- The last few years have the seen the emergence
of 1x drivetrains.
Many riders have ditched their front mech,
and now rely on just one single chainring
and a wide-ratio cassette.
- But, there is still room for that 2x drivetrain,
and in this video, we're gonna
take a look at 1x versus 2x.
(intense music)
- My bike is set up as as a 1x system,
so a single chainring, no front mech,
no shifter up on the bars.
I've just got a little chain device
keeping that chain nice and snug on my 34-tooth chainring.
On the rear, I've got a 1x11, and that's an 11-46 cassette,
so really big, low gear there.
A couple of years ago, a 36 would have seemed large,
but now, I just need to rely on this cassette
to get me around that terrain that I ride.
- Okay, so this is my bike,
and the first thing that you're gonna spot
is this front derailleur.
What this allows me to have is that 2x system up front.
I've got a 26-tooth chainring and then a 36-tooth chainring.
On the rear wheel, the cassette, you can see that's
a little bit smaller than Neil's.
It's 11-tooth all the way up to 40-tooth.
The 2x system gives me a wider range of gears
with less of a jump between them.
(airy music)
- So what has driven the rise in popularity of the 1x
and the wider range cassettes?
Well, long travel trail bikes have become popular,
enduro racing has gained in popularity,
and mountain bike technology means that these bikes
have become much more capable, all around,
from descending to big days out on the trail.
They've actually become the one-bike-does-it-all choice
for many riders, myself included.
(intense music)
(bike rattling)
(tyres squealing)
So, let's take a look at the advantages
of running a 1x system.
Simplicity is the first.
Without a second chainring,
you can ditch the front mech, shifter and cable.
There is a weight advantage to this,
but more than that, you can just rely on your right thumb
to do all the shifting for you.
This has the added benefit of now being able to get
your dropper post remote onto the bar
where the front shifter was.
Another advantage of running the 1x system
is you're much less likely to drop your chain off the front.
You can run a mech with a chain stabiliser or a clutch,
you've got that front chain device keeping it on there.
You can also get specific 1x chainrings.
Another advantage is that bike manufacturers
have a bit more freedom to design their frames,
specifically to not have to use a front mech.
So, they can free up a little bit of space, down here,
to fit things like linkages,
or even really shorten the chainstays.
(energetic music)
- Okay, so far, so good for the 1x drivetrain.
Why would you want to go for that 2x then?
Well, the big disadvantage for the 1x
comes with the fact
that there's some massive jumps in the cassette.
Sometimes, three, four, five or even nine tooths
separate a gear change,
making it really hard to keep consistent cadence
when you're climbing.
With a 2x, because of that 2x ring up front,
you've got a wider selection of gears,
meaning that when you are climbing,
you can keep that consistency,
and you can get absolutely dialled
to make sure that you keep your legs spinning,
you're gonna get maximum grip,
and it's gonna be easier for you
to climb up to the top of the trail.
(upbeat music)
(tyres squealing)
Well, fancy seeing you here.
How's your 1x?
- Uh, yeah it's good, I am a big fan of the 1x system.
I think you're right, though.
Because of the big jump in the gears,
I think, often, you have to pedal up the hill
in a slightly harder gear than you'd like.
So, I think it probably suits
the strong riders a bit better.
- Shall we head up to the top of the hill then?
- Let's do it.
(intense music)
(bikes rattling)
So, when it actually comes to a winner
in the 1x versus 2x debate,
I don't think there is one.
It's a bit like every other component choice,
it just comes down to the type of riding you do.
Personally, I ride 1x most of the time.
- Shimano have actually been launching
a bit of a campaign around this,
called the No Single Truth,
and they put a poll out and actually found
that it was almost 50-50.
So we want to know, what do you guys run?
What would you buy if you were buying a new groupset?
Click right up there to cast your vote.
- Interestingly, on the Enduro World Series,
where you think most people would ride 1x,
there's a couple of people,
there's Tracy Moseley and Nico Lau,
that actually choose to run 2x.
- Yeah, the 2x system is still great,
and for me, it just saves my legs
on those really big, long rides.
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if you haven't done already.
- And click down here to see a cross-country bike
versus a cross-country high tail.
Which was faster?
- And over here for enduro versus cross-country.
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