1x Vs 2x Groupsets: Which Is Best For Your Gravel Bike?

Gravel riding is a new and exciting discipline that continues to be a focus for innovation in the bike industry. It’s often said that less is more, that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, so is one chainring enough? Si takes a look at whether a single or double chainring setup is best for the type of cycling you do and dives into the gear ratios to help explain.

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[ZOB]

If I’m going to be using it off road exclusively, I’d go 1x. If I plan on splitting it between road and gravel, I’d go 2x.

[donald-parker]

"These days I tend to stop pedaling around 60km/hr". I think if I ever hit 60 km/hr I would have a heart attack.

[burkeculligan]

They're both great. Ride the one you got. Both setups will take you on amazing adventures. Ride so much either your chainrings or cassettes need replacing -- then decide if it's to switch from one to the other.

[reddevil]

Sy is the absolute goat at bike presenting. ❤️

[ademarnunesjr]

Great video guys. My reason for 1x: I don't race anymore and I don't compete with my friends, therefore I haven't needed close ratio gears; I don't need to be shifting all the time; I'm especially not a fan of shifting between front sprockets; I like riding fat tires; 1x is all I've had for the past year now and it has suited my style perfectly.

[MrEMann]

Lol. They guy walking easily up the hill, past the guy struggling on his bike, just about sums up my life.

[michaelo]

I always use my Gravelbike on Gravel AND Tarmac. I think that's what makes a gravelbike so special. That's why the 2x11 GRX is fantastic for me. In difficult off-road terrain a mountain bike is more suitable in my opinion.

[rgirardic]

Nice comparison - because I spend about 70% of my cycling time on road, 30% on gravel, I chose the 2X. The GRX components are great.

[noodlesatf]

I initially went with 1x on my gravel bike because it got me the low end grunt I needed. This was a few years ago, when 2x meant 34x32 was as low as you could go, and there is a 1.6Km 16% climb on a favorite route that I barely make it up with my 42/10-42 1x setup. Now that 2x gravel bikes don't mean making do with road drivetrains, I'd probably make a different choice today. I really miss having the top end, and the paved sections always make me feel like I'm caught between cogs. I can't complain with how absolutely bulletproof a 1x setup is, though. It's nice having the reliability of a drivetrain like my mountain bikes on the washboarded country roads I frequent.

Gravel was also the gateway to road biking for this mountain biker, and I've seen it work the other way around. Not enough people talk about how these do it all bikes wind up expanding riders into different disciplines.

[oftankoftan]

1x is worse for backpedaling, they say. I've never noticed it.
Though what I like about the 2x setup is the "get out of jail" card. If you have to do a sudden stop (maybe because there's a car coming at an intersection), going into a lower gear means you have to do several shifts with the shift cable tightening, and that means the rear derailleur have to work harder against it's own spring, thus you can't really shift under a lot of load and the acceleration from that sudden stop will be sluggish.
If you have a 2x you can just pop into the smaller chain ring, and the shift can be done under a higher load.

[jenniferuttley]

I was very much a road cyclist only until I spent some time in Tuscany in the early 90s. I was "forced" to join a group of MTB riders for a few days, so I bought one myself and got hooked! In those days it was 3x7 Shimano XT - brilliant, the number of gears and those crawler gears really needed. I then designed a so-called gravel bike with XTR centrepulls on a road frame, allowing me to put seriously wider tyres and tubulars (cyclocross) while using 700 wheels. I set it up with 2x8 which limited the gearing (clutch gears not being available).

Gave away My mTBs - a mistake. Now, spending 4 months in the mountains each year I soon found that my "allround" bike had limitations. This led to me reverting to 3x8 Shimano XT. Still a compromise, so I have just bought a Storck Gravel Bike, all carbon, 8kg and offers a good position, something many riders ignore. Manoeuvrable, great frame for climbing and road work where it is very slick. The Ultegra changing (2x11) is quick, positive and it suits me!
Tyre choice is often the most important factor. I have been experimenting with newer tyre types like the Schwalbe range, Continental Gravel King etc and they transform any bike on stony tracks.

The best tyres were the tubular cyclocross, but are pricey, and you will get punctures! Have also used Conntinental 4000 - amazingly capable if I am too lazy to change tyres!

The Schwalbe 700/32 are a revelation in bends and ability to hold the line, Gravelking 700/35 have exceptional traction, so for me, tyres, lightweight and the right gearing wins - but as always in cycling there is a choice.
One last point, my cycling started with English hand-made frames, like Woodrup or Ellis Briggs - Campy changing was superb, gears a little restricted! My first Alpine experience was on 51/45- 13-24 - hard work!

[nhk]

I live in a fairly flat area, so my next build will be a 1x. Simplicity, aesthetic, less maintenance are all key its future use as a commuter and occasional off road gravel adventures!

[kenmoum]

I'm old, and I really, really want a low gear that goes below 1 to 1. Although my current gravel bike is a 2x with a compact 50/34 and a 11-36 cassette, I do run into hills that I can't climb in the saddle. And standing up just isn't an option for me at age 72 with a somewhat limited aerobic capacity.


What I want to do is switch to a 46/30 chainset. I'll get to it. One of these days

[mulletclub]

46/30 & 11-32. Love being able to "dump" between 46 and 30 if I get caught out with a sudden climb on an unknown trail.

[tomzverbo]

This is quite old topic, however I watched this video now just to assure myself I choose right. I own 1by Canyon gravel bike and I love it after 2500 km I drove last year. I love the simplicity in all ways - aesthetic is wonderful, simple clean design; changing gears is awesome simple, as you said, you don't want to spend your life changing gears :). Last but not least cleaning and service is unspeakable simple. So this was my choice :). Of course there are compromises, but I can live with them. A little thing about saving grams - you probably don't save any grams with 1by, because of weight increase thanks to bigger and heavier cassette within 1by setup. Have wonderful kilometres!

[PhilSnider]

1x forever!! When I got my first geared bike back in 95 when I was 12 years old I hated the front derailleur. Even then I thought why dont they just put more gears in the back and just have one up front. Needless to say I was ecstatic when 1x setups came out. This left leg amputee has all the gearing needed with a 36t chainring and a 10-46 cassette

[klg]

2x means you can change down the chainrings quickly for sudden uphills.
Its really handy

[nooranik]

I used to look down on gravel riding at Roadies who wanted to ride MTB but didn't want to actually get flat bars. However, I demoed a giant Revolt carbon on my favorite trails yesterday and I'm sold. Gravel and MTB are totally different experiences on the same trail. One is about going as fast and as hard as possible, one is about being as precise smooth as possible. Needless to say I spent the whole demo day on a gravel bike and now looking to buy one. I'll probably go with a 2x.

[willian.direction]

1x for my MTB 2x for my Gravel. Would love to be able to afford that Orbea it looks great.

[christianfricke]

I will stay with the 2x set, I am not seeing myself hiking up any steep off-road sections anytime soon, but I am seeing my cross bike becoming the one-does-it-all bike in the future ... so hooray for 2x.