[923] 2x vs 1x Groupsets

Yes, another post about bicycle drivetrains. I've been thinking about 1x vs 2x drivetrains yet again, specifically when I was riding my bike earlier this morning.

Before I continue forgive me for using non-cyclist terms, I still get confused with them. So when I say fastest gears that means the smallest cog on the cassette, and easiest gear the biggest cog on the cassette. Anyway...

I'm not going to talk about the weight difference between 1x and 2x since I'm not a weight weenie and I don't really plan on racing anytime soon. I'm more focused on what will give me a more comfortable ride if I eventually do get brave enough to ride around the city OR I bring my bike to the province.

My thinking is that you can have the similar gear ratios for the fastest and the easiest gears. Fastest being the gear you use on downhill and flat roads, and easiest the gears you use in climbs.

The biggest difference I can see between 1x and 2x would be the smoothness in gears. Having a 2x setup allows you to have a cassette with smaller teeth difference, while a 1x setup will have compromises with the difference in number of teeth per gear.

Let's compare my current Sunshine MTB cassette with a Shimano CS-HG700-11 road cassette.

• 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-42-50T (Sunshine MTB cassette)
• 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34T (Shimano Road cassette)

Looking at the differences in the number of teeth per cog you can see that the Shimano cassette has a smoother increase, with the biggest gap being three and four teeth, and only at the biggest cog. Meanwhile the Sunshine cassette has four, six, and eight teeth gaps for the biggest cogs.

This basically means that you will struggle finding a sweet spot changing gears for the easier gears with the 1x. Chances are one gear will be too hard and one will be too easy. With a 2x it isn't that bad.

Cassettes don't tell the whole story. Now let's add in the chainrings and calculate the smallest and biggest gear ratios. My bike is currently using a Deckas 42T narrow wide oval chainring, and let's put that up against a Shimano GRX FC-RX600-11 46/30T chainring.

• 42/11 = 3.82, 42/50 = 0.84
• 46/11 = 4.18, 30/34 = 0.88

So as you can see the 1x might be a bit "slower" in high speeds but it could in theory be "easier" in climbs. Meanwhile the 2x will "struggle" in climbs but be faster in flats. I'm saying these in quotation marks because I haven't factored in fitness levels and other intangibles.

Which brings me back to why I wrote this in the first place. I'm still not sure what kind of groupset I want. I'm happy with what I have right now, and I'm hoping I will be able to ride long enough to enjoy my bike. My biggest question now is, let's say I can upgrade my bike in the future... do I want to try a 2x setup? Is it worth it? Or should I just get a smaller range cassette for the rear so I gear differences won't be as harsh?

I wish I could afford to find out.

Out.