Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
I never said multi gear bikes were complicated, just that 1x is more simplified. I've ridden 3x mtb bikes all my life but can still recognize that.
Almost all technical mtbs now, that do the steepest up and down hills, are going 1x. It's not just a fad, it just works, especially with wide range cassettes. Now that we can go into 12cog 11-50 range modes the need for another complete system of gear shifting up front becomes redundant.
The problem I see with 1x system isn’t that they are simple but they are simplistic. I’ve been riding mountain bikes for 40 years but my mountain bike riding has been more like gravel riding than what is currently in fashion for mountain bikes. I like to range further than most. A 20 to 40 mile mountain bike ride is more along the lines of the type of riding that I do rather then the shorter more technical single track riding that most people do now. I’ve overheard conversations where some mountain bikers were discussing a 12 mile ride as a “long” ride.
I also disagree with your statement about front shifting becoming redundant. It depends on what kind of range you are satisfied with. I know that I’ve got a range outside of the norm but it’s still possible. 1x just can’t get to the same range. For example my 44/34/20 with an 11-36 ranges from a 16” low to a 105” high. A 1x with a
44/11-42 has the same high but a significantly higher low (27”). That’s a really tall low for a loaded bike. On the other hand, a
24/11-42 has the same low but it spins out below 20 mph. That may be good for trail riding but it would get old over a 30 or 40 mile downhill. A
good high gear 10-50 system or a
good low range 11-50 system is better but still suffers from a similar problem. Not as great but it’s still there.
And, let’s not forget that any gearing that can be had with the 1x system I can match or exceed with a triple by simply using their cassette.