Is this the end of the front derailleur?

[bikedoc]

people survived with one gear so no one really needs more than that. Like more yes but do you need more?

[totoboa]

No this is not the end of the front derailleur?

Or, no we do not change gear to allow a change in cadence?

I was responding in as few words as possible directly to the subject of the post.

I think one of the glyphs from the Mayan calendar was misinterpreted, and it was meant to show a single chainring. Instead, the Edumacated ones translated it to mean the earth's magnetic field.

[ghisallo2003]

Thanks Toto,
I thought that was probably it. I was getting worried that I had been doing it wrong in using my gears to modify my cadence for the last 20 years. I might as well join the Mayans if that were the case.

[RussellS]

I think 90% of people could do without a front derailleur right now.

Agree 100%. I happily ride with my 42 inner chainring and 12-23 or 13-23 cassette. 30 mph is easy with the high gear and I haven't met any hills I coud not climb with the low gears. I also have a couple single speeds that get me up the hills and into the headwinds just fine. Rode the single speed 140 miles in a day out to the start of RAGBRAI. Then the next seven days across Iowa. Few hills on that route. One gear worked fine.

[tommasini]

I think 90% of people could do without a front derailleur right now.

Really? Even with my 53/39 front and 26/11 cassette I frequently do not have enough range on either end during the same ride. Especially this time of year, doing base and trying to stay in a steady zone 2 my cadence will drop to the 50s in my 39/26 while climbing a big hill when I'd prefer it near 80. Then bombing down in my 53/11 I'm spinning over 110. I know not everyone lives in hilly terrain but lots of people go out of their way to ride hills. Even riding in Florida where it was dead flat I had the pleasure of riding 30+ miles into a 30 mph head wind and then made the return with the tail wind. So even used the extreme ends of my 20 speed gearing there. Related to Ghisallo's post, I find my heart rate to have some correlation with cadence even while maintaining a steady power, so I watch my cadence during base.

On the road I guess I'm in the 10%............and my guess so will be about 3/4 of serious roadies such as ProudDaddy (most of whom appreciate a closely spaced rear cassette / who challenge themselves via varieties of terrain and distance) will also be in that 10%

Yes it could make sense for cross which has a limited speed profile.....but gosh don't suggest on the road unless you commute / tool around on only on flatish roads.

[Arky]

I don't get this. Why not go back to 2X6 if this is acceptable?

[r_mutt]

I think 90% of people could do without a front derailleur right now.

if you live somewhere absolutely flat. that's not going to work if you have to do some climbing.

[Raxel]

I just checked how much grams the 1X11 drivetrain saves:


X-horizon RD: 220 grams
10-42 cassette: 260 grams
Single crank: 650grams (BB30)
Total 1130 grams


Compare them to these:
Red RD: 145 grams
Red FD: 70 grams
11-26 Red cassette: 147g
XX Double crank: 694 grams (BB30)
Front shifter, wires: ~100grams
Total 1156 grams


So XX1 saves only 26 grams over XX-red hybrid drivetrain, and I don't think it's worth anything.

[Franklin]

Check this out:http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/bikes-and-tech/spotted-prototype-sram-cyclocross-single-chainring_269580.

Single chainring up front on a CX bike, without anything to keep the chain in place. Is this a sign of things to come and will we be seeing the SRAM 1x11 setup on a road bike soon?

AFAIK this is old hat. Single chainring up front has been here for years. So no, I doubt this will change a thing.