Is Your Drivetrain 1x or 2x on Your Drop Bar Bike?

Gravel bike, monster cross, bikepacking rig–whatever you want to call it, they all have one thing in common: drop bars. Some riders build them up for speed, and others for simplicity. Drop bars are the obvious choice for these bikes, while dropper posts, tires, and gearing is a bit more complicated.

One-by drivetrains have the obvious advantage of simplicity and are often enough gearing for many folks. Two-by drivetrains however have the upper hand when it comes to maintaining higher speeds with more range and a wider gear selection.

Tell us why you have your drop bar drivetrain set up the way you do in the comments below.

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11 Comments

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samhande Oregon // 2024
Jan 21, 2024

Had a 2x checkpoint. Now a 1x giant revolt X. 1x provided me with a bigger range (mullet) and better shifting. Just like my mountain bike vs road bike, 1x is simpler, less to maintain and wider gearing.

2 reply

Sam James British Columbia // 2018
Jan 22, 2024

I ditched front derailleurs more than a decade ago and have no desire to change that, drop bars or flat.

jeby Italy // 2024
Jan 22, 2024

Yeah, want to go derailleurs-less ASAP, just can't find what I'm looking for. I also want to ditch chain for belt (I own a bike with Gates Carbon belt and it is AMAZING), but so far the option for brifters and IGH are not great.

0 reply

Marc Issaquah 2014
Jan 21, 2024

2x allows me to ride up steep singletrack too, sometimes 20% or steeper hills and also have the ability to ride flat or descending gravel with a big chainring on long gravel routes. You just can’t do both on a 1x system, which I have on my mountain bikes.

1 reply

Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Jan 21, 2024

I'ma doin it with a one speed automatic!

Muke Colorado // 2021
Jan 21, 2024

I'd love to go 1x on my Surly Straggler just for ease and simplicity, but I really do use the whole 2x range. In the summer there are long downhills I ride all the time in my highest gear, but in the winter there are plenty of times the snow is so heavy and chopped up I'm in the lowest granny gear cranking with everything I've got just to make forward progress. One of these days I'll just have a dedicated snow bike...

I've 2x because I could not afford the 1x :-D I've a GRX 2x 10 speeds, right now I'm mix-matching to get to a 570% range (44-28 / 11-40).

The idea is to use my gravel for adventure and range is all. My dream? a Pinion 12 smart-shift with belt drive

Paul Loeffelholz Ontario // 2015
Feb 20, 2024

I built up my gravel bike as a 1 by- with XT 11 speed . It is a flat bar bike, I tried drops and even bull horns but cant stand them . This set up allows me to take on a lot of trails while on gravel or inner city rides

Jack65 Poland // 2024
May 24, 2024

I converted Specialized Crux 2010 cyclocross bike
I bought for 300 Euro into gravel bike. Changed lousy canti brakes into mini v-brakes, bought slightly used Tiagra drivetrain for 100 Euro and sold lousy Double Crap Sram Apex for about the same. Bought used Fulcrum Racing Quattro LG wheelset for 150 Euro. Specialized Hoover Handlebar for 25 Euro, Specialized Pathfinder Pro 42C tires for 35 Euro and installed most comfy saddle I ever come across, Specialized Rival. Braking is excellent. I avoided all the hassle with hydraulic disc brakes. Crankset is lousy FSA 46x36 that will be changed to 46x30 sooner or later but for the moment it is enough. Theere is no way I would install 1x crankset in a bike that is much closer to a road bike than to my Specialized Epic hardtail. If you ride closer to 25 km/h cadence becomes a problem in 1x drivetrain. Every second sprocket is a stupid idea in a drop handlebar bike. Your cadence drops by 10 or so if you move two sprockets down. You can't have wide range and tight spacing at the same time. Campagnolo is the only company that understands the problem and their Ekar is the only well designed 1x drivetrain for gravel bike. I plan to install supension stem as that kind of bike is seriously lacking comfort off road.

Drop bar bike? No desire to own one and face the infuriated spine from being hunched over on one. Drop bars suck right out loud for rowdy and trialsy riding, both are requisite elements of my bike experinece.

-1 reply

Julio Rodriquez Tennessee // 2022
Jan 22, 2024

I run SS on my CrossCheck for town and rail trails under about 30 miles. 2X on the Preamble for all day off road riding or if I know that there is lots of climbing. Curly bars won’t replace Mountain Bikes for me but they are a fun way to spend the day occasionally and see new things

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