Comparing Bike Gear Ratios... 1x vs 3x Drivetrains
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- Опубликовано: 5 май 2020
- Thinking of a 1x drivetrain setup on your bike but wondering if you’ll still have enough range of gear ratios? Not sure how it really compares to a 3x setup? In this video I compare gear ratios for 1x11 and 3x8 setups as I convert my commuter bike to a single-chainring and 11 speed cassette.
Watch part 2 of my 1x11 conversion project if you haven’t already… a general overview of the actual conversion process:
• Converting my Commuter...
If you have questions, please feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll try to answer!
See the rest of my real world situational math videos... • Real-World Situational...
#gearratio #cycling #SituationalMathVideos #AllAroundMathGuy
I must say, this was clear as a bright sunny day with no clouds. Thank you so much!
You're very welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂
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The great advantage of the 3x system is more flexibility in changing - you can make a smaller jump or a bigger jump. If there is a hill round the bend, you can drop very quickly.
Love this explanation! It's so clear now... I always thought why would you sacrifice "24 speed" to 11 speed but now I understand. Thanks! You have gained a subscriber today
There is a slight flaw in your example, it presupposes that we are all just replacing a 3x with a 1x to get similar gear ratios to what we already have. But what if you instead put on a 3x11? When you crunch the numbers you see two added benefits: 1) you get three additional low-end gears and two additional high-end gears. You already mentioned that you do not need or want the two top-end gears, but what about those three extra gears on the bottom? and 2) What about the jumps in gears as between the two setups? on the 3x system, you are able to use the closer-spaced gears vs the wider-spaced gears covering the same range. So if cadence is important to you...like on a very long steep climb, then having that 30t granny gear may make your life a lot more enjoyable as you'll have more options to find that right climbing gear. Not only that, those extra three gears at the bottom end may make the difference between riding or walking up a steep grade. Is it worth the extra weight, expense, and complexity?...well, that all depends on your local topography and whether you prefer an all-in-one bike or different bikes for different jobs.
So here is my take. If you're a roadie who focuses on cadence, then the trip/double setup may give you more options to optimize your control over your desired gear range. If you're a gear masher, then you can get by with a 1x system because of cadence shmadence. If you're a mountain biker, and you do mostly techie trails and downhill/enduro, then the 1x system is perfectly fine as sustained climbing is not a big part of what you do. If you're an XC rider, then you may want a 2x (3x god forbid) setup because taking on a long steep incline, with the right cadence, may mean the difference between a podium finish or just being one of the guys. And if you can't afford 10 different bikes for each occasion, then a 2x or 3x may make better sense if you live in a place that has all kinds of topography. Lastly, if you're a weight weenie or want to look cool (even if your riding sucks), then go for the 1x setup. You'll look cool even if you're not.
Yes ,sir ,you got the point.
I have 2 3x9 mtbs , i set my wifes and my kids bike all 3x9, when i go riding outside , i will use all the gears from 44x 11 to 22x32 ，sometimes i feel low gear 32 rear is not enough, sometimes i feel 44 front is not enough , yes the roads is up and down.
When you buy a car ,from 4AT to 6AT to 8AT is upgraded.
Why your bike from 3x to 1x is upgrade? No! Its downgrade.
Thanks for your thoughts here. The focus of the video is about using a bit of simple math to compare gear ratios between different setups, but not to lobby for one over the other. It's absolutely true that different types of riding and situations warrant different setups. I did XC racing for many years, and always used a 3x9 setup, for many of the reasons you've mentioned... wider range, smaller gaps between gears, etc.. I don't race anymore, but my MTB is still 3x9, and I have a 2x10 setup on my road bike. But for the particular bike in this video, my city/commuter bike, the 1x11 setup works well, with the simplicity of a single shifter. The focus here was just on comparing gear ratios, showing that with modern wide range cassettes you can now achieve a decent range with a 1x setup - something you wouldn't have been able to do years ago; and also to illustrate what not everyone realizes... that there is significant overlap between gear ranges in 3x setups.
This was additionally helpful and insightful. Thanks for adding this insight to the original video
Simplest and clearest video about 1x 3x combinations i ever saw thank you very much !
I must say this a one of the best channel for beginners. You make it so simple and easy to understand.
Wow, thank you! I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
One of the best videos about bicycle I had ever watched. Thank you so much!!!
You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback! I'm glad it was helpful! 🙂
I'm a 60+ year old xc /marathon racer and I use what I call a "close ratio" 3x10 system that is wider than a 1x12 and even some 2x11 systems. I run a 10 speed 11-46t Sunrace cassette on the rear with xt shifter/derailleur and a 26t-32t-40t close ratio chainring set up front . The individual rings are made by Blackburn of Canada, and are aluminium, light but very tough. I have raced it in over 40 races xc races in Thailand , a few in Colorado and one in Utah and finished on the podium the vast majority of the time in my age group. I contribute this to having gearing that is wider and more "useable". Real life examples would be 1) in a Thailand national of 50 year olds and up age group I finished 5th at 62 years old, as my 40t came in handy on a very long slightly downsloping grassy run followed by a long dirt road section that my 40t allowed me to pull in and pass my 5th place competitor on a (1x12 ) I have also many times on my 26t chainring by 40t or 46t cogs outclimbed other older guys who were off pushing on their 1x12 narrower range 1x12 systems. The more serious race guys on the 1x12 systems have to change their front chainrings according to the course we are on that day, switching from 32, 34, or 36 t chainrings. I never have to do that. And my chain is stronger, and parts much cheaper :-)
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!
wow thank you , you saved me a lot of headache
doing the exact same thing
The way you explain it is so clear and straight so anybody can understand. Great videos on this topic.
Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂
@@AllAroundMathGuy Sure I did. :) Maybe you could explain even further taking crank lengts into account. My guess is it would be easier to climb with longer cranks because of torque increase (Nm^-1) but how about sprints? Would it make me slower after swapping 170 mm for 175 mm? :)
I agree! I have watched quite a few videos on gear ratios, and still felt like I wasn't grasping it. You made it so clear that it made it easy to get an idea in my head which components best fit my riding needs.
Thank you so very much, the AllAroundMathGuy!
@@AllAroundMathGuy hi sir! i currently have a 1x10 hybrid as well..my front is 34t and my cassette is 11-46t..is my gear ratio okay as well?
Amazing. WAs actually wondering about this, and haven’t seen anybody explaining this relationship
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful! 🙂
Very clear and straightforward explanation.
Awesome! This video is helpful as am considering the change and you made it really easy to understand so thanks for that👍😎 deserves a sub!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful! 🙂
Thanks, this is exactly what I needed. Very jealous of the garage set btw!
You're welcome! I'm glad the video helped! And the garage - a sale purchase at Costco about five years ago - metal cabinets & bamboo workbench surface - that have worked out well. 🙂
Many thanks for the clear explanation! This video helped me understand the concept of gear ratios once for all. Previously it was something like a mystery to me 😅
You are very welcome! Glad it was helpful! 🙂
This was extremely helpful! Looking to konvert my 3x9 set up to a 2 or 1by and this was a great video. Hate math but gave you a sub. Keep on rocking dude
Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Thank you for the simple and extremely useful spreadsheet calculation. Now I can relate to the gears I have and what gear ratios in future bikes. I have an old triple and was wondering what my easiest gear was as I still need to use it, turns out using your method it's 0.68. I don't think I'll get anywhere near it on new bikes!
You''re welcome! I'm glad that you found it helpful! 🙂
A useful trick i use to find out the gaps between gears is to divide the higher ratio by the lower ratio. I line up these divisions beside the cassette gears, and on the lowest cell, I take the average of the gaps. This tells you a good indication to how far apart your gears are. FYI people usually prefer gaps under 15%.
Im more of a numbers kind of guy who just got into cycling so this actually helped me big time understanding the gears of my bike. Thank you so much! The video is very straight to the point and understandable.
You must love @EngineeringExplained innthat case. I find him so hard to understand because he always brings everything to maths while I prefer words and theories than formulas.
Thank you so much Huckle Joko! I'm glad that you found it helpful! 🙂
Sorry you feel that way Kahuna Kort`eze. The channel is focused on Math after all, but hopefully you got some useful info out of it. 🙂
Deym. Ive taught of upgrading my stock 3x7 to either a deore m6000(3×10) or deore m6100(1×12) and I couldnt decide, this video clear things up. Specially the excell part. Thank you so much. Im subscribing
You're welcome - glad I could help! 🙂
This is a proper lesson on gear ratio✊
Holy shit! This video is GOLD! Amazing explanation! Kudos!!👏👏👏
Thanks very much! 🙂
3x for the win. I've been riding 3x since the 90s. Recently I was in the market for a new mtb. Finding a 3x was nearly impossible, and 2x was also challenging. So I test road about 5-7 bikes (Ibis, Rocky Mountain, Specialized, plus a couple others). All 1x. I had the good fortune to be able to test them on my local trails. Good solid 30-45 minutes runs on trails I've ridden for years. I could feel the shortcomings of 1x almost immediately. One of the places didn't expect to be let down, but was, was on the flats. Not even trying all that hard, I could spin out on the flats with 1x. Terrible. The next place I really noticed a big shortcoming was on the climbs. Both steep and long climbs. I never had the right gear. I was always either spinning way to fast, or grinding in way to hard of a gear.
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I ended up getting a Niner RKT. It still allowed for a 3x to be installed. I have never regretted it for a second. Shimano, so perfect shifting. I have an uber low end for those vertical face climbs. I have a very nice high end, high enough I really can't spin out on the flats. Which means I can also peddle down fast fire roads or wide open singletrack with out spinning out, at least not until I'm going insanely fast.
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3x for the win...
Thanks for your comments. Yes indeed, there is a definitely a place for 3x as there is for 2x or 1x. I'm certainly not trying to say that 1x setups are always the answer. In this situation for how and where I ride it 1x is definitely fantastic. But my cross-country trail bike that I used to race with is 3x9... as you say it allows you to have an uber low end for those crazy steep climbs but a high enough gear for the smooth downhills.
Happy trails! 🙂
@@AllAroundMathGuy Yeah, nah, yeah - I can definitely see 1x mtb working for those who 'self shuttle' and just need a bail out gear to get to the top. My style of riding is longer cross country, many events I do have time limits. Having 'just the right gear' really allows me to maximize what little fitness I have...
I totally agree. They turn all mountain bikes into jump bikes. You cannot use them for commuting anymore, they are way too slow
Great explanation, great video, wish everyone did it this way
Thank you! Glad you found it useful! 🙂
Thanks for the video. I like the excel tables. I need to do the same. I want to change my bike but i want the exact opposite. I want 3x10 or 3x12 or 2x10 or 2x12 or something like that, i have to check what is realistic and available, but the point is, I want to go from as high a gear as possible, so 4.7 or 5.0 all the way to 0.6 or 0.5 or 0.4. Depends on what... exists. And what is worth money-wise and maintenance-wise. I actually considered maybe mixing drivetrains with hubgears, but I think that would be expensive, heavy etc. But I want those ratios. I want to fall in love again with biking and for that I need to do what i've done all these years on my entry level mtb that i use for touring plus mountain-biking.... but more extreme, more interesting, the same activities but in more extreme environments. I would combine all that with aerobars.... should be pretty awesome. But I worry about whether all the components i wanna put actually being compatible with each other.
Really good explanation! Thanks a lot! :)
You're very welcome! I'm glad it was helpful! 🙂
I had 1x but settled on 10 speed 2x 32-22 front 11-36 cassette. Same as 32-51 1x but with nice tight ratios.
Very clear to understand
Thanks for the video
You are welcome, and I'm glad it was helpful! 🙂
Awesome, simple and straight forward. About to buy a bike and last had a 3 x 8 MTB 2 decades ago. Was wondering what the difference was. Thank you.
You're welcome - I'm glad it was helpful! 🙂
Very nice explanation Sir, Thanks 👍🏻
You're welcome! Glad it helped! 🙂
Very well explained! Thank you
You are welcome! 🙂
Easy to understand... thanks!
You're welcome! Glad to hear that! 🙂
I’ve been thinking about ditching the 3x to a 1x as I only utilize 3-7 99% of the time & 2-5 when climbing. I guess I can go with a 1 upfront and two in the back. To be fair though I don’t go up hills bigger than a 4% grade, so a few more gears if necessary are not a bad idea as well as a ultra heavy downhill one where you don’t have to pedal like there is no chain to catch up for that second or two when you stop to coast.
Just now getting into bike gear ratios at the age of 66. Very informative presentation with the spreadsheet. Thanks.
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Thanks for this! :)
I’d like to change my current 3x8 setup on my mountain bike to a 1x11, but I would be spending about half the price of my bike, so I’m going to save up for a while to buy a better bike, with a 1x11. This helps explain it a lot, the pros and cons of switching. Thanks!
Glad you found it helpful! Yes, it is definitely always good to think about the cost of replacing parts on an existing bike vs. cost of new. 🙂
This is amazingly clear. The excel screen showing the information makes it really simple. Excellent explanation. For those favoring simplicity while not engaging in intense racing, this is a great option. For those going for every minute details, they will be more happy with the X2 & X3. Great video!!
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks! 🙂
Nice video. I agree with you on 1x vs 3x. I'm looking for a new hybrid bike with something like 1x10. Not much to choose from.
Thanks! Hope that you found something that works for you! 🙂
another nice video!
Thank you! 🙂
i rlly like your bike videos :D
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Your video simplified all the mystery, which most cycle companies and sales people never talk about. The main reason why people/kids land up buying gear cycles, and never using them beyond a few months is because they have never really understood this logic before going out there and purchasing a cycle. Thank you
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful! 🙂
came for the gear ratio, also got Excel tip out of it. thanks!
You're welcome! I'm glad you got some bonus learning on top of what you came here for! 🙂
came for the comparison, stayed for the Excel tips
Glad you found both aspects useful! 🙂
Awesome! Can you please do an explanation video using excel for gear inches? Your 3x to 1x conversion is a perfect example! I had the option to choose a 1x or 2x fitness bike and went with the 1x. I am now replacing the chainring for higher speeds, although I love the simplicity!
To get gear inches, you multiply the gear ratios with the circumference or (diameter) of the inflated rear wheel. But that is only handy when you are comparing bikes with different sized wheels.
Is 3x faster than 1x in straight roads?
Interesting, I prepared an Excel sheet similarly to compare comparable ratios. I set it up so I could use the crank size as a variable for the existing bike crank (as I have different bikes with different crank sizes) and a different 1x crank.
You and I think similarly in looking at this empirically. You might want to consider doing an evaluation if you had your bike into a 3x11 system or 2x11 system? How would that 11-42 cassette change your range? That would be another valid comparison. That 11-42 on your 3x system would expand your range incredibly.
What I think most folks miss are the options available with a 2x or 3x system. I live in the PNW, and I have a 3x9 where I regularly all 3 front cranks. If I'm on a flat, the larger chainring offers the best range of gearing, with a little more grade and it's windy I like the chain ring, and the smaller chain ring saves me when i puffing up steep hills. Yep, there is duplication in gearing options when going from one chainring to the other, but what I value is the range of options available on that chain ring.
I think of it like a tool. I have several different kitchen knives. I could probably get away with only having one, a mid-size knife, and it could cover most of what my cooking needs. However, there are times when a large butcher knife or a paring knife are better. To me, the chainring discussion is similar. The 2x or 3x chainring options provide me more options.
Just a different perspective.
Thanks for your detailed comment! Yes, seeing and comparing the numbers is key. As for 2x and 3x setups, by no means am I implying that they don't have a time & place. My cross country mountain bike is a 3x9 setup and it's well suited for that application for me... very wide variety of terrains and grades, plus nice to have smaller gaps between gears that 3x gives when needing the perfect gear to get up steep hills. My road bike is 2x10 and works well for that. But for this commuter bike the 1x11 setup is ideal for where and how I ride it (in my opinion that is).
I have an older video that addresses the basics of gear ratios using my 3x9 MTB (big vs small chainrings & cogs). If you haven't seen it already, it's here... ruclips.net/video/qacvtrh-ot8/видео.html
About combining the 11-42 with a 2x or 3x crankset, that'd be a huge range in the amount of chain that the derailleur would have to take up... I don't suspect that it would work. Plus as said in the video, it's a trade off between high-low range and the spacing between gears... one main benefit of 3x is that you can have smaller gaps in any given chainring, and the range comes from changing chainrings. But always good to think outside the box and consider options! 🙂
Thanks for the Excel spreadsheet!
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful! 🙂
Instant suscriber.
which single chainring i can use on my 8x cassette for hardtail? is it matter if chainring is for 9x,10x,11x speed cassette or can put any narow wide chainring?
never cycle for ages , wondering how the fixed front works , got a foldie but end up pushing the bike uphill ,lol
Question: I'm considering a setup similar to yours but using a 1x 52t chainring and 10-52 cassette. Can this setup work? Thank you
Hi ! can ask a question that is complicated for me but not for you? I'm making a custom bicycle and at the rear I'm going to put an 8-speed shimano nexus internal hub and I can have a single chainring forward and back. most of my trips in town are on flat surfaces but I have only one hill to climb that I have to go back and forth to work every day and which looks like the hill you climb in the first video!
so what ratio i have to install ? the complicated thing is the calculation with the NEXUS .
If you could help, I need to ask you one question, please.
Suppose two drivetrain (say, 2x8 and 1x12) have the same gear ratio of 0.6 (say, 22t - 34t in 2x8 and 30t - 50t in 1x12), will the ease of pedalling be the same? Considering all other factors being equal.
Will the size (diameter) of the cassette have an influence?
The only drawback I see with 1x is the chain line and binding. Not having the 3x front gears means that when in highest or lowest gear your binding the chain much more because its out of alignment. That leads to premature drive train wear and inefficient pedaling. Some people who don't know any better leave a 3x in the middle front gear and shift the full cassette up and down on their daily rides and its not a big deal for family rides where your on flat trails and driving half speed and mostly in mid gears anyway. That said I still want to try a 1x system but looking for something with less binding so I'm going with the Microshift AdventX 1x10. 11-48t cassette and 10 gears will provide just a little more straight alignment on the extreme ends of the gears. I might even use spacers and align my chain ring a few mm more in alignment to the granny gear since I do a lot of hill climbing on my trails and putting the most stress there on the cassette and chain.
I just remplaced a 3x. I wish I watched this before... will bear it in mind for the future
3x definitely has a place - I have bikes that are 3x, 2x, and this one is 1x... they all do the job! And if you've already been riding 3x and are used to it it's all good. 🙂
Indeed, I just went for a ride on my new 3x and it worked perfectly. Greetings from Bogotá
I take a chance ....THANKS !!!!
Can a three speed bike contribute more speed than a single speed because the three speed has the 3rd high gear? Or is it the equivalent rotation as the single gear conducting fair mount of same speed?
Nice job on the analysis and on choosing the right range with your 1x11 setup, however my only con on that is the chain position sacrifice, meaning with only one chainring at front your lowest end-strongest-gear or speed kinda overstresses thus eats up the chain, same with the top end gear-easyest-also the chain position is overstressed and there is extra tension on the chain, if someone a weekend biker that is not really an issue, however even just at 100+K per week really adds up and overstresses the chain.....again, you may not lose power there with your optimal set up, but the extra chain-tension is unavoidable with the 1 by systems, only one exception is the speed bike 1x1 say 10 teeth at the back 60 at the front.......
" chain line " I was going to mention that . the chain can even rub on the tire
Definitely strain and friction on the chain is more when using the full range of a cassette, especially if you use the extreme top and bottom cog often. In my case I use this bike for urban/commuter riding and am usually in the middle of the range and I chose the bottom bracket to make the chain line as optimal as possible gears I'd be in most of the time - about lined up perfectly with the 4th or 5th cog biggest cog. A 1x setup is cool and has advantages, but is not best in every situation. - there are definitely cases where a 2x or 3x setup would be better. I still run a 3x setup on one trail bike, and have another that is 2x. Multi-ring setups naturally keep the chain straighter, just because can avoid 'cross-chaining' that occurs with big-big or small-small combinations.
what about 32t in front what is my cogs should be?
I’m building a Salsa Marrakesh for touring. Do u think there is a place for 3 rings up front for touring? My fat bike has 1x and I love the one derailleur
It all depends on the terrain you'll be riding in and what range of ratios you'll need for that. I have a variety of setups in the various bikes I've got - 1x11 on this one, but 2x9 on one MTB, 3x9 on another, and 2x10 on a road bike. For this commuter bike I like the 1x11 because of the simplicity of one shifter and one derailleur as you mention.
This was really helpful, however I'm still not sure what kind of ratio is best for me. I got my hands on a 90s cannondale and I'm looking to convert it into a 1x8 since the stock hub only fits 8 speed cassettes. My goal is to make it into kind of a low budget urban/commuting mtb. I don't need a super low gearing since I live in a mostly flat area and I don't want to go super fast road racing speeds either. I'm having trouble deciding on a cassette and chainring combo, is there any chance you could give some advice?
Thanks! and that's great about the vintage Cannondale - I love re-purposing old bikes. In fact, I recently did essentially the same as what you're hoping to do to build an urban/commuter bike for one of my daughters to use around her university campus and to get to and from work. It's an old hybrid/road bike, and we were aiming for low budget too. I used a set of old road cranks 52-40. I removed the big 52 chainring so that it's just a single 40-tooth crank. We went with this since we already had it, but even if we were purchasing something we would likely have gone with a 40 anyway. Since it's not a modern narrow-wide ring, I left the front derailleur on just to ensure that she doesn't drop the chain, but I did remove the cable and shifter to simplify the handlebar. Even without a cable the front derailleur can be positioned - the lower limit screw can be used to set it so that the chain doesn't rub in any combination from large or small cog (and if not, it can be pried a bit wider open since it's not going to be used anyway.) I paired that with an 8-speed 12-32 cassette that I had around. You can get other cassettes, eg. 11-28, 11-30, 11-32, but we went with the 12-32 in part because we already had it on hand, but also because she would never be going fast enough to need the 11-tooth instead of the 12. We did wonder how it would be for her in terms of the low gears - she does have some hills, and is not more than an average rider, but has managed the hills just fine with the lowest 40-32 combination. It has worked out to be exactly what she needs - a non-flashy, low-budget way to get around where she doesn't have to worry about it when leaving it locked up.
Let me know if you have any more questions - I'm happy to help! 🙂
@@AllAroundMathGuy Wow, thanks for taking that much time to explain, I appreciate it. I think I'll go with an 11-34 cassette with a 36 or 38 chainring. A friend of mine also has an M400 and runs a single speed setup around the city, it works fine so I think I won't go wrong with what I have in mind. Thanks again!
Hi I'm new at biking does this mean That 1x11 is almost the same as the 3x8?? I'm planning to buy a new bike and I'm wondering if I should but the 3x10 or 1x10 or 11 bike
No, it's not the same, but with the wide range of rear cog sets available these days you can get such a wide range of gears with a 1x setup today that you might not want or need the complication of a 3x setup. It depends on how varied the terrain you're riding in is.
I'm a beginner. Can someone help me understand what I should go with. Many bikes in my price range are 18 speed and some are these new 12 speed. I'll mainly drive on roads and in some bike parks. No hectic trails. I'm fairly fit. I wany to be able to easily drive up inclines at a good speed.
My friend has a 27 speed (3 by 9). Will that be a better option than a 1 by 12?
Laid out scientifically like that on the spreadsheet 1x makes more sense to me now. You're literally only missing out on two ratios at the very top of the range, & this is on a bike with a massive 52 tooth road bike chainring. I think my biggest is 42 on a 3x bikepacking/touring/hybrid mtb setup.
The major advantage of 3x (or 2x) though, is the "block shifting" you get by moving over at the front. Totally changes the character of your drivetrain with one click. On a 1x system you have to go all the way up & all the way down sequentially. Viewed like that, the overlapping ratios are a massive boon, & not at all superfluous.
I frequently will shift from 1 to 2 at the front or 2 to 3, & back down again, making no adjustments at the back. That's the overlapping ratios doing their thing. It just depends if you need a big change in ratio (for example hitting a steep climb or off road section - change at the front), or a small change just to match cadence with road speed (for example following a gently undulating tarmac road).
What I think a lot of people miss though, (& I'm not talking about the guy who made this video who clearly knows way more than I do about bicycle gearing) is that adding more speeds to the cassette only adds lower & lower gears, & pushes ratios slightly closer together. No-one with a 1x system ever complained about not having LOW enough gearing....
I love this stuff. Great video.
hi i'm considering a decathlon riverside 100 as a starter bike it has a shimano tz500 14 / 28 cassette and front ring of 38 the lowest gear has a ratio of 1.35 is there a big difference betwin a ratio of 1 and 1.35? will i die in uphills? (mostly i would use the bike in city,so no off roads or stuff like that) sorry for my bad english it's not my main language great video btw
Thanks! 🙂 There is certainly a difference between 1 and 1.35, but with 38/28 I would think that you should be OK for most paved hills, although it does depend so much on you as a rider as well. The ratio I have of 42/42 is likely lower than most bikes designed to only be used on pavement. I rarely use that lowest gear ratio on steep gravel hills and maybe on the very steepest and longest of paved hills, or maybe after hitting the grocery store and have a lot of cargo going uphill. In fact I don't use the bottom three of my gears all that often - mostly the middle of the cassette.
Also, if you're on pavement and it gets too steep for you in your lowest gear, you can always get up out of the saddle to pedal if you have to - usually the gear you'd use for that isn't quite as low as for one you'd use while sitting to pedal anyway.
Do you have lots of steep hills where you are?
@@AllAroundMathGuy thanks for the answer,well yea there are quite many uphills,maybe they are not very steep but they are very long,at the end i opted for a better model (riverside 120) with 8 speed instead of 6 as the one stated before, this bike lowest ratio is 1.05 so i think i should be fine it also has a bigger ratio on the last gear so it would be faster than the other one :)
That's great. It gives you a wider range as you mention, plus the 8-speed is a cassette instead of a thread-on freewheel, so is a better level of component and gives you more flexibility later on if you need or want to makes changes at some point.
Have fun tackling those hills with your new bike! 🙂
Shimano tz500 14-28 is not a cassette, it is freewheel, which is the older version.
@@user-id9kZf7T8Bl3Y yes i didn't know at the time but ur right
I want to learn to wheelie but cant choose a bike. Should i get a 3x9 or 1x9 for wheelies?
I'm not a wheelie expert, so can't help you out very much on that front. You probably don't want a really high or low gear, but somewhere in the middle. I would imagine that the best ratio for wheelies is partly personal preference depending on the bike and on how fast you want to be moving while the front wheel is up.
Anyway, whatever the idea gear ratio is, you can achieve the same gear ratios from either setup, so probably doesn't matter either way.
How is the climbing on hills or mountains with this set up compared to 3x?
I like it because it eliminates the need to drop down to the granny gear - on a three-by setup that's always a bigger jump than you want
Sorry to make you repeat. Still like to be more clear, other than dropping 3x gear there will be no any feelings of difference on climbing right?
the chain alignment is changed, causing more wear
Yes, it's important to think about chain alignment - I chose the bottom bracket so that the chainring was in the best position it could be to minimize wear.
It is easy to notice that a bigger cassette comes with a larger biggest gear. But do I get a smaller smallest gear to compensate for the smaller 1 chain gear??
That depends on what you had before. In my case, no because I already had an 11-tooth smallest cog (highest gear), the smallest that Shimano puts on cassettes. but if you had 12 or 13 then it's possible you could expand it that direction as well. 🙂
If you live in flat area without many hills, then choose 52t in front.
Means a bike just has to be biased based on what you want to do with it / terrain. There's no perfect for everywhere. For example, is it true to say a dedicated Mtb cannot be fast, due to the small front cog.
@@kahunakorteze2763 thinking same here
I don't get it . Why should I downgrade just for looks with low range if I have more range
Good question. For me it's not a downgrade. I needed to replace some drivetrain parts anyway, and in the past number of years there has been lots of development in terms of wider and wider range cassettes... I have almost the same range as I did with the old 3x setup but with the simplicity of having one shifter able to progress through the entire range. This does come with bigger gaps between gears though as mentioned in the video, but for this commuter bike that isn't an issue because I'm in traffic, stop and go, etc. and am not looking for fine-tuned exact cadence. What works best for each person, bike and situation all comes down to where & how you ride. 🙂
Thanks for this great video!!!!
For myself, I AM STAYING WITH THE
3X9 THAT I HAVE!!!!
IN FACT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A
3X12 DRIVETRAIN NOW!!!!!
IF YOU LOVE THE 1X, GOOD FOR YOU!!!!
I AM NOT HAVING IT!!!!!
You're welcome! The best setup is the one that works for the individual rider and the landscape/terrain, so that's great that you're happy with 3x9. I still have that on one of my bikes, and it works well for how I ride that bike! 🙂
What about a 1x 12 drivetrain
Can someone answer my question
Which is faster?
36t-11t or 44t-12t?
(36/11=3.27) < (44/12 = 3.67), so 44t-12t is faster. Some websites calculate speed of each gears based on wheel size and weight and ...
Yes, exactly as RJ said, 44/12 is a higher gear ratio, so will be faster given the same cadence, wheel size, etc.
Not only do you get a lesson in bike transmission but you get an extra tip in using excel
Yes, we usually train 22mph - 28mph, sprinting at 37mph, and riding tailwind 32mph+.. this wouldn't work.
Plus crits constantly rising to 33+
Hello brother PLEASE HELP. ..I'm from INDIA.
IM BUYING A 7 SPEED REAR GEAR WITH SINGLE FRONT GEAR BICYCLE.
PLEASE HELP..HOW TO DRIVE GEAR CYCLE FOR UPHILL, DOWNHILL AND PLAN ROAD...
THANKS
You might not have much choice of what combination of front chainring and rear cogs. The right combination depends on many things... how steep the hills are, the ability of the rider, and so on.
I think you realize that 3x is a superior system and the hype with 1x is only trendy but without substance. 1x11 is almost same weight if not heavier than 3x8 (1+11=12 pinion/ 3+8=11 pinion + 1shifter + 1derailleur) while it gives few range. 1 shifter and 1 derailleur in front is not so complicated especially for a person with you'r skills (wise person imho). Best regards.
You're very correct that the difference in weight is negligible and isn't really worth considering except for the real weight-weenies. (Although, the old triple crankset I replaced here was surprisingly heavy!) I think the appeal of 1x is more about the simplicity of being able to go through the entire range of gears with just one shifter - it eliminates the decision making around when you need to change to a different chainring. I guess in reality it totally comes down to how and where you're riding and who you are. If you're a road racer you likely want to be able to have a gear ratio that allows you to pedal at a very consistent cadence no matter the slope of the road - and having a 2x or even 3x setup allows you to have smaller changes for each jump on your cassette. For many riders though, they don't worry too much about cadence, and maybe the simplicity is more important. I ride this bike on the streets & stop and go traffic, and the 1x setup is fantastic for that -- 90% of the time in the middle of this cassette, and only occasionally in the very high or very low gears.
I agree. I like the extra wide gearing as I'm a 64 year old xc racer. I consistanly beat 1x12 older guys who either cant push the lowest gear on the steepest of hills or give up some top speed on the flats. My 3x10 has 26-32-40t chainrings I call a "close ratio " gearing and 11-46t 10 speed cassette on the rear ofa Chinese carbon $400 frame that I've raced in over 40 races. It's never cracked and my drivetrain has worked nearly flawlessly racing. and it all costs much less to repair or replace :-)
With 1x drivetrain how many times you have to press the shift when you change from a descend to an ascend for example? o.0 We didnt hear about this...They made biking a constant clicking...Also they want to destroy the all around bike.Soon we will have a mountain bike and a road bike and maybe one more...
With this shifter, and most modern shifters, a big push of the shift lever will change 3-4 gears at a time - it isn't like you have to click 10 times to go from top to bottom or vice-versa.
Yes, I know what you are saying - there are becoming more and more categories of bikes that are narrower and narrower in purpose. This 'commuter' bike of mine is as close to an all-around-bike that I have. It is fantastic around the city, on gravel paths, and even some very tame single-track.
How about pedaling?
Different cadences make a difference in gear selection. Some like to push the big (higher ratio) gears while some like to spin a bit faster in smaller (lower ratio) ones.
My 3x7 has the lowest gear ratio 0.73 and the highest 4.96
Yes, for a wide range of gear ratios you need a 2x or 3x setup for sure. My XC mountain bike is 3x9 and has a range about the same as that. 🙂
So they key question is why nobody thought about that decades ago?
It's always been obvious that there would be overlap (if that's what you mean). It's basic arithmetic to figure out. I used to have a 12 speed road bike (2×6) back in the 1980's but it only had 8 unique ratios. I'm currently considering 1x10 vs 2 or 3 x 8. I'm thinking 1x10 would be nicer in terms of changing.
Well generally you converted from 2x (smaller chainrings) to 1x because you completely lost all gear ratios you could get with the largest chainring! There are people who go with even a larger 3rd like 56-60t so you can get more than 2 higher gear ratios than middle chainring max gear ratio. It depend if you like pedal like a rabbit (at high rpm) when racing people or you have strong legs to pedal at high gear ratio. BTW, you are missing a few other benefits of a 3x drivetrain for going “simple”!
Heck, I'd have a 4x if they made it.
More is always better.
Yes, multi-ring bikes definitely have their place for sure, but so do single-ring bikes with a wide-range cassette - all depends on where you are and what you're doing with it. The video is merely comparing to show the differences, not lobbying for one or the other. Happy riding with whatever setup you have! 🙂
@@AllAroundMathGuy I agree. They all have their place.
Yes you don't lose much but to be honest you also don't win much right?? 🤔
I hate my gearz on mee bike. 10 speed its slow
Meh ... 1x is only suitable for like long and steady rides ... even with those fancy and expensive double shifters ... with a 52/36 combination in front, for instance, I can easily drop 3 steps at once without killing my "rear clicker" ... so, as a commuter I decided against 1x and chose 2x.
Good that you analyzed and decided what's best for you. For me and my commuting a 1x11 works very well, but different situations, riding styles, and riders mean that this is definitely not a one-size-fits-all. I have several bikes and a different setup on each one! 🙂
A parsimonious explanation. If only all bike videos could be this way.
Thanks 😃
Interesting, but you did the math backwards
Seems to me you didn’t gain anything except spending more $$$$
3x requires more skill but is infinitely better. 1x is for people with bad learning abilities... it would be good for beginners because it's dummy proof. The b a d part is if the beginner never learns how to prevent cross chain in their lifetime. It's like only knowing how to wear slip on shoes. And having no idea about shoe laces.
That is the best explanation on gear ratios I have seen 🫡
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂