LOBOPTY

I recently purchased a Warbird Apex1 2018 aluminum model.
So far I love it but I have a couple questions abut it.
so, witch warbird perform better for gravel racing? 1x or 2x? what about speed?
I usually train using the same route. The Warbird is definitely more relaxed and give me less back problems than my MTB( 3x8 Trek wahoo 2012 28 lbs.) but I can't get any faster.
Surprisingly my best time on the same route was with my MTB and 38c hybrid tires

Should I change my 1x to 2x or just train harder?
Any tips?

GrainBrain

Train harder and learn to spin that crank.

rosefarts

I'm trying to make sense of your post. Tell me if this is correct.

You've got a warbird Apex.

It came 1x

It doesn't hurt your back.

It's faster than a heavier mountain bike.

You noticed narrower hybrid tires are faster too.

Somehow those variables equate to a question about changing gearing. A+B=squirrel.

It sure seems like you should be asking if training faster on a faster bike would be better for race day speed. Or will a slower bike make you stronger.

Either gearing setup can be great. Neither is dramatically faster than the other. It a preference thing and a matter of opinion. Your bike is fine.

My suggestion. Ride the nice bike as fast as you can. You don't want to train to go slow.

LOBOPTY

Actually I get better times with my heavier MTB than my gravel. kind a disappointed and frustrated at the same time.
I was under the impression than a lighter and more aerodynamic/more specific bike going to be faster than my MTB for gravel

rosefarts

Hmm. That surprises me. Unless the ride is really technical, I wouldn't think a mountain bike would excel.

Other ideas would be fit or comfort or brake drag.

I am certain the time difference isn't the gearing.

I pass mountain bikes on the moderate trails around here all the time. On the tricky stuff though, I simply can't ride it. 1x10, 40t x 11-42, with bar end shifter and a clutch derailleur. I really like it.

mstateglfr 

OP has an 11-42 cassette mated to a 42t chainring.
with 40mm tires and 70rpm(hardly high), that's 22mph when riding in the 42/11 combo.

80rpm puts the OP over 25mph.

If you arent going fast enough, it isnt the bike. Its you. Train more.


as for 1x or 2x for gravel, I would go 2x all day every day. Smaller jumps and wider range combined with perfect shifting means there is no downside for me.
but if I rode in muddy conditions or didnt know how to set up and maintain shifting on a bike, I could see 1x being appealing.

Bigbus

Some riders move their legs slower but with more power and some just spin like crazy. I'm a slower peddler and prefer taller gears, but I ride with a young guy that never seems to shift out of low. I still don't know how he gets his legs to move so fast while the bike is going slow. I yell at him from behind all the time to 'SHIFT' before I run him over. So yeah, gearing can make a big difference to you depending on how you ride. But training is everything no matter how you ride

tomato coupe

Red squirrels are faster.

mchb

I like 1x for what it is (my fatbike is 1x and it's geared pretty low) but you'll probably get better chainlines and less drivetrain wear with 2x.

LOBOPTY

Salsa Warbird has the same setting than the OP
In the 2x you ended up overlapping some gear ratios than the 1x offer , right?
In the other hands 48,32 chainring with 11-34 and 38c tires cassette looks faster than the Salsa.
But one thing is true: I don't know how to set up and most of the gravel races around here ( northern Michigan) are muddy

Teamprovicycle

It would most likely be eadier to swap around chain ring sizes than convert from 1x to 2x.

shoota 

You are falling into a common newbie line of thinking regarding gearing. What makes a bike "fast" is not the gearing, it's the rider. Case in point: I ride with several people that ride single speed and are faster than 99% of people who ride geared bikes.

The fact that you aren't seeing better times on your gravel bike leads me to believe that you just don't know how to ride fast yet. In my experience with people like this it's because they don't want to push themselves hard, I don't know if that's you but it's something to think about.

mstateglfr 

In response to the bold underlined comment- Its only faster if you can pedal at the same cadence.
48-11 is faster than 42-11 if you pedal them at the same cadence. 48-11 isnt inherently faster though.

Speed = gearing and cadence combined. You need both to make one gear combo faster than another.