Originally Posted by
robow
Is the 1x a solution looking for a problem ? What do you really gain by getting rid of the front mech ? ...
The 1X bike sells for the same as a 2X bike, the 2X bike had more component costs and more time spent (labor cost) adjusting the front derailleur. Thus, the 1X needed heavy marketing pitch to convince everyone to buy it.
What really shocked me was how many of the bikes in the Tour Divide race used a 1X system this year. Look for the pie chart labeled Drivetrains. More than three quarters used a 1X system, so they clearly saw an advantage that the rest of us are not seeing. Some may have been sponsored to use specific equipment, but I suspect that is a minority. (Oops, forgot the link initially, added later.)
https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2023-r...ide-breakdown/
A neighbor is a bike mechanic, he said to me that he thinks the reason that Sram went so big on 1X systems is that they could not make a good front derailleur.
I will gladly take my 3X8 system which is 1990s technology over one of those 1X systems.
Last time I had to replace a chain and cassette, cost $25 for the cassette and about $12 for the chain, but with inflation that would probably be more like $40 or $42 now. I hate to think of the cost of a 10-52 cassette. Just googled it. At REI full price, minus 10 percent dividend, minus 5 percent for credit card reward, that is $196 not counting state tax.
https://www.rei.com/product/188096/s...speed-cassette