1x gravel drivetrains: chain consumption!

[NoMoreParagon]

I didn’t realize how quickly chains get worn out in a 1x drivetrain.
I could do easily 5-6k on a standard 2x groupset.
With a Rival 1 I clocked 2k and already had to change the chain.
People with 1x experiencing same?
I think riding aggressively, riding in mud and bikepacking (where you have limited access to cleaning tool) definitely contributed.
Thank you


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[Burning Pines]

Off road riding is hard on chains. Torque is higher in lower gears on steep terrain, mud, grit, and a lot more shifting under load. Maybe the angles of the chain hurt too but 2-3k miles like about what I’ve gotten on my mountain and cross bikes since forever.

[robt57]

Clutch?

[Mark McM]

Off road riding is hard on chains. Torque is higher in lower gears on steep terrain, mud, grit, and a lot more shifting under load. Maybe the angles of the chain hurt too but 2-3k miles like about what I’ve gotten on my mountain and cross bikes since forever.

^^^^ This.

Also, which 2x system are you comparing the Rival 1x system to? Was the 2x system non-SRAM? SRAM chains are notorious for having shorter lives than other brands of chain.

[bicycletricycle]

I wonder if more time spent in smaller cogs increases wear, I have a 1x bike and I spend a lot more time down in the 11 and 13 tooth cogs than on my doubles and triples.

[thirdgenbird]

It’s probably a combination of that and the chain angle at the ends.

A 2x system has the potential for a greater chain angle but 1x can force you into those angles more often.

[benb]

I still have 3x9 on my MTB, the chain is absolutely ancient and working fine.. it's way way old, it's got 5k on it easily, though I think miles is not a good metric to use here, hours is probably better. It is overdue for replacement but the bike is so old I've been procrastinating.. as long as it keeps working the bike has a bunch of other major stuff waiting to go wrong and any of those things will cause me to retire the bike.

While MTB/offroad is going to chew up everything faster there is surely truth to 1x wearing out faster too.. all the parts are made with less material, there's only one ring that takes all the wear, and you're going to run a bad chainline a higher percentage of the time.

[yinzerniner]

^^^^ This.

Also, which 2x system are you comparing the Rival 1x system to? Was the 2x system non-SRAM? SRAM chains are notorious for having shorter lives than other brands of chain.

Conversely, the method of chain wear measurement varies greatly as well. Some chains are designed with better elongation properties vs link to link consistency, so measurement with a chain checker will be different vs a total elongation measurement when assessing chain wear.

If anyone has an extra 17 hours they can pore through this excellent deep dive by CyclingTips on chain wear. The SRAM XX1 chain actually gets the best result since it's apparently designed specifically for their MTB 1x Clutch systems, but it's a tricky one to get the measurement right.
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/

[EB]

My old Force 1 drivetrain used to eat chains on the regular. I chalked this up to commuting daily.

Then my fancy XTR 12 speed drivetrain on the mountain bike killed its chain in 1600 miles.

Definitely a thing.

[benb]

I wonder if more time spent in smaller cogs increases wear, I have a 1x bike and I spend a lot more time down in the 11 and 13 tooth cogs than on my doubles and triples.

This surely contributes.

The teeth on those cogs wearsout faster than the teeth on a 15 or a 17 you might be using on a 2x/3x system with the chain in a bigger ring in the front, because you're putting the same wear on fewer teeth on the 11 or 13 cog. And you're using a smaller ring in the front than the 2x/3x system so fewer teeth are carrying the forces there as well.

And the cogs & rings are thinner as well because you're likely comparing an 11 or 12 speed cogset to a 9 or 10 speed one from the older system.

I'm really not sure what I think about this.. I don't really think my old 3x is ideal.. the smallest ring is hard to use (22t) because it's so low. I use the middle 32t ring almost all the time in the woods, though I have been trying to force myself to use the 22t ring more to be able to keep the chain in the middle of the cogset on climbs. But the 44t ring would be sorely missed as well for riding along a flat fire road type trail or riding on the pavement to get to the trail head. I ride to the trail head a lot.. and about 100% of the time even on climbs I am using the 44t big ring if I'm on pavement or anything that resembles a MUT. I have a high 11t cog as well, its very easy to end us using the 44x11 in those easy situations when I'm trying to cover ground.

A 2x with a 26/36 might work pretty well I guess for me, but only if I wasn't ever riding on pavement or MUTs or fire roads to get to the hard stuff. I would want a 10t cog for sure if all I had was a 36t big ring.

[Fixed]

Clean And lube your chain after every ride helps
Cheers to All

[NoMoreParagon]

Clutch?


Yes clutch...


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[NoMoreParagon]

^^^^ This.

Also, which 2x system are you comparing the Rival 1x system to? Was the 2x system non-SRAM? SRAM chains are notorious for having shorter lives than other brands of chain.


Sram Red eTap with red chain...


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[NoMoreParagon]

Conversely, the method of chain wear measurement varies greatly as well. Some chains are designed with better elongation properties vs link to link consistency, so measurement with a chain checker will be different vs a total elongation measurement when assessing chain wear.

If anyone has an extra 17 hours they can pore through this excellent deep dive by CyclingTips on chain wear. The SRAM XX1 chain actually gets the best result since it's apparently designed specifically for their MTB 1x Clutch systems, but it's a tricky one to get the measurement right.
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/


Good info. Thanks


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[NoMoreParagon]

My old Force 1 drivetrain used to eat chains on the regular. I chalked this up to commuting daily.

Then my fancy XTR 12 speed drivetrain on the mountain bike killed its chain in 1600 miles.

Definitely a thing.


Glad I am not alone :)


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