# How come no one uses 1x10 on the road?



## heedongyee (Nov 29, 2010)

Running a single ring up front has gained popularity among cyclocrossers and mountain bikers. If you don't ride near any big mountains, why carry the extra shifting mechanism around if it doesn't get much (any) use?


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

heedongyee said:


> Running a single ring up front has gained popularity among cyclocrossers and mountain bikers. If you don't ride near any big mountains, why carry the extra shifting mechanism around if it doesn't get much (any) use?


You still need a decent range of gearing. Interestingly, the 'big mountains' aren't what stretch the gearing on a road bike. They tend to have relatively moderate grades. Where the land is generally flat to hilly and there isn't the threat of season-long snowcover, the road departments tend to go right up and over whatever's in their way. As a result, much the same gearing is needed, unless you're truly on the plains.

And while it's possible to get 'enough' range out of the cassette itself, it creates large gaps between the gears. Road cycling emphasizes optimizing cadence far more than MTB or CX, so it becomes a significant disadvantage.


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## ParadigmDawg (Aug 2, 2012)

danl1 said:


> You still need a decent range of gearing. Interestingly, the 'big mountains' aren't what stretch the gearing on a road bike. They tend to have relatively moderate grades. Where the land is generally flat to hilly and there isn't the threat of season-long snowcover, the road departments tend to go right up and over whatever's in their way. As a result, much the same gearing is needed, unless you're truly on the plains.
> 
> And while it's possible to get 'enough' range out of the cassette itself, it creates large gaps between the gears. Road cycling emphasizes optimizing cadence far more than MTB or CX, so it becomes a significant disadvantage.


As a 1x10 mountain biker, I completely agree with everything you said.


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## 67caddy (Nov 4, 2009)

When I lived in N Illinois, I had a buddy who ran one of his bikes 1x9. He ran a 48 chainring and a 12-25 in back. As long as you aren't dealing with anything really steep a 48x25 you can grind up. I wouldn't want to have to deal with anything really steep and long. But back in the late 80s I use to run a 52x42 with a 12-21 ( I was told at the time the Mavic SSC rear derailleur would not run anything bigger than a 21 ). I did my first Ragbai with that gearing as well. They have some hills, but nothing severe.


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## Sheepo (Nov 8, 2011)

Being a MTBer, I said the same thing while building my road bike. Decided to go with a normal 2x and couldnt be happier. The extra ring exists for a reason! You only save like 40 grams by going 1x anyway.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

I guess I look at it like insurance. It's not for the 99 times you don't need it. It's for the 1 time you do need it.


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## pdxsnap (Oct 25, 2011)

*Chain line*

1x10 can provide an adequate range of gears as pointed out. For many cross riders this is fine (and single speed is even better - to lower the things to worry about!)

A 2x10 will give more options (let you keep closer to your desired cadence) but not twice as many however. Some of these gears will be near duplicated but it should provide for better chain line for some of the choices which makes for quieter running and possibly longer chain life.

Cheers,

The Goats
Retroshift LLC
Portland, OR


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## heedongyee (Nov 29, 2010)

Sheepo said:


> You only save like 40 grams by going 1x anyway.


I'm no weight weenie, but to be fair it comes out to about 220g for Sram Apex stuff.


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## Sheepo (Nov 8, 2011)

heedongyee said:


> I'm no weight weenie, but to be fair it comes out to about 220g for Sram Apex stuff.


I may be wrong, it's been over a year since I did the math... You lose the small ring, and front derailleur, and replace those with a chain keeper and larger cassette. You also loose shifter internals and cables and housing.
Did you factor all that in also?


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## heedongyee (Nov 29, 2010)

Chain keep unnecessary; same size cassette assumed; lose a few chain links.


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

heedongyee said:


> Chain keep unnecessary; same size cassette assumed; lose a few chain links.


Lose the derailleur... shifter... 

anyways, one of my buddies has a 853 Prelude 1x10 and it's great. Did I mention he lives in the plains?


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## Eyorerox (Feb 19, 2008)

Now 1x11
XX1 | SRAM


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

yep it's a matter of hills.

Though I do wonder if I can possibly do with a 12-32 Apex cassette and a 50t ring. That goes as low as 39x25, and the easiest gear I turn to is the 21 on my usual climbs. .


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## heedongyee (Nov 29, 2010)

I've been riding a single speed for a few years, but have trouble keeping up in group rides. Here in central MD we have a lot of rollers but nothing more than about 100' vertical, although a few are 15-20%. With 44/16 I slow to a crawl on those steeps. Now shifting to 44/28 on the other hand seems perfectly adequate from my perspective. Nice to read others' perspectives too though. Thanks.


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## ChrisVCR05 (May 9, 2011)

Having a compact setup on my SuperSix was like having a virtual 1x10. Once I started to get some fitness back, I was usually only in the big ring (50t) and really only using 8 of the 10 cogs at most. I just changed to a Campy Chorus 11spd group and went with a 12-25 cassette and a 36-52 crank. What a difference, now I am using a much broader range of gearing and able to use both chain rings correctly with a minimal change between each rear cog so I feel like I am always in the "right" gear.


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## joejeweler (Jun 29, 2012)

*How about a 1X8,.....works GREAT! *

Who really "needs" 10 speeds? 

I've been running my late 80's Serotta steel frame as a 1x8 for about a week 
now. I wanted to make use of a fine Dura Ace RD-7402 8 speed rear derailluer, 
and spent about 5 hrs making custom thicknessed cog spacers to handle the 
pre 1997 dura ace short cable pull. (made 3 sets to finally get it perfect!).

I was finding on my regular commutes and travels, i wasn't shifting much anyway. 
I travel the sidewalks mostly anyway 
(dangerous main roads here), so a lot of 
speed adjustments to known curbs and sidewalk irregularities. Lots of slowing down 
and quickly back to speed. However, a few hills got me wanting more than the 
single speed or fixed gear i was running for awhile. 
(39x18T White Industries Trials Freewheel, and sometimes a 16T fixed rear)

I got the rear derailluer sorted using .114" - .115" spacers by carefully sanding 
down six 8 speed Dura Ace Aluminum spacers, and used a 9 speed KMC X9SL 
chain to handle the tighter cog spacings.

What i ended up with was just a single Dura Ace 39T chainring (titanium alloy i 
think, as grey in color and slightly magnetic?), and made up a custom spaced rear cassette using 2 Sram cassettes 
to get a tight cog grouping in the area i was using the most. The low 26T gear is plenty for my area with that chainring.

Here's how the setup works out using a set of 700c X 28 width Serfas Seca tires. 
(pic shows duraskin 700x25c on at that time)

The gear inch result follows each:

39T X 11T = 96 gear inches.
39T X 13T = 81 gear inches
39T X 16T = 66 gear inches
39T X 17T = 62 gear inches
39T X 18T = 59 gear inches
39T X 20T = 53 gear inches
39T X 23T = 46 gear inches
39T X 26T = 41 gear inches

Quite a useful range for "my" needs, and i've simplified the bike with no front derailleur, cable, or lever. 
The 16T-18T cogs are the ones i use the most, and they are near cog central so my chainline is optimum for this setup.
(and never off very much while on the outer cogs).


No chainguard needed either as there isn't a lot of excess chain to be problematic with just a 26T low cog.

BTW, the Dura Ace RD-7402 rear derailleur calls for a 12-26T cog range, but i didn't have a 12T on the cassettes i had to work with. 
It works perfectly with the 11T, but i have another cassette coming with the 12T and may swap it out as i very rarely need the 11T. 
A 12T would get more use for sure, on the later night rides where i can feel safer on the local highway and get up some speed.

Oh, NO gear duplication running here, so lets call it a "pseudo 10 speed"! 

A few pics:










Yep, as long a wheelbase as i can get for comfort! 



















Dura Ace SL-BS77 Bar end shifter lever mounted to a Paul "Thumbie":


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## shreded7 (Oct 8, 2012)

ive seen time-trial bikes with 1x9 or 10. which kind of makes sense, assuming the tt is not overly hilly. even then, you might be able to build up enough momentum to power over the bumps


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## guitarslinger21 (May 19, 2012)

David Millar rode a 1X10 in the '03 Prologue.

Then, his chain fell off. 


FWIW, I think 1Xxx setups are awesome, even if his tech did something wrong.


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