Converting 1x11 back to 2x11

[jtbadge]

Originally Posted by pbarry

Can the clutch be turned off on Sram mechs? Shimano has an on/off lever, right?

The issue for 2x is the geometry of the CX1 derailleurs. They weren't designed to handle the difference in chainline or chain length that comes with multiple chainrings.

You can run a SRAM 10 speed clutch RD (e.g. X9) with 2x and 10 or 11 speed road shifters.

[pbarry]

^^ Thank you! This stuff is new to me. 🍺

[BikeNY]

Originally Posted by tedski

I had my Salsa Colossal set up similar to your bike with a XD 10-42 rear end. but I run a 44T QX1 ring up front, honestly didn't feel lack of any gearing. I am considering putting a 46T up front, that will basically get the gear range wider than a compact chain set with 11-28 rear end. May be try a bigger front ring??

Putting a bigger chainring on your bike does nothing to increase your gear range. With 1x 44t chainring and a 10-42T cassette, your gear range is 420%. Moving to a 46t chainring, your gear range is still 420%, you're just changing where that gear ratio is. With the 44t, your low gear is 1.05 and your high gear is 4.4. With a 46t, your low gear is 1.1 and your high gear is 4.6.

Your gear range is already wider than a 50/34 x 11-28 setup, which has a range of about 375%. Throw an 11-32 cassette on and the range is about the same as your setup. The big difference is you get get much smaller jumps between gears with a 2x setup. That matters to some people and doesn't matter to others.

I'm in the process of switching my gravel/allroad bike over to 1x11, interested to see if I can deal with the jumps.

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by BikeNY

Putting a bigger chainring on your bike does nothing to increase your gear range. With 1x 44t chainring and a 10-42T cassette, your gear range is 420%. Moving to a 46t chainring, your gear range is still 420%, you're just changing where that gear ratio is. With the 44t, your low gear is 1.05 and your high gear is 4.4. With a 46t, your low gear is 1.1 and your high gear is 4.6.

Your gear range is already wider than a 50/34 x 11-28 setup, which has a range of about 375%. Throw an 11-32 cassette on and the range is about the same as your setup. The big difference is you get get much smaller jumps between gears with a 2x setup. That matters to some people and doesn't matter to others.

I'm in the process of switching my gravel/allroad bike over to 1x11, interested to see if I can deal with the jumps.

One interesting thing to note is how changing the front chainring and/or cassette on a 1x11 setup can greatly influence your pedaling comfort with regards to cadence.

One might be in the ideal cadence at 25mph, but you're in between ideal cadence on a 10mph uphill because of the larger jumps of the wider range cassette. Swapping out the front chainring might get you into your ideal ratios with the same cassette, and conversely keeping chainring and swapping in a different cassette could do the same.

I only found this out recently when I changed cranks and wanted to see how a different sized chainring would feel. On a regular ride with the old 42t chainring there were a few sections where I wasn't quite in an ideal rhythm, while changing to a 46t made those sections feel way better at the expense of lower gearing which I didn't need on that particular route. If I need the lower gearing for another route then I'll just swap out the chainring, which for me is easier/cleaner than swapping cassettes.

[tedski]

Originally Posted by yinzerniner

I only found this out recently when I changed cranks and wanted to see how a different sized chainring would feel. On a regular ride with the old 42t chainring there were a few sections where I wasn't quite in an ideal rhythm, while changing to a 46t made those sections feel way better at the expense of lower gearing which I didn't need on that particular route. If I need the lower gearing for another route then I'll just swap out the chainring, which for me is easier/cleaner than swapping cassettes.

Thank you yinzerniner, that's the point I am trying to get to but fall short of explaining myself.

[weisan]

Converted to 2x this morning and went out for a ride.

A much happier camper all around.

Glad I tried it out before I decide.

I am not always bound by rules or traditions or others expectations, sometimes it's whatever works. This is the right call for me, the kind of riding I am doing with this bike. It's not really a gravel bike, more of an allroad, and for that, double makes more sense.

[peanutgallery]

All right, that's an atrocity

But I think its funny

[weisan]

peanut pal, you already know this, the sole purpose of my existence is to keep you entertained.

[peanutgallery]

You need more zip ties

[weisan]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

You need more zip ties

nah, it will hold.

[Wayne77]

My take: the more road-accomodating a gravel bike needs to be the less 1X makes sense. Conversely, the more off-road oriented (steep, chunky, single-tracky, cyclocrossy, etc) it needs to be the more 1X makes sense; The gravel bike in the initial post looks pretty ‘road-leaning’ to me. Maybe there’s a need to do a lot of asphalt to get to the gravel...or a desire to use it for group rides or a winter commuter). therefore I’m not surprised 2X would be a logical next step...if that’s currently the focus or it will be. If so, I think it makes total sense. Either way, that bike is effin’ cool.

I’m not addressing the original post in particular, but when I see people throw 28-32mm slicks on their 1X cx or gravel bikes, I always wonder how long it’ll be before they wish they had a 2X drivetrain. Obviously that’s a broad brush stroke, but I always come back to one fact: there’s massive variety in viable configuration options for gravel bikes compared to road-only bikes...there are no universal rules of thumb. The only variable that matters is the owner and whatever aspects they personally choose to optimize at the expense of others. Those trade-offs are individualized decisions, based on very unique personal use cases. It goes without saying of course that there is no guarantee others won’t scratch their heads wondering if the owner is on crack when they see the build :-). Sorry to go off topic. It’s just a thought that comes to mind every now and then in equipment-of-choice discussions like this one.

[weisan]

Excellent analysis. Thanks Wayne pal.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

All right, that's an atrocity

But I think its funny

Yikes...seems easier to mess around with gear ratios rather than electrical tape and zip ties...oh well, perfect for the co-op...I guess...

A barend would have been a bit more ‘sanitary’, imho, of course. And easier to reach.

[charliedid]

Thanks for getting us out of this awful mess, Macgyver pal.

[weisan]

Zip ties along with velcro and the bicycle are some of greatest invention of mankind.

Did 40 miles yesterday on the new setup, everything works perfectly. I can see the appeal of downtube shifter, this thing just plain works, no buts no ifs, flip the lever and it shifts, no wonder he likes it.