NSMB Tests SRAM XX1 On the Trail

Its nice to see the drivetrain finally evolving. I think i would miss my front D though….What i am doing much more of recently is being really active on the front derailleur, dropping from mid ring to granny as apposed to dumping a handful of gears.

PVD did up a bunch of pretty charts showing the Meters of Development on some drive train options.

Link

He sure didn't have much nice to say about 11x1!

I've also read that in terms of gearing, dropping from mid-ring to granny while maintaining the rear position is actually less shifting that having to run through a range of gears on the rear cogs to get similar gearing,

Makes total sense to me, do it all the time………

He sure didn't have much nice to say about 11x1!

He does make some valid points though. Again, I would like to see rear shots of the bike on the 42T cog and the 10T cog, so I can see the chainline.

First off, good job Seb on the review. I'm really intrested in the long term test. I'm a big fan of the 1x10 but I do wish I had that one more gear more often then not. I think that I will look into this as a option for next year but the price is pretty crazy an xo or x9 version would be the ticket.

Yeah, you have to wonder about chainline and longevity for sure, especially if you do a lot of harsh BC climbing. I heart my 22T granny ring, lol.

I think I would rather get rid of my rear derailleur than my front one. That's the one I smash on stuff all the time. Front derailleurs last for ever. The 1X11 does look sweet though, and one derailleur is better than two whichever end it's at.

As someone that uses his granny ring very often and someone that rides with others that use their granny rings very often this 1x11 just won't cut it. We're all strong riders but not 140lbs soaking wet and aren't natural climbers. 1x11 would put me out of the game for any shore rides or Squamish rides because I just couldn't get the range in gearing that I'd need for my normal rides around my house and my shore rides. Give me my 2x or 3x any day because I rarely have an issue with my front derailleur. Like @stevens said, give me an option to get rid of the rear derailleur and we'll talk.

I ride 1x10 with 32:34 as my easiest gear on my 29ers. If you go slower than this gear allows, the losses in momentum compound the problem in anything but smooth fire road, meaning 3/4 the effort= 1/3 the speed. So if you can muster the speed of a 32:34 at min cadence, you overcome a momentum threshold that pays off big time for 29ers. All you granny lovers may as well walk as the 'energy in' is so inefficient on tech climbs (just ask the Endless Biking crew about gearing for tech climbs). Then there's the weight you dump with the FD, shifter and ring gone. You can run a shorter chain, and have a quieter drivetrain on a 1X system. Having been on said 8hr ride epics up Windy Pass, I can say you better manage HR spikes if you just push a lil instead of grinding the granny. Keep your BMI in the right category and your bike sub 28 and you'll find the granny to be a thing of your climbing past.

He does make some valid points though. Again, I would like to see rear shots of the bike on the 42T cog and the 10T cog, so I can see the chainline.

I hate my 3x9 chainline. Middle ring lines up somewhere in the middle of the cluster. There's so much deflection when on the big cog/middle ring I've unshipped the chain pedaling half revolution backward to position cranks in tech sections.
PITA……
Bet the CR on 1x11 is aligned more toward the larger cogs in cluster 'cause IMM it would seem easier for the chain to deflect from the smaller cogs than would be to deflect from the larger ones.

Seb, How fast can you dump gears for sudden short steep climbs? Instead of 1 front shift, you'll have to send the chain way up the cassette in a hurry. Did this bug you at all?

I have a 22 tooth granny and 36 big ring up front with 36-11 in the back. I use my smallest gear often going up and I'm cranking on my biggest gear going down often as well. I really, really would love to go for a single ring up front, but the range doesn't quite cover things yet. I'll be keeping an eye on how things develop. Once the prices drop I may be willing to suck it up and go for it anyways.

Internal gears are much more complex, heavier and have too much internal friction. Never used one since the Sturmey Archer three and five speed days with a stick shift no less, but some say Rohloff hubs don't shift as well as a derailleur. If Rohloff hubs are so good why don't we see them being used more? Same with that two speed Truvativ Hammerschmitt?

It is impossible to make an internal geared system that has the same "gear friction" as a derailleur system. And if derailleurs are such old technology, why are they the predominant system?

Tell me this. When your Rohloff gears wear out, how easy and cheap is it to replace the gears? The chain drive and cogs will still wear out although I do think that one would get more use before needing to replace them.

I do think that the Rohloff is well suited to certain riding styles and the product is cool and has value.

I've had this exact problem in my workshop last week

customer with 2 year old commuting bike with Shimano Nexus hub gear (7 speed?) "slipping" in all gears. we send it back to Shimano, hub has "worn out" we are told (I think their tech said the internal clutch plates..)

This hub has been discontinued, he is now looking at GBP£300+ for new rear wheel with Shimano Alfine hub and Alfine gear shifter pod, about 1/3rd the price of his entire bike….

derailleur gear transmissions have their problems, but they are much easier to replace when worn or broken?

Keep your BMI in the right category and your bike sub 28 and you'll find the granny to be a thing of your climbing past.

Well, there goes that plan (x2)!