Single oe 2x chainrings

Muckers

I'm looking at replacing the 105 groupset on my winter bike, and am noticing the rising popularity of single chainring groupsets over the standard 2. Any opinions or comments on the pros and cons of the single one??

Alek

Do you have any issues with the double?

I was tired of constant thinking if I'm in the big or small ring, chain rubbing, faffing with the front dérailleur which was always the first thing on the bike to go out of adjustment, etc.

Switching to 1x setup was liberating to me.

Cons? For hills, you will need to put on a large cassette (11-32 minimum) which will be quite jumpy between gears if you are used to a nicely spaced 12-27 or so.

Also, you will loose ability to accelerate above 55kph at the usual 40/11 or 38/11 combination... which I do not miss at all.

Macy0161

Following with interest, as have pretty much decided my missus's new bike will be a 1x11 CX (she's looking for something for trails and road), and my only 1x experience is 5 speed "racers". Lack of top end speed/ spinning out not likely to be an issue.

I really like the idea (hence that's what I've picked out for her ) - tempted to try to get 1x10 or 1x11 work on my sentimental steel restore touring frame which is/ was a friction shift 5 speed! If it holds up the frame stretching I'd love it to be my winter bike tbh!

Muckers

Alek wrote: »

Do you have any issues with the double?

I was tired of constant thinking if I'm in the big or small ring, chain rubbing, faffing with the front dérailleur which was always the first thing on the bike to go out of adjustment, etc.

Switching to 1x setup was liberating to me.

Cons? For hills, you will need to put on a large cassette (11-32 minimum) which will be quite jumpy between gears if you are used to a nicely spaced 12-27 or so.

Also, you will loose ability to accelerate above 55kph at the usual 40/11 or 38/11 combination... which I do not miss at all.

No ive no issues at all with the 2×11 compact I'm currently running. I'm just curious for opinion on the single chainring option. Have a cx bike with a 105 double 46/34 chainset, but I use it for road cycling only. I presume there's no issues fitting the single chainset over a double. Are there extra washers etc to be fitted etc. Thanks for your input.

Muckers

Muckers wrote: »

No ive no issues at all with the 2×11 compact I'm currently running. I'm just curious for opinion on the single chainring option. Have a cx bike with a 105 double 46/34 chainset, but I use it for road cycling only. I presume there's no issues fitting the single chainset over a double. Are there extra washers etc to be fitted etc. Thanks for your input.

PS. I was thinking of fitting a Sram Force 1 groupset with a 50/36 cassette, which I believe should cover most if not all possibilities.

Alek

Are there extra washers etc to be fitted etc.

You will need extra short chainring bolts, or a set of chainring washers, to fit a single ring instead of your existing 2.

Also I'd recommend getting a Narrow Wide chainring from superstarcomponents.com, it will prevent chain drops.

PS. I was thinking of fitting a Sram Force 1 groupset with a 50/36 cassette,

Excuse me?

Lumen

Alek wrote: »

Excuse me?

OneUp Shark 50T Sprocket Kit - Review
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/oneup-shark-50t-sprocket-kit-review.html

:pac:

Muckers

Alek wrote: »

You will need extra short chainring bolts, or a set of chainring washers, to fit a single ring instead of your existing 2.

Also I'd recommend getting a Narrow Wide chainring from superstarcomponents.com, it will prevent chain drops.



Excuse me?

OK now you've lost me. Why would you get chain drops on a single chainring. I thought that would be more likely on a double. So you don't recommend buying a complete groupset which would include the single chainring. The short chainring bolts of washers has me confused. I think this has become an lbs job. I presumed it would juse be a matter of swapping out the chainrings and maybe fitting a washer or 2

TheBlaaMan

The risk of chain drop exists when the chain is slack and you hit a rough bit of road, if your 'chain-line' is extreme (ie you fit the chainring on the outer position of a double crank spider and you are using the smallest sprocket at the back) you will have other forces increasing the risk. A standard chainkeeper on the inside should be enough.

All that said, I think the up-side is greater than any down-side (less choice of gear combinations) and its only laziness that has delayed me experimenting with a 1x.....especially so for a winter bike, where extreme climbs will be rare and high speed chaingang rides likewise so the small reduction in gear options aint a big issue.

For the outlay on a narrow-wide chainring (a 44t or 46t ) its worth trying yourself. I dont see any issue with chainring bolts that wont be relatively easy to overcome. It is works with your existing cassette, then you can push ahead and get a wider range cassette. The N-W 'ring will always sell on.

As a bit of motivation, a wise man once saif to me that the best front derailleur on a bike was no front derailleur...........I'm inclined to agree.

Alek

I dont know exactly why you get more chain drops on a single chainring, but you do, and thats why most people use dedicated Narrow Wide rings that prevent this.

Buying a complete new 1x groupset is the ideal solution, but quite expensive, isn't it? At least compared to 30 odd quid for the chainring and maybe a tenner for the bolts. And half an hour of work to install them.

I am not against the new groupset, just dont know what "50/36 cassette" means

Muckers

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

The risk of chain drop exists when the chain is slack and you hit a rough bit of road, if your 'chain-line' is extreme (ie you fit the chainring on the outer position of a double crank spider and you are using the smallest sprocket at the back) you will have other forces increasing the risk. A standard chainkeeper on the inside should be enough.

All that said, I think the up-side is greater than any down-side (less choice of gear combinations) and its only laziness that has delayed me experimenting with a 1x.....especially so for a winter bike, where extreme climbs will be rare and high speed chaingang rides likewise so the small reduction in gear options aint a big issue.

For the outlay on a narrow-wide chainring (a 44t or 46t ) its worth trying yourself. I dont see any issue with chainring bolts that wont be relatively easy to overcome. It is works with your existing cassette, then you can push ahead and get a wider range cassette. The N-W 'ring will always sell on.

As a bit of motivation, a wise man once saif to me that the best front derailleur on a bike was no front derailleur...........I'm inclined to agree.

Loads to go on there. Thanks P. We will chat more on this.

Muckers

Alek wrote: »

I dont know exactly why you get more chain drops on a single chainring, but you do, and thats why most people use dedicated Narrow Wide rings that prevent this.

Buying a complete new 1x groupset is the ideal solution, but quite expensive, isn't it? At least compared to 30 odd quid for the chainring and maybe a tenner for the bolts. And half an hour of work to install them.

I am not against the new groupset, just dont know what "50/36 cassette" means

Sorry my mistake. Not a 50/36 cassette but a 50 tooth front ring with a 36 tooth rear cassette. Sram do that exact ratio for toad bike use. Having been online looking for info it seems that a big disadvantage of the 1x is chainrub due to excessive crossing of the chain. Also to help prevent dropping the chain a rear mech with a clutch type thingie built into it along with a wide/narrow chainset helps solve the issue. I'm not convinced yet though. Seems to me there are as many cons as pros.

Alek

Not a 50/36 cassette but a 50 tooth front ring with a 36 tooth rear cassette.

Do you really use 50/11 that often? Because 50-36 is equivalent to 34-24 and this will be quite hard even for 7% hills...

I'd definitely recommend 40t or 42t on the front if you ever want to hit the hills.

Having been online looking for info it seems that a big disadvantage of the 1x is chainrub due to excessive crossing of the chain.

There is no chain rub on my setup, and Sram is officially saying that cross-chaining (if that's what you meant) is not as bad as they say.

I change my chain every 4000km or so, and I'm being conservative here.

Also to help prevent dropping the chain a rear mech with a clutch type thingie built into it along with a wide/narrow chainset helps solve the issue.

It definitely does, but I run my setup on a cheap Sora rear mech with the B screw tightened all the way and its perfect in combination with N/W ring.

Muckers

Alek wrote: »

Do you really use 50/11 that often? Because 50-36 is equivalent to 34-24 and this will be quite hard even for 7% hills...

I'd definitely recommend 40t or 42t on the front if you ever want to hit the hills.



There is no chain rub on my setup, and Sram is officially saying that cross-chaining (if that's what you meant) is not as bad as they say.

I change my chain every 4000km or so, and I'm being conservative here.



It definitely does, but I run my setup on a cheap Sora rear mech with the B screw tightened all the way and its perfect in combination with N/W ring.

Thanks Alek for all your comments. You've been very helpful

boardbeer

Alek wrote: »

Do you really use 50/11 that often? Because 50-36 is equivalent to 34-24 and this will be quite hard even for 7% hills...

I'd definitely recommend 40t or 42t on the front if you ever want to hit the hills.

I fitted an SRAM 1x11 with 52t chainring at the start of the summer and its been fine for the hills here locally anyway, like up over Sallygap and even the evil Lambs hill

magicbastarder

Alek wrote: »

I dont know exactly why you get more chain drops on a single chainring, but you do, and thats why most people use dedicated Narrow Wide rings that prevent this.

AFAIK it's because your front derailleur does much more of a job keeping the chain on than you'd think.

Alek

boardbeer, what cassette do you have on the back?

ford2600

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=102417.0

These anoraks got into it