Considering 1x for road bike

[BLD 25]

Hey everyone. I just spent 3 hours putting new Aero handlebars on my felt AR. I took it for a test drive and the left shifter snapped on my SRAM red. I have a triathlon in 2 weeks and this bike is perfect for the occasional triathlon. Since it has a flippable seat post, and it is one of the most aero frames ever tested. I need to figure out a solution fast.

Of course, what I would love to do is just get etap but I'm not sure I could find it for a good enough price.

I'm considering One x for this setup. I've read some of the pros and cons and it looks like there's a bit more friction and drivetrain loss, but primarily that is when you use a 10 tooth rear cog. I plan on sticking to no smaller than 11 in the back. I could use an 11-34 like those found on Amazon that are still pretty light, and then all I would need is a new chain and probably a 52 or 54 front chain ring. I would save about 150 g from the derailleur shifter cable and chainring, but I would gain 100 for the cassette and also a heavier front single chain ring. It sounds like the balance of Watts saved from aerodynamics. It's just a bit less than that lost by the drivetrain issues.

I have the luxury of having another bike if I wanted to ride the hills, and if I was racing on this one and hit some hills then I don't think that that gear ratio would be a problem.

Anyone have some thoughts on this? Thanks!

[yinzerniner]

If the left shifter paddle snapped but the body and brake lever are still intact, why not just get a bar end friction shifter? Seems the cheapest / least complicated option until you can source a replacement shifter or shifter guts

[slambers3]

I converted to 1x road recently when I realized I simply wasn’t using the front derailleur/little ring enough to justify having it on the bike at all times. Running SRAM AXS with 50t front with 10-28 or 10-33 cassette at the moment and there isn’t any hill that I can’t just grunt over if I need to. It’s comparatively flat here with some rollers but I’m still pretty strong and the solid 1x sram aero ring looks cool.
Wind the clock back a few years to around 2016, I bought one of the original Allez Sprint bikes when they were 1x only. For where I lived (Philly) and my fitness level (kinda poor) the stock gearing (50t 11-32) was impractical for the hilly stuff i found myself riding. For those that know, I could make it up la colina only by paperboying.
So what id ask here is this- do you get over most of your hills in the big ring?Or do you need wide gearing range AND tight gear ratios? The frictional losses are only going to matter if you’re spending a lot of time in the extremes. If you’re
Shifting into the bailout gear for 10-20s only a handful of times in a ride, the actual net energy losses from crosschaining aren’t going to be that significant

[efuentes]

After a late night with a gear calculator I found out that my 50-34 chainrings were all the wrong gears for my fitness and now I´m getting by with a 1x 42X11-32, I do have an extra wheel set with a 11-40 but in reality in the flat land that I ride I don´t really need it.

[m_sasso]

If most of your event ride time is spent on the middle of the cassette and your comfortable cadance range is reasonable broad, go 1X.

Many of my race bikes are set up 1X, TT, Crit and Cross, dependent on the course. I do always use an over the chain ring, chain guide on these bikes even when using a clutch rear derailleur and narrow wide chain rings. Droping a chain at the start of one TT and droping a chain half way through another TT taught me a life lesson.

[BRad704]

to completely buck the system... My road bike is 1x (46x10-44) and my gravel bike is 2x (46/33x11-34).

[XXtwindad]

I can’t stand 1X for road riding.

[Sarhog]

I do all my road riding with a 1x.

[Dave]

I ride in northern Colorado with my 46/30 and 10-44. I only use the 30 for grades over 8%. If I want to get out of the saddle and work hard, I can do 10% in the big ring.

My new Cervelo Rouvida has a 46 chain ring and 10-44. The extra power makes up for the lack of low gear.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I can’t stand 1X for road riding.

Agreed if you have a small comfortable cadence range 1X can be uncomfortable and non rideable.

As someone who spends most of their cycling time on the track, you quickly develop a broad usable cadence range that suits 1X well.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I can’t stand 1X for road riding.

We can hang. ::::

[DeBike]

I had a 1X set up on a road bike all of last year, 44 front with 12 speed 11-34 rear. I live in flat land, the low and high end was fine, but I did have times riding into headwinds that I felt like I could not get into the pedal stroke sweet spot. Not a big deal, you get used to it, but still a minor irritation.
I switched that bike back to 2X due to getting a barely used Dura Ace 9000 group set. It is now my ultimate road bike. I planned on switching one of my other bikes to 1X, that still has not happened.

[oldpotatoe]

More the general peanut gallery...'most' front ders work very, very well. I would think a double crank coupled with a cogset WITHOUT those big gaps(like a 10-44) would be a much better, smoother setup than any I by, for the road.

I 'kinda' get it for MTB, but for road stuff, I really don't.

IMHO, YMMV and all that.

[AngryScientist]

I don't as much anymore, but I used to ride a ton of road miles on my fixed gear bike, and when you're riding fixed on the road, you are pretty much always in the wrong gear; so I think I more or less got used to not seeking an "optimal" cadence.

I like 1x these days. With modern drop-stop chainrings and clutched RDs, makes for a simple, effective system if you can get used to the gearing.

[Dave]

I resorted to using a 10-44 so I could remain seated when climbing a 13% grade. It got so my 30/36 lowest gear ratio just wasn't enough. The 30/38 or 30/44 did the trick.

What's actually different between a 10-36 and 10-44 is no 12T, so you have to wind up the 13 before using the 11. At the opposite end, the only difference is two 6 tooth jumps instead of 4T. I haven't found that to be any problem. The 32-38-44 jumps work just fine. Don't knock it unless you've tried it.