Originally Posted by
GeoKrpan
Nonetheless, I don't see the attraction of 1x11. No need for comments about the weight savings, that's glaringly conspicuous.
Every time I've dumped a chain on a road bike, it was from a front shift. The clutch der combined with narrow-wide chainring greatly reduces the chance of dropping a chain under all conditions, even with a giant rear cassette (10-40).
So you've got a very reliable 11-speed transmission with 4-fold gear range. Custom-tuning the gearing (i.e. perhaps you'd want a tighter-spaced cassette for crits or TT, or a smaller chainring for hilly road race) is super easy.
The only drawback I see would be for alpine races or stages, where you really need a larger gear range for steep long climbs and long descents. But in truth, who among us has that specific need?