1x vs 2x Drivetrains For Gravel Bikes | The ANSWER! (Is In Gear Ratios)

[@jitterspec]

The punchline is at 11:30. SRAM 12 speed had bigger jumps at faster speeds. Campy ekar only has 1 tooth jumps at faster speeds

[@jameskhoury354]

You really went the extra mile here and it's appreciated. This has helped me loads to decide which way to go. Thanks

[@TheBikeSauce]

Glad it was helpful and thx for watching!

[@Leo-gt1bx]

What did you go for?

[@azathell]

As Mr Quindazzi says the most important 1x problem is that you have to commit to a single chainring. If you go too extreme you will end up lacking. 34T will allow you to be almost in an MBT but you will not be able to race to much, and 46T might give you enough speed but you will have to be very strong to be able to climb a lot, even on a 10-36T cassette. The bottom line is that on gravel you might go 2x to have some "good for everything" bike or go 1x a commit a little more on what are you going to mostly do with your bike, road or climbs....

[@High_Octane]

2x 46/30 with 11-36 is the most versatile budget friendly setup for gravel bike i can think of. gives less than 1:1 ratio and huge top end.

[@peterkiss1204]

I use a 11-50 Sram casette with a 42T narrow-wide chainring. But there are 10-52 casettes for even more range. I don't think, range would really be a limiting factor on a 1x system.

[@azathell]

@@peterkiss1204 Yeah, 10-52 (which I think is the max range right now) Gives you range but you still have to commit on the chainring. You either go for a roadish 46 or higher, or go MBTish for a 40 or lower. It looks that those 10-52 will give you everyhitng but there will be climbs too steep for a 52 (C) to 46(CR) or descending roads where your 10 - 36 will not be enough. It´s important to make sure of what are you going to do the most and prepare for that, while making sure that you know what you are missing.

[@peterkiss1204]

@@azathell As I see you really don't need anything too much below 1/1 gear ratio. It already is almost as easy as walking. I rode a 48T chainring with a 9 speed 11-36 Shimano casette before changed to 12 speed. The 11/48 gear ratio was plenty enough for me, and would be probably for most cyclists. The only reason I changed to 42T is because the 12 speed system required a narrow-wide chainring, and I couldn't find a bigger one that fits my frame and crank set.

[@imola8]

​@@High_Octane what casette do you use?

[@JonathanDyer651005]

If you plan to just ride gravel, 1x sounds adequate. If you plan to mix road and gravel riding, 2x is more versatile. Thanks for the number crunching, cemented my decision.

[@cordurboy]

this was by far the most clear explanation i've seen on the advantages/disadvantages between 1x and 2x. suuuuuuper helpful, thanks!

[@tipntrn]

Just found your site and it’s great! I’m also an engineer so I really appreciate the details. I did similar analysis on 1x a couple of years ago. I changed my 3 mountain bikes to 1x. Best move ever. My girlfriend is a novice rider and struggled with 2x. She was always cross chaining and confused, especially in the woods. Now that she’s on 1x, she’s significantly improved because she doesn’t think about shifting. I strongly recommend 1x for anyone new to mt biking because of the simplicity. Keep the good videos coming!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice! Yea it’s way easier for newer riders not worrying about a front mech. Thanks for watching!

[@MrDvdelft]

No-one want to talk about increased chain wear on the 1x system as you will ride with a much more angled chain pull when in the lighter(est) gears. And this adds noise too. Not a biggy, but worth a thought. Apart from that, for beginners and non-wrenchers, 1x will serve you well everywhere

[@gurgenmakaryan4428]

2x all the way, i have 1x mtb, 1x fatbike, 2x road bike, and recently purchased 2x gravel bike, and I'm convinced in a good choice. 1x drivetrain isn't good enough on the tarmac, if the relief is flat and hills, you have to play or shift several cogs to be ok, but on the 2x you just switch from big chairing to the small, and thats all. Another big issu with 1x is the high speed on the tarmac, 40x11 isn't enough for moderate cadence And of course, any cycliste must have some knowledge how 2x chainring works and how to adjust front derailleur, i mean trim position or fully engaged to avoid the chain and derailleur contact

[@h1n1worm]

Nowadays, you can only find one or two 2x bikes in model ranges; the majority are 1x

[@DrummClem]

I recently decided to refurbish my old bike and think about modernizing the drivetrain. I had my last bike 25 years ago so it's been a while and so much has changed since. Nice to see this video. Saved me some time and an Excel spreadsheet;)

[@ianraybetron4300]

Just went back to a 2x system on my second mtb...first to address the chainline issues of the 1x system. Then the gear ratios. Good that I stayed with my 2x on my first mtb.

[@mycyclecoachGA]

BEST description on the topic....and CLEARLY showed the side-by-side comparison and where the literal differences are. BRAVO!!!!!

[@khaimapostol962]

Started out on a 1x mountain bike and always felt like I didn't have enough top end speed. Went 2x (50/34) on my gravel bike with an 11-40 cassette and I finally found an almost perfect system for climbing up and sprinting on flats and descents.

[@Leo-gt1bx]

50/34 is a tad to much for me. I am running a 48/32 with an 11-32.

[@Leo-gt1bx]

What speed is your drive train? I am so torn on trying a 1x or wether or not to replace my worn 2x9 with what I have. The cost will be pretty much the same but losing top and bottom gears scares me.

[@fender1000100]

Depends on your needs. I have a Tern Verge X11. It has a 52 chainring on the front and a 10--42 on the back with 451mm wheels. And there's no hill I haven't been able to get up. And it is plenty fast on the 10 to 52. What people forget. Is having a bigger gear ratio at the top means little if you cannot get a good cadence. And I have experimented with a 56 tooth front chainring and actually went slower than the 52.

[@TheRoadrunner11]

As someone who has/had 1x,2x and 3x both in MTB and road bikes, allow me to share my personal opinion on the matter: 1x is way cooler looking and offers a clean cockpit. But the range will be more "specialized" for lack of a better term; meaning you either choose high range for speed or low range for climbing, but not both in the same ride (depending on the size of the installed single chainring in the front) 2x and 3x might look a bit uglier yes, but in terms of functionality, range, as well as jumps between gears, there is no beating them! That's why my adventure machine (a Hardtail) is still a 3x10 to this day. I mostly only use 2 of the rings upfront , but just having the option to switch to the tiny third ring in the front has saved my ass many times where a hill is too steep. Meanwhile the largest chainring (40 tooth) allow me to go downhill to almost 55 Kmh before I start spinning out (I don't like spinning fast, more of a grinder, so my cadence is probably lower than average). In short. I don't like 1x as much as a 2x or a 3x, regardless of the kind of bike, even Mountainbikes, which is why I got rid of my 1x SRAM eagle XC bike and got a 2x instead.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thanks for the thoughtful, well-articulated input!

[@guandasin3099]

And here I am using a 3x9 drivetrain for more gear ratios on my 26' Converted Gravel bike

[@teamvergs1324]

many thanks for this! for me 1x set up if you are doing bikepacking, recreational rides which is enough...2x if you gravel race and definitely road cycling..

[@carterliu8482]

Best gear ratio video ever. Change chain ring will jump a few gears, this can be annoying at times. Yes, experience with your bike will minimise the pause effect but still not as intuitive compared to 1 by - "not quite the gear I wanted, try the next one". For people new to cycling, this ease of use characteristic of 1 by is a bonus.

[@aaronbehindbars]

Great video! I had this very debate when I was deciding which gravel bike to buy. I have increasingly favored 1x drivetrains on my bikes over the last few years. I find 1x stems better suited for off-road riding or casual street riding. The larger jumps are more noticeable and less desirable when you are going faster and trying to find that optimal cadence as you mentioned in your video. It looks like Shimano tried to eliminate that as much as possible and, like you, I am second guessing my decision to go 2x on my gravel bike. I definitely should have studied gear ratios a bit more to better understand how my ride would have been impacted by the ratio gaps. My logic was oversimplified in that I decided that 1x11 would not yield appropriate ratio gaps and that I would need at least a 1x12 to achieve a more appropriate progression of ratios. Perhaps that is somewhat accurate, but after looking at how Shimano does it, I think I would have been just fine because regardless of whether you go 11-40, 11-42, or 11-46, all three have the same progression of 11-13-15-17-19-21-24. Then, along comes Campy with their new Ekar 1x13 gravel groupset. Have you seen it? They offer 3 different cassette options: 9-10-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-23-27-31-36 9-10-11-12-13-14-16-18-21-25-30-36-42 10-11-12-13-14-15-17-19-22-26-32-39-44 Looks like they are taking what Shimano does to the next level with packing the top end of the cassette with very tightly spaced gears. Had I gone with a 1x gravel bike, it more than likely would have been equipped with SRAM Apex 1: 11-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32-36-42 They start ramping up the progression one cog earlier than Shimano with a larger jump from 19-22. My Specialized Diverge has a Shimano 11-34 configured as such: 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34 The 48T big ring on my bikes does have me favoring the 17-19-21-23-27 cogs most which are all 2 tooth ratio gaps. Had I gone 1x SRAM with a 42T ring, I would be favoring the 15-17-19-22-25 cogs. My ratios would be very close to the same with the 1x setup except for when I was on the 22 and 25 where the gaps spread just a tad. Not likely a big deal. Sorry this is so long of a comment, but one last thing. After getting my Diverge, I ended up building a super budget gravel bike that I intend to actually ride on the local mountain bike trails. I have it setup with 650B x 47 tubeless tires and a 1x8, 38T ring with an 11-40 cassette. Those are some big jumps (11-13-16-20-24-28-34-40)! The little bit I have ridden it on trails does seem to validate my initial impression that 1x is better suited for slower riding. It is insanely fun and I can't wait to try it out with the recently installed dropper post! Thanks for hopefully reading this and I look forward to more content like this if you decide to make it.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Hey man, excellent reply and observations! Thx for checking it out. Lot to unpack here, but basically, yes I’ve found that there’s more to it than just disregarding 1x bc the jumps will be presumed to large. On a side note, saw your 650B setup on the diverge. Something I want to explore soon! Looking forward unto your ride review on 650B.

[@High_Octane]

just get a mtb please lol

[@aaronbehindbars]

@@High_Octane I have one of those, too.

[@shanefrechette613]

Thanks for the video and sharing your thought’s I went with 2x GRX 810 31/48 up front and XT 11/42 in the rear, for just about anywhere you want to go.

[@SushantYogi]

MTB person here and this video was hugely helpful for me as well. I was quite literally thinking about doing some Matlab coding myself to quantity the difference between 1x, 2x & 3x MTBs too so I'm glad I stumbled upon your video doing the exact same. Definitely worth geeking out to some gear ratios

[@alexramirez118]

Yup, I been a roadie for over 10 years. Just recently jumped to a gravel bike & hard tail MTB. Gear gaps are just insane, for a roadie...its taking time to get use to it

[@Leo-gt1bx]

The gaps and extra cost of parts put me off.

[@Ferrichrome]

I run a 3x9 and all the gear gaps are super close. I also have a roadie with a 2x10. I wouldn’t mind a wide range 1x9 or 1x10 since I am constantly double or triple tapping my rear derailleur on road drivetrains. In a 1x operation is really simple and every gear is uniquely useful.

[@fender1000100]

Thats right 9 SPEEDS RULE for me. Too much whining over gear jumps. SERIOUSLY your legs don't care. They only know is it too hard or not hard enough. 9,10,11,13,15,17,20,23,26 45 on the front. Absolute perfection. No hill I cannot climb. And I can break 25mph on the flat. And for a 20 inch wheel folder and a 59 year old rider. That's all I need.

[@miguelacosta1494]

You did an amazing job of analyzing and providing an understandable description of the advantages between 1X vs 2X.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thx for watching!

[@marcomongke3116]

I tried 1x, 3x and currently 2x. I really miss my 3x system. Worst was 1x system. The chains tend to drop more and had to tune more and shifting felt draggy.

[@josephphillips865]

I prefer my setup with 2x GRX DI2 with a 48/31 crankset paired with a SRAM 11-36 cassette. I can climb any hill on a gravel ride or swap wheels or tires and go fast on a road group ride. Another neat trick with 2x DI2 GRX is the Synchro shift feature which will automatically shift the front derailleur when you shift the rear so it essentially acts like a 1x.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Baller. I haven’t made the jump to electronic shifting. Not sure I ever will, but who knows.

[@Ariautoace]

Thanks

[@aCuria.]

9:45 unless you are using electronic shifting… then you can use both chainrings as you shift up and down

[@georgestamulis1708]

Finally a mathmatical geometric on the gearing of 1 by vs 2 by. I just ordered my Sram 1 by and have been searching the internet for fear that I may be missing the smaller gaps in the larger gears, and thankfuly you address the answer. I'll be fine! Great job!

[@larry4674]

Coming from a bike touring perspective, I'm still stuck in 3X land, until I upgrade bikes. Even post upgrade, I can't see a 1X giving me enough climbing gears when tackling a 15% grade with 40 lbs on my bike, while still allowing me a big enough gear ratio when going down the other side... Having said that, I did see some new touring bikes for sale at a local bike shop with a 1X12 setup. Still not sold though...

[@TheBikeSauce]

Sounds like a 2x would suit your needs best?

[@larry4674]

@@TheBikeSauce yeah, my thoughts too. Just surprised that a bike purpose-built for touring would have a 1X setup. I found that quite odd...

[@ElectricGhostOpera]

Fantastic video! Thank you so very much for all of that information. I have been wanting to make the shift into 1x for a while, this answered all my questions.

[@andoriz0r]

Fantastic video! With this data I am now confident to go for 1x on my first gravel bike. Thank you very much!

[@kappakumplete]

This was super helpful. I almost skipped a smoking deal on a used gravel bike because it's 1x but this video explained to me that I'll be fine.

[@SjaakSchulteis]

After I had my old mountainbike serviced, I noticed that while speeding up with the front on the smaller wheel, it didn't grab the chain and I almost died on a road, because I couldn't get my bike going. Ever since I used the big blade on the front and learnt to change only the back gear. Now I'm looking for a new bike and I want to buy a gravelbike as under the circumstances where I drive here in Thailand (rough and smooth roads, sand, and gravel on the road) I found a lot information about anything related to gravelbikes (and mountainbikes). And given the experience I had and your video, the choice is easy: I go for the 1x drivetrain. Last sunday I was in a shop which only had mountainbikes or racebikes, the seller was showing the 1x drivetrain bikes as the latest innovation. I thought it was ridiculous, but now I learnt that this is really what I want. Thanks for helping me decide!

[@rc51bigdaddy]

Thanks for geeking out and making this video. I found it very informative. I like the 1x systems for their simplicity. Also I go back to the many times that the chain was rubbing on the front derailleur and driving me nuts. Yeah, it was out of adjustment, but now no worries about that.

[@sepg5084]

At least on a 2X you can tune your derailleur to get rid of the rub. What i do not like about my 1X is when my chain is on the top gear, a part of it rubs on the second highest gear because of the angle. Also the sound that the chain makes on the chainring when i am at the lowest gear which is again caused by the angle. Both indicate additional friction that could be avoided on a 2X setup if you choose your gears adequately.

[@pascalhibon7928]

Wow, this is by far the best explanation I've found. Your video makes me a lot more confident about a 1x system.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Right on!

[@gkunz3]

Best most useful discussion I've seen on this topic. You did the heavy lifting and then simplified the results for the rest of us. Thanks.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice, thx for the feedback!

[@MrJx4000]

Wow, this is just what I've been looking for (you obviously have some kind of analytical background--good work). I have a 1 x 8 hybrid with a typical 11-34 cassette and a 38T chain ring on 27.5" wheels. I rarely use my 8th gear, but I do wish I had a little bit more gear climbing ability. So I bought a 36T chain ring hoping that will help (haven't tried it yet--waiting for the snow to melt :-). If a 36T ring is still inadequate, then I'll try a 34T one. However, I will never go back to a 2x or 3x configuration. Thanks again for your video.

[@johnmccarthy-gd6xl]

This video helped me immensely but possibly in a way you didn't expect. I'm shopping for a new bike and trying to find the best fit for my riding profile which is about 85% or more on paved roads, often of poor quality, and the remainder on light dirt/gravel (aka "fire roads") in the woods. I'm also trying to find a one-bike solution which is leading me toward the more road oriented gravel bikes. In my research I've found that gearing selection is going to be a key decision point as I want better climbing range than a typical road group set may offer and I've accepted, at age 55, that it's getting more difficult to push the bike hard enough to maximize the potential of the higher gears. My current bike is an older Ultegra 10 speed with a 34/50 crank and the top few gears get used infrequently. I also tend to struggle on steeper climbs, hence my desire for better climbing gears. Now I'm faced with the decision of a 1x vs 2x as there seem to be more offerings in 1x for gravel bikes, not to mention that 2x comes with a price increase that can be significant. Your video essentially demonstrated that I really wouldn't be sacrificing much on the high end (gears I likely wouldn't use too often) and gaining exactly what I need in the climbing range. I now feel confident that a 1x is a viable solution and the difference in price for a 2x may allow me to jump to an electronic 1x group set and stay within my budget. Thanks for nerding out and helping me and I'm sure many others like me trying to find the ultimate one bike solution!

[@mediocrecyclist]

Most underrated bike channel on youtube

[@TheBikeSauce]

Much too kind. Thanks!

[@nomap2161]

Without a doubt! The production quality and content is great. I can't wait to watch his future videos.

[@TheBikeSauce]

@@nomap2161 Super kind. Thanks for the motivation!

[@BuffaloBrad]

Can’t agree with the comments above more. Watch all your videos multiple times - they’re ridiculously informative/helpful.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thanks! And double thanks for placing the very first order in my shop. Let me know if it doesn’t go smoothly.

[@tonyalewis9053]

Thank you! This makes me feel better about my 1x choice. Deore 1x 10 speed 11-46 cassette with 40t crank. I live in the Ozark Highlands about an hour NE of Bentonville, AR in Missouri. It’s quite hilly here!

[@elonmust2693]

yo, this video deserves millions of views. great job and easy to follow. thank you!

[@timm6876]

You missed a few points. The longer derailleur cage especially on the largest range cassettes, will project down further, and therefore more in harms way for debris. Also the longer cage means adjustment for proper operation is more sensitive, and easier for the 1X system to fall out of adjustment or failure to be properly adjusted. Next there is greater wear on the single front cog, where wear can be spread on the 2X system, or potentially reduced due to potentially having better chainlines. Lastly if you damage the front chainring while riding on the 1X, you are going reliant on that chainring that may or may not have some functionality. While with the 2X setup, you are likely have a backup chainring built in. What you present if fine, but it neglects failure analysis, and on long and/or multiday rides, or remote areas, these considerations are extremely important.

[@TheBikeSauce]

for some

[@timm6876]

@@TheBikeSauce which is exactly my point, but was not addressed.

[@TheUpl8te]

I use my gravel bike as a gravel, touring, all-around bike. I have had the luxury of running Shimano Grx in 1X and 2X in a touring and every day situations from roads to gravel and fully loaded touring. I have also had the luxury of pushing the limits with goat links and the like. I'm two going on three years into trying this on bikes. I started with 1X and switched to 2X mostly thinking I was missing out on something. This I know. I like close gear ratios but I hate the maintenance and potential problems of 2X. I LOVE the simplicity of the 1X and really might prefer it due to the simplicity and the realization that you have what you have. The best of both worlds may be having a crank that can accept 1X AND 2X.

[@denverman6161963]

Ok, you may have done the impossible: you made a video about gear ratios REALLY REALLY interesting! Besides all the diligence in getting your data together, you presented it all in a way that "us common weekend warriors" can understand and appreciate. I went 1X for my gravel, and while I went kinda cheap on the frame, the components are (for me) pretty snazzy with the SRAM Rival etap system. And while I thought wireless was probably wasted on a rider like me, I LOVE IT. Keep up the good work!

[@YesheadDrive]

when I bought my first dropbar bike last year, i went for a 1by gravel bike. GRX with 40t in front and 11-42 in the back. this spring I got a new wheel set for road and now im mainly driving on tarmac. I watched your videos about converting the grx to fit a 11-46 cassette. the plan is to go with a 46t chainring a with the 11-46 cassette. then I have the same jumps as in my 11-42 cassette. only the last jump is bigger. but here in northern Germany its really flat so its only an emergency gear and should be fine. the 2t jumps are still to big sometimes but should be fine for now.

[@bach1993able]

the best video i’ve ever found. finally someone explained quantitively! thanks from nerdy searcher of a bike!))

[@vahpr]

I don’t know yet if I’ll go 1x on a new gravel bike, but I sure enjoyed your videos on the subject:)

[@kwantani-cycling]

Your explanation is so enlightening, once you see the picture and you'll get it!

[@angrokan]

i tried already both and the main reasons to go for 2x are for me, that you kind of have a hybrid way of driving (you can go fast and do roadbike trips - mostly using the big ring; or go on MTB trails and mostly use the small ring. The second main reason for me ist, that i just dont like the chaincrossing noise and feel on a 1x. It doesnt feel good and it also seems (in my mind) to constantly wearing out my chain and the casette. And if im going uphill a really steep climb, having that feeling and noise in mind ist just not that comfortable for my driving "feel" - if you can say it like that (sorry for my english, i'm german ;D)

[@TheBikeSauce]

Totally understand that sense of always mildly cross chaining on 1x; I feel that on my mtb. I like the driving analogy! And your English is great!

[@jaymueller2418]

Chainline is king!

[@Massproduce201]

This is the correct answer 2x is king

[@sepg5084]

@@TheBikeSauce how efficient is the chainline of a 2X compared to a somewhat equivalent 1X? I saw one test from Velonews by CeramicSpeed which shows that a 2X system only has an average of 3 watt advantage over a 1X for a 250 watt input; the 1X had 12.24 watts of frictional loss while the 2X had 9.45 watts of frictional loss. Looking at percentages, the 1X has on average 29.5% more frictional losses than a 2X, but the absolute difference is just 3 watts for a 250 watt input. What i did not like about the test is that they tested drivetrains from 2 different brands instead of testing a 1X vs 2X from the same groupset of the same manufacturer. Plus the chain in their test is quite clean, i wish they also done a test using a "dirty" chain that has been used for a few km on gravel before being used in the test rig. It would be epic if you could perform some sort of test using an indoor trainer and a crank power meter as channel content.

[@sepg5084]

@@Massproduce201 as per CeramicSpeed testing, 1X system has on average 29.5% more frictional losses than a 2X , but if you look at the absolute numbers it is a difference of 3 watts of frictional loss for an input of 250 watts.

[@robertstainthorpe8258]

Geek away brother. Very helpful, even in 2022.

[@bugeyesprite119]

Great video, thanks! Thinking about next gravel bike and will now seriously consider 1x.

[@redbol1]

thanks for this, have a grx 1x11 set up and was contemplating to go 2x for the jumps, your mathematical prowess made me appreciate what i have, cheers and ride safe

[@TheBikeSauce]

"mathematical prowess" 😆 Glad to have saved you some money!

[@walkwithmetravel3596]

The bigger jumps are only in the large cogs. The numbers are there for us to see, but it's great for someone to explain it.

[@stoatystoat174]

It's worth remembering for people that live in lumpy countries like Scotland you are nearly always going up or down hills so it's nice having down hill gears and uphill gears and the fine gears are nice to have the most nice gear for a particular slope

[@dr.brockhaus5548]

2by is more likely to have a streighter chainline. So it is more efficiant. No idea how much it is, but 1 by has quit often a cross chain.

[@lexi-conby]

u mentioned skewed chain line in reference to using for example the largest front and rear cog on a 2by. wouldnt you in general have more chain line skew on a 1by thereby potentially straining and reducing the lifespan of the chain on a 1by?

[@TheBikeSauce]

Chain is more skewed on 2x big-big, but still gets pretty bad on a 1x

[@hawker604]

You continue to amaze me with your great content. I really enjoy your content and style.

I recently switched from a Trekking/Touring bike with a 3x system, a 2x allowed me to do an easy tradition. Regarding the use of more of the gears in the 2x system: depending on the terrain that you drive on you can make more of the gears that you go on I think. I noticed when cycling in snow and mud that more finer gear ratios help me to cycle faster while still having easy control over my bike when a to high gear would be simple to much maintain speed in.

[@j18ter]

A year later, and the Campagnolo Ekar group set offers 13 cogs for a 1x system, which pretty much means you can have your cake and eat it too. Depending on which cassette you choose, you can effectively match both the range and the spacing between gears to that of a typical road bike with compact 2x cranks. Of course, you can instead choose to trade a wider spacing for increased range.

[@djsaunter]

I won't give up my dropper post. Integrating into the left lever is clean. I'm not trying to win races, so it was an easy choice for me.

[@rgefryer]

Great video! There are a few other points I'd throw into the mix. Firstly, 1x makes it easy to change your overall gearing, simply by swapping the chainring. Secondly, in the graphs of 2x great options, I'd ignore the 4 gears with the worst cross-chaining, making the number of unique gears even less. Thirdly, it's probably worth acknowledging that the extreme gears on a 1x have worse chainline than any sane 2x ratios, which might be a consideration. Fourthly, another pro for 1x is that the chain is much less likely to be unshipped. And finally (!) It would be interesting to see some of your graphs comparing more modern groupsets, like SRAM AXS Wide Vs Campag Ekar. You know you want to!!!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Great insights! I agree with everything you mentioned, including another video (or series) on other drivetrains. Will put it on the to-do!

[@russellives5488]

@@TheBikeSauce late to the party. great video. Agree with Richard. Be interesting to add the 1x ratios to you chart @ 8:45, and highlight the cross chain ratios on the 2x Richard describes. Great stuff!

[@matthewizen]

This is probably my favorite video of yours. I love it!!!!!!

[@louper3002]

Good work, exactly what I was looking for. I'm going 2x!

[@romankuchak]

May be a bad exapmle, but I had only department store bikes in my childhood and last one had that heavy and stupid 3x system, which never felt right - as I was smaller, I just couldn`t make it work, so ended up using middle ring. As I grew taller and heavier I clearly felt, that even the biggest ring on front is not enough for me. While my student years I didn`t really had a chance to ride or even to have a bike, but now I have my gravel 1x bike and I absolutely love it! I`m not riding in big groups to keep up with certain speed or top or bottom gears, so they are not effective - it`s just that good for me - no stupid front deraulier, no need to think about chain angle and in previous season not even once I had my chain dropped or rubbing. Oh, and mtb casette looks awesome as well)

[@johngardner1898]

Superb visual discussion of 2x overlap. You didn't miss anything.

[@2321brendan]

Good Vid. I am building a Surly Midnight special with GRX Di2. I started as a 2x build. Bought GRX 600 2x crankset 46-30 as I wanted 165mm and 800 series shortest was 170mm. But before buying the front derailleur I decided I might try 1x . 42t Chainring was about $80 AUD and sunrace 11 40 cassette because black! Good news is 1x GRX chainring bolts directly to 2x Crankset using standard bolts. Beware bolts are super tight. I will try 1x and see how i go , my main concern is finding the right cadence at higher power on flat roads. This vid now informs me I may not need to worry. Will go back to 2x if I dont like the 1x. weight does not seem to be too dfferent as a 1x cassette is around 120g heavier than 11-32 and front deralieur is about 120g. Chainring weight is about 70g saved so 1x is maybe 70-100g lighter. Thanks for the good info

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice! Great bike. I’ve been riding both GRX 1x and 2x recently and I can say I notice the 1x limitation mostly on steep climbs and cruising along up mild grades where sometimes it’s hard to find the right gear. I usually stop pedaling above 25mph so the upper limit isn’t too big an issue for me. Have fun with your build!

[@MrAnon-2024]

@@TheBikeSauce interesting to read this after watching your video. Doesn’t this go against everything you’ve highlighted in the video? I’m only curious as I’m currently trying to decide whether to go 1x or 2x. After watching the video I was going 1x but after reading your comment, I’m now so sure?

[@bongflamingo3043]

The most informative video I found in YT about gear ratios and 1x & 2x comparison. I have decided to go with 1x12 system for my MTB. Thank you!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice! Glad it was helpful

[@dcv9460]

AWESOME Gear Ratios lecture =P

[@kornenator]

Up until very recently, i completely avoided 1x bikes, as it seemed like a poor choice for range and efficiency, but now that i keep seeing actual data about it, doesn't seem like a bad deal. Now i have this exact 46-30 and 11-34 on my bike, but having a 40T chainring paired with an 11-46 would be pretty similar in climbing gears, and only slightly slower in the faster gears (something i'd probably not miss much).

[@Navid1988]

To answer your questions at the end: Yes, yes and yes. Thank you! It was to the point and well put; seems like after all I really needed to see some plots to understand the whole gravel business.

[@Navid1988]

One thing to add or ask (from comments I read from other folks elsewhere which made some sense) regarding the advantages of 2x system, on sudden steep sections 2x gives you that option of switching to larger ring instantly, whereas in 1x you have adjust gear by gear to reach the optimum cadence. Is this true? Does it actually come handy i.e. change down the chainring quickly with 2x?

[@TheBikeSauce]

In my experience, I never need to suddenly drop an entire chainring due to a sudden incline. I understand the argument, but a little bit of experience and you’ll know when to shift based on the upcoming ascent or descent. I definitely don’t think it’s the main reason for wanting to go 2x.

[@Navid1988]

@@TheBikeSauce thank you very much understood

[@jdsm7815]

That was a very clear and informative explanation. Many thanks!

[@lm2906]

Great analysis! So, it has more to do with gear total range rather than the gaps between the cogs. 2x grx has a wider range than 1x. So, if you need to climb hills and go fast at the same time, go 2x, if don’t, go 1x that is much simpler.

[@rogeriocosta1035]

Nice! There is something people forget to think about. Tarmac roads are designed for vehicle that will keep around 88mph so they spend a lot of money modifying the terrain to not have abrupt changes on the slope cause it could make the cars at 88mph to jump over the hills. Gravel roads are design to velocities close to 20mph, so you can save some money and allow fast changing in the slope. For road bikers, riding in automotive tarmac road, it means very small changing on the slope during a long ride, so small gaps are more important. For MTB rides, the changes in slope of the terrain are usually huge, so you frequently change 2 or 3 gear at the some time, so bigger step will not make much difference. For Gravel, if you stick only to gravel roads and singles tracks, the 1x MTB transmission steps is just fine. The 2x on a Gravel bike will make more sense when you are using the bike to travel, cause sometimes you will need small gaps to ride long tarmac roads and sometimes you will need the small chain ring to climb a single track.

[@perilogics3398]

Thank you for the video. it was insightful and fun to watch with the editing. I just started to look at gravel bike (I don't really bike much so want to pick a more versatile bike option) and friend told me to go with 2x. I got an email yesterday from Costco that Intense is doing a Spring sale (ends 3/3/24 by the way) and the deal is really good. the 2x gravel bike sold out for size small so I got the 1x instead. I was worried if I make the right decision or not. After watching your video I have a feeling I will be just fine with 1x. Looking forward to put that bike together and find my way into the cycling world.

[@guspecunia5887]

Awesome work! well done! could you please do the new 12sp ratios for GRX please?

[@shannonparker7404]

Yup, total geek out but thankyou! LOTS of effort. Much appreciated.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Ha, thanks! Gotta incorporate the bike nerdery

[@roncreech7]

Outstanding effort, research, and thoughtful/well-spoken delivery. I just ordered everything to convert the ole gravel machine to 1x11. Also, thanks for getting to the point and NOT making us fast-forward through 5 minutes of "what's up guys, bla-bla-bla, thoughtless nonsense.... pretty-please like and subscribe"

[@TheBikeSauce]

Ha! Good to know. I'm not good at the 'bla bla, smash that subscribe button lingo' anyways

[@dennismicallef9350]

Campy Ekar 1x13 sp does a really good job of tight spacing where it matters most. I'm still stuck in on 11sp with an e*13 9-46 because there is no 12 sp cassette available that would tighten up the spacing where I like. My 11sp is almost perfect for gravel, but could use 1 or 2 more single tooth jumps for the fast gears. A 9-46 13sp cassette with single tooth jumps for the top 4-5 gears would be perfect for me. Ekar is getting close with the 10-44, but we're not quite there yet imo. Great video on a timeless topic!

[@richardcarr6493]

l have both systems on my bikes even 3x on my old MTB and they all have their purpose . 1x for daily use is a great all rounder 2x for my road bike provides wider ratio of gears for max performance abilities !! AND 3x can Either provide more variety of gears for smaller cassettes like 7spd old skool or providing more ratios in a lower ranges 8-11spd or even providing lower gear ratios for basic cassettes like 11-28 or 11-32

[@binshuo]

This video is fantastic. Very informative and helpful for decision making on which system to go with. Kudos to you

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thanks!

[@binshuo]

@@TheBikeSauce being a programmer myself, I felt shamed to not have done any computation on gear ratio during my research. I’m planning to build a gravel bike and will probably also use it for bikepacking. GRX 1 by only goes to 43kph at 90rpm so it’s gonna run out of gear for on road descent. Campy ekar looks to be the most versatile 1 by groupset among the big 3 brands. Honestly it all comes down to availability. We are not in a position of picking in the current situation with the shortage going on

[@rjrichar100]

This was one of the best videos Ive listened to discussing this topic. Got my GEEK fix and confirmed some of the stuff I was thinking as I decide which drivetrain to use on my first gravel bike. Thanks!!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thanks for watching; I know it was a long one!

[@peterslater7791]

this is a fantastic and well-presented video. great job! i ride road and gravel, probably more road and i absolutely do not like 2x. all of the your 'pros' for 1x were bang-on, but one thing you didn't mention was noise. i have spent way too much time fine-tuning FDs to eliminate chain noise and i just can't seem to ever get away from it. a properly-setup and lubricated 1x drivetrain is a silent and smooth system that from a purely tactile perspective, is enough for me to only use 1x. also, kudos for mentioning the overlapping gear ratios in 2x - to me, this is wasteful. ;) LOL. i love the GRX 810 components but i am now running a SRAM Rival AXS eTap 1x12 setup with a 42T chainring and a 10-44 XPLR cassette on my Aspero, and it has so much range. the only change i may make, as i get faster, is move up to a 44T chainring. i really notice the smaller spacing in the 12-speed cassette vs the 11-speed 10-42 i used to use with my GRX 810 stuff. it's perfect, for me.

[@iiskate4life0980]

The first time I've seen matlab be used outside of college. This is awesome

[@BenitoAndito]

This is next level stuff. But the next next level would be downloading your Strava gpx data and parsing your distribution of speeds and plotting that over your gear ratio plots. You'd want the area with the smallest ratio jumps to coincide with your most common speeds. Next next next level is parsing your power data and generating a bivariate distribution of speeds and power versus time to correlate to hear ratios. You'd have to preprocess to drop the zeroes, like when you're not pedaling and have zero power.

[@emceeaye]

Thank you for your thoughts. I wonder if you can help clarify something for me. I plan to put together a gravel bike, and plan to ride it up and down very steep short hills on pavement (60% of my riding) and on dirt (fire roads and single tracks) (40% of my riding). I come from riding an old hybrid Schwinn Criss-Cross road bike with a 3x gearing system that was unnecessary. However, I did appreciate the small gaps at the lower end when riding up steep pavement hills. With respect to drivetrain, my considerations are as follows: 1. On the uphills on pavement it would be nice to be spinning the pedals quickly rather than struggling to pedal while going nowhere fast. 2. I'm pushing 50 years old and am not as limber and flexible as I once was, so comfort is key for me. 3. I'll be doing a lot of riding up pavement hills (and coasting down them) both alone and sometimes with my daughter. For the times with my daughter, she will be in a child seat on a rear rack. Me and my daughter will have a total weight of 235 lbs + weight of the titanium bike I plan to get (19-21 lbs). 4. I'm not as much interested in racing, so it won't be important for the gearing to accommodate pedaling that will both allow me to power the bike faster at already high speeds or let me modulate speed/cadence at the higher end. Also, the declines won't last long enough and be too curvy for me to have time to do anything other than coast. It sounds like from your video that 1x gearing does not allow for as many smaller incremental changes in the lower end of the speed range relative to the higher end of the speed range, which I will need most when carrying so many pounds uphill. I'm thinking that when going uphill, a 2x may be better since it will give me 1) more increments in gearing and therefore smaller steps between speeds at the lower end, as well as 2) having either a front chain ring and/or rear cassette that can accommodate the slower speeds i.e.,

[@peterkiss1204]

10:25 More like 13-14. It's not just the exact same ratios you lose, but ratios with extreme shifting sequences. No one would shift up 1 on front and down 4 on the back for the next possible ratio, to then sihft 1 down on front and 5 up on the back again for the next slight increase. Not to mention the narrow-wide chainring you can't use on a 2x system. Or the lack of noise of the chain grinding the cage.

[@USMCcharmer]

I went GRX 2x and am using a sram 1170 11-36. it has different ratios up the cassette and I have found the ratios to be really nice. it gives me a great granny gear and smooth shifting all the way up the range.

[@josephphillips865]

I had the same Idea. 48/31 with a SRAM 11-36.

[@USMCcharmer]

I got the 46-30 and it's working for me. but I bet the 48 would be nice to have

[@josephphillips865]

@@USMCcharmer Not much of a difference really. Still plenty of top end speed with a 46T. Definitely a capable setup. Most people are never going to spin-out a 46 unless downhill and 48 is maybe a bit overkill to be honest.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Right on.

[@dyzoly]

2x has also better weight distribution(more of the weight is in the center), with better efficiency and longevity due to the straighter chainline(if you use it correctly).

[@TheBikeSauce]

Are you suggesting the weight of the fd and a smaller cassette helps keep the mass more centered and somehow makes a non-negligible difference?

[@dyzoly1335]

@@TheBikeSauce I do indeed.

[@Cous1nJack]

Chainline doesn’t cause wear. Modern tech and manufacturing allows chains to bend more than your old sturmey archer drivetrain.

[@dyzoly1335]

@@Cous1nJack where have you heard that, the ads? Btw, what's the price of a 11-12spd chain?

[@scoopermg8226]

Looks like you're looking for the question to the answer.

[@winbrendan]

Very helpful. Update with sram 12 speed. I'm interested in a road set up 44T with 10-44 cassette

[@JoseVersionBetas]

Nice video! I found what i waslooking for. Thanks!

[@Smittyberlin]

Thanks man. This helped tremendously.

[@f1hotrod527]

Now we have 12 speed, smaller jump. I compared a 2x GRX with my sram mullet on an online gear calculator. 2 x11 actually only has around 15 speeds. And the jump between ratios on the 2X is inconsistent. With the 1 x there are 12 speeds and the gear jumps are consistent. There are portions of the 2x where the jump is the same as 1 x. And some of those fine jumps mean going back and forth on the front chainring. The point is, 1x offers many advantages, so the gear jump must really be important to you to not want to go 1x. Even then I don’t know if there is a big gear jump advantage.

[@elachichai]

Coming from a 3BY, I didn't want to take a chance with 1BY. It's not like for the same price model, you have both options. The Aluminium version with 11 gears in the back came with a 1BY only. With the $800 price difference, I could have had the Aluminium frame at 1 lb heavier with carbon wheels at 2 lbs lighter. Aluminium would have given me so much room to add clamping accessories, bike stand, ease of packing. But, I am happy with the carbon frame bike. You nailed it about max speed limitation to 25 Vs 29. I wanted my diverge to be more like road bike... so I went with 2BY and stiffest spring.. once I have a 32mm tire, it's even closer to Roubaix. The larger front chain rings of Roubaix would have made it harder for me to climb anyways. I wish bike companies provide such customisation options.

[@do-ineedtosay723]

LOL! "Did I totally geek out and write some Matlab code to sort out gear ratios for gravel bikes? Yes. Yes, I did." Bruce Wayne to Lucius Fox, when Fox opens the garage door to reveal 'The Bat:' "Oh, now you're just showing off!" *

[@TheJohnreeves]

I just got a bike with a 1x (Surly Ghost Grappler) and that was my main concern. It's my first 1x bike and I thought that would be some sacrifice. But what I found is the top gear goes faster than I can ever actually maintain unless I'm going downhill anyway. To me the only time that speed would matter is in a race, which I'm not doing. On the low end it can't go much lower anyway because that front chainring is pretty small. Maybe I could go a bit smaller, I'm not sure. I was also skeptical about shifting, as it seemed like it would have those problems you mentioned with e.g. using the large chainring on the large cogs. And I've had bikes that just plain (with age) don't shift reliably in the largest or smallest cogs. I don't know what magic allows that to work well but it does, at least so far. If it continues to work well I don't see any reason, for me, to ever use a 2x again. I love having fewer parts! But again I'm no racer.

[@piotrmielnik1404]

Thanks for providing the detailed analysis! Now I think that maybe I should switch to 1x and 11-50 even for climbing

[@dhilliard]

Great overview and breakdown. Answered my questions very well... many provide what they prefer and "feel" but never the actual facts to this detail. Keep it up - Subscribed!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Thanks David!

[@nomap2161]

New sub here and going through your videos. The quality is incredible. I have to say, this is the most informative 1X vs. 2X video I've ever watched!. Everybody else seems to mention the jump in 1X gears, but not explain WHERE those jumps are. I had a 1X Salsa Cutthroat a couple years ago and was never bothered by the gearing. I also came of a mountain bike so that may be why as you mentioned. When I bought my Diverge, it was 2X and I did notice I was only using about half the gears so I decided to order my new bike with GRX 1X and this video confirms I probably won't notice the difference except by not having to deal with adjusting my front mech every now and again. Thank you!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Wow, thanks again for the great feedback! I’m starting to think I could probably get away with 1x for 90% of all scenarios. We shall see what I end up with next.. haha

[@MisterDivineAdVenture]

4:30 - it's all about the comfort ratio for any given condition..

[@randallsmith7885]

Strong analysis. Thank you for helping me to sort this out. Up to this moment, I was a 2x person all the way (roadie background). Now I am totally open to 1x. Probably for me, the answer will be to go either the SRAM 1x12 AXS. And big budget people can get the Campagnolo Ekar 1x13), to help the spacing problem.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice! All comes down to being informed and choosing what makes sense for the individual

[@michaelgoodman3326]

I thought a long time about 1x, but in the end, I wanted smaller gaps and a wider range. I went with GRX 2x, but with an MTB cassette. In the end, I'm running 48/31 and 11-40 cassette. I live in SoCal and do a lot of steep climbing and having a 31x40 climbing gear for those extended 12-18% dirt climbs feels much better that my previous 1-1 ratio Ultegra gearing (34/34) on my nearly 60 year old knees. Really appreciated the video. Maybe in a 1x13 setup with enough range I can get something close to my current gearing, but until then...I'm fine with my 2x.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice! What a monster range- best of both worlds. I appreciate when people do their research and choose what works best for their specific style based on thoughtful consideration of the options.

[@michaelgoodman3326]

@@TheBikeSauce On a related gravel bike note...I just ordered a set of the Hunt 35 Carbon Gravel wheels. Now I just have to try to be patient until the first week of May...It appears to be the only downside of ordering Hunt wheels!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Nice!! What an upgrade!

[@joshuacohen6426]

This is super helpful. I agree your analysis but come to a different conclusion. I would argue that, rather than the jumps between gears, the high and low end ratios are determinative, especially if you ride in areas with steep hills like Griffith Park in LA. I've had hip surgery and knee issues, so the added ease of a .9 climbing ratio makes the difference between being able to climb or not. And the added speed of increased leverage at the top end makes the difference in being able to keep up with cars while descending or not. So for me, the 2x makes more sense. Your analysis certainly helps me come to that conclusion. But it's more an issue of what terrain you're riding and what your riding style is. Thanks!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Love the thoughtful and diplomatic approach. Sounds like 2x makes total sense for your area and style

[@walcottav]

Thank you, that was such a good explanation of both system's ratios. I am definitely in the roadie -> gravel camp and ultimately went with 2x simply because my do-it-all gravel machine does spend a good amount of time on asphalt. However, I'm less hesitant now to consider a 1x conversion for more dedicated gravel time or events. I'd be interested in that shifting discussion next. To run 2x, being comfortable with double-shifts is definitely a thing, though certainly made easier if one is fortunate enough to afford Di2 and run it in its automated mode.

[@TheBikeSauce]

Ah yes, Di2.. the dream 😆

[@mareklewandowski7784]

Great work man. Thanks, that really helped me with my decision.