most of the ratios I want. I have wasted ratios, too, but you learn to avoid them.

I have a SS commuter I converted to a 1x10 after moving to the mountains, and the wider spaced ratios are OK on that bike because I expect to stand and grind whenever I ride it.



It isn't really cost effective to convert from one drivetrain to the other, especially on a new bike - but the new allroads bike I'm building will be 1x11, with a 10-42 cassette.

fietsbob

Then there is the Shimano Alfine 11 speed, Di2

https://www.wired.com/2012/03/shimano-alfine-di2/

Banzai

Marcus_Ti

What is bizarre about the Alfine hub...It is made by Shimano, a company that does great meticulous machining. Right? Well, the gear spacing on Alfine varies from 13% to 29%. Srsly. WTF. Grant you, it all but one of the gears lies between 13-14%-but WTF. IIRC Rohloff manages to keep all their ratios within 13%?

LOL I ride with a guy who still sings songs to that tune about the SRAM 2x parts got on a bike or two of his.