Originally Posted by
Kopsis
Cassette changes are pretty easy -- especially since most will swap out CX tires (or even the whole wheelset) for road tires if you're going to be spending much time on pavement. Now, whether you can find a cassette that works for you depends on the definition of "road". If you're chasing Strava KOMs or riding with an "un-paced" group, then you'll be at a disadvantage with 1x. Likewise if you're doing hilly stuff, getting the range you need will open up big gaps in the gears. But solo or a paced group in the flats can be very comfortable on a 1x.
I rode my CX bike (38t x 11-26) yesterday with a 24 MPH paced group on a totally flat route and had a great ride. However, if the CX was my only bike, I'd probably switch it over to a 36/46 CX double just for the added flexibility.
This makes sense and I have different wheels that I use for road riding and CX riding already, with different cassettes. Reading the responses here, it sounds like the "fast-casual" type of flat road riding that I mostly do would be no issue with a 1x setup. There are no hills and the group rides I do are more casual, rarely exceeding 24-25mph.
Also (someone correct me if I'm wrong) it looks like it's fairly easy to change the chainring unless you're doing really small MTB sizes like 30T which require the crank to be removed. So, during the summer I could run something like a 44T, and then easily put a 40T on in the fall for CX season, which is when I would start riding knobbies all the time anyways.