It's not technically a road bike, but I'm 1x on my TT bike with a 54t. If I'm needing something slower than the 54t/25 combo.......then I'm either on the wrong bike for the event or I need to get back to some intervals and get some power back.

I don't live near mountains with a weird TdF or Giro Italia style time trial stage, so no need for a FD and the inner ring.

My cross bike is also 1x. 40t and 12-32. I'm never fast enough on a cross or gravel route to need more than a 40/12 and never the 40/32 is about the same as a 34/28 on a road bike for hills. With a bike covered in mud hopping all over obstacles, 1x is welcome there.

Road bike? Oh yeah it's 2x. I can understand the simplicity argument for an off-road bike and aero for an all-out TT bike, but I can't justify it for on-road. The terrain simply isn't rough enough to challenge chain drops and the terrain not messy enough to muck up a drivetrain enough that a 1x with chain keeper being a necessity.