Question for the bike gear nerds???

[MoparPorsche]

I saw the Campagnolo Ekar thread, and it got me wondering. With the advent of these big multiple ring cassettes being introduced mostly for gravel and the single ring crank. What is the likelihood this makes it to mainstream road bikes. How many gears do we as riders use anyway, and if you can customize a crank and cassette pairing for 13-14 different gear ratios, it just seems to make sense.

What am I missing?

[prototoast]

Hasn't gone well for competitive road riding in recent history: https://road.cc/content/tech-news/24...-talking-about

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by MoparPorsche

I saw the Campagnolo Ekar thread, and it got me wondering. With the advent of these big multiple ring cassettes being introduced mostly for gravel and the single ring crank. What is the likelihood this makes it to mainstream road bikes. How many gears do we as riders use anyway, and if you can customize a crank and cassette pairing for 13-14 different gear ratios, it just seems to make sense.

What am I missing?

With a 1by and particularly on the road..a single ring really means you can go uphill well, or downhill but not both. PLUS, front ders, shifters are almost fool proof..no reason to NOT have them on a road only bike. PLUS giganto gaps in 1 by systems..I suppose you could 'design' a 1by, with an appropriate to you rear cluster..that allows for downhill, flats, and uphill where you ride. But these gigantic 9/10-42, 10-52 cogsets, for a road only bike..I just don't see it, IMHO...

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

But these gigantic 9/10-42, 10-52 cogsets, for a road only bike..I just don't see it, IMHO...

I agree. I had a 1x on a "gravel" bike that ends up getting more time on tarmac than dirt, and hated it: jump between gear too big; rarely used the bailout 42, too often in the 10-11. Ditched it for a double subcompact and now enjoy riding that bike again.

[Clean39T]

Make mine 46x30 and 12x25/27 - plenty of gears at the bottom, coast when you run out, and enjoy tight supple clicks across the range.

[JoB]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Make mine 46x30 and 12x25/27 - plenty of gears at the bottom, coast when you run out, and enjoy tight supple clicks across the range.

totally agree with this. 46-12 is approx. a 53-14. Not easy to turn over that kind of gear in hilly country. and while it's not a major thing, I'm wondering what about chain resistance in a 9-gear cog. it's already not great in an 11.

[mtechnica]

I've found 40 or 42T front with 11 speed 10-42 to be surprisingly useable on the road.

I really think people can live without a higher gear than the 10t provides and less than 1:1 on a road bike is IMO unusual and unnecessary.

I think it's funny people whine about 1x theoretically being worse than 2x but then also have bikes with 5-7 speed drivetrains that they ride. Let's talk about your 13-26t freewheel and 42/53t crankset shall we.

Anyway yes I think double is better for the road but 1x is completely useable in practice if you're willing to accept the compromise in gear ratio gaps and not being able to pedal at 40mph.

That said I don't see 1x ever replacing 2x as the default for road bikes.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

I've found 40 or 42T front with 11 speed 10-42 to be surprisingly useable on the road.

I really think people can live without a higher gear than the 10t provides and less than 1:1 on a road bike is IMO unusual and unnecessary.

I think it's funny people whine about 1x theoretically being worse than 2x but then also have bikes with 5-7 speed drivetrains that they ride. Let's talk about your 13-26t freewheel and 42/53t crankset shall we.

Anyway yes I think double is better for the road but 1x is completely useable in practice if you're willing to accept the compromise in gear ratio gaps and not being able to pedal at 40mph.

That said I don't see 1x ever replacing 2x as the default for road bikes.

I don't disagree with any of the above. And remember that the majority of the bicycles on the planet are single speed, and of course there are plenty of bike with 3spd or 5spd drivetrains that get their riders around just fine. Will there be some riders be happy with 1x13? Of there there will. But that's not at all the same as saying that 1x13 is "superior" than 2x drivetrains, or that there aren't good reasons that many would prefer 2x drivetrains over 1x.

[nickl]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

I agree. I had a 1x on a "gravel" bike that ends up getting more time on tarmac than dirt, and hated it: jump between gear too big; rarely used the bailout 42, too often in the 10-11. Ditched it for a double subcompact and now enjoy riding that bike again.

Agree, I had a similar experience. Campagnolo offering Ekar as 1x only is a seriously flawed strategy, especially considering how well their compact and subcompact doubles work. Don’t suggest Chorus or their other groups as alternatives, since that’s not how they’re designed or marketed.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by nickl

Agree, I had a similar experience. Campagnolo offering Ekar as 1x only is a seriously flawed strategy, especially considering how well their compact and subcompact doubles work. Don’t suggest Chorus or their other groups as alternatives, since that’s not how they’re designed or marketed.

Really wish Campy would release a 2x, mechanical gravel/all-road groupset that could be used for touring, gravel, etc.

[Dave]

Chorus only lacks a clutched RD cage to be gravel worthy, but the need for a clutch depends on how rough your gravel is.

A 32/34 is under 1/1 and reasonably low.

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by nickl

Agree, I had a similar experience. Campagnolo offering Ekar as 1x only is a seriously flawed strategy, especially considering how well their compact and subcompact doubles work. Don’t suggest Chorus or their other groups as alternatives, since that’s not how they’re designed or marketed.

Are you sure?

It’s not listed as a gravel group, but I recall a lot of the builds they posted on social media being on “all road” bikes. They also do not offer a standard crankset and offer a subcompact.

Regardless of how it’s listed on their site or marketed, it performs very well off-road. Most of the long term reviews that I have read were in gravel bike applications and that’s how I’ve been using it. Zero complaints so far. No, it doesn’t have a clutch but if my riding required a clutch, then the merits of 1x are probably also warranted.

Originally Posted by Dave

Chorus only lacks a clutched RD cage to be gravel worthy, but the need for a clutch depends on how rough your gravel is.

A 32/34 is under 1/1 and reasonably low.

Agreed.

[phishrabbi]

Let's assume a 53/39 up front and an 11-28 in the back

53/11 = 4.82
39/28 = 1.39

This spread is exceeded by an ekar 44t chainring and a 9-36 cassette.

So the notion that 1x is good either for climbing or descending but not both is simply false. Math is Math.

Furthermore with 13 real gears, you have essentially the same unique combinations as you do with 2x11. Especially since 53/28 and 39/11 aren't really useful, and all the overlapping rations you get with a 2x.

Whatever "gaps" you felt with 1x11 you are unlikely to feel with 1x13.

I also run a double crank on my road bike, after all ekar is disc brake only. But it is no longer the case that you sacrifice either range or gaps with 1x13.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by phishrabbi

Let's assume a 53/39 up front and an 11-28 in the back

53/11 = 4.82
39/28 = 1.39

This spread is exceeded by an ekar 44t chainring and a 9-36 cassette.

So the notion that 1x is good either for climbing or descending but not both is simply false. Math is Math.

Furthermore with 13 real gears, you have essentially the same unique combinations as you do with 2x11. Especially since 53/28 and 39/11 aren't really useful, and all the overlapping rations you get with a 2x.

Whatever "gaps" you felt with 1x11 you are unlikely to feel with 1x13.

I also run a double crank on my road bike, after all ekar is disc brake only. But it is no longer the case that you sacrifice either range or gaps with 1x13.

The range you describe is lacking quite a bit on the easy end compared to what most people I know ride with. Just about everyone I know rides a compact in the front with at least an 11-32 in the back.

[kppolich]

1x road for competitive riding is OK if the terrain is consistently flat or hilly. Any mix of the two and the gaps are wide or chainline sucks something awful for the ratio you want.

Cool for pedaling around town, not ideal for the right gear option at the right time.