Originally Posted by
Richard Cranium
I don't know if there is a word for it - but I think there is particular characteristic all bicyclists share. All cyclists love the "elegant" or ingenious mechanical simplicity and efficiency of cycling. We all face the challenge of moving ourselves through the use of wheels, bearings, levers and gearing. We simply change our "stride" or cadence to overcome the resistance at hand.
That being said - is it time to realize that a 1x11 transmission using a 48t sprocket and a 12x48t cassette (or similar) is "all you really need.?"
Why kluge-up a bicycle with anything more complicated? How much time do you spend cycling beyond the gearing span of one-to-one to four-to-one ???
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Cool that 1x11 works for you. I have 0 interest in that. I enjoy the smaller jumps when shifting and my 2x11 drivetrains are all quite simple to operate and maintain. I have never been on any of those bikes and thought- 'wow, shifting is just so complicated.' and until that happens, Ill continue to find 2x11 to be simple to operate and maintain.
An 11sp 11-48 cassette is fugly and weighs almost 11.5oz more than an 11sp 11-32cassette. Meanwhile, 2x vs 1x is about 75g difference based on GRX cranks of equal quality(and the 1x ring is smaller than 48, so lighter). An FD is 100g and shifters weigh the same.
So a 1x will weigh about 150g more.
More weight and bigger shift jumps. Yeah, that setup doesnt interest me for any sort of fast riding.