The future of road bikes and it aint pretty?

jgsi

Not to my eye anyway, despite the arty backdrop.

Front chainring dwarfed by rear cog.

rolf_f

In the 70s you were cool if your bike had a front mech. Now it's cool to not have a front mech.......

veronese68

That's not really a road bike, not a tarmac road at any rate. It has off road gearing and dirt road tyres on it.

jgsi

I'm just thinking that this gearing is crossing over into road and will become more and more popular?
Still uglay as though, is my view.

lettingthedaysgoby

This is what a proper road bike with 1x looks like...

timothyw

The front chainring isn't dwarfed by the rear cog, you're seeing the outline of the disk rotor on the other side of the wheel which is what makes it appear dwarfed, but this is only a problem from the extreme side on view shown.

Not a fan of having the seat tube formed around the rear wheel to the extreme shown in the second example. Makes that area of the frame look a bit weedy (especially compared to the chunky front) and introduces complications around chopping the seatpost to size (or getting a longer one if you're particularly long legged).

veronese68

JGSI wrote:

I'm just thinking that this gearing is crossing over into road and will become more and more popular?
Still uglay as though, is my view.

The single ring is better looking that this:

And that's before you stick a front mech over it.

bondurant

A lot of new road bikes look like hard tail MTBs with drop bars. Hydraulic front suspension will be next.

dannbodge

I quite like the look of the 1x groupsets on road bikes.

veronese68

Dannbodge wrote:

I quite like the look of the 1x groupsets on road bikes.

I agree. Front mechs aren't the nicest looking things and the simplicity of a single ring does look better. I also think discs look ok, the rear is no worse that a cassette and mech on the drive side and I don't think the front looks any worse than a brake caliper on the fork crown. The cleaner look further up is preferable to my mind.

jgsi

When I was bought my first racing bike by my parents, I was not too chuffed it was a single chainring, I'm afraid.... but I hid my teenage disappointment well.

singleton

A modern 11 speed (11-28) with a twin chainring has a significant overlap of gears and a distinct range of about 15 separate gears. If you accept that most of us can live without the 52/11 for 99.5% of our rides, then that number drops to 14.

So, moving from that to a 1x11 isn't all that big of a change really.

ben@31

I've never found using a 50/34 chainset a problem, even maintenance wise (in fact my front derailleur has always been better than my rear derailleur).

I've never had a ride where I wish it was a single chainring instead. I can't see what the point is? It's like a solution that's looking for a problem.

rolf_f

ben@31 wrote:

I've never found using a 50/34 chainset a problem, even maintenance wise (in fact my front derailleur has always been better than my rear derailleur).

I've never had a ride where I wish it was a single chainring instead. I can't see what the point is? It's like a solution that's looking for a problem.

Well it should save a lot of money for a start. 1 x mech, 1 x chainring, 1x shifter etc. Only one cable to find it terribly important to conceal.

If the modern single ring setup had existed before the invention of the front mech people would be saying that they couldn't see the point of a front mech - a solution looking for a problem etc etc.

yiannism

If something works dont fix it. On my road bike i dont see any problem having front mech, either on my MTB. I prefer the larger gear ratio more than any hipster trend if you ask me.

cougie

Not going to save a huge amount of cost ? Front mechs are the cheapest mechs. And that frame is pricey.

Seems to me that it's being different for the sake of it ?

Ooh they could go with a sturmey archer hub and be really different.

arthur_scrimshaw

Rolf F wrote:

ben@31 wrote:

I've never found using a 50/34 chainset a problem, even maintenance wise (in fact my front derailleur has always been better than my rear derailleur).

I've never had a ride where I wish it was a single chainring instead. I can't see what the point is? It's like a solution that's looking for a problem.

Well it should save a lot of money for a start. 1 x mech, 1 x chainring, 1x shifter etc. Only one cable to find it terribly important to conceal.

If the modern single ring setup had existed before the invention of the front mech people would be saying that they couldn't see the point of a front mech - a solution looking for a problem etc etc.

This is where I struggle with the whole concept of single ring setups - I can see the initial costs being lower for the manufacturer (although I don't see this passed on to the buyer) but chainrings last pretty much indefinitely (relatively speaking) if you manage chain wear whereas cassettes are a consumable item along with chains. The best I can achieve is about 3 chains (and often it's 2:1) to one cassette and with the new fancy 11-42 cassettes coming in at around £75 (2 or 3 times the cost of a 11-28) it seems a more expensive setup to run not a cheaper one? What am I missing here?

veronese68

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

with the new fancy 11-42 cassettes coming in at around £75 (2 or 3 times the cost of a 11-28) it seems a more expensive setup to run not a cheaper one? What am I missing here?

Probably economies of scale is part of it, new and fancy being the rest of it. If the single ring type catch on they will be making more and the price will come down. Also, they won't be new and fancy so will be discounted more.

daniel_b

Looks nice and uncluttered to me - have no issues that that at all. Also like disc brakes.

Not sure what the beef is, expect this is a repeat of people with steel frameb bikes, and quill stems when carbon bikes came to the fore?

And anyway, we all tinker, and change bits on our bikes no?

Simply fit a different chainset, and cassette, and flog the originals on for likely zero loss if it really bothers you that much.

haydenm

Rolf F wrote:

ben@31 wrote:

I've never found using a 50/34 chainset a problem, even maintenance wise (in fact my front derailleur has always been better than my rear derailleur).

I've never had a ride where I wish it was a single chainring instead. I can't see what the point is? It's like a solution that's looking for a problem.

Well it should save a lot of money for a start. 1 x mech, 1 x chainring, 1x shifter etc. Only one cable to find it terribly important to conceal.

If the modern single ring setup had existed before the invention of the front mech people would be saying that they couldn't see the point of a front mech - a solution looking for a problem etc etc.

Yes, should! Road ones are probably just as bad, and I know you can get cheaper ones but my Mtb has 11 speed and the cassette is £230! I nearly dropped my monocle when I looked for a replacement. Certainly wouldn't go back on that bike though, it's fantastic. My only issue is the b screw always winds it's way in. I'd probably have one on the road bike for simplicity

w00dster

I have a 1x11 set up on my Cotic Escapade. Its not great for roads, its not annoying - but its not as smooth as my 52/38 and 11-28 cassette. I think once we get to 12 or 13 gears and 1x then this will improve matters but still can't see it really taking off.
The 1x for my off-road riding is really necessary though and for some reason the simplicity is enjoyable - I know that's an all in the head thing - but that's just me. When I'm going up big draggy hills carrying weight, its nice to know I have some really easy gears to use.
Maybe for crits a 1x with a small cassette would be useful as I don't recall when I last used the little ring during a crit race....maybe that's what I'm doing wrong!

norvernrob

Are single chainrings realistically any good for hilly rides though? I'll use 50/12 and 34/27 nigh on every ride in the Peaks, and sometimes wish i've got a bit higher or lower depending how I'm feeling!

Flat or rolling routes I can see them being very popular - but having said that I haven't touched my front mech in a couple of years on one bike, and the commuting bike needed the tension increasing a tad a few months ago so it's not like it's something that needs constant attention. Addressing a problem that doesn't exist?

flasher

The manufacturers can spin it however they like, but It's really just about selling more kit.

stueys

If you can get the range you need from a 1x, and you don’t mind the cadence jumps, then why not ditch the front mech?
I run 1x on my mtb and the simplicity of the thing is great, makes a lot of sense.

sheffsimon

Bondurant wrote:

A lot of new road bikes look like hard tail MTBs with drop bars. Hydraulic front suspension will be next.

Been tried and rejected in Paris Roubaix, and if it offers no advantage on those roads I struggle to see the need for it on normal roads. Adding weight for no gain.

greasedscotsman

SheffSimon wrote:

Been tried and rejected in Paris Roubaix, and if it offers no advantage on those roads I struggle to see the need for it on normal roads. Adding weight for no gain.

Is it rejected? Both Specialized and Pinarello had suspension bikes, in one form or another, at this year's race.

fat daddy

I am a 1x advocate, running that config on several of my bikes. Its lighter, simpler, quicker

BUT

only on the bikes that do off road or I only use for the commute or shopping, Short intense journeys, or intense off road, where power is more useful than cadence.

My 2 road bikes I would never go 1x on (well not 11 speed anyway, perhaps 13 is better) ... the close range is far more pleasant when the wind moves or gradient changes

haydenm

Basically it's good on mtbs (enduro ones in my experience) because a front mech causes issues, another thing to break, chain dropping and all that sort of thing. To ride in a group on the road you might not enjoy having such large jumps between gears

fat daddy

^^^ this

Midlands Grimpeur

Not too sure what make/model the original pic is but looks like it is heavily influenced (polite way of putting it!) by the open u.p. which started the trend of road style geometry mixed with mtb components including 650 wheels. I think that is where the trend for 1 x with a 42t cassette has come in, having bikes that are quick on the road but can tackle gravel and trails as well.

pippi_langsamer-2

I actually don't mind the look of that 3T. It's no worse than some of the aero abominations already out there!