"My legs cramping looking at that shift already." LMAO! Thank you, Park Tool for making this video, and Calvin and Ben for making it entertaining. Please keep up the good work.
A nice, drama free breakdown of what's involved in a 1x switch. I would like to point out that not all riders are going to find the cassette bodges necessary. I was riding 2x10 on 26" a few years ago (36,22/11-34) and I switched to 30/11-34, (I was early enough into the cassette life that I only had to swap the front ring and the chain.) With that swap I lost two low gears that were unusable, (at my low level of fitness, it is easier to pedal squares in a slightly higher gear than spin a 17 gear inch to 19 gear inch low ratio at the rpm needed to avoid falling over,) and one gear up top that I only used downhill, (Once again, at my low level of fitness, I'm not realistically pushing 82 gear inches on flat ground with high volume mtb tires.) For the price of a NW ring, a new chain and a little effort, I got linear shifting and a front ring that is much easier to clean. Every rider's riding style, fitness level, and wheel size will affect this, so doing the math and being honest about what gears you will use can help avoid a lot of heartache, (And yes, that might mean sticking with 2x for some riders.) I personally love 1x so much that I even converted my road bike to 1x10, (But 1x road is a whole different kettle of fish.)
I only understood about .5% of what you just said, lol. That's why i love these park tool videos they break the stuff down enough so that even idiots like me can understand it, lol.
I recently decided to go to a 1x11 from a 2x9. Like this video, I only lost my lowest gear and my highest gear. Two gears I hardly used. And I don’t have to worry about the weird lack of gears I was having in between the 2 chainrings. Even after a local bike shop worked it, I couldn’t get past the bottom 5 gears on the small ring and the top 5 gears on the big chainring. I really only had 10 gears with a huge step in the middle. With the new 1x11, I can seamlessly go through all 11 gears in the back with no fear of slipping off the front ring.
I’ve been running 1x9 and it’s just been a really good change I’ve been able to jump higher and especially get a narrow wide so the chain doesn’t come off
Do you use any chain guards or otherwise any rear derailleur with clutch? The choice of RD with clutch is very limited on 9speed. I plan to switch to 1x9 from 3x9 for simplicity reasons
I have been kicking myself, for not discovering these videos much sooner. These have got to be the most informative, out there. I could have saved myself a bit of grief. Keep up the good work.
I've got a 3x8 still. :) I love to switching the front chaining and it's natural because i'm used to that in the last 30 years. And it's less than 280gbp. In eastern Europe 3x vs 1x = 2 month of salary :) I loved the gear changes in this video - makes a lot of sense. If i would buy a new bike it would be a 29er 1x steel framed. But i have to win the lottery fist :)
OK. Since i watched this video i'm thinking on a daily basis to convert to 1x. The scale of 1x is impressive. And is duplicates on 3x are a bit disturbing :)
Basically I love to run 1x11, yes at first i had to learn little bit to know and understand my chainring and cassete composition. But after you are in it you'll love it..
I am restoring my vintage(1989) Trek 830, and I have never been happy with the 3x7 set up. I am switching to a 1x like you guys showed. I knew I wanted to, now I am sure.
I grew up riding 3x... always wondered if we needed that many gears... took 3 decades (longer for some others) for bike manufacturers to realize... Now everyone say 3x are complicated... I just find ironic... But I still loved these Parktool guys, entertaining & educational.
It's 1by for me...there are time when I miss the missing gears, and you have to make sure your set-up is spot on to make the big chain movements. To make up for the missing gears going up hill I just stand up...and now I'm stronger and too
As always, appreciate the humor. Appreciate the graphs too. Lost me at the end though, 1x for full suspension 12 speed bikes and that's it, thanks! 3x doesn't require thinking or printing out charts, just pick the ring that makes the most sense for the terrain and if it changes drastically enough, move to another chainring; even a cave man can do that.
The Park Tool videos are awesome, and this may be the best! Love the technical explanation and graphs to show the actual benefits, as well as the mechanical challenges and fixes. May be the best bike mechanics video EVER.
I go with a 3x10. I don't race and I rarely go on trails. I'm more of a traveling on a bike kind of guy so I need the speed to get more distance on a short amount of time.
I will never ditch my 2x! It’s just fine as frog hair! Sometimes I ride to the bike trails on the road and bieng able to jump 4-5 gears with one click of my left thumb is not going away
its been 5 years riding x01, i've never had any complains i can go at 45 km/h without insane cadence, and i can climb easy, no gaps in gears, just perfect. cant believe its not the only way
I have an 8 speed derailleur. I put a 40 tooth cassette and my derailleur can push the chain onto the biggest sprocket. What are my options? Longer cage? Drop down adapter? Switch to a 36 tooth instead of the 40?
The bike industry is pretty clever. Club riders used to ride hilly 100 mile days fixed or single speed, and when Sturmey Archer brought out the 3 speed hub gear, club riders demanded (and got) a close-ratio version and a non-coasting version! Then the industry started to sell 5 speeds (1 x 5) to us as "necessary". Then the industry brought in "10 speed" which was 2 x 5, but with the front chainwheels being 52/48 (hardly any difference) and the rear cog was 12-24t. (Yes, "chainwheels" because detachable chainrings were not available.) Imagine our surprise and delight when they brought out "15 speed" (3 x 5) and "wide ratio blocks" that went "all the way up" to 28t! Then a friend bought a 12 (2 x 6) and it was amazing. Now my wife's bike has 2 x 9 and the shift levers alone would cost £200, and one of my bikes has 2 x 10. And after all that the cycle industry is selling us special parts to convert us to the next big fashion of "1 x drivetrains" which is where we started. Meanwhile, I have as much fun riding cross country on my fixie as I do on anything else.
@@dawbi its called evolution and technology dummy. the ONLY scam in the bike industry now is the shitty suspension on sub $700 bikes. the suspension doea nothing and adds 4-5lbs to the bike and raises the price point, which is made up on cheaper drive train componants.
@@crabtrap yeah I always shake my head when people talk about bike manufacturers scams. Money talks, they only sell what people are willing to part with their cash for. It's a Consumer driven industry.
I'm in love with my new 10x42 sram cassette BUT...... I dont: 1)race 2)mtb I do: 1)rad gutter bunny stunts 2)bicycle trespassing adventures 3) combat commuting
Most all of my bikes came with 3x's but I found that I ALWAYS kept the front gears in the middle gear, I would never change it, so when the whole 1x craze happened I had absolutely no problem with going along with it and found no difference in the difficulty of pedaling. The only thing I don't really like is my current chainline on my converted 1x. I'm not experiencing any chain rub or problems shifting but I still don't like how sharp of an angle the chain is when i shift to the biggest cog. I plan on taking my bike to the LBS tomorrow and having them take a look at it to see if I can do anything about it.
Sadly the steep chainline and it's associated problems can be reduced , but not eliminated to the same degree as a 2 x or 3 x configuration would allow . This 1 x concept is more about allowing exotic frame designs than versatility . Also the simplicity and cleaner look .
That's a god given gift for my ol' 90's MTB with 3x8 gears and endless shifting. A 10spd cassette easily fits on the old freehub! But I guess I get a cheap Sunrace 11-42 cassette instead of different Wolftooth cogs on the old one.
For me it's a 2x world. You're heading fast into a climb which takes away momentum - let the front derailleur spring drop 10t with the click of a button. Much easier than mashing against that rear derailleur spring needing to switch two or three cogs quickly. I find I mostly stay in the 4th rear cog and switch back and forth between my front two chainrings.
I feel the same way. The 1x seems kinda gimmicky to me. I have a cannondale slate and the 1x version of my bike is outrageously more expensive just for that drivetrain.
It's an identical compromise. If you want to make a big shift, it requires 2 hits of the 1x sram double tap lever to shift up 6 gears while it only takes 1 hit on the front mech to get the same big gear change. While if you want a small change but to shift chainrings it requires a shift on the front and back, while it only requires a shift on the back with 1x.
Great video. Great editing, love the fast forward music, and their work shows you why I bring my bike to the shop to do most changes 🤣 I'm using a 3x9, which isn't giving me low enough gears. I need MTB on my rdrop end tourer.
I do most of my mileage on a trekking/touring bike, and when I travel longer distances, I usually travel pretty heavy with all my camping gear. The 26/36/48 didn't cut it for me and I don't see the point in that gearing. Even after switching to a MTB crankset with 22/32/44, I'm not using the two small rear cogs (which would require 20+ miles per hour) at all, but I'm definitely using the low end when the going gets tough, especially near the end of a long day in the saddle. Ditching the 26/36/48 was one of the best decisions I've made for that bike.
It was good but I find it depends where you live at or where you ride at, is it hilly or is it mostly flat and moving fast down hill can get you killed. I mostly coast downhills anyway it helps me cold off
Where i live, i about a 1 hour ride i may go from 120mt to 1000mt. So yeah, good luck following me uphill and then catching me downhill when we enter main roads. Unless you are a technical downhill rider who only uses his bike for this sole reason, you are way better off with a 2x.
Great overview, guys. One thing you didn't mention was chainline. Not all cranksets are created equal when converting to 1x setups. One of the main complaints from scouring the forums before I made my conversion was falling down a gear when backpedaling in the largest gear due to extreme chain angles.
Chainline definitely comes into play when converting. When pedaling backwards on a wide range rear cassette it is not uncommon for the chain to fall down a few gears even with proper chainline even on stock 1x setups that were not converted.
@@bananasstuff3344 My Bike came with a 3x8. When pulling a trailer up a hill, i am rather thankful for that small front ring, and i likes my top end speed. Using 1 bike for all the things that need doing, it better have all the gears.
Iv been running a 1x9 with 32t chainring and 11-34t cassette on my Hardtail Am Bike for almost 2 Years lol I Finally ordered an 11speed groupset with 11-50t cassette Can't wait to install it :)
I’ve had the same bike for 22 years. Mongoose Pro NX 7.1. It’s been fantastic and it’s still all original. It’s too comfortable to replace with anything else. Since it’s a classic, I’m leaving the original 3x7. No need to ever change. Hell it’s only slipped the chain once in 22 years.
I have a 3x8 MTB 29er and I've learned to ride on the big ring most of the time. Middle ring for steep hills, granny ring rarely touched. 24-34-42 crankset with 32-12 cassette.
The reason to use all three of the large cogs is that it reduces the wear on drivetrain and saves energy pedaling due to the angle of the chain with less friction at less extreme angles. the smallest front cog and smallest rear cog or largest front and largest rear cog causes the chain to flex from near the frame on the front cog to the most outwards rear cog near the axle bolt and vice versa. The amount of watts you lose isn't much but the money you save is going to play out on highend components. Hope this helps explain the disadvantage of using the largest cog and not downshifting to a less extreme gear setup (largest front/back cogs, smallest front/back cogs).
Man, this reminded me of the Super Mario Super Show skits for some reason. Anyway, just converted my 2012 Trek Superfly to a 1x.. best decision ever. Also replaced the front suspension with a rigid fork.. really taking the blood from my brain and re-directing it to my legs!
Good episode, but in my opinion it would have been even better if you had included oval rings to this, and you didn't touch on eagle 1x12 either. So converting to eagle may be too expensive for most since it requires a full replacement of everything in the drivetrain, but surely oval rings would be a welcome addition to the discussion when talking about effective range, especially in lower gears on hills. I swapped 2x11 to 1x11 with oval ring, and I couldn't be happier.
This was very enjoyable. And I learned a lot from your hacks. I’m in the blue camp. I don’t like fiddling with the front derailleur. Good riddance. Gotta try this out.
There aren't any steep hills where I live ( not for a long distance) .so on my 3x7 with 14 to 28 on back , I use mostly 21st gear . On a few hills I shift down to 18th . And some to 19,20 . But going down hill in some places ,I can't pedal fast enough to keep up . One more high gear would be nice .
I love my Mongoose Dolomite ALX 2x8 AS-IS. I have always found 3x to be "dumb", as well as a 2x with similarly sized rings. A 2x with a good differential between rings is the best.
My trek Lync is a 9 speed, I was pretty worried because I haul kiddos in a trailer. But hills are no problem. The cog spread is enormous, I wouldn't go back.
Hub space for cassette is limited, so it will limit maximum number of sprockets in the back. With more sprockets, the cog pitch will become thinner and thinner until it reaches a hard limit and the chain will become progressively thinner as well. Will there be a future with 22 sprockets, I highly doubt it; anyways, there is no practical reason to have so many gear ratios.
Nice to see the charts of ratio differences. I waited until my cup and cone hubs, 3x8 gears with a dodgy rear mech and chain were all ready to be binned after 5 years abuse and changed to a 1x11 system on my mtb. The old system felt cheap and delicate from new. Being a 26 i had to get a specific wheelset for the 11 speed but now it is fast and simple and feels robust. Did notice you didnt mention a clutch on the rear mech or a system for the keeping the chain jumping off at the front or the potential of a 1x11 if that was a 1x10. Understand why though if you were going absolutely budget but worth a shout out incase it improves the ratios. And different chain ring options for harder or easy riding to pre set the type of riding you want to do.
Love the things you guys do, I'm thinking of converting my bike from 3x8 to 1x10 or 11? Could you show me how that process would go and what it will involve? Thanks guys, keep it up.
I hate shifting all the way through the gears going up and down hills. With more chainings I go up the climb on the small chaining, then over the top, switch one click to the big chaining and then down the hill , with only a few clicks with the right thumb to the rear derailleur to match my speed. Repeat sequence for each subsequent climb and decent. Simple!
A 1x10 in road bikes can be used to address areas of heavy winds for example this puts a bigger ( to the max the frame can handle) on the inside which gives you less spinning in the lower gears.
After watching this, its the right time to ditched my 3by mt210 crankset ( newly bought )& go for a 1by narrow wide oval chainring for a better riding.
Originally the bike really only had about 15 gears where the shift was notably different. So of course 10 is gonna be less. But lots of bikes are 1x13 these days. Pretty darn close. Maybe doesn’t work as a conversion, but the concept of 1x isn’t that crazy.
I dunno. To me 1 x seems like a step backwards. The only advantage I see with it is a cleaner looking setup. If I were to go with that, my front chain ring would have to be large and not a granny gear. I would then make up the range with the cassette. Picture this. Imagine that 1 x was standard and bike companies started to introduce 2x and 3x. I could hear the reviews now..."and over here on the left we have the new industry standard, the shifter for the front derailleur to give us serious riders a better range".I have a 3 x and am not ashamed to say it :) but when I am on a trail, I just leave it in the smaller chain ring and only shift the back. When I am on road or a smoother surface, I leave it in either the big chain ring or the middle, and leave it there too.If the bike is going to be strictly for downhill, I can see the reason for it, but its not for every situation, and its certainly not for me.
But isn't it correct that crossing the front and rear (example, 1 in front and 8 or 9 in rear) deteriorates the chains lifespan? At least that's what I've been told.
Taurusdre, That's what I don't get either. It is obviously a step backwards, there's a reason 2x and 3x were invented. We all used to ride "1x" after all. Now obviously having more options with the cassette today means you can get more gears out of a 1x, 2x or 3x than we used to but still not *as* many gears with a 1x. I remember my first MTB was 3x6 so that was 18 gears, you're not getting that on a 1x but you can get that from a 2x today. The 1x is quite clearly driven by marketing, the benefit of having more gears hasn't suddenly vanished overnight. If your way of riding fits the gears that a 1x offers that's great for you and then you may choose to go for the simpler and cleaner look but you *are* missing gears that people on 2x or 3x have. If you're climbing and find the 1x granny gear just slightly too low you're pretty much out of luck as the next gear is usually quite a fucking jump away from the granny gear. On a 2x or 3x you can make smaller adjustments to fit your preferred cadence. Of course you could just add more granny gear options to your 1x but then you'll be missing out at the other end when it comes to riding really fast on flat terrain, gravel roads, even normal tarmac roads or whatever, *or* you'll just have massive jumps between other gears. No matter how much Sram spends on their 1x marketing you're never going to get the same out of it as you can get from a 2x or 3x, period. What really annoys the hell out of me about the 1x though is the pricing. It's a simpler fucking system. They save a ring up front and the entire front derailleur and mounting for it, it shouldn't be a fucking "Premium product", it should be a cheaper option for people only doing bike parks with shuttles, lifts etc. as they obviously don't need gears to nearly the same extent as other riders do. The manufacturer is *saving* money on a simpler setup and marketing it as a more expensive product. That really pisses me off.
I understand what you are saying Taurusdre, but until you try 1x, its hard to knock it. My new bike came with 1x12 gx eagle, and I honestly cant fault the range of gears it gives me. I still have a 3x10 xc bike, but the chain slap and extra noise is noticeable whenever I ride it. Personally, unless you are getting a new bike, I dont see the point in upgrading.
In 1986 ordered the first Cannondale mtn bike they made - the SM600 w/180mm cranks. I'd never give up my triples w/180mm cranks. To take the small chainring away from a mtn bike seems stupid to me. Same with going to shorter cranks with less leverage. I don't like a lot of chain crossover like a 1x has. Back in the day, you learned your gear inches from a chart and got the right combo freewheel for your personal needs, that also avoids too many duplicate ratios. Sometimes a tooth or two here and there makes all the difference to efficient riding. You can tape a little gear chart on the bars to show the shift sequence. Learn to double shift when necessary and enjoy always being in the right gear and your rpms 80-100. If you low-rpm mash gears, you'll wear out the cartilage on your knees/patellas.
I went from 2x10 to 1x10... back to 2x10. Just wasnt enough top and low end range for the varied riding routes I do. I just found myself unable to get up some steap climbs on 1x and slow down some fire roads. In the end I preffer the extra weight.
I suggested 1x5s at bike shops 35 years ago and was laughed at; not for racing, but for casual bikers who do 25 mile rides max. A lighter 10 speed frame vs a 3 speed beach cruiser. Trying to build a 1x5 or 6 or 7 now using Sheldon Brown’s gain ratio calc - who sells individual quality gears?? Also, can a 1x8 or 9 or 10 work... for casual riding? Great video-you guys are hilarious!
I've been studying and calculating gear ranges on a gear inch calculator for my next build. I currently have everything from single speed, 1x 2x and 3x. 3x gives the biggest range by far. It has also saved me when I damage the rear mech and I still have 3 on the front. I probably will go for 1x on my next build, but I'll be sacrificing to speed to get the low touring gears I need.
True, the most cost effective bikes are 3 by 9. those rear cassettes cost peanuts compared to 1 by solutions. here arround 25 euro's compared to 80 euro's. Meaning as a rental service i will not make the jump at current prices. however 2 by 10 is cheap enough. 11-42 10 speed casettes are 35 euro's. Those can work fine with 2 by drive trains. 1 by 12 10-51/50 casettes start at 80 euro's. That's just too much.
That is awesome it's a great breakdown and I'm really glad that I decided not to take out two of my rings and leave myself with the one by I kind of like the 3 by 10 setup that I have and it shows on his print out that having more is better than having less LOL. And I think the most important part about that is to learn how to use these 30 years at a have. great breakdown and yes I've always decided to keep all 30 of my gears and that just give me a little more confirmation for myself what I would like to do with my particular writing style. Not everyone is going to feel that way and that's okay on the long scratch I'll still be leaving them and with the three by in the front I can drop it from my middle to my Lord one and just haul ass up a hill. I really enjoying that instead of switching down whole lot of gears just to get to the Lord gear to do the climbing :-(. But again that's just my writing style...
I get 1x for downhill and enduro and 2x for trail and xc. 3x seems pretty useless Ive been with a 3x for a couple years now and only ever shifted to the 3rd cog by accident. I dont understand the price differences though. Surely more cogs would be more money?
My two bikes were 3x at front, little ring gone off, and limited screw turned the 3 gears into 2. Done. I learned it when one mechanic did it to one, and now I fine tune it, it runs perfect.
@@tonysadler5290 at least in the US, the 3x system is definitely more prevalent among 'big box store' cheap / entry level bikes (walmart, target, toysrus, etc) probably for the sole purpose of marketing HIGHER SPEEDS, MORE GEARS, BIGGER IS BETTER bs. I guess with the core demographic being non-cyclists or recreational cyclists that use their bike once a year, they're gonna be using the lowest gear set for the slightest hill and largest gear set for downhills, if they actually learn how to shift properly in the first place.
I still run a 3x9 and use the top chain ring as a bash guard.....just kidding. Pretend it isn't there. Cheap and cheerful. Excellent video and the explanation of 1x.
When I had 3x, I always used the middle chainring only. Thinking about shifting when riding in the forrest? Aint nobody got time for that! For roadies it makes sense. But for mtb? Thank god we are simple!
Good video. One criticism is that your 'graphs' had no scale on them, so I don't actually know how much the climbing/cruising ability changed with this new setup. If the graph would show chain-inches or something, we could really see how they compare. I've used those tools on the internet to calculate exactly how these upgrades affect the ratios.
"Where's all my low gears? They're in the trash."
“Nice big cog”. My new greeting on the trail. Sounds great with my Boston accent, too.
"My legs cramping looking at that shift already."
LMAO!
Thank you, Park Tool for making this video, and Calvin and Ben for making it entertaining.
Please keep up the good work.
thank you for this, was hoping to one day go 1x9 but i think I'll stick to my 3x8.
I currently have a 1x9 on a touring expedition bike, I'll change it to 3x8
2by is the best.
you guys make the best bike mechanic videos by far, no one even gets within a billion miles of being close. thy you so much
that's a lot of miles
They make good videos but that's going a bit too far.
Me 10 years ago with Walmart bicycle:
GEAR IS GEAR!
I feel like I'm 5 again, watching a skit on some PBS show (like Reading Rainbow) all about bike gears... thanks for that.
Lol..so true..I felt the same way
We're telling our age...lol..all im going to say is 1977 was a good year...lol
A nice, drama free breakdown of what's involved in a 1x switch. I would like to point out that not all riders are going to find the cassette bodges necessary. I was riding 2x10 on 26" a few years ago (36,22/11-34) and I switched to 30/11-34, (I was early enough into the cassette life that I only had to swap the front ring and the chain.)
With that swap I lost two low gears that were unusable, (at my low level of fitness, it is easier to pedal squares in a slightly higher gear than spin a 17 gear inch to 19 gear inch low ratio at the rpm needed to avoid falling over,) and one gear up top that I only used downhill, (Once again, at my low level of fitness, I'm not realistically pushing 82 gear inches on flat ground with high volume mtb tires.) For the price of a NW ring, a new chain and a little effort, I got linear shifting and a front ring that is much easier to clean.
Every rider's riding style, fitness level, and wheel size will affect this, so doing the math and being honest about what gears you will use can help avoid a lot of heartache, (And yes, that might mean sticking with 2x for some riders.) I personally love 1x so much that I even converted my road bike to 1x10, (But 1x road is a whole different kettle of fish.)
Looks like with the rise of wide range cassettes people are forced to seek out half-step gearing which works even with electric shifting.
I only understood about .5% of what you just said, lol. That's why i love these park tool videos they break the stuff down enough so that even idiots like me can understand it, lol.
This is the best video I've seen about 1x, and now I'm moving to 1x. Thanks!
Looks like with the rise of the wide range cassettes people are forced to seek out half-step gearing which even with electric shifting.
Carlos... how do you like it?
I recently decided to go to a 1x11 from a 2x9. Like this video, I only lost my lowest gear and my highest gear. Two gears I hardly used. And I don’t have to worry about the weird lack of gears I was having in between the 2 chainrings. Even after a local bike shop worked it, I couldn’t get past the bottom 5 gears on the small ring and the top 5 gears on the big chainring. I really only had 10 gears with a huge step in the middle. With the new 1x11, I can seamlessly go through all 11 gears in the back with no fear of slipping off the front ring.
This is the Best 1x vs 2x comparison video I have ever seen! Thank you!
I cannot emphasise how much Park Tool videos mean to me. Thank you guys!!!
where can I find that bin!
Check out Park Tool Webpage, they got some professional bins.
Check their website you will find the B-I-N1
Nooo I want that bin. Haaaaaa
even with a 3 by i still always ride 1 by. so yesterday i finally ditched the old rings and put on a narrow wide. if anything, it’s quiet!
Do you need a new chainring bolt or yyo can use the old one?
@@elieserobillo6600 if you make this change using the old middle cog that was on the front chainring, you may indeed need a shorter chainring bolt.
How
same. I never used the highest or the lowest front gear, mine was always in the middle so going 1x was a no-brainer for me.
@@NonLegitNation2 Yep, me too. I'll be making the switch on both of my GT's here soon.
Love those graphs! Great work visualizing the difference, Park Tool team :)
I was thinking of converting to 1x from 3x, now I think 4x is better after watching this video
What's a 4x
Seriously! I'll always entertain a 3x crankset. I'm considering a 52t option inlined with a 13-34 freewheel from sunrace...
1x is simple and fun, 2x gives more range but more complex, 3x is like 2x with a death spike chain guard.
I think you meant skill saw blade
I mean the biggest is really good for the fire roads connecting trails. But your forgetting with 3x is like 2x but more chainslap.
I’ve been running 1x9 and it’s just been a really good change I’ve been able to jump higher and especially get a narrow wide so the chain doesn’t come off
Do you use any chain guards or otherwise any rear derailleur with clutch? The choice of RD with clutch is very limited on 9speed. I plan to switch to 1x9 from 3x9 for simplicity reasons
I have been kicking myself, for not discovering these videos much sooner. These have got to be the most informative, out there. I could have saved myself a bit of grief. Keep up the good work.
I've got a 3x8 still. :) I love to switching the front chaining and it's natural because i'm used to that in the last 30 years.
And it's less than 280gbp. In eastern Europe 3x vs 1x = 2 month of salary :)
I loved the gear changes in this video - makes a lot of sense. If i would buy a new bike it would be a 29er 1x steel framed. But i have to win the lottery fist :)
OK. Since i watched this video i'm thinking on a daily basis to convert to 1x. The scale of 1x is impressive.
And is duplicates on 3x are a bit disturbing :)
go 1x1 and "send more blood to the legs less to the brain"
dont forget to make it a fixie as well!
And than send more money to your surgeon when it's time for total knees replacement at young age.
Certainly less blood getting to my brain after watching that.
BMX bikes have 1x1
that's a track bike. you need a trail bike with gears for a proper ride.
I like my 2x on my mountain bike and a correctly set-up Front derailleur is no trouble at all.
Basically I love to run 1x11, yes at first i had to learn little bit to know and understand my chainring and cassete composition. But after you are in it you'll love it..
I am restoring my vintage(1989) Trek 830, and I have never been happy with the 3x7 set up. I am switching to a 1x like you guys showed. I knew I wanted to, now I am sure.
Any update? I'm restoring my ~1986 Trek 830 that has a 3x6. To be a greenway / gravel bike (no big climbs). I'm wondering what you went with.
I grew up riding 3x... always wondered if we needed that many gears... took 3 decades (longer for some others) for bike manufacturers to realize... Now everyone say 3x are complicated... I just find ironic... But I still loved these Parktool guys, entertaining & educational.
It's 1by for me...there are time when I miss the missing gears, and you have to make sure your set-up is spot on to make the big chain movements. To make up for the missing gears going up hill I just stand up...and now I'm stronger and too
As always, appreciate the humor. Appreciate the graphs too. Lost me at the end though, 1x for full suspension 12 speed bikes and that's it, thanks! 3x doesn't require thinking or printing out charts, just pick the ring that makes the most sense for the terrain and if it changes drastically enough, move to another chainring; even a cave man can do that.
The Park Tool videos are awesome, and this may be the best! Love the technical explanation and graphs to show the actual benefits, as well as the mechanical challenges and fixes.
May be the best bike mechanics video EVER.
I go with a 3x10. I don't race and I rarely go on trails. I'm more of a traveling on a bike kind of guy so I need the speed to get more distance on a short amount of time.
I have the same set up. I ride distance (commute an hour each way) I ride offroad for sport (it's an mtb), I go to the shops on it, go camping.
I will never ditch my 2x! It’s just fine as frog hair! Sometimes I ride to the bike trails on the road and bieng able to jump 4-5 gears with one click of my left thumb is not going away
what left shifter do you use?
its been 5 years riding x01, i've never had any complains i can go at 45 km/h without insane cadence, and i can climb easy, no gaps in gears, just perfect. cant believe its not the only way
I have an 8 speed derailleur. I put a 40 tooth cassette and my derailleur can push the chain onto the biggest sprocket.
What are my options? Longer cage? Drop down adapter? Switch to a 36 tooth instead of the 40?
Max out the B screw and buy a derailleur extender off Ali Express for $2.
Awesome explanation. You guys explain in such a way no one can.
The bike industry is pretty clever. Club riders used to ride hilly 100 mile days fixed or single speed, and when Sturmey Archer brought out the 3 speed hub gear, club riders demanded (and got) a close-ratio version and a non-coasting version! Then the industry started to sell 5 speeds (1 x 5) to us as "necessary". Then the industry brought in "10 speed" which was 2 x 5, but with the front chainwheels being 52/48 (hardly any difference) and the rear cog was 12-24t. (Yes, "chainwheels" because detachable chainrings were not available.) Imagine our surprise and delight when they brought out "15 speed" (3 x 5) and "wide ratio blocks" that went "all the way up" to 28t! Then a friend bought a 12 (2 x 6) and it was amazing. Now my wife's bike has 2 x 9 and the shift levers alone would cost £200, and one of my bikes has 2 x 10. And after all that the cycle industry is selling us special parts to convert us to the next big fashion of "1 x drivetrains" which is where we started. Meanwhile, I have as much fun riding cross country on my fixie as I do on anything else.
Haha, that's awesome. : )
@@dawbi its called evolution and technology dummy. the ONLY scam in the bike industry now is the shitty suspension on sub $700 bikes. the suspension doea nothing and adds 4-5lbs to the bike and raises the price point, which is made up on cheaper drive train componants.
@@crabtrap yeah I always shake my head when people talk about bike manufacturers scams. Money talks, they only sell what people are willing to part with their cash for. It's a Consumer driven industry.
@@MrBJPitt but the lower-end consumers are pretty stupid.....do they really think a walmart $99 'full suspension' bike is "almost as good"?
@@crabtrap and your point?
I'm in love with my new 10x42 sram cassette BUT......
I dont:
1)race 2)mtb
I do:
1)rad gutter bunny stunts
2)bicycle trespassing adventures
3) combat commuting
Jeff Ahlers LMAO I do all of the above
XC racers are all on 1x drivetrains
Ya lost me.10x42 is 420 gears.Maybe SRAM 10-42t?
Hooray, Calvin AND Ben! Another nice video.
Most all of my bikes came with 3x's but I found that I ALWAYS kept the front gears in the middle gear, I would never change it, so when the whole 1x craze happened I had absolutely no problem with going along with it and found no difference in the difficulty of pedaling. The only thing I don't really like is my current chainline on my converted 1x. I'm not experiencing any chain rub or problems shifting but I still don't like how sharp of an angle the chain is when i shift to the biggest cog. I plan on taking my bike to the LBS tomorrow and having them take a look at it to see if I can do anything about it.
Sadly the steep chainline and it's associated problems can be reduced , but not eliminated to the same degree as a 2 x or 3 x configuration would allow . This 1 x concept is more about allowing exotic frame designs than versatility . Also the simplicity and cleaner look .
I need a new chain, chain rings, and casette anyways so thinking of making this change
A standard wide range cassette is available for 10 speed from Sunrace. Might be worth a look. Best of luck!
I'm loving this genius Mr. MTB tech-mechanic guy. More power to 2u Sir & to Park Tool as well.
You saved me money. Thanks. Stick with my 3 ring and work/practice on my shifting strategy. Right now what I have is not a showstopper.
That's a god given gift for my ol' 90's MTB with 3x8 gears and endless shifting. A 10spd cassette easily fits on the old freehub! But I guess I get a cheap Sunrace 11-42 cassette instead of different Wolftooth cogs on the old one.
For me it's a 2x world. You're heading fast into a climb which takes away momentum - let the front derailleur spring drop 10t with the click of a button. Much easier than mashing against that rear derailleur spring needing to switch two or three cogs quickly. I find I mostly stay in the 4th rear cog and switch back and forth between my front two chainrings.
I feel the same way. The 1x seems kinda gimmicky to me. I have a cannondale slate and the 1x version of my bike is outrageously more expensive just for that drivetrain.
It's an identical compromise. If you want to make a big shift, it requires 2 hits of the 1x sram double tap lever to shift up 6 gears while it only takes 1 hit on the front mech to get the same big gear change. While if you want a small change but to shift chainrings it requires a shift on the front and back, while it only requires a shift on the back with 1x.
there's dozens of us!
Great video. Great editing, love the fast forward music, and their work shows you why I bring my bike to the shop to do most changes 🤣
I'm using a 3x9, which isn't giving me low enough gears. I need MTB on my rdrop end tourer.
I do most of my mileage on a trekking/touring bike, and when I travel longer distances, I usually travel pretty heavy with all my camping gear. The 26/36/48 didn't cut it for me and I don't see the point in that gearing. Even after switching to a MTB crankset with 22/32/44, I'm not using the two small rear cogs (which would require 20+ miles per hour) at all, but I'm definitely using the low end when the going gets tough, especially near the end of a long day in the saddle. Ditching the 26/36/48 was one of the best decisions I've made for that bike.
Wow did not expect it, but I actually enjoyed this! And that graph representation is amazing!
It was good but I find it depends where you live at or where you ride at, is it hilly or is it mostly flat and moving fast down hill can get you killed. I mostly coast downhills anyway it helps me cold off
Where i live, i about a 1 hour ride i may go from 120mt to 1000mt.
So yeah, good luck following me uphill and then catching me downhill when we enter main roads.
Unless you are a technical downhill rider who only uses his bike for this sole reason, you are way better off with a 2x.
@MotorcycleMan 32T and 10-51 cassette, still lower ratio than 38/28 11-36 downhill.
i like my 3x7 rigid, i'll keep it old skool
Great overview, guys. One thing you didn't mention was chainline. Not all cranksets are created equal when converting to 1x setups. One of the main complaints from scouring the forums before I made my conversion was falling down a gear when backpedaling in the largest gear due to extreme chain angles.
Chainline definitely comes into play when converting. When pedaling backwards on a wide range rear cassette it is not uncommon for the chain to fall down a few gears even with proper chainline even on stock 1x setups that were not converted.
Thanks for this one. Ill be sticking to my 3x9 speed drive train after watching this.
What bike do you have
I'll probably be sticking to a 3x7
@@bananasstuff3344 My Bike came with a 3x8. When pulling a trailer up a hill, i am rather thankful for that small front ring, and i likes my top end speed.
Using 1 bike for all the things that need doing, it better have all the gears.
@@seven9766 yes mine has to be an MTB and a good bike for everything else as my family often goes on long day trips on bikes
So funny, I was planning to go 1x10 and end up on that Tech Tuesday!
Thanks Park Tool!!
Iv been running a 1x9 with 32t chainring and 11-34t cassette on my Hardtail Am Bike for almost 2 Years lol I Finally ordered an 11speed groupset with 11-50t cassette Can't wait to install it :)
Mountain Goat Allen how was ur 1 by 9 on uphill ride on easy gear
@@satimlimbu1983 It was not to bad maybe a bit harder on tech Climbs
Mountain Goat Allen thanks for reply I have 3 by 9 playing to change it to 1 by 9
I’ve had the same bike for 22 years. Mongoose Pro NX 7.1. It’s been fantastic and it’s still all original. It’s too comfortable to replace with anything else. Since it’s a classic, I’m leaving the original 3x7. No need to ever change. Hell it’s only slipped the chain once in 22 years.
I love Calvin’s humor lol “ my legs are already cramping just thinking about it “
I have a 3x8 MTB 29er and I've learned to ride on the big ring most of the time. Middle ring for steep hills, granny ring rarely touched.
24-34-42 crankset with 32-12 cassette.
The reason to use all three of the large cogs is that it reduces the wear on drivetrain and saves energy pedaling due to the angle of the chain with less friction at less extreme angles. the smallest front cog and smallest rear cog or largest front and largest rear cog causes the chain to flex from near the frame on the front cog to the most outwards rear cog near the axle bolt and vice versa. The amount of watts you lose isn't much but the money you save is going to play out on highend components. Hope this helps explain the disadvantage of using the largest cog and not downshifting to a less extreme gear setup (largest front/back cogs, smallest front/back cogs).
Sticking to 3x. I just love shifting into that big ring whilst landing on the last sprocket on the rear.
Man, this reminded me of the Super Mario Super Show skits for some reason. Anyway, just converted my 2012 Trek Superfly to a 1x.. best decision ever. Also replaced the front suspension with a rigid fork.. really taking the blood from my brain and re-directing it to my legs!
Brilliance is brilliance. It never fades. Trust the mustache!
remember to use shallower chainring bolts (bmx or Ssp) if ur using a double or triple crank for your 1x
I am going to convert to 1x10 in the spring. I like less stuff to break and changing out a bottom bracket quick and simple.
I ride a 26 Kona Fire Mountain. I just threw in a Race Face Narrow Wide 30 T and kept the stock 9 gear cassette. No issues.
Good episode, but in my opinion it would have been even better if you had included oval rings to this, and you didn't touch on eagle 1x12 either. So converting to eagle may be too expensive for most since it requires a full replacement of everything in the drivetrain, but surely oval rings would be a welcome addition to the discussion when talking about effective range, especially in lower gears on hills. I swapped 2x11 to 1x11 with oval ring, and I couldn't be happier.
Great video. Thinking of doing this after I'm done with my ebike conversion.
This was very enjoyable. And I learned a lot from your hacks. I’m in the blue camp. I don’t like fiddling with the front derailleur. Good riddance. Gotta try this out.
Guys, you are owsome, perfect and easy for understanding! Thx!
Calvin may have a future in comedy. I like his style.
Very well explained, and a delight to watch. Thank you!
Thank you for Sharing you guys were fun to watch and I learned a lot.
My 3x7 speed works perfectly fine, and it came with the $50 bike.
converting actually cost more money ,those with 11 -12 speed cassette is expensive
There aren't any steep hills where I live ( not for a long distance) .so on my 3x7 with 14 to 28 on back , I use mostly 21st gear . On a few hills I shift down to 18th . And some to 19,20 . But going down hill in some places ,I can't pedal fast enough to keep up . One more high gear would be nice .
I love my Mongoose Dolomite ALX 2x8 AS-IS. I have always found 3x to be "dumb", as well as a 2x with similarly sized rings. A 2x with a good differential between rings is the best.
I've been trying to remember who Calvin reminds me of. I finally figured it out. He's the Bill Nye of bicycles!
Great break down. Calvin is subtly hilarious.
My trek Lync is a 9 speed, I was pretty worried because I haul kiddos in a trailer. But hills are no problem. The cog spread is enormous, I wouldn't go back.
I found 2x9 with bash ring the best setup for my riding and pocket
I have been looking for a video like this for forever! off to the bike shop.
I see a future where we have 1x22 it'll be the new craze. It'll save weight and be easier on the chain..
Hub space for cassette is limited, so it will limit maximum number of sprockets in the back. With more sprockets, the cog pitch will become thinner and thinner until it reaches a hard limit and the chain will become progressively thinner as well. Will there be a future with 22 sprockets, I highly doubt it; anyways, there is no practical reason to have so many gear ratios.
@@misternobody4644 357mm hyper boost³ plus, so the freehubs are probably gonna get wider as well.
Mister Nobody it is a joke
Nice to see the charts of ratio differences. I waited until my cup and cone hubs, 3x8 gears with a dodgy rear mech and chain were all ready to be binned after 5 years abuse and changed to a 1x11 system on my mtb. The old system felt cheap and delicate from new. Being a 26 i had to get a specific wheelset for the 11 speed but now it is fast and simple and feels robust. Did notice you didnt mention a clutch on the rear mech or a system for the keeping the chain jumping off at the front or the potential of a 1x11 if that was a 1x10. Understand why though if you were going absolutely budget but worth a shout out incase it improves the ratios. And different chain ring options for harder or easy riding to pre set the type of riding you want to do.
This man is a legend
Love the things you guys do, I'm thinking of converting my bike from 3x8 to 1x10 or 11? Could you show me how that process would go and what it will involve? Thanks guys, keep it up.
I hate shifting all the way through the gears going up and down hills. With more chainings I go up the climb on the small chaining, then over the top, switch one click to the big chaining and then down the hill , with only a few clicks with the right thumb to the rear derailleur to match my speed. Repeat sequence for each subsequent climb and decent. Simple!
Calvin is the Man!
Great videos and being a scientist myself I like the representative graphs (data).
Finally i go my mind settled, thanks for the video
A 1x10 in road bikes can be used to address areas of heavy winds for example this puts a bigger ( to the max the frame can handle) on the inside which gives you less spinning in the lower gears.
After watching this, its the right time to ditched my 3by mt210 crankset ( newly bought )& go for a 1by narrow wide oval chainring for a better riding.
Originally the bike really only had about 15 gears where the shift was notably different. So of course 10 is gonna be less. But lots of bikes are 1x13 these days. Pretty darn close. Maybe doesn’t work as a conversion, but the concept of 1x isn’t that crazy.
Best value for money 1x set up
I dunno. To me 1 x seems like a step backwards. The only advantage I see with it is a cleaner looking setup. If I were to go with that, my front chain ring would have to be large and not a granny gear. I would then make up the range with the cassette. Picture this. Imagine that 1 x was standard and bike companies started to introduce 2x and 3x. I could hear the reviews now..."and over here on the left we have the new industry standard, the shifter for the front derailleur to give us serious riders a better range".I have a 3 x and am not ashamed to say it :) but when I am on a trail, I just leave it in the smaller chain ring and only shift the back. When I am on road or a smoother surface, I leave it in either the big chain ring or the middle, and leave it there too.If the bike is going to be strictly for downhill, I can see the reason for it, but its not for every situation, and its certainly not for me.
Taurusdre for real
Good point.
But isn't it correct that crossing the front and rear (example, 1 in front and 8 or 9 in rear) deteriorates the chains lifespan? At least that's what I've been told.
Taurusdre, That's what I don't get either. It is obviously a step backwards, there's a reason 2x and 3x were invented. We all used to ride "1x" after all.
Now obviously having more options with the cassette today means you can get more gears out of a 1x, 2x or 3x than we used to but still not *as* many gears with a 1x. I remember my first MTB was 3x6 so that was 18 gears, you're not getting that on a 1x but you can get that from a 2x today.
The 1x is quite clearly driven by marketing, the benefit of having more gears hasn't suddenly vanished overnight. If your way of riding fits the gears that a 1x offers that's great for you and then you may choose to go for the simpler and cleaner look but you *are* missing gears that people on 2x or 3x have. If you're climbing and find the 1x granny gear just slightly too low you're pretty much out of luck as the next gear is usually quite a fucking jump away from the granny gear. On a 2x or 3x you can make smaller adjustments to fit your preferred cadence.
Of course you could just add more granny gear options to your 1x but then you'll be missing out at the other end when it comes to riding really fast on flat terrain, gravel roads, even normal tarmac roads or whatever, *or* you'll just have massive jumps between other gears. No matter how much Sram spends on their 1x marketing you're never going to get the same out of it as you can get from a 2x or 3x, period.
What really annoys the hell out of me about the 1x though is the pricing. It's a simpler fucking system. They save a ring up front and the entire front derailleur and mounting for it, it shouldn't be a fucking "Premium product", it should be a cheaper option for people only doing bike parks with shuttles, lifts etc. as they obviously don't need gears to nearly the same extent as other riders do. The manufacturer is *saving* money on a simpler setup and marketing it as a more expensive product. That really pisses me off.
I understand what you are saying Taurusdre, but until you try 1x, its hard to knock it. My new bike came with 1x12 gx eagle, and I honestly cant fault the range of gears it gives me. I still have a 3x10 xc bike, but the chain slap and extra noise is noticeable whenever I ride it. Personally, unless you are getting a new bike, I dont see the point in upgrading.
In 1986 ordered the first Cannondale mtn bike they made - the SM600 w/180mm cranks. I'd never give up my triples w/180mm cranks. To take the small chainring away from a mtn bike seems stupid to me. Same with going to shorter cranks with less leverage. I don't like a lot of chain crossover like a 1x has. Back in the day, you learned your gear inches from a chart and got the right combo freewheel for your personal needs, that also avoids too many duplicate ratios. Sometimes a tooth or two here and there makes all the difference to efficient riding. You can tape a little gear chart on the bars to show the shift sequence. Learn to double shift when necessary and enjoy always being in the right gear and your rpms 80-100. If you low-rpm mash gears, you'll wear out the cartilage on your knees/patellas.
I went from 2x10 to 1x10... back to 2x10. Just wasnt enough top and low end range for the varied riding routes I do. I just found myself unable to get up some steap climbs on 1x and slow down some fire roads. In the end I preffer the extra weight.
I suggested 1x5s at bike shops 35 years ago and was laughed at; not for racing, but for casual bikers who do 25 mile rides max. A lighter 10 speed frame vs a 3 speed beach cruiser. Trying to build a 1x5 or 6 or 7 now using Sheldon Brown’s gain ratio calc - who sells individual quality gears?? Also, can a 1x8 or 9 or 10 work... for casual riding? Great video-you guys are hilarious!
Awesome guide, thanks fellas!
I've been studying and calculating gear ranges on a gear inch calculator for my next build. I currently have everything from single speed, 1x 2x and 3x. 3x gives the biggest range by far. It has also saved me when I damage the rear mech and I still have 3 on the front. I probably will go for 1x on my next build, but I'll be sacrificing to speed to get the low touring gears I need.
Did a bit of research and found out that 1x is much more expensive and will wear out soon. Will be sticking with my 2x.
True, the most cost effective bikes are 3 by 9. those rear cassettes cost peanuts compared to 1 by solutions. here arround 25 euro's compared to 80 euro's. Meaning as a rental service i will not make the jump at current prices.
however 2 by 10 is cheap enough. 11-42 10 speed casettes are 35 euro's. Those can work fine with 2 by drive trains.
1 by 12 10-51/50 casettes start at 80 euro's. That's just too much.
i switched from a Shimano 3x9 (from which i could really only use 2x9) to a SRAM 1x12 drivetrain which i can use completely.
which is better for going climb uphill?
3x9 or 1x12?
@@PunxTV123 I prefer the 1X12, but it's hard to generalize..
That is awesome it's a great breakdown and I'm really glad that I decided not to take out two of my rings and leave myself with the one by I kind of like the 3 by 10 setup that I have and it shows on his print out that having more is better than having less LOL. And I think the most important part about that is to learn how to use these 30 years at a have. great breakdown and yes I've always decided to keep all 30 of my gears and that just give me a little more confirmation for myself what I would like to do with my particular writing style. Not everyone is going to feel that way and that's okay on the long scratch I'll still be leaving them and with the three by in the front I can drop it from my middle to my Lord one and just haul ass up a hill. I really enjoying that instead of switching down whole lot of gears just to get to the Lord gear to do the climbing :-(. But again that's just my writing style...
I get 1x for downhill and enduro and 2x for trail and xc. 3x seems pretty useless Ive been with a 3x for a couple years now and only ever shifted to the 3rd cog by accident. I dont understand the price differences though. Surely more cogs would be more money?
My two bikes were 3x at front, little ring gone off, and limited screw turned the 3 gears into 2. Done. I learned it when one mechanic did it to one, and now I fine tune it, it runs perfect.
@@tonysadler5290 at least in the US, the 3x system is definitely more prevalent among 'big box store' cheap / entry level bikes (walmart, target, toysrus, etc) probably for the sole purpose of marketing HIGHER SPEEDS, MORE GEARS, BIGGER IS BETTER bs. I guess with the core demographic being non-cyclists or recreational cyclists that use their bike once a year, they're gonna be using the lowest gear set for the slightest hill and largest gear set for downhills, if they actually learn how to shift properly in the first place.
1x for Dummies! Great video 🍻
I still run a 3x9 and use the top chain ring as a bash guard.....just kidding. Pretend it isn't there. Cheap and cheerful. Excellent video and the explanation of 1x.
When I had 3x, I always used the middle chainring only. Thinking about shifting when riding in the forrest? Aint nobody got time for that! For roadies it makes sense. But for mtb? Thank god we are simple!
Calvin is such a cool dude!
On a road bike here in flat Florida, it really isn't an issue!
Good video. One criticism is that your 'graphs' had no scale on them, so I don't actually know how much the climbing/cruising ability changed with this new setup.
If the graph would show chain-inches or something, we could really see how they compare. I've used those tools on the internet to calculate exactly how these upgrades affect the ratios.
Very informative video! Great job showing the possibility’s.