http://www.bikemag.com/gear/sram-unveils-1x11-group/
interesting that they’re going this route on the mtb side first, but maybe it’s just easier to push a limited (high-end, and for a “fairly small” portion of the market) release in mtb without destroying sales of their revamped sram red. i’m guessing that we’ll have new 11s sram road groups two or three years down the road at the very earliest.
I’m surprised they’re spending time on this. It seems like 2 x 10 revolutionized mountain bike componentry, and it’s only been out a few years.
I don’t really get the whole “weight savings” argument, when you have a cassette with a 42 tooth ring on the back. Kind of negates the weight savings in my mind.
I like one ring on my cross bike. I don’t know about mountain biking. I know Adam Craig has been doing one ring for a few years, but I don’t know if this will catch on.
Interesting write up though.
Thanks for posting.
It will catch on. Less cost, less complexity, less weight, and most importantly, better chain retention.
I’d be happy with a 1x10, 32 x 11-40 - PLENTY of range. Going to 11 is just stupid and pointless. I’ve got a 2x10 with a 26/38 and 11-36 right now on a 26" FS bike, planning to go 1x10 with a 32 and the new Zee RD coming out this summer. It may be intended for DH and weigh a few grams more, but getting a short cage with the high-tension mode is going to be $$$. My bike isn’t light (thanks to tire selection more than anything else) but going 1x10 should drop a pound easily.
I ride a 1x10 with an 11-36 on the back. Just fine for 90% of the trails out there as long as you are planning on riding hard! Not the best setup for casual riding.
I might actually go 2x10 to help get me up some of the steep and technical stuff, but for XC style riding it rocks.
I would consider this for my tri bike in the future. I like the simplicity of it.
I don’t see any chain catchers or things of that sort? Figured that would be important
I don’t see any chain catchers or things of that sort? Figured that would be important
Looks like the teeth on the chainring are really tall – if you don’t have to worry about a ring being used for single and double chainring setups, you don’t have to worry about designing the ring so it can be shifted.
Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind.
I’d still run one of these, unramped chainring or not.
Its not so much about the rampos, those help get the chain on the ring. Its about the tooth design. true single speed rings have much taller teeth, and the Sram 11 speed chainring appears to have pretty unique teeth. In some pics it looks like one tooth is thick then the next thin.
All that said i bet you could design a ramp into the crankarm and a fitting for the other side that would be very light and keep the chain on pretty well.
I’d be happy with a 1x10, 32 x 11-40 - PLENTY of range. Going to 11 is just stupid and pointless.
for what it’s worth, this is exactly what i said about 9-speed transmissions some years ago. “i don’t need no stinkin’ 9 speed! i’ve got 8-speed ultegra STI and it’s rockin’!”
-mike
‘‘2 x 10 revolutionized mountain bike componentry’’
2 x 10 didn’t change anything. You still have all the same components and just dropped the granny. I’ve been going 1 x 9 on my twenty niners for a few years now with a 28 front and a 11-34 rear. I only spin out on the road and I have all the gears I need on the trial. When I’m fresh I can climb almost everything I need to on 28/26. This leaves me two granny gears; 30 and 34 for when I get tired. You can only go so low with your gearing before you just fall over.
One of the biggest advantages of the 1 x 11t is the lack of front derailleur and front shifting. A huge limiter in suspension design and 29" wheel hardtail geometry is the front derailleur and cable routing. This system eliminates all that. Wide bearing spacing on symmetric swingarms is going to greatly enhance suspension tracking.
The 11 speed MTB is not heavier than the 10 speed cassettes now.
Now I’m not sure that riders will install a 25t chainring for their casual rides and swap to a ~37t to go XC racing but I think that’s the idea and basis for the groups widespread possiblities.
I swap gearing on my road, tt, and 'cross bike now, but I do so with the cassette. This isn’t much different than taking off the 12-27 and puting on a 11-23t for a flat crit for example.
-SD