Comparing 2x10 with 1x11 options

Giraffoto

Hopefully, this will be of some use to anyone considering swapping to a 1x11 setup.

As a quick note, for those who don't use it: "inch gear" is a method of comparing gear ratios. You get it by dividing the number of teeth on the sprocket by the number of teeth on the chainring, and then multiplying that quotient by 27. It answers the unlikely question, "what size of wheel is that equivalent to on a penny farthing?" and is a useful way to compare gear ratios. On with the piece . . .

The 2x10 setup on my bike, which works very well for the sort of riding I do, is 38/26 chainrings and an 11-32 cassette. To shift between chainrings and keep a reasonable progression going, I also have to do a couple of shifts at the back as well, which is pretty easy. I very rarely use the highest or lowest ratios (highlighted in green in the first chart) so that gives me 11 ratios from highest to lowest, using the shift pattern shown in red:



So, what are the steps in fraction terms? Going through those gears from highest to lowest (so unfortunately you read the chart from bottom to top) you get the following changes for each gear shift:



That is, between 10% (0.100) and 17% (0.169). And if I did three back shifts when I changed rings at the front, that middle 17% would be more like 5%.

That 11 ratios that got me thinking - how does that compare to the new XT 11 speed? Well, if I decided that I could live without my top and bottom ratios - the two green ones in the top chart - and went with the XT 11-40 cassette, I'd get the following inch gears and progressions:



Not too different, but it threw up a couple of surprises:
(1) It's actually a broader range than my current "middle 11"
(2) The nearest equivalent to my current setup uses a 36T chainring, which is fairly big
(3) There's not a huge difference in the fractional change ranges, from 10% to about 18%

So in conclusion: if I were building my bike now, I'd probably choose 1x11, but there's not really much reason to change. You may think it's worthwhile to ditch the front derailleur and make the shift patterns easier, though.

Chunkers1980

I've got a triple and I'm very happy with it.

kajjal

For me 2 x 10 gives me a good close range of gears for normal riding and also long steep climbs. 1 x 11 would not give me this. It is down to where you ride, fitness and personal preference.

njee20

I love 1x11. I loved 1x10 before that. 2x9 was good at the time, I'd have struggled with an 11-34 cassette with a single ring. Personal, as said. I'm a relatively strong rider, on a light bike. I find a 32 great with 1x11, can pedal comfortably above 25mph and spin a load faster.

Gear inches are pointless incidentally! Just comparing the front:rear ratios gives numbers that are just as easy to comprehend!

Giraffoto

I agree with everyone so far who's said it's down to where you ride and your own preference - I like fairly close ratios, so I have 11-32 rather than 11-36 on the cassette, and I don't get on with extremely low gears so 38/26 suits me for the distinctly non-mountainous landscape of the Chilterns.

It came as something of a surprise that 36T and an 11-40 cassette would be so similar to my current setup - but it's similar enough that there'd be no point in changing! Maybe when 1x12 comes along . . .

njee20

For anyone who does want to play around with it this has nice pretty graphics so you can really see where different ratios fit, rather than having to look at numbers.

Giraffoto

Just a bit of additional information – this assumes a like-for-like choice of Shimano XT in 1x11 or 2x10.
With 1x11 you have a heavier

Cassette – 411g against 317g, so an extra 94g

Rear derailleur – 271g against 266g an extra 5g

But you lose

Left gear shifter – 121g

Front derailleur – 136g

Inner ring and four bolts (weigh unknown)

Front derailleur cable (weight unknown)

Putting a bit of guesswork into the two unknowns, 1x11 probably comes up a fairly minor 200g - 250g lighter. Again, worth it if you're deciding between two options right now, but probably not enough to justify a retrofit.

The Rookie

Inner ring and bolts - about 35g for a steel ring, about 25g for alloy

Cable will be about 30-35g.

Giraffoto

Thanks for that! So, nearer 200g than 250g.