Originally Posted by
HTupolev
People have been throwing extra sprockets at their crank arms for just about as long as chain drives have been practical. For example, there was a patent by Charles Dubos in 1868 for putting multiple chainwheels on the crank of a tricycle, and the 1869 retro-direct belt drive patent from Barberon & Meunier is arguably using a type of "2x" crank (albeit with internal freewheels).
Speaking in absolutes always gets me in trouble! I ought to have said that 1x multi-speed had been a successful thing since the beginning of chain drives, and left it at that...
