Originally Posted by RoadLight

Hi bonz50,

I think it's obvious that the answer varies, depending on the individual cyclist. I converted my road bike to a 1x this past winter and have been riding it this season (4,000 miles so far). I purchased a new SRAM Red 2x crankset, removed the original chainrings and replaced them with a single SRAM 50t X-Sync chainring designed for 1x (it has the alternating width teeth to better match the chain). And I'm using an 11-28t cassette. However, I'm still using a 10-speed cassette and rear derailleur so my drivetrain is a 1x10. The reason for the 10-speed is because I'm waiting for SRAM to release a Red eTap rear derailleur with either a medium or long cage (they only offer a short cage now). Once it's available, I'll switch to an 11-speed setup with either an 11-32t or 11-36t cassette.

What conditions prompted me to switch to a 1x setup?

Modern mechanical front derailleurs have problems
First, I'm an older cyclist with many miles on the older friction shifters. I still have my 1985 Fuji with quad-butted steel frame and Suntour Superbe drivetrain. Suntour invented the slant-parallelogram rear derailleur in 1964 that so many other manufacturers have copied since. And Suntour derailleurs were some of the best performing that you could buy back in the 70-80's. Most cyclists with a history of such nice friction-shifting front derailleurs will tell you that no mechanical index-shifting front derailleur has ever equaled the performance of a top-of-the-line friction-shifting front derailleur. Even the addition of variable yaw angle to the index-shifting system could not equal the simplicity and accuracy of a manually-controlled friction-shifting front derailleur because the cyclist can perfectly center the chain-guide regardless of the rear sprocket being used. You have to buy an electronic front derailleur with individual adjustments for each gear combination to equal the front derailleur shifting accuracy of the manual friction system. So I have not been happy with the front derailleurs on modern road bikes.

I never use a second chainring any more
My modern road bike (a composite carbon framed Team Fuji) originally had a SRAM Force 2x10 drivetrain with compact 34-50t chainrings and an 11-26t cassette. I almost never used the 34t chainring and, as my cycling improved and I trained to a higher cadence (80-100 rpm), I discovered that I had stopped using the 34t chainring altogether. So I decided the second chainring was dead weight and made the decision to get rid of it and the front derailleur. I even removed the shift paddle from my left shifter. I ride between 5,000 to 6,000 miles each year and most of that is on well-paved rolling hills on the eastern side of Lake Michigan. So there is often wind. Two or three hills on my daily 35-mile training loop have a 12.5% grade, but they're not very long so I don't have a need for any extreme climbing gears. Plus, I've got fairly strong legs (I used to leg-press 1,000 lbs for 12 reps, carry 65 lb packs all over the Sierra Mountains on 100+ mile backpack trips, and have fairly good endurance). So I've never needed to gear down as far as many other riders. And I find it uncomfortable to do so. For example when I'm spinning 80 rpm in a low gear ratio of 1.786 (50x28t) up a steep hill, I feel like I'm moving so slow that it's difficult to balance the bike. I just don't need to go any lower. So a second, smaller chainring is completely unnecessary for me now.

Choosing a rear cassette
If all I do is ride my familiar training routes near home and ride the usual centuries each year, then I would stay with my 11x28t cassette. It seems more than adequate for my needs with a single 50t chainring. However, I'd like to ride some of the paved western mountain roads near where I used to hike. In preparation for that, I'm planning to switch to an 11x32t or 11x36t cassette just to be on the safe side. But, as I mentioned above, SRAM doesn't yet make a Red eTap rear derailleur with a medium or long cage. The reason I'm migrating to eTap is to have multiple shift points (I use aerobars most of the time and want to be able to shift from both the aerobars and the handlebars). The rear derailleur I need has been promised by SRAM and it will complete my drivetrain upgrade.

Number of sprockets
Because of my long history, I spent many years riding with a 2x5 or 2x6 drivetrain. My 1985 steel-frame Fuji has a 2x6 speed setup with 42-52t chainrings and 14-30t cassette. I just don't see the need for 11 sprockets on the rear. Folks who think the jump in sprocket size for a 1x11 setup is too big are crazy. In my opinion, an 11-speed system still has plenty small-enough steps between sprocket sizes---even on an 11x40t cassette.

I think this move to more and more sprockets has been largely a marketing ploy to sell new bikes and new drivetrains. I have no desire to go beyond a 10-speed cassette but I'll be forced to go to 11-speed when I switch to a Red eTap rear derailleur because that's the only speed it is designed for.

Bottom line
Each cyclist needs to analyze their own riding and needs. If you find that you never use your small chainring any more, then you are a candidate for a 1x system regardless of the kind of cycling you do. If you expect to ride on some rough surfaces like gravel roads or roads with poor pavement, then you should use a rear derailleur with a roller bearing clutch like SRAM and others make for their 1x systems because it does a better job of maintaining a uniform chain tension over rough terrain. Without the chain slap of a standard rear derailleur, you'll have less opportunity to slip a chain. However, if you only ride smooth roads like me, then a standard rear derailleur will work fine as long as its cage is long enough to accommodate the largest sprocket in your cassette.

Kind regards, RoadLight