1x Crit Bike

[alcatraz]

I'd use any crank and mount a 1x chainring in the normal big ring position. Sizing of that ring will be crucial. You want your average speed gear to be somewhere just to the right of the cassette block.

Because you will have good chainline to the two right side thirds of the cassette block I suggest to use sram cassettes because of their tooth spacing. They are quite narrow up to 21t before they start to increase their spacing (bailout gears - poor chainline). You'll then have narrow gaps on the big ring optimal chainline.

The range won't be amazing though so again, you will carefully need to consider the size of the front chainring. Different races would maybe need different size chainrings.

Lightest 24mm cranks are shimano dura-ace 630gr, sram red gxp 580gr, fsa kforce light 24mm ~600+ gr. Get 130bcd and save some weight on the rings (1x road).

[thePrince]

I picked up an Allez DSW and built up as a 1x crit bike. Living in Austin TX, I raced 28 out of 29 possible weeks at the Driveway, which is perhaps more circuit than crit, but had fantasitc results with a SRAM Red crank + 54t SRAM 1x ring. Raced another 20ish true crits outside of Austin, including Tulsa Tough on the same 54t ring.

Crits are not road racing and you can do 95% of races on a 54t x 11-25, 4% of races on a 54t x 11-28 and Tulsa Tough day 3 (remaining 1%) on 54x 11-32. I was even able to use my short cage Red RD with the 32 by maxing out the b-tension screw for one day of racing.

If you can afford to have a road bike and crit bike, there is no reason not to do (an alum frame w/) 1x on your crit bike with 54t.

[FIJIGabe]

Has anyone used a 50T Wolftooth chain ring? I'm thinking of converting my old Madone to 1x, and was wondering if there's any real life experience with this ring, and whether it flexes as all. I've got a 38T on my CX bike, and love it, but there's a big difference between 38T and 50T.

[commendatore]

I prefer the sram rings for long term chain retention. When my road bike was broken I put a 50T on my CX bike for close to 6 weeks with no complaints.

[Marin]

Has anyone used a 50T Wolftooth chain ring? I'm thinking of converting my old Madone to 1x, and was wondering if there's any real life experience with this ring, and whether it flexes as all. I've got a 38T on my CX bike, and love it, but there's a big difference between 38T and 50T.

My 42t Wolftooth ring has been flawless. Used for gravel/allroad, not a single chain drop.

[FIJIGabe]

Same with my 38T, but I'm wondering about the 50T, since it's much further away from the bolts, without much reinforcement. I was just wondering if anyone was running it, and could provide some real-life feedback.