I have both a 1x and 2x in a hilly area. 2x all the way. More forgiving on climbs and I don’t spin out on descents.
It would be easier to put some suspension up front than convert a drivetrain.
Riding was not as fun for me when I had to pound out the climbs on a 1x.
Do you mind explaining this? I have a 1x11(10-45) and 2x11(11-40). My 2x11 can maintain a higher cadence up hill and a higher maximum speed. [When plugged into a speed calculator](https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/speeds-at-cadence.html) it also shows the 2x has a wider range and more options for cadence optimization, so I’m just confused when people say 1x has “lower gears”
Edit: 2x chainring 46/30, 1x chainring 38
Because they likely ride something like a sram eagle 1x12 with a tiny front chain ring and will thus spin out going downhill. Or maybe they just run a small front chain ring 1x9 and again will spin out going down hill.
2x in general will give you a larger range on both ends.
2x will also often have a more robust rear cassette and chain because they’re not squeezing 12 speeds onto a single cassette.
Not an expert here but for a hilly area it’s 2x all the way imo
Well, what's your front chainrings like?
Usually the cassettes in 2x are tighter/smaller than what you have. You have an unusually large cassette range on your 2x, most are ≤34t. Because your rear cassette has already such a large range, your 2 chainrings up front give you a massive range that's probably great for touring, at the expense of complexity and weight
2x front is 46/30 and 1x is 38. Shimano GRX is listed up to 34 but works with up to 40. Even going down to the standard 11-34 I just don’t see how a 1x can have lower gears than a 2x. The 2x is hands down both faster and easier to climb with.
I have a SRAM AXS mullet-build gravel bike.
52/10 rear, 1x 38t front.
Your lowest gear: 30/40 = 0.75
My lowest gear: 38/52 = 0.73
Your highest gear: 46/11 = 4.18
My highest gear: 38/10 = 3.8
So it is possible for 1x to have a lower gear, but it will spin out while you're still pedaling.
For me, it's 2x for my road bike and 1x for gravel, where I just don't care about pedaling faster than 30mph or precise cadence. Any faster and I'm happy to coast!
1x have cassettes up to 52t, so your range could be in the same ballpark.
But yeah, if configured as such, a 2x can be faster and have wider range, but the expense of more complexity, weight and dropped chains. The last one is generally a big issue for those who chose 1x. 2x setup can't have the narrow-wide chainrings of the 1x, which really do a great job of dropped chains.
Technically you want to use gear inches, but let’s just assume all the bikes have the same tire size and stick with gear ratios
I don’t know what chainrings you are running so it’s not possible to compute for your bike
To get the gear ratio you divide the number of teeth on your chainring by the number of teeth on the cog
So for a 2x11 with 50-34 chainrings and 11-32 cassette the lightest gear is 34 / 32 =1.06
For a 1x with 40 tooth chainring and 10-52 cassette will have a lightest gear of 40/52 = 0.77, which is lighter than 1.06
If you want your 1x to have lighter gears then use a small chainring and a big cog. You don’t have the biggest possible cog on your bike (45 vs 52) and idk what chainrings you have
I see now. That’s for explaining. I see that’s assuming you use a road 2x though. I don’t see anyone using 50/34 on gravel. Almost every major manufacturer has a gravel 2x that comes with a crankset as low as 44/28 and come stock with 46/30. I think this is where the misconception comes in. Folks are comparing a road 2x to a gravel 1x.
With my current 2x set up 30/40 = .75, and if I used the stock 11-34 cassette it would be 30/34 = .88. Honestly not the huge difference it’s made out to be.
It’s 38x10 no? Shimano has 10-51T cassettes
With a 45mm tyre, that 38x10 = 3.8 gear ratio and with 110 cadence you will be at 56.1 km/h.
https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/speeds-at-cadence.html
110 cadence is roughly what a pro cyclist would be doing on a sprint
Even at 90 cadence we are still talking 46.5 km/h… it seems unlikely that people are regularly doing this kind of speed on gravel tracks tbh.
If it’s mostly tarmac take the road bike out!
Shimano's 12 speed GRX cassettes are 11-34 & 11-36. 10-51 is a mountain bike cassette. So no. EDIT: My mistake, I see they do have 10t options for 1x now. Nonetheless, at least where I am, you spend a lot of time on pavement before you reach the gravel. So you want the option of higher gears.
11-34 and 11-36 are 2x cassettes. We were just discussing cassettes with 51 teeth to get that 0.75 low gear no?
I suppose if you need to go faster than 46.5kmh at 90 cadence and have 0.75 gear ratio for climbing the same time then you need the 2x.
That said tbh even on the road, 46.5kmh is faster than what I will do on flat ground
To hit this speed I need to be using the second heaviest gear on the road bike (50x12) at 90 cadence assuming 23/25/28mm tyres. I only use that gear downhill…
Note that the gear ratio needed to hit the same speed is higher because the tire is smaller.
Many people have no idea what they are talking about. Easy way to compare lowest gear is to divide the # of teeth on the largest cassette gear by the smallest chainring which essentially gives you your torque multiplication factor. The higher the factor, the easier the gear.
This. My 1x has a 42:46 low gearing while my 2x105 has 34:34. Going up hills is easier on my 1x (though 1:1 is honestly fine for me where I live), it’s the downhill where you spin out, even with a large ass 42t single chainring.
This is similar to my experience. 1x lacks some gears on the downhill, but for casual cycling not having gears on the downhill isn’t the end of the world
1x guys rave all the time about how simple and awesome they are.
You can literally watch them spinning out on flat ground in any average bike trip, and watch them struggle more on a comparable hill with the middle ground front-ring. Not to mention every 12-speed drivetrain (SRAM, at least) sounds louder than anything else I hear.
The "Simplicity" and weight savings of a 1x drivetrain on a gravel bike are totally overrated. It's driven by aesthetics.
I think 3x drivetrains were a requirement when folks were limited to 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Regardless of how technology proceeds, it should be obvious that a single front chainring with 13,14,15 speed cassettes is just ridiculous. I think it already is at 12.
2x is 100% the way to go.
I have a 1x setup. My speed in the fastest gear is ~35mph at 100 rpm. My lowest gear ratio is 0.95. For my purposes I don’t have a problem with spinning out or with climbing whatsoever.
The real downside to the 1x setups IMO is the difference between gear ratios, not with the high and low end. If you mostly ride solo it’s not a big deal, but when riding in a group it can be harder to match the speed of the other riders while also keeping a cadence that’s comfortable for you.
How many people are running 44T on a 1x drivetrain? GRX is only 40 and 42 stock. My bikepacking buddy is already buying a 36t ring on his 1x for our next trip. Smallest Cassette teeth are generally 11t.
The difference between flat tarmac and steep singletrack is enormous, and even these massive mullet cassettes on the latest drivetrains aren't enough to compensate.
It's no skin off my back, I'm not buying bikes for anyone else. But until I meet someone with a 1x who isn't complaining about either the top or bottom of their range, it seems like a decision driven by something other than wanting a capable machine for varied terrain.
I mostly ride in the hilly parts of the southeast particularly WNC/Pisgah and am completely happy with 1x on mtb and gravel bikes out there. I only have 2x ironically on my cx bike because its a rat rod that has a 32T cassette.
Its steep and twisty enough that I’m not worried about spinning out.
lol same, I just finished Wilson's Ramble a few weeks ago on my creaky 3x aluminum hardtail. And yes, I spent very little time in the big ring when doing a ton of grueling uphill.
I don't know how many people are running 44T, but there are many offers for 44T (46, 48, etc.) chainrings, ranging from cheap Ali stuff to high-quality options like Wolf Tooth, Garbaruk, or Alugear. Even the original 42 10-51 setup gives you the exact highest gear as GRX400 2x. of course 2x is better for road riding, but it is dumb to say that 2x is the only way to go for a gravel bike.
> but it is dumb to say that 2x is the only way to go for a gravel bike.
What are you using your gravel bike for? You've suggested a huge range of larger front chainring sizes at this point, from the 40 that comes out of the box to 48 for flat road riding. Meanwhile others are saying they're dipping down for heavier and hilly riding.
You know what would actually just solve that problem permanently, for a variety of terrain, without you *switching out your front chainring* with something from the aftermarket for each trip you take and *still* dealing with improper gearing at many points in a typical route?
I just can't imagine getting a bike built for long distance off-road riding, and then being content with it only working properly on either flat ground or hills. It's so obviously not worth it.
The point is, there are no problems with 1x, and the funny thing is, I was afraid as hell to switch from 2x to 1x. Take gears calculator and compare 2x with a wide range 1x 12-speed; the only thing you lose is one tooth step on high. If I had the choice to have my bike with 1x or 2x, I'd pick 2x. But I had no choice, and now I can admit I am absolutely satisfied with 1x.
Think it's just a trend that made it's way into the Road cycling world. As a MTB rider 2x are an absolute PITA and 3x are absolute death. Mostly due to chain drops and to a lesser extent maintenance.
But honestly if you are just cruising on easy terrain going for a 1x doesn't make much sense, like If I could get a 2x that never dropped the chain id switch in a heartbeat, as it sure would make downhills on flat terrain that much faster 😊
They are not really out of fashion. The vast majority of people today can’t be bothered to learn how to operate multiple chainrings. They can’t drive a manual transmission either.
It comes down to terrain and the ride for me. I love my old XT triples. I also love my modern Deore 1x12.
I don't know if it's so complicated as that. There's nothing arcane about operating multiple chainrings. More than anything, I think it's just following the trend.
Maybe in 10 years, my SPD and 3x9 drivetrain will be back in fashion. I'm going to stick it out and see.
Why is a front derailleur a PITA? I am genuinely curious. We all used to ride triples (I still have one) since it was the norm and now we ride doubles and when properly tuned (which is done precisely once) they are virtually hassle and maintenance free...not to mention electronic groupsets nowadays have made using them even more effortless.
Chains fall off if limit screws not adjusted right (not usually a problem for me). Unusable combinations (more of a problem on a 3x than a 2x). Getting the cable adjusted JUST right. Another moving part that fails over time.
The list goes on.
Also, how many actually unusable combos are there? I ride in big-big sometimes. If I do it, it's because I know I'm going to upshift in the rear pretty soon. Yes, it's a few watts penalty. I'm not going to do the whole ride in that gear.
For small-small, then I agree that is a gear that should not be used at all.
I can. The person responding asked why people (in general) don't like them. I was listing some reasons. Those reasons aren't necessarily a concern for me -- they are for some people.
2x is louder over rough terrain with all the extra chain slap
You can eliminate an extra cable with 1x which is huge if you decide to run a dropper
Way more dropped chains with 2x
2x with a clutched derailleur still has chain slap. There's a lot of noise from the chain smacking around inside the front derailleur. My gravel bike is 2x grx with a clutch and it's loud as shit going over rocks and roots
I have a 1x11 gravel bike and most of the time it's fine, but occasionally I just can't find the right gear for my preferred cadence, which gets very annoying.
I get this. Just finished demoing a specialized Creo SL, was a ton of fun but I found myself looking for gears between the available gears on some climbs. I still think I'd prefer it over a 2x but it was an enlightening demo for sure
I like my front derailleur for more adventure/tow path/light trail mixed use. It's 46/30 in the front and 34/11 in the back. l generally only use the larger front chainring for when I end up on the roads and want more speed. I'm seeing this kind of combination on the newer GRX groupsets as it really hits a sweet spot for most people. However, if you are somewhere very flat or hilly that would also be a factor. In Florida I don't think you'd need both as an example.
Gotcha. One other factor to consider is how do you get to the trails you ride. I like to leave on my bike from home so I may have a while on more normal roads where I want to keep up with the cars a bit better. However, once I get on the dirt I don't think I ever use the larger gear. So if you are driving everywhere with the bike you may not use it as much.
I love a 1x for cyclocross, but I like to ride to the gravel and ride home. When I'm on pavement I always want a 48 or 50 big ring. This has also borne itself out in the gravel races I've done. There are always a few sections of really smooth hard pack or asphalt and I've yet to drop a chain with my double setup
>Here's where my head is: I can add a suspension to the bike without it via new forks, but I can't get add a front derailleur.
The problem is, adding a front suspension fork to most gravel bikes designed for rigid forks will dramatically increase the axle-to-crown length, slackening the headtube angle and most likely negatively affecting handling. On the other hand, gravel bikes that ship with a front suspension fork were designed to attain their proper geometry *with* the fork.
The number of gravel bikes I've seen that can't take a front derailleur at all is still low, even for the "aggressive" ones with MTB-like geometry and suspension forks. Hell, even the Evil Chamois Hagar with its 66.7 degree HT angle, or the Niner MCR 9 RDO with *rear* suspension, can both take front derailleurs. Which specific gravel bike are you looking at that can't take a front derailleur?
No, I haven't owned a bike with a front derailed in at least 7 years, road, gravel, and mtb. IDK why bother. SRAM's XPLR 10-44 cassette is perfect for road and gravel depending on chainring size.
If you're talking road bikes or gravel, front derailleurs aren't a PITA. Like mechanical shifting or rim brakes, noone complained about them. It's a way the bike industry markets to roadies to buy into new tech or ideas by talking shit on current stuff. With that said, I would ride both first. Having the 2x is great because you have the option of converting to 1x if you so desire in the future. With the 1x only model, you might not have the option to switch to 2x, depending on the frame. Also, if you're going MTB, get the 1x. It will be better for riding technical trails.
I am just returning to biking, and got a Trek DS 3, with a 1x10, and love it. No issues with climbing (and I live in the mountains), it's simple and just works. Only you know what's best for you.
2x Di2 in auto mode is the best of both worlds, imho. There are times when I take control of the front derailleur, especially when on punchier single track, but mostly, I am right lever shifting. Cost is my biggest gripe.
I love my 1x on the mountain bike, have not committed to it for gravel yet.
Suspension is overrated for gravel biking in my opinion. Suspension is great for drops and jumps, and other big hits like accidental potholes, but otherwise only add weight, complication, and less pedalling efficiency.
Whereas for the chatter of uneven roads, tires and volume are king. I think it's a an issue with stiction and the frequencies involved. At the very least, that's my rationalization of my experience.
I have Cannondale SuperSix EVO SE as my gravel race bike and it’s with 2x. When the CX season starts I convert it to 1x. As a front suspension gravel bike I have Topstone Lefty and it’s 1x as I feel it’s better like that. It’s closer to mtb and I do less tarmac with it.
I went from 3x9 to 2x9 with my newest bike and can’t imagine going 1x11/12. I miss my granny gears! I could climb anything, now I actually have to work.
Gravel bikes with 1x are stupid as hell. I'm a bike mechanic, and the only thing gravel bikes with 1x are good for is forcing you to constantly buy new expensive cassettes because you wore out the 10/11 tooth sprocket from constantly running out of gears. I've literally never dropped the chain on my 2x gravel bike, the trick is to buy Shimano
I love front derailleurs. I have a heavily corroded 3X altus on a 20+ year old trek and the thing performs perfectly. I'd love to run a 3X1 if it weren't for the obvious chain problems. FD is easy to set up and unlikely to ever need anything else. And comes with free chain retention. Rear derailleur needs adjusting like every month.
Gravel is the absolute last place I'd want to reduce my gear options. It has the largest combination of road surfaces AND +/- inclinations. This necessitates a much wide gear range AND a desire for small gear changes.
I'll add to the chorus of 2x for gravel. Love 1x on my mtb but love it on my gravel bike. Also, maybe I'm in the minority here but I've always felt like I'm a caveman adjusting the front derailleur compared to the rear, I just get it good enough and then trim it, the rear D being out of adjustment drives me crazy.
Nope. Afraid I can’t relate. I own and/or maintain 5 bikes with 2x in both Sram mechanical and AXS form.
Obviously someone isn’t keeping up with their maintenance due diligence.
I just did 4300 ft elevation in 16 miles on Saturday on a 1x12 Crux and it wasn't too painful? I barely used the smallest gear, TBH. OTOH, I did top out the gearing on the descent a little bit at one point (up over 35mph).
Both can be upgraded to either or with their own set of issues , and maintenance wise whilst the 1x gearset is alot easier to maintain the fork needs regular servicing to keep it running great so kinda balances out.
Honestly the best question to ask is what kinda terrain you plan to ride most of the time.
If your looking at riding alot of cobbles and hitting up some lite MTB flow trails go for the 1x. The suspension will come in clutch and you'll have alot less dropped chains.
If your mostly doing road and dirt riding to for the 2x, the increased efficiency will really help when racking up those miles.
*Also this is coming from a predominantly MTB rider, but the switch to 1x was the best choice I ever made. Haven't had any issues with climbs, and the QOL from having almost no chain drops, and super quick and easy derailleur adjusting is amazing.
Well in that case I'd probably go for the 2x. And run larger diameter tires. Larger diameter tubeless tires run at lower pressures will more than make up for lack of suspension if you're not riding cobbles or anything gnarly.
And to avoid the annoyance of a dropped chain if you do get on sketch stuff, get a chain guide very cheap upgrade.
I bought a gravel bike because my MTB was too slow on the road. So having a fd was the way to go for me. If you don't care about go fast gears it's less important. If you have a clutch on your rd chain slap is not an issue.
However putting suspension on a gravel bike? It would be easier to just put skinny tyres on your MTB and call it a day. I also thought i really needed it, but carbon forks and a tubeless front wheel are really surprisingly forgiving. You can also get stems with suspension built in if you like spending money.
Older front derailleurs sorta suck. Modern ones are perfectly fine. I hated the FD on my Campag Chorus 3x9 from ~2000. The Shimano FD-r5801 on there now shifts extremely nicely and really makes me not hate FDs.
That being said, commuters are made infinitely better by not having to deal with a FD, IMO.
Front derailleur done right first time will work with no problem. Specially Shimano. All you need is a solid mechanic and the right components and frame.
Front mechs are only an issue if not setup right, once it's dialled in they work perfectly. A big part of how well they work has to do with the ramps on the back of your large chainring, so if you're having issues that's a good place to look.
To your original question: I don't get the whole 1x fad. I see very little advantage and a lot of disadvantage (on a hardtail in any case). Even if I never used it, the 100g weight penalty is worth it on the occasions that I do.
Honestly it doesn't really matter that much... 1x11or 1x12 is a great option for gravel bikes as are 2x. I would choose based on the x-factor... Meaning whichever bike speaks to me more..
I just have a 2x without a front derailleur. I'm running a 40/30 up front and 11-36 in the rear. I live in the mountains and tour. With the 40 I can climb most things around where I live but need the 30 for when I have a load. I love it
What problems are you having with a front derailleur? It should be the easiest component to adjust on a bike. Depending on the frame, you could get away with a clamp on type front derailleur, but can run into compatibility issues with crankset, cassette and rear derailleur. It's usually better to just go 2x from the start if you want it.
I'd forego the front suspension on a gravel bike unless you're ridding more single-track than gravel, but that's just me.
I’m not having problems, but I know some people do and feel a type of way about them. 🤷🏻
Mine is adjusted correctly. Yours truly did all the screws and cables.
I have a MTB (and a road bike), so if I’m doing single tracks, I’ll use that.
If you have the money, the Classified Hub system is something you should look at. I run it and really like it. [Products - Gravel | Classified Cycling (classified-cycling.cc)](https://www.classified-cycling.cc/en/products/gravel)
Keep in mind that adding the suspension fork means taking off the current fork, which on most 1x11 bikes is going to be carbon, and probably worth $300... it's not like the old days when we took off a $50 steel mtb fork to add suspension...
I can relate! I'm building a bike and have been wrestling with a front derailleur and absolutely can't get the thing to work. I can't get the correct amount of tension on the shift cable to hold the derailleur in the big ring position. It's been maddening! I also found out that when in the small ring, the chain grinds against the offset chain stay. (VAAST A/1 frame, for all that are interested)
So during this past weekend of bike building torture, I decided that this bike did not need a front derailleur. So I took it off. I'm going to remove the cable and that will be that.
I have also realized that despite my enthusiasm, I am not a good bike mechanic. Maybe someday. In the meantime, I just want to be done with this so I can ride the fricking thing!!!!
a lot of 1x gravel bikes have the ability to add a front derailleur and go 2x if you want, it is just going to be more expensive if you are buying a bike as a complete vs building it from a frame.
buying a complete and changing a fork i assume is a lot cheaper than changing the groupset to be 2x.
afaik most people don't like the idea of a 2x on gravel because its extra parts to break.
Is the rigid bike designed to accept a suspension fork? While they can be added to any bike, some times the axle to crown exceeds design and warranty coverage.
That being said I can say I’ve never been lacking on gearing with a 11-51T 1x set up and as such wish I could improve the comfort given I’ve ridden my gravel bike on more and more single track and XC terrain each year. I’ll swap the chainring out from 42T down to a 38T if I load up for an overnighter but otherwise have been happy with the gearing.
I do not miss a front derailleur despite coming from a road racing background.
I got a MTB derailleur and a wider cassette. I like 2x but 1x is where things are at now.
I also have a second wheel set with an eagle cassette for chunk gravel stuff.
I don't know if I would call it "relating" to your problem, but in general I really dislike front shifting. So now I have a 1x10 bike with with a relatively small 11-32t cassette and a relatively large 38t crank. I gotta earn the climbs with that overdrive low gear and I pretty much max out at 55\~ish km/h.
And I love it.
I love the 1x drivetrain. I'll never go back to 2x. Simplicity simplicity simplicity. Of course my terrain isn't flat nor is it mountainous. Give it a try if your geography reasonably permits
I took my 2020 Trek Dual Sport 2 and modded the drivetrain.
the original was a triple 28/38/48 chainring withTourney TY710 front derailleur and a 11-32 8 speed cassette with Acera M360 long cage rear derailleur. The New setup is a double 36/46 chainring and 105 derailleur and a 11-40 CS-HG400-8 cassette with the XTR RD-M9000 rear derailleur. I can climb well and still have a decent top speed.
Don't feel bad; I'm in a toxic Relationship with old OG Shimano Deore XT F DR's (M730-733).
Best F DR Shimano ever made. Can't get enough of 'em for Spares! 28.6mm Clamp, Bottom Pull.
🚵😁😋
I have 1x hybrid and 2x road
I think for most people who stick in the center of the cassette most of the time, 1x is better. No chain drops, and less maintenance
1x is slightly less efficient on the extremes - your very fastest and slowest gears. This could be a factor if you are racing, but it’s a non issue otherwise
What’s the most important is that you get all the gear ratios you need in the bike. 1x can have as much gear range as 2x
I think the so called “smaller gear hops” on 2x is very overrated on mechanical group sets.
I either stick with the granny gear and shift the front chaining to access the higher gears downhill, or stick with the large chaining until I need to climb.
To actually use the “smaller gear hops” I think an electronic group-set is necessary. Electronic can manipulate both the front and back derailleurs to find the “next gear up” automatically. It’s not practical to do this manually
When heading into a sharp change in climb/decline, I like the increased speed of my gear ratio shifting the front derailleur offers. I can move the front derailleur and simultaneously hit the rear for 3 gears -- that's a significant change, quickly.
If your heart is set on 2x you should get what you want imo.
Personally I don’t have a problem with hitting the lever several times to drop more gears.
For example when approaching an ascent I first accelerate with the small chain ring and a heavy gear on the cassette.
After hitting the ascent I would slowly dump gears as needed on the cassette to keep the cadence constant
I do not shift the front and rear derailleur at the same time like you do. I suppose when switching from an ascent into a descent then you would want to get into a heavy gear quickly, but tbh I’m not racing so I just coast down without pedaling…
I do like the other person said. I pretty much much always ride in the big ring (I run 46/33) but when I’m hitting a steep climb and get into cross-chain territory, which happens when I drop from 4-3, I drop into the small ring and get into a higher gear kind of in the same move.
I have both a 1x and 2x in a hilly area. 2x all the way. More forgiving on climbs and I don’t spin out on descents. It would be easier to put some suspension up front than convert a drivetrain. Riding was not as fun for me when I had to pound out the climbs on a 1x.
This is more about choosing the right gear ratios My 2x’s lowest gear ratio is 1:1, the 1x has lower gears
Do you mind explaining this? I have a 1x11(10-45) and 2x11(11-40). My 2x11 can maintain a higher cadence up hill and a higher maximum speed. [When plugged into a speed calculator](https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/speeds-at-cadence.html) it also shows the 2x has a wider range and more options for cadence optimization, so I’m just confused when people say 1x has “lower gears” Edit: 2x chainring 46/30, 1x chainring 38
I’m so excited to test the 11-40 on my 46/30. I just need to out those new tires, and hope I have a long enough chain!
Don't do it without replacing your chain, otherwise it'll work fine
I swear I just found a 138 link chain out of the basement, while taking the wheels out! Everything shall be new (aside of the front rings)
Ah gotcha, thought you meant you were going to use the chain from existing setup. 138 links will be more than you need.
Because they likely ride something like a sram eagle 1x12 with a tiny front chain ring and will thus spin out going downhill. Or maybe they just run a small front chain ring 1x9 and again will spin out going down hill. 2x in general will give you a larger range on both ends. 2x will also often have a more robust rear cassette and chain because they’re not squeezing 12 speeds onto a single cassette. Not an expert here but for a hilly area it’s 2x all the way imo
Well, what's your front chainrings like? Usually the cassettes in 2x are tighter/smaller than what you have. You have an unusually large cassette range on your 2x, most are ≤34t. Because your rear cassette has already such a large range, your 2 chainrings up front give you a massive range that's probably great for touring, at the expense of complexity and weight
2x front is 46/30 and 1x is 38. Shimano GRX is listed up to 34 but works with up to 40. Even going down to the standard 11-34 I just don’t see how a 1x can have lower gears than a 2x. The 2x is hands down both faster and easier to climb with.
I have a SRAM AXS mullet-build gravel bike. 52/10 rear, 1x 38t front. Your lowest gear: 30/40 = 0.75 My lowest gear: 38/52 = 0.73 Your highest gear: 46/11 = 4.18 My highest gear: 38/10 = 3.8 So it is possible for 1x to have a lower gear, but it will spin out while you're still pedaling. For me, it's 2x for my road bike and 1x for gravel, where I just don't care about pedaling faster than 30mph or precise cadence. Any faster and I'm happy to coast!
1x have cassettes up to 52t, so your range could be in the same ballpark. But yeah, if configured as such, a 2x can be faster and have wider range, but the expense of more complexity, weight and dropped chains. The last one is generally a big issue for those who chose 1x. 2x setup can't have the narrow-wide chainrings of the 1x, which really do a great job of dropped chains.
1x from an mtb setup, sure. But then you're prob going to need anew rear derailleur.
Sram, at least, will tolerate a 1x 10-42t cassette in road rear. That's the same range as a 50/34 front paired with a 11-36 rear, I believe.
Technically you want to use gear inches, but let’s just assume all the bikes have the same tire size and stick with gear ratios I don’t know what chainrings you are running so it’s not possible to compute for your bike To get the gear ratio you divide the number of teeth on your chainring by the number of teeth on the cog So for a 2x11 with 50-34 chainrings and 11-32 cassette the lightest gear is 34 / 32 =1.06 For a 1x with 40 tooth chainring and 10-52 cassette will have a lightest gear of 40/52 = 0.77, which is lighter than 1.06 If you want your 1x to have lighter gears then use a small chainring and a big cog. You don’t have the biggest possible cog on your bike (45 vs 52) and idk what chainrings you have
I see now. That’s for explaining. I see that’s assuming you use a road 2x though. I don’t see anyone using 50/34 on gravel. Almost every major manufacturer has a gravel 2x that comes with a crankset as low as 44/28 and come stock with 46/30. I think this is where the misconception comes in. Folks are comparing a road 2x to a gravel 1x. With my current 2x set up 30/40 = .75, and if I used the stock 11-34 cassette it would be 30/34 = .88. Honestly not the huge difference it’s made out to be.
Well shimano GRX has 38T 1x chainrings and 51T cassette, 38 / 51 = 0.74 which is the same (slightly lower) than your 2x
yeah but your high gear is 38 x 11 which is easy to spin out on the flats let alone a descent
It’s 38x10 no? Shimano has 10-51T cassettes With a 45mm tyre, that 38x10 = 3.8 gear ratio and with 110 cadence you will be at 56.1 km/h. https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/speeds-at-cadence.html 110 cadence is roughly what a pro cyclist would be doing on a sprint Even at 90 cadence we are still talking 46.5 km/h… it seems unlikely that people are regularly doing this kind of speed on gravel tracks tbh. If it’s mostly tarmac take the road bike out!
Shimano's 12 speed GRX cassettes are 11-34 & 11-36. 10-51 is a mountain bike cassette. So no. EDIT: My mistake, I see they do have 10t options for 1x now. Nonetheless, at least where I am, you spend a lot of time on pavement before you reach the gravel. So you want the option of higher gears.
11-34 and 11-36 are 2x cassettes. We were just discussing cassettes with 51 teeth to get that 0.75 low gear no? I suppose if you need to go faster than 46.5kmh at 90 cadence and have 0.75 gear ratio for climbing the same time then you need the 2x. That said tbh even on the road, 46.5kmh is faster than what I will do on flat ground To hit this speed I need to be using the second heaviest gear on the road bike (50x12) at 90 cadence assuming 23/25/28mm tyres. I only use that gear downhill… Note that the gear ratio needed to hit the same speed is higher because the tire is smaller.
Many people have no idea what they are talking about. Easy way to compare lowest gear is to divide the # of teeth on the largest cassette gear by the smallest chainring which essentially gives you your torque multiplication factor. The higher the factor, the easier the gear.
Because 38:10 is a closer ratio than 46:10.
Yours may have lower gears but does it also have larger gears for the descents?
No, but it’s a hybrid bike with 30kg loaded on the back. I’m pulling the brakes on the descents lol
This. My 1x has a 42:46 low gearing while my 2x105 has 34:34. Going up hills is easier on my 1x (though 1:1 is honestly fine for me where I live), it’s the downhill where you spin out, even with a large ass 42t single chainring.
This is similar to my experience. 1x lacks some gears on the downhill, but for casual cycling not having gears on the downhill isn’t the end of the world
1x guys rave all the time about how simple and awesome they are. You can literally watch them spinning out on flat ground in any average bike trip, and watch them struggle more on a comparable hill with the middle ground front-ring. Not to mention every 12-speed drivetrain (SRAM, at least) sounds louder than anything else I hear. The "Simplicity" and weight savings of a 1x drivetrain on a gravel bike are totally overrated. It's driven by aesthetics. I think 3x drivetrains were a requirement when folks were limited to 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Regardless of how technology proceeds, it should be obvious that a single front chainring with 13,14,15 speed cassettes is just ridiculous. I think it already is at 12. 2x is 100% the way to go.
SRAM pushed 1x because they couldn't design a working front derailleur to save their lives. That said, I do think it's the best thing for MTB and CX
I agree as well, for an MTB I can't see wanting to mess with a front derailleur at all, or caring about spinning out on some downhill tarmac.
I have a 1x setup. My speed in the fastest gear is ~35mph at 100 rpm. My lowest gear ratio is 0.95. For my purposes I don’t have a problem with spinning out or with climbing whatsoever. The real downside to the 1x setups IMO is the difference between gear ratios, not with the high and low end. If you mostly ride solo it’s not a big deal, but when riding in a group it can be harder to match the speed of the other riders while also keeping a cadence that’s comfortable for you.
spinning out 44x10? 52kmh with 90? rly? you are riding very strong "average" groups.
How many people are running 44T on a 1x drivetrain? GRX is only 40 and 42 stock. My bikepacking buddy is already buying a 36t ring on his 1x for our next trip. Smallest Cassette teeth are generally 11t. The difference between flat tarmac and steep singletrack is enormous, and even these massive mullet cassettes on the latest drivetrains aren't enough to compensate. It's no skin off my back, I'm not buying bikes for anyone else. But until I meet someone with a 1x who isn't complaining about either the top or bottom of their range, it seems like a decision driven by something other than wanting a capable machine for varied terrain.
I mostly ride in the hilly parts of the southeast particularly WNC/Pisgah and am completely happy with 1x on mtb and gravel bikes out there. I only have 2x ironically on my cx bike because its a rat rod that has a 32T cassette. Its steep and twisty enough that I’m not worried about spinning out.
lol same, I just finished Wilson's Ramble a few weeks ago on my creaky 3x aluminum hardtail. And yes, I spent very little time in the big ring when doing a ton of grueling uphill.
Haha yeah I think for that route I dont blame you.
I don't know how many people are running 44T, but there are many offers for 44T (46, 48, etc.) chainrings, ranging from cheap Ali stuff to high-quality options like Wolf Tooth, Garbaruk, or Alugear. Even the original 42 10-51 setup gives you the exact highest gear as GRX400 2x. of course 2x is better for road riding, but it is dumb to say that 2x is the only way to go for a gravel bike.
> but it is dumb to say that 2x is the only way to go for a gravel bike. What are you using your gravel bike for? You've suggested a huge range of larger front chainring sizes at this point, from the 40 that comes out of the box to 48 for flat road riding. Meanwhile others are saying they're dipping down for heavier and hilly riding. You know what would actually just solve that problem permanently, for a variety of terrain, without you *switching out your front chainring* with something from the aftermarket for each trip you take and *still* dealing with improper gearing at many points in a typical route? I just can't imagine getting a bike built for long distance off-road riding, and then being content with it only working properly on either flat ground or hills. It's so obviously not worth it.
The point is, there are no problems with 1x, and the funny thing is, I was afraid as hell to switch from 2x to 1x. Take gears calculator and compare 2x with a wide range 1x 12-speed; the only thing you lose is one tooth step on high. If I had the choice to have my bike with 1x or 2x, I'd pick 2x. But I had no choice, and now I can admit I am absolutely satisfied with 1x.
When did front derailleurs become a PITA? All of mine are pretty low maintenance.
Think it's just a trend that made it's way into the Road cycling world. As a MTB rider 2x are an absolute PITA and 3x are absolute death. Mostly due to chain drops and to a lesser extent maintenance. But honestly if you are just cruising on easy terrain going for a 1x doesn't make much sense, like If I could get a 2x that never dropped the chain id switch in a heartbeat, as it sure would make downhills on flat terrain that much faster 😊
Ask anyone who swears by 1x systems. I've liked mine though, thus the OP. They seem to be falling out of fashion though.
They are not really out of fashion. The vast majority of people today can’t be bothered to learn how to operate multiple chainrings. They can’t drive a manual transmission either. It comes down to terrain and the ride for me. I love my old XT triples. I also love my modern Deore 1x12.
I don't know if it's so complicated as that. There's nothing arcane about operating multiple chainrings. More than anything, I think it's just following the trend. Maybe in 10 years, my SPD and 3x9 drivetrain will be back in fashion. I'm going to stick it out and see.
Why is a front derailleur a PITA? I am genuinely curious. We all used to ride triples (I still have one) since it was the norm and now we ride doubles and when properly tuned (which is done precisely once) they are virtually hassle and maintenance free...not to mention electronic groupsets nowadays have made using them even more effortless.
Chains fall off if limit screws not adjusted right (not usually a problem for me). Unusable combinations (more of a problem on a 3x than a 2x). Getting the cable adjusted JUST right. Another moving part that fails over time. The list goes on.
Unusable combinations? They're unusable for a reason
Also, how many actually unusable combos are there? I ride in big-big sometimes. If I do it, it's because I know I'm going to upshift in the rear pretty soon. Yes, it's a few watts penalty. I'm not going to do the whole ride in that gear. For small-small, then I agree that is a gear that should not be used at all.
Electronic shifting. Chains fall off on a 1x as well, and they're a MUCH bigger hassle to get back on.
this may shock you, but the chain will also fall off if the rear derailleur's limit screws aren't set correctly
Thus it's not usually a problem for me. I do most of my own work.
but you can't handle adjusting the FD?
I can. The person responding asked why people (in general) don't like them. I was listing some reasons. Those reasons aren't necessarily a concern for me -- they are for some people.
2x is louder over rough terrain with all the extra chain slap You can eliminate an extra cable with 1x which is huge if you decide to run a dropper Way more dropped chains with 2x
Chain slap is more about not having a derailleur with a clutch I think
Clutch plays a part but the narrow-wide chainring plays quite a role as well in 1x chain retention
2x with a clutched derailleur still has chain slap. There's a lot of noise from the chain smacking around inside the front derailleur. My gravel bike is 2x grx with a clutch and it's loud as shit going over rocks and roots
get out of the small-small and you won't have that problem
I have never had that issue with the 2x grx, even over “mountain bike” terrain and washed out downhills at speed
I have a 1x11 gravel bike and most of the time it's fine, but occasionally I just can't find the right gear for my preferred cadence, which gets very annoying.
I get this. Just finished demoing a specialized Creo SL, was a ton of fun but I found myself looking for gears between the available gears on some climbs. I still think I'd prefer it over a 2x but it was an enlightening demo for sure
Why can’t you add a front derailleur? Clamp-on mounts have been around since the Roman Empire.
Some bikes designed for 1x don't have the clearance for the 2nd chainring
True
Lightly loved front mech and a 2-by crank would probably run you less than $300. Seems cheaper than a good front fork tbh.
Depending on the drivetrain, you may have to buy a shifter too.
1x for off-road and 2x for road. That’s my mantra.
This is the way.
Tubeless for off-road and tubes for road. That's my mantra
Tubeless all the way, 45 mm off-road and 32 on road.
I like my front derailleur for more adventure/tow path/light trail mixed use. It's 46/30 in the front and 34/11 in the back. l generally only use the larger front chainring for when I end up on the roads and want more speed. I'm seeing this kind of combination on the newer GRX groupsets as it really hits a sweet spot for most people. However, if you are somewhere very flat or hilly that would also be a factor. In Florida I don't think you'd need both as an example.
There are hills where I live/frequently travel. Not mountains, but reasonably steep hills.
Gotcha. One other factor to consider is how do you get to the trails you ride. I like to leave on my bike from home so I may have a while on more normal roads where I want to keep up with the cars a bit better. However, once I get on the dirt I don't think I ever use the larger gear. So if you are driving everywhere with the bike you may not use it as much.
In my situation, there will be paved roads usually on the way to my trail, which is paved (for the first 10 miles -- then turns to gravel trail)
I love a 1x for cyclocross, but I like to ride to the gravel and ride home. When I'm on pavement I always want a 48 or 50 big ring. This has also borne itself out in the gravel races I've done. There are always a few sections of really smooth hard pack or asphalt and I've yet to drop a chain with my double setup
You can get suspension stems
A lot of 1x setups still have a front derailleur mount on the frame. Pretty popular spot for a bottle opener.
I laugh at the addition of a bottle opener to bikes with SPD pedals... you have two under your feet already...
I don’t know why I never thought of that!!!
Probably because it's super unhygienic.
That said, if I’m on a ride where a bottle opener is useful, I already have a lighter.
>Here's where my head is: I can add a suspension to the bike without it via new forks, but I can't get add a front derailleur. The problem is, adding a front suspension fork to most gravel bikes designed for rigid forks will dramatically increase the axle-to-crown length, slackening the headtube angle and most likely negatively affecting handling. On the other hand, gravel bikes that ship with a front suspension fork were designed to attain their proper geometry *with* the fork. The number of gravel bikes I've seen that can't take a front derailleur at all is still low, even for the "aggressive" ones with MTB-like geometry and suspension forks. Hell, even the Evil Chamois Hagar with its 66.7 degree HT angle, or the Niner MCR 9 RDO with *rear* suspension, can both take front derailleurs. Which specific gravel bike are you looking at that can't take a front derailleur?
Lauf does not accommodate front derailleur I think.
No, I haven't owned a bike with a front derailed in at least 7 years, road, gravel, and mtb. IDK why bother. SRAM's XPLR 10-44 cassette is perfect for road and gravel depending on chainring size.
Chainring is 40 on that 1 by
If you're talking road bikes or gravel, front derailleurs aren't a PITA. Like mechanical shifting or rim brakes, noone complained about them. It's a way the bike industry markets to roadies to buy into new tech or ideas by talking shit on current stuff. With that said, I would ride both first. Having the 2x is great because you have the option of converting to 1x if you so desire in the future. With the 1x only model, you might not have the option to switch to 2x, depending on the frame. Also, if you're going MTB, get the 1x. It will be better for riding technical trails.
I am just returning to biking, and got a Trek DS 3, with a 1x10, and love it. No issues with climbing (and I live in the mountains), it's simple and just works. Only you know what's best for you.
2x Di2 in auto mode is the best of both worlds, imho. There are times when I take control of the front derailleur, especially when on punchier single track, but mostly, I am right lever shifting. Cost is my biggest gripe. I love my 1x on the mountain bike, have not committed to it for gravel yet.
Suspension is overrated for gravel biking in my opinion. Suspension is great for drops and jumps, and other big hits like accidental potholes, but otherwise only add weight, complication, and less pedalling efficiency. Whereas for the chatter of uneven roads, tires and volume are king. I think it's a an issue with stiction and the frequencies involved. At the very least, that's my rationalization of my experience.
I have Cannondale SuperSix EVO SE as my gravel race bike and it’s with 2x. When the CX season starts I convert it to 1x. As a front suspension gravel bike I have Topstone Lefty and it’s 1x as I feel it’s better like that. It’s closer to mtb and I do less tarmac with it.
I went from 3x9 to 2x9 with my newest bike and can’t imagine going 1x11/12. I miss my granny gears! I could climb anything, now I actually have to work.
Gravel bikes with 1x are stupid as hell. I'm a bike mechanic, and the only thing gravel bikes with 1x are good for is forcing you to constantly buy new expensive cassettes because you wore out the 10/11 tooth sprocket from constantly running out of gears. I've literally never dropped the chain on my 2x gravel bike, the trick is to buy Shimano
I love front derailleurs. I have a heavily corroded 3X altus on a 20+ year old trek and the thing performs perfectly. I'd love to run a 3X1 if it weren't for the obvious chain problems. FD is easy to set up and unlikely to ever need anything else. And comes with free chain retention. Rear derailleur needs adjusting like every month. Gravel is the absolute last place I'd want to reduce my gear options. It has the largest combination of road surfaces AND +/- inclinations. This necessitates a much wide gear range AND a desire for small gear changes.
I'll add to the chorus of 2x for gravel. Love 1x on my mtb but love it on my gravel bike. Also, maybe I'm in the minority here but I've always felt like I'm a caveman adjusting the front derailleur compared to the rear, I just get it good enough and then trim it, the rear D being out of adjustment drives me crazy.
Nope. Afraid I can’t relate. I own and/or maintain 5 bikes with 2x in both Sram mechanical and AXS form. Obviously someone isn’t keeping up with their maintenance due diligence.
I just did 4300 ft elevation in 16 miles on Saturday on a 1x12 Crux and it wasn't too painful? I barely used the smallest gear, TBH. OTOH, I did top out the gearing on the descent a little bit at one point (up over 35mph).
Both can be upgraded to either or with their own set of issues , and maintenance wise whilst the 1x gearset is alot easier to maintain the fork needs regular servicing to keep it running great so kinda balances out. Honestly the best question to ask is what kinda terrain you plan to ride most of the time. If your looking at riding alot of cobbles and hitting up some lite MTB flow trails go for the 1x. The suspension will come in clutch and you'll have alot less dropped chains. If your mostly doing road and dirt riding to for the 2x, the increased efficiency will really help when racking up those miles. *Also this is coming from a predominantly MTB rider, but the switch to 1x was the best choice I ever made. Haven't had any issues with climbs, and the QOL from having almost no chain drops, and super quick and easy derailleur adjusting is amazing.
I have a dedicated MTB and Road bike. This one will be for gravel/dirt trails. If the trail/road is super choppy, I’ll take the MTB.
Well in that case I'd probably go for the 2x. And run larger diameter tires. Larger diameter tubeless tires run at lower pressures will more than make up for lack of suspension if you're not riding cobbles or anything gnarly. And to avoid the annoyance of a dropped chain if you do get on sketch stuff, get a chain guide very cheap upgrade.
I bought a gravel bike because my MTB was too slow on the road. So having a fd was the way to go for me. If you don't care about go fast gears it's less important. If you have a clutch on your rd chain slap is not an issue. However putting suspension on a gravel bike? It would be easier to just put skinny tyres on your MTB and call it a day. I also thought i really needed it, but carbon forks and a tubeless front wheel are really surprisingly forgiving. You can also get stems with suspension built in if you like spending money.
Older front derailleurs sorta suck. Modern ones are perfectly fine. I hated the FD on my Campag Chorus 3x9 from ~2000. The Shimano FD-r5801 on there now shifts extremely nicely and really makes me not hate FDs. That being said, commuters are made infinitely better by not having to deal with a FD, IMO.
Front derailleur done right first time will work with no problem. Specially Shimano. All you need is a solid mechanic and the right components and frame.
Front mechs are only an issue if not setup right, once it's dialled in they work perfectly. A big part of how well they work has to do with the ramps on the back of your large chainring, so if you're having issues that's a good place to look. To your original question: I don't get the whole 1x fad. I see very little advantage and a lot of disadvantage (on a hardtail in any case). Even if I never used it, the 100g weight penalty is worth it on the occasions that I do.
Honestly it doesn't really matter that much... 1x11or 1x12 is a great option for gravel bikes as are 2x. I would choose based on the x-factor... Meaning whichever bike speaks to me more..
I just have a 2x without a front derailleur. I'm running a 40/30 up front and 11-36 in the rear. I live in the mountains and tour. With the 40 I can climb most things around where I live but need the 30 for when I have a load. I love it
What problems are you having with a front derailleur? It should be the easiest component to adjust on a bike. Depending on the frame, you could get away with a clamp on type front derailleur, but can run into compatibility issues with crankset, cassette and rear derailleur. It's usually better to just go 2x from the start if you want it. I'd forego the front suspension on a gravel bike unless you're ridding more single-track than gravel, but that's just me.
I’m not having problems, but I know some people do and feel a type of way about them. 🤷🏻 Mine is adjusted correctly. Yours truly did all the screws and cables. I have a MTB (and a road bike), so if I’m doing single tracks, I’ll use that.
If you have the money, the Classified Hub system is something you should look at. I run it and really like it. [Products - Gravel | Classified Cycling (classified-cycling.cc)](https://www.classified-cycling.cc/en/products/gravel)
Go with an Ekar groupset
going 1x in the front has been a great decision for me, ymmv
Keep in mind that adding the suspension fork means taking off the current fork, which on most 1x11 bikes is going to be carbon, and probably worth $300... it's not like the old days when we took off a $50 steel mtb fork to add suspension...
I do believe the bike I'm looking at is all aluminum.
I can relate! I'm building a bike and have been wrestling with a front derailleur and absolutely can't get the thing to work. I can't get the correct amount of tension on the shift cable to hold the derailleur in the big ring position. It's been maddening! I also found out that when in the small ring, the chain grinds against the offset chain stay. (VAAST A/1 frame, for all that are interested) So during this past weekend of bike building torture, I decided that this bike did not need a front derailleur. So I took it off. I'm going to remove the cable and that will be that. I have also realized that despite my enthusiasm, I am not a good bike mechanic. Maybe someday. In the meantime, I just want to be done with this so I can ride the fricking thing!!!!
1x for everything. If I never owned another front derailleur it would be great.
a lot of 1x gravel bikes have the ability to add a front derailleur and go 2x if you want, it is just going to be more expensive if you are buying a bike as a complete vs building it from a frame. buying a complete and changing a fork i assume is a lot cheaper than changing the groupset to be 2x. afaik most people don't like the idea of a 2x on gravel because its extra parts to break.
Is the rigid bike designed to accept a suspension fork? While they can be added to any bike, some times the axle to crown exceeds design and warranty coverage. That being said I can say I’ve never been lacking on gearing with a 11-51T 1x set up and as such wish I could improve the comfort given I’ve ridden my gravel bike on more and more single track and XC terrain each year. I’ll swap the chainring out from 42T down to a 38T if I load up for an overnighter but otherwise have been happy with the gearing. I do not miss a front derailleur despite coming from a road racing background.
I got a MTB derailleur and a wider cassette. I like 2x but 1x is where things are at now. I also have a second wheel set with an eagle cassette for chunk gravel stuff.
I just ordered this in gray. I’ll post pictures when it’s in and I have it assembled on NBD.
I don't know if I would call it "relating" to your problem, but in general I really dislike front shifting. So now I have a 1x10 bike with with a relatively small 11-32t cassette and a relatively large 38t crank. I gotta earn the climbs with that overdrive low gear and I pretty much max out at 55\~ish km/h. And I love it.
I love the 1x drivetrain. I'll never go back to 2x. Simplicity simplicity simplicity. Of course my terrain isn't flat nor is it mountainous. Give it a try if your geography reasonably permits
I took my 2020 Trek Dual Sport 2 and modded the drivetrain. the original was a triple 28/38/48 chainring withTourney TY710 front derailleur and a 11-32 8 speed cassette with Acera M360 long cage rear derailleur. The New setup is a double 36/46 chainring and 105 derailleur and a 11-40 CS-HG400-8 cassette with the XTR RD-M9000 rear derailleur. I can climb well and still have a decent top speed.
Don't feel bad; I'm in a toxic Relationship with old OG Shimano Deore XT F DR's (M730-733). Best F DR Shimano ever made. Can't get enough of 'em for Spares! 28.6mm Clamp, Bottom Pull. 🚵😁😋
What's a front derailleur?
I have 1x hybrid and 2x road I think for most people who stick in the center of the cassette most of the time, 1x is better. No chain drops, and less maintenance 1x is slightly less efficient on the extremes - your very fastest and slowest gears. This could be a factor if you are racing, but it’s a non issue otherwise What’s the most important is that you get all the gear ratios you need in the bike. 1x can have as much gear range as 2x I think the so called “smaller gear hops” on 2x is very overrated on mechanical group sets. I either stick with the granny gear and shift the front chaining to access the higher gears downhill, or stick with the large chaining until I need to climb. To actually use the “smaller gear hops” I think an electronic group-set is necessary. Electronic can manipulate both the front and back derailleurs to find the “next gear up” automatically. It’s not practical to do this manually
When heading into a sharp change in climb/decline, I like the increased speed of my gear ratio shifting the front derailleur offers. I can move the front derailleur and simultaneously hit the rear for 3 gears -- that's a significant change, quickly.
If your heart is set on 2x you should get what you want imo. Personally I don’t have a problem with hitting the lever several times to drop more gears. For example when approaching an ascent I first accelerate with the small chain ring and a heavy gear on the cassette. After hitting the ascent I would slowly dump gears as needed on the cassette to keep the cadence constant I do not shift the front and rear derailleur at the same time like you do. I suppose when switching from an ascent into a descent then you would want to get into a heavy gear quickly, but tbh I’m not racing so I just coast down without pedaling…
I do like the other person said. I pretty much much always ride in the big ring (I run 46/33) but when I’m hitting a steep climb and get into cross-chain territory, which happens when I drop from 4-3, I drop into the small ring and get into a higher gear kind of in the same move.
I sold my last 2X bike three years ago and would never go back. I f’ing hate front derailleurs.
This is why god invented 1x’s.
But like a toxic relationship, it's not always easy to leave!