Do You Want a 1x11 Drivetrain?

So you finally got yourself a mountain bike with an aluminum frame, fixed seatpost, 26 inch wheels (with inner tubes of course) and 2x10 drivetrain and are ready to hit the trail. Then you pick up a mountain bike magazine and realize your bike is not "cool" and is totally out of date and too heavy. Of course it would probably do you just fine but now you are wondering if you can do better and don't want to get funny looks from other riders on the trail.

By now you have probably heard of carbon fiber this and that, 27.5 or 29 inch wheels and dropper seatposts etc. but what about your drivetrain setup? Not too long ago everyone was running a 3x9 setup which means 3 chainrings in the front and 9 in the rear for a total of 27 speeds. Then it switched to a 2x10 setup (20 speeds) which utilized the most often used gears and got rid of one of the front rings. Now many people are switching to 1x11 drivetrains which only have one ring in the front and 11 gears total. Of course the gear spacing has to be spread out a little more to make sure you have a high enough and low enough gear to use. But the question of the day becomes is this right for you?

One of the main benefits of the 1x11 drivetrain is that you get rid of the front derailleur which saves on weight but it's one less thing to worry about or to break on you. On a 1x11 setup the chain stays in on gear up front and just changes on the rear rings on the cassette. Another benefit is that you don't have to worry about the chain coming off in the front on gear changes if you do it at the wrong time or are out of adjustment.

One disadvantage is that you don't have as many gears to choose from and if you are not a particularly strong rider this can be difficult at least until you get used to it. Now you can make up for this by going with a smaller ring up front to make the overall pedaling easier. By smaller ring we mean fewer teeth. Common sizes for the front ring on a 1x11 setup are 28, 30 and 32. Another disadvantage is that you will most likely have less top speed ability and run out of gear faster than on a 2x10 setup but then again how often do you get a chance to max out your bike?

To make the climbing easier on a 1x11 you will find a larger "big" ring on the rear cassette for the 11th ring allowing you to still have that "granny gear" for those steeper climbs. It still won't be as easy as a 2x10 or 3x9 setup and you will be forced to put more muscle into it rather than pedal faster and easier. In the long run once you get used to it you will actually be faster because you are forced to ride at a quicker pace on the inclines. But once again the front ring size will determine how hard it is for you to climb. And if you were interested in trying out an oval chainring it is an easy swap on a 10x11 setup.

If this sounds like something you want to try keep in mind that is not as simple as just taking off one of the front rings on your bike. In order to get a real 1x11 configuration you will need to make the front a single ring, get a 11 speed rear derailleur and rear cassette as well as a n 11 speed chain. We recommend that you borrow or rent a 1x11 bike and put on some miles to make sure it's something you think you will want to try. It may be a good idea to get used to it since many bike manufacturers are getting rid of the 2x10 drivetrain and replacing them with the 1x11 setup.

Posted by Mike Trieber