Originally Posted by
noodle soup
So why use 48-10?
The simplicity of 1x is appealing - my logic is that i rarely use the small chainring on my TT/tri bike, and if i can get 1 chainring that covers my entire range of required gearing, there's no need for anything else. A 48t front covers most flat to rolling routes without requiring me to shift the front. Now that I think about it, I also need to see what SRAM's biggest cog is - I dont recall seeing an option larger than 28t. If so, that wont work - I need a smaller gear for climbs.
Since you guys asked, I admit a large part of my desire to get rid of the FD has to do with the legacy of mechanical shifting in my head. With Di2 (and presumably, also with eTap), front shifting works very reliably and without any trim issues. So yeah, it isnt as if a double is all that bothersome. Still, as i said, there is a certain appeal about the simple elegance of 1x
TL'DR - Because SRAM, yeah