I already have like 15 normal bikes. I am not buying another one of them just to get the spacing for this hub.

My next bike is either going to be a velomobile or a special recumbent bike, neither of which are currently made in a thru axle compatible rear dropout although the aerodynamic advantages of dropping the FD and having just a 56 or 61 up front is enticing.

Pondering this question further, it occurs to me that not only is this a passing fad, but mfg would be missing out on dressing a frame with another accessory. Why would they want throw away something they can make a profit on?

15?! Hahaha I was starting to feel bad about the space I was taking with my stable of 7. Granted that's 11 with the girlfriend's added in, and I still need a gravel style do everything, but I'll probably get there soon enough.

Still on a triple over here. I would guess that's been obsolete for a while. I guess I didn't notice as I casually wind up that next big hill carrying loads of gear and hardly breaking a sweat. Can't remember the last time I needed to fiddle with the gears to get them to shift correctly and when it needs it. Couple of minutes down time.

The Classified’s 142mm spacing is the standard for gravel bikes, which is their target market. Whether this system is a commercial success or not depends on a lot of things, but I doubt lack of compatibility with recumbent trikes is one of them. In fact, I’m certain it isn’t.

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 ???
.

Questions of “need” and “how often” are only relevant to the individual, and otherwise pointless for assessing the value of a product.

I, for example, definitely need more than 1x11, not only because I use more than that now, I also want even more gears yet, and I’m not even talking about cyclotouring here…

As for “how often,” why isn’t “sometimes” enough reason to have what you want? I was pulling a paceline at 34mph just this morning; a 48x11 at that speed would have meant a cadence of over 105rpm, but my 53x12 made it possible at a more stable and comfy 88-90rpm.

Foolish dudes were asking do we need 7spd, do we need 8spd, do we need 9spd, do we need 10spd, etc. At this point, we should be more thoughtful about need means, at the very least because it’s obviously irrelevant.

A rear cluster that ends up with a 48 tooth sprocket weighs a ton, and is quite ugly.

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.

not that it makes much or a difference, but having the "spread" of gears using a multi-crank gear shifts the weight from the back towards the center/front more. I prefer as much load & weight to be bared more central of the cycle than tongued out at the axles.

My front chain kept popping off (I must have been mashing the gears while shifting the front derailleur) so I started looking into 1X drive trains. I got a new gravel bike with Campagnolo's new Ekar 1X 13-speed drive train with the hope that it would be enough for using my gravel bike as an endurance bike. Well, so far, it WORKs for me. After an initial issue with adjustments (after changing the tires and somehow mucking up the H/L settings - my LBS took care of it), the bike absolutely rocks and fast descents (over 36 MPH) are fine as I'm not even using the 9-cog but the 10 or 11-cog. I have the 42 front / 9-42 rear cassette.

For me, not having a front deraileur makes for a cleaner bike and less 'shift thinking.'

CJ

You're the first person I've heard from on the ekar gruppo. Was super interested in giving it a try, as the only modern campy drivetrain I've ridden is Veloce. I honestly can't see myself using much more than 13 gears, but if I'm going to drop a few thousand dollars on another bike, I want it to be able to do anything and everything, so it seems a bit safer to opt for a 2x just in case.

I've also noticed that it can be difficult to shift Sram while riding particularly bumpy terrain, so I've been leaning GRX without really giving the ekar a fair shot. I'm in no rush for a new whip, so I'll probably hope to find something to test ride before buying again.

I have had two SRAM Force groupsets and I am def. not impressed. On both bikes, the front derailleur shifting is poor (I'm being nice) in comparison to Shimano GRX and Ultegra. There seems to be an issue with my front derailleur chain stop (maybe it got bent) but the chain kept coming off while I was pedaling hard (this happens on both bikes). This has stopped me from looking at SRAM eTap groupsets.

So far, after nearly 200 miles, Ekar is working very well and the shifts are smooth and I don't miss electronic shifting, at all. The gear range is perfect for me (I usually ride 20-60 miles) on tarmac. I have another 1X gravel bike (Shimano GRX) but the 11-speed range (50/34F; 11-34R) doesn't work on the road for me; although, for gravel, it's fine, and that's what I use it for.

My front brifter stopped being able to shift, so rather than replace it right away I decided to try out a 1x drivetrain. Loved it, so I'm now riding 50F 11-32R setup that's perfect for Shanghai's flat terrain. I don't miss my front derailleur at all.

Sorry, bit this is just way too much money to replace a $40 front derailleur.

And for the target market - Road and maybe Gravel - I just never saw an issue having a FD.

For MTBs.... sure, I was thrilled to lose the FD. But 1x has already been pretty well worked out there.

Good to know! I do most of my riding on tarmac and as much as I like GRX on paper, I still haven't ridden a bike equipped with it and it's what I'm leaning towards for the next bike.

I thought I read that the ekar has the option of a "regular" cassette and one for climbing, and I was pretty curious to give em both a shot despite the extremely flat area in which I live.

I'm also a bit surprised with your take on Sram. My brother's bike has a 1x Sram force DT, and I love the way it feels shifting on tarmac. I just can't seem to shift the way I want in bumpy terrain. Either way, thanks for your insight. Definitely more to consider before bike shopping again

Ekar does have three cassette options:

• Endurance (340g): 9-10-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-23-27-31-36
• Gravel Race (390g): 9-10-11-12-13-14-16-18-21-25-30-36-42
• Gravel Adventure (410g): 10-11-12-13-14-15-17-19-22-26-32-39-44

The other issue I had w/SRAM Force was the rear shifting slippage at the 4th and 5th cogs; it happens most of the time on BOTH of my bikes. Another rider with the same bike had a similar problem. I had my LBS adjust the derailleur but it STILL happens. I got so fed up I sold one of the bikes and contemplating selling the other one. I also didn't like the double-tap shifting - it's just not intuitive for me. I know this sounds like a SRAM vent but that's been my experience. FWIW...

I have Force eTap AXS 2x on my gravel bike and I have no problems at all with operating it or the function; it snicks off shifts handily. I’ve never used any type of Di2, but it is not apparent to me how two, smaller, closely spaced buttons on each lever could be easier to operate than one larger button per lever as with eTap.

I otherwise run Campagnolo Athena 11 on my other gravel bike, also 2x, and very much like the function of that, although the shift action is somewhat notchy, and the FD upshifts take some power and a long throw. SRAM eTap FD shifting is vastly superior.

Because of eTap AXS design and function, I think it would be great paired with the Classified hub; just one button, no up/down foolery.