1x MTB Choice

[Slabeye]

I currently ride a hard-tail Merida Big 9 XT Edition with 2x11.

 

I am ready to upgrade to a soft-tail 1x11 / 1x12.

 

What is the difference between 1x11 and 1x12? Obviously the very large 50T rear cog, but does the front cog change? ie: would the ratios of all other gears stay the same, and would it be the same as the smaller front cog or the bigger one I out of the 2 I currently ride

[Tatt]

Look for the Bike Gear Calculator app. It will answer a lot of your questions and will give you an idea of what blade to run upfront.

 

Tom

[Slabeye]

Thanks, I did that, but I have no idea what to do with it

[Boerklong]

Look for the Bike Gear Calculator app. It will answer a lot of your questions and will give you an idea of what blade to run upfront.

 

Tom

This.

I've got a gear calculator app that helped me with my 1 x decision

[Slabeye]

which?

[Boerklong]

Mine is called Gearcalculator from my appstore

[Traveler]

Shortest version, front chainring on 1x11 and 1x12 are the same.

 

Cassette:

11-50 11spd - jump at the top might cause a slight disruption in cadence

10-50 12spd - higher top end, smaller steps between gears

 

If you look at the cost of upgrades, the GX Eagle is very close to 11spd options, go for Eagle. If you get the opportunity, go and ride a bike with each setup.

 

http://gears.mtbcrosscountry.com/#26I1I1

[Tatt]

Thanks, I did that, but I have no idea what to do with it

 

Download the app, set it up according to your current bike configuration, which I'll guess is 24/34 and 42/11.

 

So your current granny gear ratio is 0.57, assuming a 175mm crank at 75rpm on 29x2.2 tyres, you will be doing 5.9km/h

 

Going 1 x 11 or 12, you'll probably either go 46 or 50. To have the same gear ratio in granny as your current setup, you will have to have a 26 upfront on the 46 or a 28 on the 50.

 

But this will compromise your top end!! So you'll probably look at a 32 or 34... A 32 with a 46 will give you a ratio of 0.7 in granny and a speed of 7.2km/h as per the cadence above, and a 34 will give you the same on a 50... The 34 will also help with the top end, which should be the exact same as your current ride.

 

Have a look at what options Sunrace have, you should be able to get a 50/11 cassette for around R1000, and you could possibly experiment on your current setup with it.

 

Tom

[Zorro5614]

I am not the strongest rider by any stretch, but a 34T (1x11) upfront with a 11-42 cassette is more than enough gears for me

[Tomik]

If you're riding any steep hills, you'll want 30/32 upfront with a 46/50 at the back. I'm pretty strong (B batch road seeding) and find my 1x11 30/42 perfect for my local trails around table mountain and Tokai. I think my 1x12 Eagle setup would be 34 upfront with that 50 dinner plate on the back.

 

Not that interested in top end these days. Mountain bikes should be ridden on the mountain. But in the odd 100 miler I do, SRAMS 10 tooth bottom works well.

[ChrisF]

Thanks, I did that, but I have no idea what to do with it

 

TWO things to consider :

 

1) Top speed - On your current setup, how often do you use the large gear in front and the small gear at the back ?  Do you ever feel the need for more top speed ?  Now punch these numbers into a gear calculator and check what your top speed gear should be ... for instance : 10 (back) and 32 or 34 in front (with a 1x12 setup)

 

2) Now the fun starts .... with your current setup - do a nice 45 minute ride, then tackle it proper hill .... What gear combination do you use for this hill ???  Punch these numbers into a gear calculator and check if a 50x32 or 50x34 will give you enough of a climbing ratio ....

 

 

This is the main trade off with a 1x setup .... "top speed" OR "climbing" ....  At the moment I have a climbing ratio.  In time I may get a larger front ring to get a bit more top speed ....

[Paul Ruinaard]

Just as a word of advice about 1 x - think of some things:

 

1.) How strong are you ? If you are a 78 kg race snake that aces climbs then its for you

2.) What sort of riding do you do - XCO or XC - do you do long dirt traverses etc.

3.) How much do you like top speed? 1 x runs out of steam and you spin out.

 

Being older and fatter 9yes i said it) and liking a big gear i have just taken my 1 x 11 setup off my bike and gone back to 2 x. and i couldn't be happier. I now have the gears to climb and the gears to go fast. 

 

!x operates in an (expensive) middle ground which fits strong riders that are weight conscious and that can handle a lack of top or bottom end i.e. they are strong or can spin very fast.

 

If you are the average Joe and want to do longer stage rides its probably going to result in your missing one or both of the above i.e. ability to really crank a granny gear or really go fast on an open road.

[Milosh]

Do a spreadsheet of your current gears , this will baseline what that ratio's feel like

 

Than try a ride not using the top and bottom end you will loose

 

 

Ex a 10-50 with a 34T  chain ring which is a good all rounder will give you a .78 granny , considerably harder than your current granny

 

very easy to play around with ratios on  spread sheet when you relate to what they mean 

[ChrisF]

Just as a word of advice about 1 x - think of some things:

 

1.) How strong are you ? If you are a 78 kg race snake that aces climbs then its for you

2.) What sort of riding do you do - XCO or XC - do you do long dirt traverses etc.

3.) How much do you like top speed? 1 x runs out of steam and you spin out.

 

Being older and fatter 9yes i said it) and liking a big gear i have just taken my 1 x 11 setup off my bike and gone back to 2 x. and i couldn't be happier. I now have the gears to climb and the gears to go fast. 

 

!x operates in an (expensive) middle ground which fits strong riders that are weight conscious and that can handle a lack of top or bottom end i.e. they are strong or can spin very fast.

 

If you are the average Joe and want to do longer stage rides its probably going to result in your missing one or both of the above i.e. ability to really crank a granny gear or really go fast on an open road.

 

Ja nee ....

 

 

My trail bike is now a 1x setup, with a small front ring .....  I can climb the likes of Dorstberg. 

 

BUT, reaching 40km/h means spinning like a two-stroke ..... On a trail it is no issue.  Doing something like Hermanus trails it truly is a conundrum !!  One moment I LOVE the simplicity of a single dial to quickly shift gears when the trail instantly changes direction.  But on the longer sections I find myself wanting a bit more speed ....

 

 

Then I get on my Merida commute bike ... and I feel all clumsy having to think about shifting front and rear for the optimum ratio ....

 

 

I may well sacrifice the ultimate granny in favour of some more top end ..... it is literally only Dorstberg where I need that super low gear.

 

 

All said and done ... for simplicity a 1x setup is theeee best.  For top AND bottom end a 2x is the way to go !!

 

 

If I had to go buy a bike today ... darned if I know what I would buy right now ....

[Paul Ruinaard]

Do a spreadsheet of your current gears , this will baseline what that ratio's feel like

 

Than try a ride not using the top and bottom end you will loose

 

 

Ex a 10-50 with a 34T  chain ring which is a good all rounder will give you a .78 granny , considerably harder than your current granny

 

very easy to play around with ratios on  spread sheet when you relate to what they mean 

There is also an app i found on Apple Store, sure its on Android, called Bike Gears. It does the same..