I’m a vocal detractor of the front derailleur, so all of my bikes are 1x. You can’t change my mind because I understand the advantages of the FD, I just don’t care for it or the setup.
@@bebopman5 Your perspective reminds me of automobile drivers who never learned to drive a manual transmission. It takes more skill and there is a learning curve but is so worth it in every way, it just feels a lot better!
Hi Alex, simply put, no I wouldn't. I live in a hilly area and I need my tripple. Grannies need granny rings. Could you have saved a bit of that extra weight by having that chain wheel sculpted out?
@gcntech I already did, and did so on a budget! LTwoo GR7 levers and derailleur, 10s 11-46t cassette with the 3 largest gears machined from a single block of billet aluminum (338grams, not bad!), 52t narrow wide front chainring, hollow crankset. I absolutely love how simple this setup is, and the ratios are plentiful for my needs. (52 : 11 is enough for not running out if pedal down any hills I encounter, and there isn't anything steep enough around me to require bigger than 52 : 46)
I saved a ton of money by going 1x when I built my bike a few years ago. Removing the front derailleur, wire, and expensive chainset was a significant savings, and allowed me to get di2 where I wouldn't have been able to afford it in the full 2x.
The actual benefit of Di2 is the more precise and faster front derailleur, at the rear derailleur it offers almost no advantage over mechanical. Not sure if you're kidding.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 I don't have a front derailleur, so that's infinitely faster and more precise than any front derailleur. Di2 is a lot better than any mechanical shifting, I don't think you know how that works. The derailleurs may be equivalent but the shifters are better
I like how you break a bolt, the explain that it was due to not using a torque wrench... then proceed to continue tightening the remainder of the bolts without a torque wrench. This would have been a great opportunity to go and get one
@Glebaka Either way, it is incredibly important to torque chainring fixing bolts to spec. He should have gotten a torque wrench to do so. He also stated, "I did it up too tight".
Alberto has a penchant for mismatching bike components. First the brown saddle and black bar tape, now the gold chainring without any other gold on the bike. Well done Ahmad!
@@gcntech 90% of time front derailer all faff. most year i ride 1x 11-36 with a 50t. front. have a "good" bike with 50/34 11-30. cycled bottom to top of Ireland over 6 days and didnt need front for 4 of the days and made it up many a large hill. if its not up a mountain front is not needed. but ive climbed on 11-36 and its fine you have 2 less gears you deal with it. plus 1x looks A1
Also, I just want to add: I am a professional mechanic who works at one of the most high end shops in my country. If I didn't already know all of these processes, there is absolutely no way I could have followed along to do this job myself, at home. I'm not sure if the intention of this video was to teach people how to do this process, but if it was, maybe break it down a bit more next time. I still think you guys are great and do a great job. I just had to share a little constructive criticism.
Alex, years ago I learned a different way to determine your new chain length. Simply place the chain on the largest gears (front and back), pull the chain together to the point of max extension. Then, add just 1 link. This is where you cut the chain. Never has let me down.
Who would have thought the humble little front derailleur, the bringer of so many options would become the red haired step child of the cycling community. I for one love and cherish all my front derailleurs, long live the front mech.
I would love to try the Vegan Cyclist setup (VC adventures on RU-vid). A MTB rear derailleur with a 56 tooth single front charging and a 11-52 cassette on the back.
I used a 1x setup on my bike for a while with a 44 tooth chainring and 11-32 cassette, was pretty good in the flat area I live in but found that it was pretty uncomfortable on Zwift for climbing, I’m not the most powerful guy either just about 200ftp so I was on the limit for a virtual climb like alp du Zwift
With a double, you get 2 or 3 more gear ratios than the number of sprockets on the cassette. If you don't race, 5 gears are quite enough for a ride out with your mates. I have a shed-full of 1x bikes, from 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s. 5 speed screw-on block. This doesn't mean I get dropped, it means 50 years learning souplesse in big gears is used properly. Changing to 1x ?? Retrograde step. My 1981 Falcon Super Tourist De-luxe came with 1x 46 ring. It now has a 48/40 with matching Shimano Arabesque front mech and changers. A much better bike with lower and higher gears than standard. 48 x 17 cruising ratio, big-ring to 4th of 5. 28,24,20,17 & 14. Standard '100 in 10', easy. Don't do it ! :-)
Good one Alex! As you mention there's a way torque is write on parts and you was lucky not to strip the tread on the chainring but the one on the bolts, otherwise would be a lot worst 😱
Does not make sense at all. The reason for increasing the number of gears was to make the gaps between gears smaller to get soother shifting. 1x increases jumps between gears making shifting and riding less smooth, and even with 13 gears, 1x never gives you the same range as 2x. If you want super-small climbing gears, you'll have slow big gears and vice versa. And 1x wears your cassettes and chainring down much faster, which is the actual reason the industry is pushing it.
@@einundsiebenziger5488 The reason for increasing number of gears was to increase RANGE, not to add in-between gears. And it's really funny because I ran the numbers in the online gear ratio calculator and this 12 speed SRAM 1x has literally MORE range than my 11 speed Shimano 105 2x from 8 years ago.
@@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589 my middle three rear cassettes are the same as 2x. I spend 95% of my time there at 19-21 mph. I use low cassette and big cassette for fast group rides and very steep. I rarely used my small chainring in the front on my 2x. Only if gradient was above 12-15%. In central texas it works fine.
Oops still using a 3×8 (yeah love that 42 in the middle it's so much better than a 39) with my steel Zurich. Must have gotten old in those years somehow. Oh yeah it's also got a rapid rise XTR with cables . Good thing those Utegra STI levers have a soft touch ,never misses a shift ( Shimano missed an opportunity here this works flawless on a road bike so much better.I doesn't matter how heavy you load the pedals just tap off the number of gears loower you want and bingo the derailleur does the rest for you. Need a higher gear slam it and the change is instantaneous). So sweet. Very intuitive too big lever bigger gear, little lever littler gear both hands.Before I forget 27mm tubulars (long before 27 mm became a thing, loved those paves decades ago, surprised it took so long to catch on) with 36 spokes. 32 in front. Yeah I'm getting old. Punching my acetabulem nearly through my pelvis was a bad idea though. So much easier to ride my slow boat to China... a Tour Easy recumbent. One consolation is that I get a lot of " cool ride" from all ages. Yeah slipped of a curb removing snow from the rear window of a car. Go figure that one. Hey at least I have some titanium hardware and a real fancy and expensive ceramic bearing...rambling like an old man too.
imho 1X is the future. Speed demons like the Canyon Roadlite 6 (2023) give you a hint of what you can achieve. It has a 46T chainring and 12 gears (10-51T), ideal for all conditions
Personally I prefer the old setup but then again it's not my bike, as long as Alex likes it that's all that matters. The one thing I am scratching my head about is why snap a bolt in the crank and then tell us that you should use a torque wrench to then carry on not using one 😂
Interesting that he managed to make this heavier. Is that cassette of the same tier? Also using a narrow wide chainring I wouldn't bother with the front chain guide. I've been running 1x on my road bike for the past year and I love it. 42 chainring with 11-30 cassette. Gear range is almost the same as my old 2x set up but much simpler (and lighter).
How odd that you didn't show the function of shifting up and down through the gears to show that they worked, the "big-big" chainline, and that there was sufficient derailleur capacity.
1x means losing 16 teeth. And on a steep slope I need these! (If you got a 50-34 in the front, and only use a 50, you loose 16 teeth. It’s like the difference between a 18 or a 34 teeth cog on you rear wheel)
lol, fancy over tightening the chainring bolt on a video, good recovery though Alex, there's always something, even when done countless times, has it left a mark ? because you can't see it if there is.
This could make sense when it comes to maintenance and simplicity for a commuter that is ridden on easy terrain. For racing? No. Unless it's for a time-trial type event.
LOL the point of a one bi system is simply know your own ride, am not a super rider 27-28km average is good enough for, just two week I have gone for 40t SLX cassette with a 38t oval chain ring and works great! Didn't have to change any chain as it's within it's limit!! 90% of GCN viewers are not Tour De France riders 🤣🤣🤣🤣
What Evil is this 😁 Let's make the bike slower and heavier.. Next, we will probably show how the Road Bike converts to a gravel bike 😈 By the way, has anyone noticed how many word tour bikes have over size pulley wheels?
Did you get any answers/found anything on the net? I didn't and these are the very last bits I would like to have for my bike which I've looking for years!
One by setups are not in the cards for me as I don't see how it will improve my cycling experience. Di2, disc brakes and fatter tires made riding more fun. Taking a component away seems counter productive.
Hi, thanks for the comment. There isn't an easy answer to this, due to chainstay widths and angles - If you can work out the diameter of the chainring, then you may be able to measure and check against your own frame 👍
Sadly, to get something that feels the same in the hand, there is not something available on the market. However, many years ago some pro riders used a downtube gear lever for the front derailleur, and a regular brake lever (this was purely to save weight!) And then a STI shifter for their rear derailleur. The last rider to do this, from our knowledge is Lance Armstrong 👍
Alex fails to mention that in that configuration his lone chainring will be off-center from his cassette, effectively mantaining the crosschain at larger gears. That's why there are specific 2x, 1x, 2x disc and 1x disc cranksets
I would be upset to see this set up on an S-Works aesthetically. One downside is that it quickly wears out of the chain (crank/cassette) since the chain angles to accommodate all.
No thank you on the road bike or the gravel bike I love a small one by chain ring on my mountain bike but too much diversity in my riding and terrain to not have a 2x
If you already make a mechanic video of 1x drivetrain why don´t mention something about ratios, because all 1x setups came with this issue but anyone says how to fix it.
Seriously? You made such a major change in bike set-up in the week leading up to a race?! I barely dare change drink bottles! Presumably it was not your target race for the season.
Nice but I won't follow suit, as I don't see the benefit of the investment, if I would still be in my racing days. If you don't take to the mountains, your big chainring in a 2x set up will give you the same gear options as this set up. Plus, when you do go to the mountains, a 53x34 won't cut it, so you have to go back to 2x... So, interesting video, but I don't see the gain, compared to my current 50x34 up front and 11x 34 in the rear.
