Thinking of going to a 1X setup but a bit apprehensive. To get the same gear ratios as my current 50/34 chain rings and 11/26 cassette I’d have to go with a 50t chain ring and 11/36 cassette. My biggest concern the power loss or friction due to an extreme chain line and wear on chain and components. What’s your experience with 1X, pros/cons???
Tester here. Recently went single ring with a 54t AeroCoach Arc chainring and couldn’t be happier. No chain catcher/guide/front mech and still haven’t dropped even though many of the road surfaces are appalling. Typically use an 11-23 but also used an 11-28 for hillier races and no issues when cross chaining although I still don’t think it’s a good idea. If I did stupidly hilly courses then I’d simply use a different bike, but great for the races I enter.
Tester here. Recently went single ring with a 54t AeroCoach Arc chainring and couldn’t be happier. No chain catcher/guide/front mech and still haven’t dropped even though many of the road surfaces are appalling. Typically use an 11-23 but also used an 11-28 for hillier races and no issues when cross chaining although I still don’t think it’s a good idea. If I did stupidly hilly courses then I’d simply use a different bike, but great for the races I enter.
Thanks for your input, anyone else with 1X experience???
Yes, I liked it. 52t + 11/32.
Mainly TTs here but did an ironman and a 70.3 on 54 11-25. One chain drop in maybe 25 races when I was in the 25 due to getting blocked by a tractor on a climb and hitting a pot hole. Fair enough really.
I will find out when I do my first race with a 1x this weekend. I have 2 tri-bikes and dropped the FD off my older one (10 speed). Added a 12-30 Ultegra cassette, new chain, and Wolf Tooth road link to extend the existing DR. Went around the block a few times with it testing all gears, and bounced the bike up and down … don’t see how the chain would come off.
What’s your experience with 1X, pros/cons???
Love it. 54x 11-30
~1000 miles setup 1x on the Dimond and really dig it. I wont go back.
I’ve got 3 races on it:
2 TTs, the State TT was pretty hilly and I was a doubtful, but It was a non-issue.
River Gorge, the other, was mostly down and no big deal.
and
Gulf Coast Tri in PCB, FL. Again, no real issue. The terrain is pancake flat.
You already know the pros, I am sure.
The cons are the gaps in the gearing with a big cassette kinda suck on flat terrain. I think I will be ditching the 30. Sometimes the jumps are ~15rpms. Not a big deal in the ups, but I dont want to choose between spinning at 87 or 102.
pros are simplicity, maintenance, some aero benefit, some trivial weight benefit, perhaps a few others.
cons are that you will have major cadence gaps if you think that you will maintain the same gear ratio range as a double. The adaptability to a wide variety of terrain is inherently compromised in comparison to 2x and you essentially have to pick one side of the curve to optimize.
That is to say on my mtb, 1x is more or less ditching the big ring and saying ‘anything beyond this speed you just coast’. That works for me because I generally ride technical trails where big gears are never your limiting factor. Pretty much the same for CX, you are only going so fast so you give up on some top end speed.
1x on tri/TT is generally the opposite. You are optimizing for top end speed and really kind of tailoring for generally flat / fast courses. You can tackle some hills, but I remain really unconvinced about the idea of a 1x climbing bike.
If you are approaching it from the perspective of ‘how can 1x give me the same gear ratio as a compact’ then I think you are going to be displeased. While it might be technically possible you are going to be have to traverse that entire range in 11 gears versus 22 usable gears on a modern 11-speed setup. You aren’t going to have anywhere near the same number of ‘sweet spots’ across a wide variety of terrain. It’s more for the people who find they never use the small ring as it is.
Yeah not sure the pros out weigh the cons??? The main reason I’m considering it is because I dropped my chain in a race last weekend and lost a couple minutes getting it unjammed. First time ever in a race and happens very seldom but when it does it sucks especially when it costs you a podium spot 
Thanks to all for your input.
First went 1x for the commuter/cx (42/11-28) and loved it. I was hooked. Vowed to never buy another front derailleur and all that jazz. It’s on ST. Maybe 2013?
True to my word next was the mtb (1x9 like a peasant). Raced Tahoe 70.3 last year with 44/11-32. Road bike is 1x di2 with the same gearing.
Still believe that for roadies who race long ups and downs a 2x setup is better. But riding rolling hills with a 1x is just the best. Free your mind and your legs will follow.
Last thought: 44x11 is a pretty big gear. For me at my w/kg in the area where I ride, 46x11-36 would probably be perfect. These guys running a 54 up front? Ya. Ok. Don’t step on your dick as it drags on the ground.
The main reason I’m considering it is because I dropped my chain in a race last weekend and lost a couple minutes getting it unjammed.
I’ve only dropped a chain on a 2x or 3x setup, never on a 1x setup. Literally never dropped while riding 1x.
Yesterday, I found myself on a -2% with little traffic and was doing 37mph in 50-11 (I ride a 50t 1x10), so 105 RPM. I guess there might be times I need a bigger gear but with the current gearing I can hit 46mph at 130rpm, compared to 50mph at 130 rpm on a 54t - so basically never.
A couple years back, I was trying to make the same decision on the mtb. Decided to bite the bullet and spend $40 for a narrow-wide chainring, sell it if it didn’t work out. After - truthfully - four rides, I will never ride a non 1x mtb again. When building a TT bike, it seemed like the obvious choice - if I could do anything from -20% to +25% on a 1x10 in the dirt, why would I need a 2x for TTs which are ±4% in extreme cases.
All that being said, I probably will not go 1x on the road bike; I ride with guys that like hills and have a better W/kg and need the lower end range. Just Saturday, I was standing in 34-26 going ~4mph up a 12% chasing my riding partner and would need a 50-32 to get that low of a ratio (need new 11s groupset, wheels).
Yeah not sure the pros out weigh the cons??? The main reason I’m considering it is because I dropped my chain in a race last weekend and lost a couple minutes getting it unjammed. First time ever in a race and happens very seldom but when it does it sucks especially when it costs you a podium spot
Thanks to all for your input.
A chain catcher is about $20.
Yeah not sure the pros out weigh the cons??? The main reason I’m considering it is because I dropped my chain in a race last weekend and lost a couple minutes getting it unjammed. First time ever in a race and happens very seldom but when it does it sucks especially when it costs you a podium spot
Thanks to all for your input.
A chain catcher is about $20.
Yup have a chain catcher and it’s set maybe 2mm from the small ring and yes front der. is setup properly. Dropped the chain twice in my 3 years of owing my P5 just really sucked cuz it happened in a race. The chain catcher is just the stock SRAM one that came with the bike are the K-Edge any better?
i have a simple 1x set-up on my Transition. Just changed the big ring to a force 52 narrow wide, took off the FD and removed the small ring. Will never go back on my tri bike. Feels more direct, more engaged in some way. Never dropped a chain. No issues taking the back wheel off or anything.
i only do shortish events, and live in an area where no-one is going to organize a Du with hills i can’t climb comfortably with an 11-26 on the back. Would only go there on my road bike if i had an alternative bike for very hilly rides where i was going to need the extremes, but for a tri-bike i think it is great.
pros are simplicity, maintenance, some aero benefit, some trivial weight benefit, perhaps a few others.
cons are that you will have major cadence gaps if you think that you will maintain the same gear ratio range as a double. The adaptability to a wide variety of terrain is inherently compromised in comparison to 2x and you essentially have to pick one side of the curve to optimize.
That is to say on my mtb, 1x is more or less ditching the big ring and saying ‘anything beyond this speed you just coast’. That works for me because I generally ride technical trails where big gears are never your limiting factor. Pretty much the same for CX, you are only going so fast so you give up on some top end speed.
1x on tri/TT is generally the opposite. You are optimizing for top end speed and really kind of tailoring for generally flat / fast courses. You can tackle some hills, but I remain really unconvinced about the idea of a 1x climbing bike.
If you are approaching it from the perspective of ‘how can 1x give me the same gear ratio as a compact’ then I think you are going to be displeased. While it might be technically possible you are going to be have to traverse that entire range in 11 gears versus 22 usable gears on a modern 11-speed setup. You aren’t going to have anywhere near the same number of ‘sweet spots’ across a wide variety of terrain. It’s more for the people who find they never use the small ring as it is.
It might be 22 usable gears but it is still only 15 different gears (or 14 on a 2x10), and personally I try avoiding the two biggest cogs in the big ring and vice versa. Still those extra 4 gears make a big difference, playing with a gear calculator a even going from 2X10 to 1X11 would mean loosing at the top and bottom AND some uncomfortably large jumps between gears. The simplicity would be nice but to me it’s not worth loosing those extra 4 gears.
These guys running a 54 up front? Ya. Ok. Don’t step on your dick as it drags on the ground.
Exactly my thoughts. I only use my 50by11 on downhills and my ftp isn’t too shabby (maybe on slowtwitch, unless you push 5w/kg you are a looser).
I have had thoughts about getting a 52 but never felt the need for a 54.
Then only legitimate reason I can think of for having a big-ass chainring is if you ride flat TT courses and want to be closer to the middle of the cassette to optimize chainline.
Makes sense. So studs run a big ass chain rings with an oversized rear derailleur pulley and run mainly the chain in the middle of the cassette.
Pretty much this. I have only been in the biggest cog once all year and the 54/11 comes in handy from time to time but then I don’t like spinning I’m the TT position. Horses for courses I sure wouldn’t have a 54 on a commuting or training bike but I’m not sure I’d bother with 1x on either of those anyway