Is going 1x10 really worth it?!?

[canfan]

Did the conversion to just see what it like. I am fortunate enough to have 2 bikes. So now I run one 1x10 and the other 2x10. Just swap bikes based on the terrain I am planning to ride. If I get to spot where the 1x10 is not ideal its time to apply rule no 5.

[Louis for real]

when i was still racing marathons two years ago, i converted my hard tail to a 1x10 setup and found it had the benefit of leaving me fresher later into the race by not allowing me to push a heavy gear earlier in the race.

Also that might be because i only ever worried about my average speed so spinning out was not a problem , it usually happened at 35-40kmh so anything faster meant to me at least that i was pushing to hard.

simplicity is nice and you don't have to worry about derailleur trim. but on my trail bike i prefer to have a go to granny.

 

to answer your Q it's worth it for some applications but for others not so much.

My best advice is drop your granny and big ring, try it and if you don't like it go back to what you have now.

[shaper]

I run 34t with a 11-36 cassette, yet to find a hill cannot get up.

 

Many fit the extender 40t or 42t without even trying on a normal cassette, just because they think they might need it... When in fact they probably don't.

 

I also ride SS, so perhaps know how to adapt my riding style when I need to HTFU.

 

If you are considering 1x10, just do the chainring and ride... You might even surprise yourself and find that your concerns are all for nothing

[mtbride]

Damn, I spin out on a 38 up front. If it get it right I could probably do all of Botlary hills on a 38/36. I had a 36 on up front and seriously ran out of revs on some of the marathon rides, but could ride everything on freshish legs.

 

But the issue is how much weight will i save (i read about 300g) damn that is 1 good dump in the morning. And as for looking "cleaner" to me it looks out of balance on the bars.

 

Wow, what speed are you doing on those gears when you spin out?

 

I'm a spinner by nature can spin at 120 cadence for periods when its needed. But i feel i would never need more than a 34t, except on tar maybe... Last Nissan trailseeker races were flat and fast and i had no problem, rode in b batch for reference

[Matchstix]

I think it also depends on how long you ride. I still enjoy my 3x10 the days I am doing long rides I need my granny.

I do also tend to spin a bit more.

1x10 is fine for Xc races and trails.

Longer flat rides( also depending on wheelsize) I prefer all my gears.

[Heel Drop]

I changed to 1X10 on my previous bike and then changed to XX1 on my new bike. Best change I made ever.

 

Also if you look you can find bargains like at the moment I think on CWC you can get a X01 groupset for 10k and over the long run its going to make sense

 

That one gear is the one you will need - believe me

[Heel Drop]

I think it also depends on how long you ride. I still enjoy my 3x10 the days I am doing long rides I need my granny.

I do also tend to spin a bit more.

1x10 is fine for Xc races and trails.

Longer flat rides( also depending on wheelsize) I prefer all my gears.

I do long rides - did 175km last weekend - perfect for long rides

[Matchstix]

Clearly much stronger than me. Would have died @ to he'll and back if I had 1x10

[Dicky DQ]

Wow, what speed are you doing on those gears when you spin out?

 

I'm a spinner by nature can spin at 120 cadence for periods when its needed. But i feel i would never need more than a 34t, except on tar maybe... Last Nissan trailseeker races were flat and fast and i had no problem, rode in b batch for reference

110 cadence kills me and can't do it for more than a few mins. 105 seems to be my max for a bit longer but 100 is realistic, so about 45 kph. I need it for long gradual decent like are found in the Tiptrans, karoo to coast and 100miler.

[rudi-h]

it depends how strong you are and where you want to ride.  flattish riding for a normal guy 1x10 would be 100%. If you are however attempting to race marathons with 2000m of climbing, then very few people have enough strength to run a 1x10 or 1x11.  

 

I used to run a rohloff hub with less range compared to a 2x10 setup and I felt in on very long sustained climbs e.g. sabie, mankele etc. to the point where I got dropped by friends that would not be able to keep up with me on flatter rides

[gpcar]

I changed to 1X10 on my previous bike and then changed to XX1 on my new bike. Best change I made ever.

 

Also if you look you can find bargains like at the moment I think on CWC you can get a X01 groupset for 10k and over the long run its going to make sense

 

That one gear is the one you will need - believe me

Yeah the XX1 group set is sexy

[Eldron]

You can do it in stages.

 

First rip off the left shifter and the chainrings then add a narrow wide ring or chain guide as the others said.

 

Second stage is adding a Hope 40T Trex sprocket to your cassette - works best with an 11-36. Get a 16t to smooth out the gears lower down. Cassette must be XT or above or it doesn't have loose 15 and 17. You now have an 11-40 instead of an 11-36. Better but still not as wide a range as 2x or 3x.

 

1x10 is fine for XCO and most XCM - I wouldn't take it to a stage race though. Well not a really hilly stage race anyway.

 

It's all about range of gears. 3x10 obviously has the widest range and the most "safety" meaning you won't blow your legs out on one climb because your cadence is too low. Anyone who claims you can just HTFU and grind up stuff at 40rpm knows blow all about riding a bicycle.

 

1x10 has the narrowest range - you can HTFU up some shorter climbs in XCO and most XMC but try a 5km climb at <50rpm and you will destroy your legs in 30mins. Even short climbs that are too steep and you have to heave yourself over will erode your legs.

 

A wise belgian man once told me you have infinite lungs but finite legs. The more you HTFU the more you erode your legs. Spinning does less damage. There are NO performance positives to reducing your range of gears - only asthetics.

[The MTBer]

I died on the uphill sections in Hakahana on the enduro course. On a 29er even 28/36 (2x10) almost killed me. I am the definition of unfit and it was VERY hot outside, that is probably why I nearly died, that was the moment I started to rethink my idea of a 36t with a 12x36 (10speed) without a 42t extender. So at this moment 2x10 it will stay.

[gpcar]

You can do it in stages.

 

First rip off the left shifter and the chainrings then add a narrow wide ring or chain guide as the others said.

 

Second stage is adding a Hope 40T Trex sprocket to your cassette - works best with an 11-36. Get a 16t to smooth out the gears lower down. Cassette must be XT or above or it doesn't have loose 15 and 17. You now have an 11-40 instead of an 11-36. Better but still not as wide a range as 2x or 3x.

 

1x10 is fine for XCO and most XCM - I wouldn't take it to a stage race though. Well not a really hilly stage race anyway.

 

It's all about range of gears. 3x10 obviously has the widest range and the most "safety" meaning you won't blow your legs out on one climb because your cadence is too low. Anyone who claims you can just HTFU and grind up stuff at 40rpm knows blow all about riding a bicycle.

 

1x10 has the narrowest range - you can HTFU up some shorter climbs in XCO and most XMC but try a 5km climb at <50rpm and you will destroy your legs in 30mins. Even short climbs that are too steep and you have to heave yourself over will erode your legs.

 

A wise belgian man once told me you have infinite lungs but finite legs. The more you HTFU the more you erode your legs. Spinning does less damage. There are NO performance positives to reducing your range of gears - only asthetics.

Thanks this really helps. I think I'll give it a shot with replacing this front chainring and see how it goes

[Eldron]

Thanks this really helps. I think I'll give it a shot with replacing this front chainring and see how it goes

Experimenting is the best way! 1x makes things simpler - half way to SSing. 1x removes the left shifter - SSing removes the right :-)

[Hairy]

Op, Firstly ride what drive train you have till it is broken then consider changing.

 

Did my tail bike, or rather bikes as the drive train went onto a couple of bikes, as a 1x9 with a cheap deore 32t chainring and guide combined with a 34t cassette. This went onto 15.5kg 160mm travel bikes and a rider in his birthday suit coming in at 92kgs.

 

It worked well enough on the trails, but for those rides with a steep and consistent gradient over long distances (think climbing table Mountain) it hurt a little. As per one of the other poster's, I was also riding a ss at the time, so you learn to ride in heavy gears.

 

On fast descents I did certainly miss my big ring as I like big gears.

 

Benefits with the chain guide was that I could clear big Rocky sections with more clearance with the big chain ring gone and the bash guard/taco ring saved the bike on the odd occasion from rock strikes to the bb or chain ring. Also never dropped a chain once with this set up.

 

Personally for me a 34 chainring with a 36 rear or better yet a 40t would have proven ideal.

 

The above on a 26er.

 

The was also a time I did the 29er ht as a 42t with a 34t cassette. ....Things got a little heavy with that setup.

 

Had a lighter 650b test bike for two weeks and this was a 32x34 setup and worked well......But this bike was a good 2.5kgs lighter than the 160mm bikes and better designed for climbing. A 40t would have made it with well, even with a 34 up front.

 

My new trail bike is 13kg s and running a 3x9 as this is what the bike came with and the drive train is just about brand new, so will ride this into the ground first before considering a one by something upgrade. I do use the big 42t often on the fast see decents and love having it on tap.

 

My ht is currently a one by nine and sites spin out at times.

 

Was in a fancy bike shop on town the other day and the owner of the shop was pushing me to go one by something with the motivation that one by nine is not fashionable anymore and old technology. ......I scoffed at this and noted that I don't care about fashion.

 

Would I go one by something on the duallie again....sure when my existing drive train dies.

 

Until then if it is not broken then don't fix it.