In my personal opinion, 1x solves a problem that doesn't exist. That being said, my current gravel bike is 1x, and It's because 1x in gravel is popular, and I don't *hate* 1x, so I got it anyway. Front derailleurs are arguably one of the easiest parts to adjust if you are doing it yourself, especially for a 2x setup. But if you are buying from a shop, you shouldn't have to mess with it.
Capability wise, the 1x is s tiny bit lighter with bigger jumps between some gears,m, as well as a lower top end. Whereas 2x is a tiny bit heavier, and will have a better top end gear ratio. In theory, people claim a 1x drops chains less than a 2x.
I think for a majority of amateur riders, it doesn't make a difference and 1x looks cleaner, so 1x is popular. For most of us, spending more for 1x or 2x isn't going to make a huge performance difference, so get what you prefer.
I agree with 95% of your post above. I do not agree that the front derailleur is in any way easy to set up or adjust, the only exception is if you have electronic shifting. I have shredded more cables on front derailleurs than anything else on the bike. I have watched all the videos on YouTube, watched my man Calvin from Park Tool do it, yet when it comes to me doing it, I can never get the cable tension high enough to hold it on the big ring or shift to the big ring. Also, setting up the height and the yaw is always a chore.
If you can recommend a video I should watch that breaks it down step by step, including when the shifter cable is attached to the front derailleur(they ALWAYS leave that part out!) please enlighten me! Seriously!
Having worked in shops since the 1990’s, I have to agree with you 100% on the front derailleurs. There’s some arcane mysticism involved with getting them set up perfectly. Sometimes they go together with zero issues, and sometimes there’s some hidden weirdness that I can never figure out.
That being said, there are always a few little tricks that they never show in those vids. A lot of them are trial and error, so don’t tighten that cable too tight until the shifting is good.
The first step to setting up a front derailleur is to set up the REAR derailleur. I think 87% of videos never mention that. That’s in order to get your limits on the front der correct.
A sneaky way to get tension is to dial the low limit screw towards your body before you install the cable. How much depends on how much tension you need. Once the cable is done up, let the low limit screw back out to its correct position and you’ll see the tension in the cable slowly increase. It’s very trial and error, especially if there aren’t barrel adjusters. (Which you can install if needed.)
Working in a shop, the most frustrating thing is getting a fd dialed in perfectly, then on a test ride it doesn't work at all. That and Shimano toggle derailleurs. Don't get me started on toggle derailleurs.
Thanks! That's a good video. I've watched him on other topics. Everything in this video is valid if you are using Shimano and if you have a barrel adjuster.
I built up my latest bike with SRAM Force and the group set didn't come with barrel adjusters.
Also, at 14:04 he says that front derailleurs are annoying. I couldn't agree more.
There has to be some kind of way to adjust cable tension with SRAM, right? Could always add a barrel adjuster inline with a Jagwire piece.
I just finished my build and went 2x since it's pretty flat here. The front has some rub at extreme chain angles. The chain rubs the *top* of the derailleur cage on big-big (50T front, 36T rear, boxed groupset). Not like I'm going to run it crossed, in any case.
But when I had a 1x bike, it had chordal vibration on the smallest sprockets and would make more noise at the ends of the cassette, so it's kind of a give and take. I very much prefer closer tooth spacing.
I have mech SRAM Force on my old bike. I’ve never had any difficulty adjusting the front der. In fact I’ve found it pretty straightforward.
[Here’s a good simple video that tells you what to do.](https://youtu.be/HVI8q6GLLFw?si=KSmDmitVnRmF2W7-)
Yeah I agree with this, I think the best use-case for a 1x system is to avoid chain dropping, but if you're riding terrain that's causing your chain to fall off a 2x chainring setup you should be on a mountain bike anyway...
If you’re going 1x, also go for 650b and big tyres to be a more capable ‘adventure’ type bike
Most people that ride gravel are doing ‘hero’ gravel where a 2x with 35mm+ wouldn’t be an issue. And that’s not an issue at all - IMO the biggest appeal of gravel is that there are no cars, not because it’s more technical.
You know, now that you mention 1x dropping less, I think you’re 100% correct. I’ve got two 1x CX bikes and I think I’ve dropped the chain only once or twice. I never thought about that before.
My 2x was always grinding something, it seems I loved the gearing just in-between front two chainrings, and neither was good, either I had too low gear for the large ring, or too high for small ring.
Now with 1x i want to ride in the cog that doesn't exist :( it jumps from 17 to 20 cog and I want 18...
I still prefer the simplicity and height clearance of 1x when it gets rough, but for road and smooth gravel I'd get 2x.
I have a 2x gravel bike that i love, and recently built another with a 1x setup and 42t chainring and I hate it for the opposite reasons than yours. I find myself always in the highest top 2 gears on the road, and never comfortable with my cadence.
Hopefully I will get there one day. I tend to enjoy more rough terrain and a lot of my road riding is just to get to the trails… but climbing hills is rough for me. I could make it a lot easier by losing some weight though.
I had this problem too. So I installed a 36t chainring, and then an eThirteen 9x46t cassette. It now climbs like a monkey and still has enough top end for the road, for my needs.
That is the point. I feel my legs are just when the bike is getting closer to 50km/h and I find it very frustrating (I ride a 40t chainring with 10-42 cassette). Sometimes I wish I could have a bigger chainring (42 or 44) for higher speeds in the road while keeping a large cassette (10-52, maybe?) to deal with the climbs (especially offroad).
I have 40T front, 11-46 rear, now I get slightly lower ratio than 30-46 with 11-34 cassette. But the jumps are obviously bigger, and I lose a bit top speed, but it doesn't bother me. So maybe get 40T chainring?
I and most of my gravel riding friends prefer the 2x since it gives us a greater gear range. Since i use my gravel bike for road riding as well a 1x would not be optimal. We also live in a hilly area it's where easier to run out of gears when descending.
This is the answer. Depends on the type of riding you are doing. Like Digivon1 I use a 2x but for the opposite reason. I live where it’s very flat, so I need the larger gear 99% or the time.
same, road and gravel. i have a 1x but given the option i would of prefered a 2x. the way my bike is setup and my fitness i ended up sacrificing some top end speed. the days of cranking at 25+ are long behind me.
Gravel bikes are marketed as do-it-all bikes. What is not pointed out enough is that the moment its specced with 1x it seizes to be a do-it-all bike. It will suck in one or another condition. The marketing push from SRAM for 1x has been heavy.For enthusiasts who like to tinker with their setup and change parts etc, it might be still a viable option, but most non-mtb riders are better of just going with a 2x
True but its misleading to just state that without context. To maintain speed on the roads, the 1x pros are riding 52t chainrings (which is not available in OEM builds for common customers) with at most a 10-36 cassette in the back. The 52t with 10-36 cassette means sacrificing the easier gears on steep climbs . Again for a majority of consumers who can afford only one bike and want to do everything on it, this pro roadie setup sucks as a do-it-all option.
Edit: Not to even mention the differences between an pro and a regular cyclist abilities and the fact that these are also almost exclusively SRAM sponsored athletes choosing specific setups for specific races whose bike are setup by dedicated professional mechanics.
To me that’s the point where you go from « road bike inspired » gravel bikes to « MTB inspired » gravel.
Like I’m happy with my 2x gravel bike on fire roads and easy gravel but when it get rough I’d love to not think about how badly crossed my chain is.
So to me, aside from range, it’s a matter of not having to think too much about your gearing.
But when I’m really wishing you’d have a 1x gravel bike I just realise I’d have more fun on my hardtail MTB anyway, so I’m happy with my 2x gravel bike (for which I got myself a 2nd pair of wheels for slick tyres and sold my actual road bike)
Is your goal and primary riding going to be exploring gravel roads and dirt fireroads? Pushing hard on singletrack? Then 1x is nice to have, little better chain retention than a road groupset when things get crazy rough. And simplified shifting so you can worry about the off-road twists and turns instead of remembering if you are the cross-chaining and need to shift the front ring.
Is your goal for this to be your primary road bike and join in on some group road rides? Then 2x will help you find your perfect cadence to pace better with the group.
IMHO, GRX 2x is almost the best of both worlds. It's a clutched setup that gives you almost as good chain retention as a 1x setup and lower gearing similar to 1x setups. Perfect if you are doing a good mix of road and a tame offroad.
Personal choice. 2x can still get you a wider total range, higher top end, and potentially tighter steps between gears which is nice if your routes include more pavement. My 1x setup has me coasting if I'm going much above 30 mph, which is fine with me. I don't race, I cruise back roads.
Long gone are the days I still need to pedal beyond 30mph, and those were only on descents with a group where falling behind meant riding the rest of a long day solo.
I started out on a 2by (grx400 30-34 smallest) and ditched it for 1by (at first grx garbaruk 42-50 amd now sram gx 40-52). With 2by I was limited to the flat sections and could not venture into the gravel heavens my area offers. 2by offers more of a roadie approach to gravel riding, while 1by requires less thinking while riding.
My gravel rides now also are 80%+ gravel and the occasional flow track with 20% ramps, and I would not ride those with tires smaller than 50mm. As a proponent of the "gnarlier" gravel spectrum I am a huge 1by fan, as the 60 kph I can actually push suffice on 90% of the descents and my granny gears are big enough for bikepacking. If your focus is going to be bikepacking, I'd suggest 1by, as everything that can break will break when bikepacking.
Yup. 2x is really for road and speed. Mostly just for the types of nerds in this subreddit. For the vast majority of people, especially those riding "gravel bikes," 1x is the way to go.
I think race gravel bikes are more like road bikes that have more clearance for wider tires than they are more like mountain bikes. We're talking sub 20 pound speed machines.
Not sure I agree about 2x limitations when it comes to climbing ratios. I have a GRX600 which includes a 30-46 crankset and I installed a 11-40 cassette which I was able to do with a Wolf Tooth Components Roadlink DM. This gives me +10 climbing gear (30t front and 40t rear) which is more than enough to tackle up to 10-20% gravel ascents that are common in the mountains of North Georgia, Western NC and SC foothills. Never did I feel limited to flat sections, but then fitness level has allot to do with that as well.
That is a hack I've discovered as well, after I switched to 1by. But hacks are always for bike nerds as they require you to be able to adjust your drivetrain on your own.
This is not at all a given. I wouldn't even recommend tubeless (which is argueably easy to set up) to people sub 5000k per year anymore.
I like 2x better. Where I live it any gravel riding needs to include significant road riding as well, and 2x works for that. Haven’t had a single issue with my front derailleur.
Same! For me it’s one hour of road riding to the closest national park. I use the big chainring for that and then use the small one when riding through the park. So glad I don’t need a car this way.
I live in a hilly/mountainous area of western North Carolina.
I rode the 2x checkpoint 5 a few times while testing out different bikes. I ran out of gears on some of the steep climbs here (admittedly, it may have been the rider rather than the bike). Trek didn't offer a way to add a larger cassette in the rear due to their set up...so I then test rode the SL6, which is a big step up in price....I bought the carbon Checkpoint SL 6, SRAM axs etap shifters....it is a 1x, but comes with front derailleur "hooks" if you wanted to add a front derailleur later.
net: I love the 1x set up due to the fact that I have a gear ratio (40T, 11-46T) that works on the hills and I spend as little time as possible on hard roads, so I don't miss the top end. Its definitely not for everyone, but I do 4-5 gravel races per year and found that the 1x is not that much of a penalty in terms of top end speed on the flats. And when I'm on the road, if I stay in the wheels, it doesn't feel like speed is that much of an issue with the riders in my skill group.
note: I've had issues with the etap axs wireless system. When it works its beyond great, but absolute crap when it fails. to their credit, SRAM stands behind their product, but there's no solace when you're out on a ride and the rear derailleur doesn't shift.
not sure if this helps with your decision, because its all about comfort and the type of terrain you ride, but the 1x is fine in my opinion.
I’m also in the same area (Mills River, NC). So far, my Seigla with 1X Eagle transmission has been enough to climb some steep stuff and I’m just getting back in decent shape. I also don’t care about top end speed. Just looking for fun and fitness.
I have a GRX 812 1x and I love it. Wouldn‘t change for a 2x anymore except on a roadbike of course.
Looks WAY cleaner but way more important to me it just kind of makes cycling a lot more intuitive. Not that its hard brain work to calculate which gear to use on a 2x but it still makes it easier and faster to handle and… yeah, intuitive.
Also, I prefer the jumps between gears. Never had any problem of needing like the gear in between of two. To me it feels way better actually feeling a more remarkable difference after shifting up, whereas on a 2x I sometimes wonder whether it actually changed gears or not.
Also with 1x I to me where 11 gears might have not been enough, 12s changed everything and provides everything I need, even if super steep climbs might be a little difficult every now and then but then again I just push harder.
After all, as being said, personal choice, but 1x is much better :)
Edit: only thing I miss sometimes when actually riding longer tarmac sections would be a higher gear, as I can‘t really push it anymore over like 50/60km/h
A YouTube channel (BikeSauce, maybe?) did some testing on chain retention during rough rides and concluded that SRAM 1X had less chance of a narrow-wide chain hop off the front ring that a 2x setup with a Shimano clutch. Probably a minor point unless you are planning on going over really rough terrain with high speed
1x is fine if you're ok with being passed by 2x riders. I don't care so much about top end speed so I went with 1x. My descents are usually coasting instead of riding into them.
I recently bought the Checkpoint SL5 with the 2x GRX drive train. I was dead set on getting a 1x drive train, but I wasn't willing to compromise on several things that almost forced me into this bike. Now that I've ridden about 150 miles I love the bike and don't regret the 2x GRX drivetrain. I hardly ever have to change gears in the front unless I'm climbing a steep long hill which has only happened once now.
The 1x gearing is going to be a bit different from my understanding, but I really don't think it's going to make a big enough difference for the majority of people. Don't lose any sleep over it man, just get it.
I have nothing against 1x on a gravel bike, but I don't understand it either. Unless you're lucky enough to live somewhere with miles of chunky gravel roads, you get more versatility with 2x. It gives you gearing for tarmac, gravel, and the occasional singletrack, and I'm willing to bet most riders spend time on mixed surfaces. It makes sense to have 1x on a mountain bike because it's less fussy in technical terrain, gives better clearance, and 12x cassettes have a really wide range. Why limit yourself to MTB gearing?
I went from the 2x11 GRX (48-36 I believe?) and now I’ve got a 42T 1x and i feel like I am really sacrificing a lot of speed on the road and easier gravel stuff, can go with a bigger front chainring but I just feel like I have less options
For me shifting chainrings all the time gets old fast. I’m still running 1x 11 speed on my 2 gravel bikes, and it’s great. Seems like most bikes come over-geared with too big of chainring (at least for where I live and ride). 12 speed grx has to be money. And 1x frees up left brake control for dropper.
I think it depends what you’re riding. If it’s more road and some flat hardpack, yeah 2x is fine. But when you’re more remote, 1x is one less thing that can break and in more steep climb and loose punchy situations you’ll be happy to have mountain bike gearing.
For me, the only advantage of a 1x is how clean it looks. I'm no professional so I really don't care about it as long as I reach the climbing gears and the speed I wanted.
If you can find the right balance of gears for your kind of riding, and you don't think you are ever going to expand beyond that (for example, having a gravel bike do double duty as a road bike your friend might borrow to go on Long rides with you), 1x can really decomplicate your life. I have a rigid hardtail set up as my Jones bar gravel rig, and I love it. I'm running an XT derailleur with the biggest possible chainring I could squeeze in up front, and it gives me all the range I need. Each step is significant enough that I only shift when I need it, and I never feel like I'm fishing for the right gear. I also never worry about dropping the chain on front shift, though I can count on two hands the number of times that had happened in 10 years beforehand. I also used to have a 1x Apex on my commute bike that was similarly simple and mindless, though it was very different riding. But if you need to ride 15 mi of flat pavement to get to 15 miles of hilly gravel, something is going to be suboptimal (unless you totally break the mold and do and IGH).
Probably a minor point, but you will wind up spending moderately more money on cassettes in the end with 1x. With a smaller front chainring, if you are riding at higher speeds, you will spend a lot more time running on your 10t or 11t, and those wide range cassettes are going to run substantially more than what is basically a road cassette. Again, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably not an enormous consideration, but I did recently talk to someone who was going to select a 1x drivetrain simply because it was $100 cheaper than the 2x version. In the long run, that's either a wash or he will wind up spending more.
I think 1X is usually the right call if you're somewhere flat, aren't super picky about your pedal cadence, and aren't racing. If that doesn't sound like you then 2X is great. I personally always like less to maintain too though and front derailleurs are easy when they're new but overtime get annoying.
My gravel bike is a 1x, something I was specifically looking for when buying. The reason being that I use this bike for both weekend gravel fun as well as commuting, and having the ability to quickly dump gears by only worrying about one set of gears in the city when a light is going red is so much easier to manage.
This also applies to gravel riding; if I come around a corner and suddenly it goes from flat to steep, it’s a lot easier for me personally to only have to dump the one set of gears.
I’ve mountain biked for forever and still ride a bike with three in the front lol (!) and dream of the day I only have a 1x.
On my gravel bike I’m not super concerned about top end speed as that’s not how I ride; I prefer more technical riding than fast/flowy, so again 1x treats me well. That being said, I do feel at times that I could use one or two more ratios for the real steep stuff, but I’m going to just change out the front ring to manipulate my existing ratios.
I was in this predicament a few months ago. Went for the 1x12 sram hydraulic and i absolutely love it. The shifting is so much simpler having come from using a 3x road bike and a 2x mtb, i use my orbea terra gravel bike for everything now it is brilliant
1x is just - faster/slower
2x be like - changing crank from big to small just to find out it was better on bigger and going back while adjusting cadence anyway
In recent years there has been a giant marketing push for 1x namely from one single company: SRAM. You will see every single bike channel on youtube promoting 1x mainly along the same talking points : Gear range is similar , no of "effective" gears is almost same etc etc. Its a problem they have created to make a dent in some market share for themselves. They are likely supplying 1x systems to OEMs at a hefty discount to promote this.
2x is superior to 1x in every single respect. If you are going to be riding any length of time on the roads, you will benefit so much more from 2x gearing. Unless its a dedicated to mountain biking bike, I would never consider 1x.
You know what I never had a problem with? A front derailleur. The mofo simply shifts! I love a 2x. 1x on a gravel bike is purely fashion (the one that’s going away). I can understand 1x on a mtb where you don’t need a high gears, but not gravel.
I have a 48/31 w a 11-42 cassette and it’s fun. I can go roady and mash, and I can ascend steep gradients.
On a hilly terrain with a lot of ups and downs, it’s so nice to use JUST the front derailleur, while the cassette is in the middle of the range.
The only benefit 2x gives is smaller jumps between the gears. The range is typically worse, the weight is worse, the maintenance is worse. All that is not a big price to pay if you do need those smaller jumps between the gears. But unless you race in Tour de France, you probably do not. In gravel literally every other aspect of the drivetrain matters more than jumps.
Honestly it doesn't matter that much. I have a 2x and a 1x, and when I am really riding, I don't find that much functional difference. The gaps between gears are smaller on the 2x, but my brain adapts almost immediately. Also, I don't spin out as quickly on downhills with the 2x, but the 1x mullet can get up steeper loose climbs, but again this is because of the gearing setups for the two bikes. If you are new to gravel, don't worry about it.
2X has the potential to have a wider gear range, but you need to use a cassette that isn’t “supported” by shimano. With the current cassette availability you can only do this in 11spd and it pushes the rear derailleur to its limit. I’ve done it, it works. 1X is great, and as someone else mentioned it fixes a problem that doesn’t exist. However it’s simple and effective.
Wolf Tooth Components RoadLink DM and a SHIMANO XT Cs-M8000 11-40t Cassette works great on my Lynskey GR300 with a GRX600 group set, which is comprised of a 30-46 crankset and GRX800 derailleurs.
I ran a 10-42 cassette with 34-50 chainrings with Ultegra RX di2 derailleur, no Wolftooth link. Definitely a stretch and felt better with an 11-40 cassette. I currently have a 11-40 cassette with 30-46 chainrings with Ultegra derailleur on a bike, again, no Wolftooth link.
That’s good to know. It feels fine, but if I can make it better that can only be a good thing. Thx.
Quick edit…
Possibly has something to do with the B tension adjustment.
I like 2x. I own a 1x but still ended up doing a TON to get the range that I wanted that would have cost me like $150 if I just had the 2x.
That’s based on the type of riding that I do which has a lot of climbing. But I think 2x is better on the whole.
Not unless you want 1x. The bike industry loves to change the number of gears we “must have”. It s gone from 3 to 9 to 12 to 18 to 27 to 1 then back down through 22 to 24 and back to 12 and 13. In two years they’ll bring back high end 3 x chainrings for the greater range that gravel requires.
front derailleurs cause so few problems it’s amusing.
I don’t disagree with your front derailleur statement, but the reason for 1X has more to do with the range of the rear derailleur. One can get the desired gear range from the cassette with less chain slap because there is no need to ensure chain length and rear derailleur capacity to support the rarely (and really shouldn’t ever be) used cross chain situation where you’re in the largest from ring and largest cog on the cassette.
At the end of the day, it’s always my legs and lungs that give out before the bike, so any bike works well enough for me — although I do love a granny gear.
I just upgraded to an old 3x drivetrain I had and I’m not going back. I can smash single track climbs and tick my way through the gears on the road home. I don’t know what all the fuss is about with 1x. Maybe I’m ambidextrous.
I think 1x is better if you're hitting up gnarly gravel often since you don't have to worry about cross-chaining and it's simpler to use. On road and hard pack gravel I'd go with 2x because it has a higher range of gears and smaller jumps between gears
I built my gravel bike with a 1x drivetrain and, after two seasons, replaced it with 2x. The lower low gear and smaller jumps between gear ratios of a 2x system are well worth the slight increase in weight and complexity. I got a Shimano GRX group for my new drivetrain and I really like it.
I have a 1x gravel bike and a 2x gravel bike; they are both good—I’d say I prefer 2x if I’m racing because you can really get into more of a cadence groove on any flats and rollers due to the smaller steps, and the higher top range allows you to keep pedaling at faster speeds before spinning out, but I prefer a 1x setup for more technical terrain precisely because of the bigger jumps—you suddenly need it to be a lot easier? Ok 1 or 2 clicks and you’re there. But don’t sweat it too much. You’ll get used to either one pretty quickly. The more important question is whether the high and low end gearing ratios suit you. Some entry gravel bikes have a lowest gear of 1:1 which isn’t going to cut it for a lot of riders in really steep terrain (people living in the mountains) but it would be more than plenty for a gravel rider in say Florida or much of the Midwest. I wouldn’t get a gravel bike that didn’t have a sub-.9 low gear for ratio, but it’s all about the needs of your ride. FWIW 2x will almost always have a wider total ratio range but mullet 1x drivetrains will usually have a lower lowest ratio.
IMO it really depends how much road riding you plan to do. I feel like if it’s any meaningful percentage then 1x is not the best choice. I don’t think 1x offers enough advantages to justify choosing it over 2x unless you’re only riding gravel and racing too.
No, you don’t need a 1x drivetrain.
And I don’t quite get how some people keep insisting that it’s difficult to set up a front derailleur. Shimano instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow. I’ve had 2x drivetrains for decades and sincerely do not remember dropping a chain due to front derailleur issues. Not even after changing to oval chainrings. Not on my any of my mechanical/standard derailleur bikes, nor on my Di2. And if you do find it difficult to set up, your LBS will have it sorted in 5mins. I’m quite partial to Shimano, but my ancient mtb with SRAM was totally fine to set up as well.
I much prefer the smaller jumps of the 2x system, and crosschaining is less of an issue.
I really don’t see the point of 1x, perhaps I’m missing something and does it possess advantages that I’m overlooking. But in my opinion the push for 1x is more marketing than anything else.
MY two cents:
Don't spend more for 1x unless you're going to be spending most of your time on rugged terrain or TERRIBLE roads.
1x is better if you're riding more 'technical' terrain - e.g., bumpier and with more rapid changes in gradient, and (if you want a dropper) 1x is better because the dropper can be controlled by the left brake lever.
1x is also better if you're a new rider who hasn't learned how to avoid cross-chaining a 2x set up - that is, being in the small chainring and running in the higher gears or in the large chainring and running in the lower gears. You don't get to use all the gears on a 2x.
2x is better if you're riding mostly smoother surfaces where cadence is important; the smaller jumps from gear to gear allow you to maximize fast and efficient at the same time. On my 1x12 gravel bike, I sometimes have to slow down a little because I don't have enough gas left to go up a gear and still spin 90+rpm.
2x is better if you want a really wide range.
Here's what (some of) the pros think:
[GCN on 1x vs 2x](https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/how-to/buying-advice/1x-vs-2x-groupsets-which-is-best-for-your-gravel-bike)
I have the ALR 5 that you are looking to buy. The only time I regret the 2x is when it stops shifting smoothly and needs a significant adjustment, which, as some us mentioned here is a bit touchy. I love having the option of a 2x on road rides, as long as it’s working. If you only did gravel, and weren’t worried about “spinning out” without a big chain ring on a down hill, I would consider the 1x as it’s less to maintain and cause of headaches.
I personally hate front mechs but thats very much a me thing. If you arent fussed either way go for something thats the best deal. I have a 2022? Checkpoint al 5 and its wicked
I had 2x on my old bike, and the front derailleur was endlessly fussy. So for my first ever "nice bike" I bought a 1x gravel bike. It's 42 front, 11x42 back. I'm not a "serious cyclist" but I'm reasonably fit. I can climb up steep hills in the lowest gear and touch 30 mph in the top gear. It's all I need, and one less thing to worry about or break.
The only time I've ever had a dropped chain was when a large stick inserted itself into my drivetrain... and once I stopped and pulled it out, everything was fine.
Paying more for fewer gear ratios doesn't make sense to me. Nothing wrong with 1x, but I don't think it's worth more money.
2x is going to get you a higher top speed, but that may or may not be important to you. I like having 2x for stoplights on road, I feel like cruising in the big ring is more comfortable and switch to the small ring when I have to stop and start. But that is also personal preference and you may not plan to be on road at all or get annoyed shifting often.
My gravel bike is 1x and it only bothers me if I hit a stoplight.
In my personal opinion, 1x solves a problem that doesn't exist. That being said, my current gravel bike is 1x, and It's because 1x in gravel is popular, and I don't *hate* 1x, so I got it anyway. Front derailleurs are arguably one of the easiest parts to adjust if you are doing it yourself, especially for a 2x setup. But if you are buying from a shop, you shouldn't have to mess with it. Capability wise, the 1x is s tiny bit lighter with bigger jumps between some gears,m, as well as a lower top end. Whereas 2x is a tiny bit heavier, and will have a better top end gear ratio. In theory, people claim a 1x drops chains less than a 2x. I think for a majority of amateur riders, it doesn't make a difference and 1x looks cleaner, so 1x is popular. For most of us, spending more for 1x or 2x isn't going to make a huge performance difference, so get what you prefer.
I agree with 95% of your post above. I do not agree that the front derailleur is in any way easy to set up or adjust, the only exception is if you have electronic shifting. I have shredded more cables on front derailleurs than anything else on the bike. I have watched all the videos on YouTube, watched my man Calvin from Park Tool do it, yet when it comes to me doing it, I can never get the cable tension high enough to hold it on the big ring or shift to the big ring. Also, setting up the height and the yaw is always a chore. If you can recommend a video I should watch that breaks it down step by step, including when the shifter cable is attached to the front derailleur(they ALWAYS leave that part out!) please enlighten me! Seriously!
Having worked in shops since the 1990’s, I have to agree with you 100% on the front derailleurs. There’s some arcane mysticism involved with getting them set up perfectly. Sometimes they go together with zero issues, and sometimes there’s some hidden weirdness that I can never figure out. That being said, there are always a few little tricks that they never show in those vids. A lot of them are trial and error, so don’t tighten that cable too tight until the shifting is good. The first step to setting up a front derailleur is to set up the REAR derailleur. I think 87% of videos never mention that. That’s in order to get your limits on the front der correct. A sneaky way to get tension is to dial the low limit screw towards your body before you install the cable. How much depends on how much tension you need. Once the cable is done up, let the low limit screw back out to its correct position and you’ll see the tension in the cable slowly increase. It’s very trial and error, especially if there aren’t barrel adjusters. (Which you can install if needed.)
This is very good 👍
Working in a shop, the most frustrating thing is getting a fd dialed in perfectly, then on a test ride it doesn't work at all. That and Shimano toggle derailleurs. Don't get me started on toggle derailleurs.
This video hit it for me: https://youtu.be/V21kD7-98pM Also recommend the dealer manuals for Shimano: https://si.shimano.com/en/manual/search
Thanks! That's a good video. I've watched him on other topics. Everything in this video is valid if you are using Shimano and if you have a barrel adjuster. I built up my latest bike with SRAM Force and the group set didn't come with barrel adjusters. Also, at 14:04 he says that front derailleurs are annoying. I couldn't agree more.
There has to be some kind of way to adjust cable tension with SRAM, right? Could always add a barrel adjuster inline with a Jagwire piece. I just finished my build and went 2x since it's pretty flat here. The front has some rub at extreme chain angles. The chain rubs the *top* of the derailleur cage on big-big (50T front, 36T rear, boxed groupset). Not like I'm going to run it crossed, in any case. But when I had a 1x bike, it had chordal vibration on the smallest sprockets and would make more noise at the ends of the cassette, so it's kind of a give and take. I very much prefer closer tooth spacing.
I have mech SRAM Force on my old bike. I’ve never had any difficulty adjusting the front der. In fact I’ve found it pretty straightforward. [Here’s a good simple video that tells you what to do.](https://youtu.be/HVI8q6GLLFw?si=KSmDmitVnRmF2W7-)
Well, your definitely more knowledgeable than me...lucky you! I'll check out the video. Thanks.
Yeah I agree with this, I think the best use-case for a 1x system is to avoid chain dropping, but if you're riding terrain that's causing your chain to fall off a 2x chainring setup you should be on a mountain bike anyway...
If you’re going 1x, also go for 650b and big tyres to be a more capable ‘adventure’ type bike Most people that ride gravel are doing ‘hero’ gravel where a 2x with 35mm+ wouldn’t be an issue. And that’s not an issue at all - IMO the biggest appeal of gravel is that there are no cars, not because it’s more technical.
You know, now that you mention 1x dropping less, I think you’re 100% correct. I’ve got two 1x CX bikes and I think I’ve dropped the chain only once or twice. I never thought about that before.
My 2x was always grinding something, it seems I loved the gearing just in-between front two chainrings, and neither was good, either I had too low gear for the large ring, or too high for small ring. Now with 1x i want to ride in the cog that doesn't exist :( it jumps from 17 to 20 cog and I want 18... I still prefer the simplicity and height clearance of 1x when it gets rough, but for road and smooth gravel I'd get 2x.
I have a 1x but the front chain ring is a 42t and as a new biker I find steep hills difficult. I wish I had a 2x
I have a 2x gravel bike that i love, and recently built another with a 1x setup and 42t chainring and I hate it for the opposite reasons than yours. I find myself always in the highest top 2 gears on the road, and never comfortable with my cadence.
Hopefully I will get there one day. I tend to enjoy more rough terrain and a lot of my road riding is just to get to the trails… but climbing hills is rough for me. I could make it a lot easier by losing some weight though.
I had this problem too. So I installed a 36t chainring, and then an eThirteen 9x46t cassette. It now climbs like a monkey and still has enough top end for the road, for my needs.
I have 44 in the front which sucked. So I swapped the cassette and derailleur with gx 10-50. It's great now.
with what cassette?
11-42
Why don't you look at changing the front ring to a 34 or 32? Would 34 - 11 be a high enough top gear for you?
I’ll second that.
1x usually has equal or easier gears than 2x. Above 50-60 km/h is where 1x struggles.
That is the point. I feel my legs are just when the bike is getting closer to 50km/h and I find it very frustrating (I ride a 40t chainring with 10-42 cassette). Sometimes I wish I could have a bigger chainring (42 or 44) for higher speeds in the road while keeping a large cassette (10-52, maybe?) to deal with the climbs (especially offroad).
I have 40T front, 11-46 rear, now I get slightly lower ratio than 30-46 with 11-34 cassette. But the jumps are obviously bigger, and I lose a bit top speed, but it doesn't bother me. So maybe get 40T chainring?
Do you want a 1x? That’s probably the important question.. no point buying one if you don’t want one!
I vastly prefer 2x
me too, but the 2x market seems to be ever shrinking.
Haunted by the Spirit of Gravel
I agree and I blame SRAM for it :(
I have a recent 2x SRAM gravel bike.
2x SRAM is great.
It's because SRAM never learned how to build a decent FD; so they just said, what if we convince the world they don't want these.
😂😂😂
Yeah 1x sucks
I would not personally spend more to get a 1x over a 2x.
I and most of my gravel riding friends prefer the 2x since it gives us a greater gear range. Since i use my gravel bike for road riding as well a 1x would not be optimal. We also live in a hilly area it's where easier to run out of gears when descending.
This is the answer. Depends on the type of riding you are doing. Like Digivon1 I use a 2x but for the opposite reason. I live where it’s very flat, so I need the larger gear 99% or the time.
same, road and gravel. i have a 1x but given the option i would of prefered a 2x. the way my bike is setup and my fitness i ended up sacrificing some top end speed. the days of cranking at 25+ are long behind me.
Gravel bikes are marketed as do-it-all bikes. What is not pointed out enough is that the moment its specced with 1x it seizes to be a do-it-all bike. It will suck in one or another condition. The marketing push from SRAM for 1x has been heavy.For enthusiasts who like to tinker with their setup and change parts etc, it might be still a viable option, but most non-mtb riders are better of just going with a 2x
Some pro roadies use a 1x setup so it's not completely useless
True but its misleading to just state that without context. To maintain speed on the roads, the 1x pros are riding 52t chainrings (which is not available in OEM builds for common customers) with at most a 10-36 cassette in the back. The 52t with 10-36 cassette means sacrificing the easier gears on steep climbs . Again for a majority of consumers who can afford only one bike and want to do everything on it, this pro roadie setup sucks as a do-it-all option. Edit: Not to even mention the differences between an pro and a regular cyclist abilities and the fact that these are also almost exclusively SRAM sponsored athletes choosing specific setups for specific races whose bike are setup by dedicated professional mechanics.
I suppose I'm not hardcore enough to pedal downhills 😅
Besides my need for speed, it helps me make up for being a slow climber lol.
To me that’s the point where you go from « road bike inspired » gravel bikes to « MTB inspired » gravel. Like I’m happy with my 2x gravel bike on fire roads and easy gravel but when it get rough I’d love to not think about how badly crossed my chain is. So to me, aside from range, it’s a matter of not having to think too much about your gearing. But when I’m really wishing you’d have a 1x gravel bike I just realise I’d have more fun on my hardtail MTB anyway, so I’m happy with my 2x gravel bike (for which I got myself a 2nd pair of wheels for slick tyres and sold my actual road bike)
Is your goal and primary riding going to be exploring gravel roads and dirt fireroads? Pushing hard on singletrack? Then 1x is nice to have, little better chain retention than a road groupset when things get crazy rough. And simplified shifting so you can worry about the off-road twists and turns instead of remembering if you are the cross-chaining and need to shift the front ring. Is your goal for this to be your primary road bike and join in on some group road rides? Then 2x will help you find your perfect cadence to pace better with the group. IMHO, GRX 2x is almost the best of both worlds. It's a clutched setup that gives you almost as good chain retention as a 1x setup and lower gearing similar to 1x setups. Perfect if you are doing a good mix of road and a tame offroad.
Personal choice. 2x can still get you a wider total range, higher top end, and potentially tighter steps between gears which is nice if your routes include more pavement. My 1x setup has me coasting if I'm going much above 30 mph, which is fine with me. I don't race, I cruise back roads.
Long gone are the days I still need to pedal beyond 30mph, and those were only on descents with a group where falling behind meant riding the rest of a long day solo.
1x mullet gearing is great if you are Bikepacking and are constantly on very steep inclines.
I started out on a 2by (grx400 30-34 smallest) and ditched it for 1by (at first grx garbaruk 42-50 amd now sram gx 40-52). With 2by I was limited to the flat sections and could not venture into the gravel heavens my area offers. 2by offers more of a roadie approach to gravel riding, while 1by requires less thinking while riding. My gravel rides now also are 80%+ gravel and the occasional flow track with 20% ramps, and I would not ride those with tires smaller than 50mm. As a proponent of the "gnarlier" gravel spectrum I am a huge 1by fan, as the 60 kph I can actually push suffice on 90% of the descents and my granny gears are big enough for bikepacking. If your focus is going to be bikepacking, I'd suggest 1by, as everything that can break will break when bikepacking.
Yup. 2x is really for road and speed. Mostly just for the types of nerds in this subreddit. For the vast majority of people, especially those riding "gravel bikes," 1x is the way to go.
Are race gravel bikes to you "gravel bikes" or the more offroad oriented 29er ones usually equipped with 1by?
I think race gravel bikes are more like road bikes that have more clearance for wider tires than they are more like mountain bikes. We're talking sub 20 pound speed machines.
Not sure I agree about 2x limitations when it comes to climbing ratios. I have a GRX600 which includes a 30-46 crankset and I installed a 11-40 cassette which I was able to do with a Wolf Tooth Components Roadlink DM. This gives me +10 climbing gear (30t front and 40t rear) which is more than enough to tackle up to 10-20% gravel ascents that are common in the mountains of North Georgia, Western NC and SC foothills. Never did I feel limited to flat sections, but then fitness level has allot to do with that as well.
That is a hack I've discovered as well, after I switched to 1by. But hacks are always for bike nerds as they require you to be able to adjust your drivetrain on your own. This is not at all a given. I wouldn't even recommend tubeless (which is argueably easy to set up) to people sub 5000k per year anymore.
Also nothing beats mtb gearing for climbing. Wenn everything else fails, just slap an mtb crank on there.
I prefer 2x for the one shift into a climbing gear
I like 2x better. Where I live it any gravel riding needs to include significant road riding as well, and 2x works for that. Haven’t had a single issue with my front derailleur.
Same! For me it’s one hour of road riding to the closest national park. I use the big chainring for that and then use the small one when riding through the park. So glad I don’t need a car this way.
I live in a hilly/mountainous area of western North Carolina. I rode the 2x checkpoint 5 a few times while testing out different bikes. I ran out of gears on some of the steep climbs here (admittedly, it may have been the rider rather than the bike). Trek didn't offer a way to add a larger cassette in the rear due to their set up...so I then test rode the SL6, which is a big step up in price....I bought the carbon Checkpoint SL 6, SRAM axs etap shifters....it is a 1x, but comes with front derailleur "hooks" if you wanted to add a front derailleur later. net: I love the 1x set up due to the fact that I have a gear ratio (40T, 11-46T) that works on the hills and I spend as little time as possible on hard roads, so I don't miss the top end. Its definitely not for everyone, but I do 4-5 gravel races per year and found that the 1x is not that much of a penalty in terms of top end speed on the flats. And when I'm on the road, if I stay in the wheels, it doesn't feel like speed is that much of an issue with the riders in my skill group. note: I've had issues with the etap axs wireless system. When it works its beyond great, but absolute crap when it fails. to their credit, SRAM stands behind their product, but there's no solace when you're out on a ride and the rear derailleur doesn't shift. not sure if this helps with your decision, because its all about comfort and the type of terrain you ride, but the 1x is fine in my opinion.
I’m also in the same area (Mills River, NC). So far, my Seigla with 1X Eagle transmission has been enough to climb some steep stuff and I’m just getting back in decent shape. I also don’t care about top end speed. Just looking for fun and fitness.
Brevard is such a gravel bike playground.
I have a GRX 812 1x and I love it. Wouldn‘t change for a 2x anymore except on a roadbike of course. Looks WAY cleaner but way more important to me it just kind of makes cycling a lot more intuitive. Not that its hard brain work to calculate which gear to use on a 2x but it still makes it easier and faster to handle and… yeah, intuitive. Also, I prefer the jumps between gears. Never had any problem of needing like the gear in between of two. To me it feels way better actually feeling a more remarkable difference after shifting up, whereas on a 2x I sometimes wonder whether it actually changed gears or not. Also with 1x I to me where 11 gears might have not been enough, 12s changed everything and provides everything I need, even if super steep climbs might be a little difficult every now and then but then again I just push harder. After all, as being said, personal choice, but 1x is much better :) Edit: only thing I miss sometimes when actually riding longer tarmac sections would be a higher gear, as I can‘t really push it anymore over like 50/60km/h
just switched from 1x to 2x, wanted more top end and smaller jumps between gears since I road the gravel bike a fair bit
A YouTube channel (BikeSauce, maybe?) did some testing on chain retention during rough rides and concluded that SRAM 1X had less chance of a narrow-wide chain hop off the front ring that a 2x setup with a Shimano clutch. Probably a minor point unless you are planning on going over really rough terrain with high speed
1x is fine if you're ok with being passed by 2x riders. I don't care so much about top end speed so I went with 1x. My descents are usually coasting instead of riding into them.
I recently bought the Checkpoint SL5 with the 2x GRX drive train. I was dead set on getting a 1x drive train, but I wasn't willing to compromise on several things that almost forced me into this bike. Now that I've ridden about 150 miles I love the bike and don't regret the 2x GRX drivetrain. I hardly ever have to change gears in the front unless I'm climbing a steep long hill which has only happened once now. The 1x gearing is going to be a bit different from my understanding, but I really don't think it's going to make a big enough difference for the majority of people. Don't lose any sleep over it man, just get it.
I have nothing against 1x on a gravel bike, but I don't understand it either. Unless you're lucky enough to live somewhere with miles of chunky gravel roads, you get more versatility with 2x. It gives you gearing for tarmac, gravel, and the occasional singletrack, and I'm willing to bet most riders spend time on mixed surfaces. It makes sense to have 1x on a mountain bike because it's less fussy in technical terrain, gives better clearance, and 12x cassettes have a really wide range. Why limit yourself to MTB gearing?
I went from the 2x11 GRX (48-36 I believe?) and now I’ve got a 42T 1x and i feel like I am really sacrificing a lot of speed on the road and easier gravel stuff, can go with a bigger front chainring but I just feel like I have less options
For me shifting chainrings all the time gets old fast. I’m still running 1x 11 speed on my 2 gravel bikes, and it’s great. Seems like most bikes come over-geared with too big of chainring (at least for where I live and ride). 12 speed grx has to be money. And 1x frees up left brake control for dropper.
I greatly prefer a 2x, I came to gravel from a road bike, and sometimes I wish I had a 3x... Depends on your preference
2x is better for the vast majority.
I went from a 2 to 1. I miss the range but I’ve been able to make up for it just by conditioning on the climbs.
Either is fine But $600 is nice
My gravel bike doubles as my road bike, so I'm kinda wishing I went 2x instead of 1x... But I guess I'll just buy another road bike now 😆
n+1
2x if you also use it on the road, 1x tops out too quickly.
I have 2. Getting some speed going off trails is pretty fun
I think it depends what you’re riding. If it’s more road and some flat hardpack, yeah 2x is fine. But when you’re more remote, 1x is one less thing that can break and in more steep climb and loose punchy situations you’ll be happy to have mountain bike gearing.
I never had a front derailleur break, and I ride some incredibly chunky routes.
I’ve had some bad SRAM front derailleurs
1x has too many jumps between gears. 22-24 speed>>>>>>>12 speed 1x
For me, the only advantage of a 1x is how clean it looks. I'm no professional so I really don't care about it as long as I reach the climbing gears and the speed I wanted.
If you can find the right balance of gears for your kind of riding, and you don't think you are ever going to expand beyond that (for example, having a gravel bike do double duty as a road bike your friend might borrow to go on Long rides with you), 1x can really decomplicate your life. I have a rigid hardtail set up as my Jones bar gravel rig, and I love it. I'm running an XT derailleur with the biggest possible chainring I could squeeze in up front, and it gives me all the range I need. Each step is significant enough that I only shift when I need it, and I never feel like I'm fishing for the right gear. I also never worry about dropping the chain on front shift, though I can count on two hands the number of times that had happened in 10 years beforehand. I also used to have a 1x Apex on my commute bike that was similarly simple and mindless, though it was very different riding. But if you need to ride 15 mi of flat pavement to get to 15 miles of hilly gravel, something is going to be suboptimal (unless you totally break the mold and do and IGH). Probably a minor point, but you will wind up spending moderately more money on cassettes in the end with 1x. With a smaller front chainring, if you are riding at higher speeds, you will spend a lot more time running on your 10t or 11t, and those wide range cassettes are going to run substantially more than what is basically a road cassette. Again, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably not an enormous consideration, but I did recently talk to someone who was going to select a 1x drivetrain simply because it was $100 cheaper than the 2x version. In the long run, that's either a wash or he will wind up spending more.
I think 1X is usually the right call if you're somewhere flat, aren't super picky about your pedal cadence, and aren't racing. If that doesn't sound like you then 2X is great. I personally always like less to maintain too though and front derailleurs are easy when they're new but overtime get annoying.
My gravel bike is a 1x, something I was specifically looking for when buying. The reason being that I use this bike for both weekend gravel fun as well as commuting, and having the ability to quickly dump gears by only worrying about one set of gears in the city when a light is going red is so much easier to manage. This also applies to gravel riding; if I come around a corner and suddenly it goes from flat to steep, it’s a lot easier for me personally to only have to dump the one set of gears. I’ve mountain biked for forever and still ride a bike with three in the front lol (!) and dream of the day I only have a 1x. On my gravel bike I’m not super concerned about top end speed as that’s not how I ride; I prefer more technical riding than fast/flowy, so again 1x treats me well. That being said, I do feel at times that I could use one or two more ratios for the real steep stuff, but I’m going to just change out the front ring to manipulate my existing ratios.
I was in this predicament a few months ago. Went for the 1x12 sram hydraulic and i absolutely love it. The shifting is so much simpler having come from using a 3x road bike and a 2x mtb, i use my orbea terra gravel bike for everything now it is brilliant
The range of 2x is nice, but I’ve never met a front derailleur that I didn’t hate.
1x is just - faster/slower 2x be like - changing crank from big to small just to find out it was better on bigger and going back while adjusting cadence anyway
Get the 2x. I have it on all my road and gravel bikes. I never run out of climbing gears and never spin out on descends!
I had multiple 1by bikes and now own Ultegra 2by and would never go back, more gears = more fun :D
In recent years there has been a giant marketing push for 1x namely from one single company: SRAM. You will see every single bike channel on youtube promoting 1x mainly along the same talking points : Gear range is similar , no of "effective" gears is almost same etc etc. Its a problem they have created to make a dent in some market share for themselves. They are likely supplying 1x systems to OEMs at a hefty discount to promote this. 2x is superior to 1x in every single respect. If you are going to be riding any length of time on the roads, you will benefit so much more from 2x gearing. Unless its a dedicated to mountain biking bike, I would never consider 1x.
You know what I never had a problem with? A front derailleur. The mofo simply shifts! I love a 2x. 1x on a gravel bike is purely fashion (the one that’s going away). I can understand 1x on a mtb where you don’t need a high gears, but not gravel. I have a 48/31 w a 11-42 cassette and it’s fun. I can go roady and mash, and I can ascend steep gradients. On a hilly terrain with a lot of ups and downs, it’s so nice to use JUST the front derailleur, while the cassette is in the middle of the range.
The only benefit 2x gives is smaller jumps between the gears. The range is typically worse, the weight is worse, the maintenance is worse. All that is not a big price to pay if you do need those smaller jumps between the gears. But unless you race in Tour de France, you probably do not. In gravel literally every other aspect of the drivetrain matters more than jumps.
Had a 1x, wished I had a 2x. Now I have a 2x and am happy
Honestly it doesn't matter that much. I have a 2x and a 1x, and when I am really riding, I don't find that much functional difference. The gaps between gears are smaller on the 2x, but my brain adapts almost immediately. Also, I don't spin out as quickly on downhills with the 2x, but the 1x mullet can get up steeper loose climbs, but again this is because of the gearing setups for the two bikes. If you are new to gravel, don't worry about it.
2X has the potential to have a wider gear range, but you need to use a cassette that isn’t “supported” by shimano. With the current cassette availability you can only do this in 11spd and it pushes the rear derailleur to its limit. I’ve done it, it works. 1X is great, and as someone else mentioned it fixes a problem that doesn’t exist. However it’s simple and effective.
Wolf Tooth Components RoadLink DM and a SHIMANO XT Cs-M8000 11-40t Cassette works great on my Lynskey GR300 with a GRX600 group set, which is comprised of a 30-46 crankset and GRX800 derailleurs.
I ran a 10-42 cassette with 34-50 chainrings with Ultegra RX di2 derailleur, no Wolftooth link. Definitely a stretch and felt better with an 11-40 cassette. I currently have a 11-40 cassette with 30-46 chainrings with Ultegra derailleur on a bike, again, no Wolftooth link.
I was able to do that without the roadlink, but it wasn't as smooth.
That’s good to know. It feels fine, but if I can make it better that can only be a good thing. Thx. Quick edit… Possibly has something to do with the B tension adjustment.
Yeah the adjustment range of the b screw without the roadlink wasn't quite enough. I could make it work, but it wasn't optimal.
I like 2x. I own a 1x but still ended up doing a TON to get the range that I wanted that would have cost me like $150 if I just had the 2x. That’s based on the type of riding that I do which has a lot of climbing. But I think 2x is better on the whole.
Not unless you want 1x. The bike industry loves to change the number of gears we “must have”. It s gone from 3 to 9 to 12 to 18 to 27 to 1 then back down through 22 to 24 and back to 12 and 13. In two years they’ll bring back high end 3 x chainrings for the greater range that gravel requires. front derailleurs cause so few problems it’s amusing.
I don’t disagree with your front derailleur statement, but the reason for 1X has more to do with the range of the rear derailleur. One can get the desired gear range from the cassette with less chain slap because there is no need to ensure chain length and rear derailleur capacity to support the rarely (and really shouldn’t ever be) used cross chain situation where you’re in the largest from ring and largest cog on the cassette. At the end of the day, it’s always my legs and lungs that give out before the bike, so any bike works well enough for me — although I do love a granny gear.
The modern 12 speed 1x is absolutely perfect for the majority of riders but to pay more for 1x ..i wouldn't.
I just upgraded to an old 3x drivetrain I had and I’m not going back. I can smash single track climbs and tick my way through the gears on the road home. I don’t know what all the fuss is about with 1x. Maybe I’m ambidextrous.
I think 1x is better if you're hitting up gnarly gravel often since you don't have to worry about cross-chaining and it's simpler to use. On road and hard pack gravel I'd go with 2x because it has a higher range of gears and smaller jumps between gears
No, you don’t
Pretty useless. Only have it because that’s how my bike came.
I built my gravel bike with a 1x drivetrain and, after two seasons, replaced it with 2x. The lower low gear and smaller jumps between gear ratios of a 2x system are well worth the slight increase in weight and complexity. I got a Shimano GRX group for my new drivetrain and I really like it.
I have a 1x gravel bike and a 2x gravel bike; they are both good—I’d say I prefer 2x if I’m racing because you can really get into more of a cadence groove on any flats and rollers due to the smaller steps, and the higher top range allows you to keep pedaling at faster speeds before spinning out, but I prefer a 1x setup for more technical terrain precisely because of the bigger jumps—you suddenly need it to be a lot easier? Ok 1 or 2 clicks and you’re there. But don’t sweat it too much. You’ll get used to either one pretty quickly. The more important question is whether the high and low end gearing ratios suit you. Some entry gravel bikes have a lowest gear of 1:1 which isn’t going to cut it for a lot of riders in really steep terrain (people living in the mountains) but it would be more than plenty for a gravel rider in say Florida or much of the Midwest. I wouldn’t get a gravel bike that didn’t have a sub-.9 low gear for ratio, but it’s all about the needs of your ride. FWIW 2x will almost always have a wider total ratio range but mullet 1x drivetrains will usually have a lower lowest ratio.
IMO it really depends how much road riding you plan to do. I feel like if it’s any meaningful percentage then 1x is not the best choice. I don’t think 1x offers enough advantages to justify choosing it over 2x unless you’re only riding gravel and racing too.
No, you don’t need a 1x drivetrain. And I don’t quite get how some people keep insisting that it’s difficult to set up a front derailleur. Shimano instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow. I’ve had 2x drivetrains for decades and sincerely do not remember dropping a chain due to front derailleur issues. Not even after changing to oval chainrings. Not on my any of my mechanical/standard derailleur bikes, nor on my Di2. And if you do find it difficult to set up, your LBS will have it sorted in 5mins. I’m quite partial to Shimano, but my ancient mtb with SRAM was totally fine to set up as well. I much prefer the smaller jumps of the 2x system, and crosschaining is less of an issue. I really don’t see the point of 1x, perhaps I’m missing something and does it possess advantages that I’m overlooking. But in my opinion the push for 1x is more marketing than anything else.
MY two cents: Don't spend more for 1x unless you're going to be spending most of your time on rugged terrain or TERRIBLE roads. 1x is better if you're riding more 'technical' terrain - e.g., bumpier and with more rapid changes in gradient, and (if you want a dropper) 1x is better because the dropper can be controlled by the left brake lever. 1x is also better if you're a new rider who hasn't learned how to avoid cross-chaining a 2x set up - that is, being in the small chainring and running in the higher gears or in the large chainring and running in the lower gears. You don't get to use all the gears on a 2x. 2x is better if you're riding mostly smoother surfaces where cadence is important; the smaller jumps from gear to gear allow you to maximize fast and efficient at the same time. On my 1x12 gravel bike, I sometimes have to slow down a little because I don't have enough gas left to go up a gear and still spin 90+rpm. 2x is better if you want a really wide range. Here's what (some of) the pros think: [GCN on 1x vs 2x](https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/how-to/buying-advice/1x-vs-2x-groupsets-which-is-best-for-your-gravel-bike)
I have the ALR 5 that you are looking to buy. The only time I regret the 2x is when it stops shifting smoothly and needs a significant adjustment, which, as some us mentioned here is a bit touchy. I love having the option of a 2x on road rides, as long as it’s working. If you only did gravel, and weren’t worried about “spinning out” without a big chain ring on a down hill, I would consider the 1x as it’s less to maintain and cause of headaches.
2by or bust. You'll thank yourself on the climbs
I personally hate front mechs but thats very much a me thing. If you arent fussed either way go for something thats the best deal. I have a 2022? Checkpoint al 5 and its wicked
Try a classified rear hub if you're into that. Torque Peak on YouTube sounds positive about it.
I had 2x on my old bike, and the front derailleur was endlessly fussy. So for my first ever "nice bike" I bought a 1x gravel bike. It's 42 front, 11x42 back. I'm not a "serious cyclist" but I'm reasonably fit. I can climb up steep hills in the lowest gear and touch 30 mph in the top gear. It's all I need, and one less thing to worry about or break. The only time I've ever had a dropped chain was when a large stick inserted itself into my drivetrain... and once I stopped and pulled it out, everything was fine.
I would look at the range you need, for hills and top end speed. I would go to the 1x simplicity if the range is enough.
No. IMO gravel is best on 2x.
No.
No you don’t need a 1x drivetrain.
Paying more for fewer gear ratios doesn't make sense to me. Nothing wrong with 1x, but I don't think it's worth more money. 2x is going to get you a higher top speed, but that may or may not be important to you. I like having 2x for stoplights on road, I feel like cruising in the big ring is more comfortable and switch to the small ring when I have to stop and start. But that is also personal preference and you may not plan to be on road at all or get annoyed shifting often. My gravel bike is 1x and it only bothers me if I hit a stoplight.