Introduced by SRAM in 2012 for their top-end 1x11 mountain bike drivetrains, one-by (usually referred to as 1x) groupsets are growing in popularity for all types of bicycle, including road, hybrid and electric bikes.
1x drivetrains are now available in a growing range of iterations including 1x9, 1x10, 1x11 and 1x12, and not just from SRAM but from Shimano too. For all these variations, every 1x transmission offers the following benefits.
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- Thanks to its wide range cassette (typically 11-42 going up to 11-50t) you get a massive spread of gears to suit near-any terrain in a simplified format comprising a single shifter, a single gear mech and a single chainring
- Doing away with the front derailleur, the LH shifter and one or two chainrings means less weight, less complication and less to go wrong
- The 1x transmission results in less wear to chains and cassettes meaning buying less replacement bi cycle chains
- With a single lever, gear shifting becomes immediately more straightforward
- No more 'double shifting' to get in the right gear
- No more 'trimming' the front mech to prevent chain rub
- The beginner will be spared learning what they have to push or pull on each lever to get into a lower or higher gear
- Even experienced cyclists appreciate the simplicity of being able to select a lower or higher gear from a single shifter
- The 1x chainring features alternating thick/thin teeth, which mesh more accurately with the corresponding wide space between the chain's outer links and the narrower space between the chain's inner links
- The fat/thin chainring helps eliminate the possibility of a dropped chain as does the rear mech's chain stabilising switch or clutch