Is Worth Going Single speed.

jonosas

Hi I am due to replace my bike in Febuary 2018, would it be beneficial if I went 1x speed. I would have to have The Sram Force groupset for it to work. This would save weight, 48 chainring and 11-36 cassette is 92% close to a double 52-36 11-28 drive system. I am not sure if I need to go high with the chain ring up to 50 or 52 and how this world work on the climbs. Been reading about it quite interesting setup. Save messing around with a front derailleur all together. Like your thoughts on this.

I use a 28-11 52-36 chain ring. Now 95% of the time I am in the 52 and 16-14T I can climb quite comfortably on a 28 52 on 4-5% climb (depending how long that is). If more than 5% thn it on the 28-36 chainring for the long climbs. At same time I need to ride on the flats with my team averaging 40-45 km hour.So need to make sure I don't run out of gears.
So I think I would have to go for a 52 and 11-36 not sure if this is the right balance.

I just like to know if anyone on has this set up I am now lookin at 50 - 10-42 or a 48 10-42 or a 48- 11-36.

I would be grateful anyone has experience using this setup.

Do a fair abit of climbing here in Portugal and some are over 6- 16% climbs over 12km in my area. I am very experienced biker and I do some grand fondo's. Just to put myself into prospective I am 48 years old and my fastest time this year was the Serra Da Muntejunto 12km to the top averge 6% and last 2 km 10% my average speed on this climb in July was 16.2 km an hour. and I did it in 37 mins. That's roughly how strong I am as a climber. Hope this helps get myself a good decision on the system.

cooldad

That isn't singlespeed.

Find a gear calculator online and work out your speeds based on your personal cadences.

jonosas

what I ment was a sing chain ring set up instead of a double set up.

jonosas

have used the calculator and the 10-42 48 or 50 -10-42 is the closed to my current set up. I could go for a 48 -11-36 set up.

Matthewfalle

What you mean is 1 x ........

Completely different from single speed.

Use the gear calculator to work out what you want but loads of people do it so it shouldn't be difficult.

cooldad

Is there an echo in here?

cycleclinic

1x is fine but a narrow wide chainring is advisable to avoid chain drop or you will need a chain keeper. With 1x and a narrow wide chainring you get more noise at the extremes but this is due to using a double chainset with the ring in the out position.

cougie

You'll not be any faster with losing the weight of a front mech and a chainring. It's unnoticeable.

jonosas

cougie wrote:

You'll not be any faster with losing the weight of a front mech and a chainring. It's unnoticeable.

Its not just the weight or going faster , its fact I am rarely on the 36 chainring anyway unless i do a big climb.Also saves the hassle of have to fine tune the the front Dereaullier every few months from chain rub which I hate!!

But one thing that concerns me is the big chain jumps 36 to 42 is big jump. Not alot is mentioned about this.

beanstalk

jonosas wrote:

cougie wrote:

But one thing that concerns me is the big chain jumps 36 to 42 is big jump..

You mean 36 to 52.
If you don't need your lower gears then change that 36 to a 39 or even a 42 and change the cassette from 11-28 to 11-25 or 23.
That makes much more sense than 48 chain ring and 11-36 cassette and also it wouldn't look as ugly as most 1x... set-ups look with their small chain-rings and big sprockets.
It also makes more sense than using 52-28 (insane chain line, strained rear derailleur).
Not using the big chain ring and the biggest sprocket might eliminate your chain rub problem, too

dennisn

What does "worth" it mean? You're grasping at straws unless your into cross.

jonosas

dennisn wrote:

What does "worth" it mean? You're grasping at straws unless your into cross.

Are you saying then I should not use this system then? I can assure you Dennisn I don't need to hang on to Straws. You don't need to be sarcastic!! :roll: . Or I am asking if it is beneficial to go 1x system instead of 2x. As it is, I am rarely in the 36T Unless I do big climbs. I do think you are missing the point I am trying to make and only for some advise,that is all.

I am looking a 1x system that can do climbs and do the flats with a single chain ring that is what I am after.

janwal

Go for it,I have it on two bikes and love it? A Trek Domane Disc with SRAM, a 40 and 11-42 and a Boardman cx team for winter with 42 and 10-42. Roughly gives you a12-32/34 equivalent. No problems at all around hilly Huddersfield. Did Hardknotts and Wrynose in the summer on the Trek. A lot of nay sayers on here think it looks ugly,just can’t see the problem myself. A lot complain about big gaps on the rear but you don’t notice them after a while anyway you will run a closer cassette. In fact in Majorca in October I had an Ultegra hire bike and now found the closer ratios annoying !

jonosas

janwal wrote:

Go for it,I have it on two bikes and love it? A Trek Domane Disc with SRAM, a 40 and 11-42 and a Boardman cx team for winter with 42 and 10-42. Roughly gives you a12-32/34 equivalent. No problems at all around hilly Huddersfield. Did Hardknotts and Wrynose in the summer on the Trek. A lot of nay sayers on here think it looks ugly,just can’t see the problem myself. A lot complain about big gaps on the rear but you don’t notice them after a while anyway you will run a closer cassette. In fact in Majorca in October I had an Ultegra hire bike and now found the closer ratios annoying !

I was looking to go with a 48 or 50 ring on 10 42 .Or a 48 ring in 11 36.thanks for this Jabwal.

faster97

If you're using a 48 or 50, this won't affect you and I think it will work well, but I found one of the side effects of using a small front chainring (as commonly used in 1x systems) was really poor chain and cassette life.

It makes sense if you think about it - using small sprockets front and back makes the chain speed slower and means that in order to get the same power at the back wheel, the tension going through the chain is higher.

I'd be interested to know how a chain would last with a 40t chainring.

janwal

If you go for 10-42 please be aware that it requires a wheel with an xd driver body that is not splined and not a standard cassette body and they are not interchangeable. This is to accommodate the 10 sprocket as a standard one can’t take one that small. I doubt you would notice it that much if you go 11-42,I don’t but then I am not bothered for downhill speed!
Don’t know about chain wear yet as not been used long enough. I do like the sprung clutch on the rear mech to keep chain tension though and stop chain slap. One thing that really annoyed me on Ultegra was the constant chain slap!

jonosas

Thanks For all your help , I have decided to stick with the Ultegra 8000 and go with a 11-32 or 11-30 36-52 .I just think the 1x is just going make things very complicated,also I would have to use that 10-42 and it is huge , it will look out of place on the bike. Also it will add weight to the back wheel over 300 grams.!!!! As mentioned above have to use the XD Hub Adaptor as well. Its certainly a good system ,but the gear ratios just don't swing it for me.