Everything You Need To Know About 1x, 2x & 3x Cranksets

When choosing a bike, there are so many options available, even down to choosing your gearing. You can get 1x, 2x, 3x cranksets which each offer different gear ratios and therefore riding experiences. If you’re unsure about which type of chainset is best for you or just want to know more about different drivetrain set-ups then this is the video for you!

0:00 Intro
0:21 What Are Gear Ratios?
2:08 Choosing Your Gear Ratios
2:44 3x Chainset
4:46 2x Chainset
6:55 1x Chainring
9:27 Summary

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Do you ride a 1x, 2x or 3x and which do you think is best? Let us know in the comments below! 💬

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[gcntech]

Do you ride a 1x, 2x or 3x and which do you think is best?

[johnbailey]

You forget about cycle tourists, who ride over a variety of terrain and with various different loads. A 3x chainring gives a much wider range of gears than the best single ring. My old MTB has a triple and has a 6:1 range between top gear and "granny" gear. So whether you are speeding on the flat with no luggage, or crawling up a steep hill with 20kg of luggage you can find an appropriate gear. The best range that you can get from a single (10-51 cassette) is 5.1 to one, but most are far less than that.

[michaelhayward]

Tried a 2 x.
Went back to a 3 x 9.
Cant beat it for all situation ridng for old Clydesdale 60+ y/o's like me.
A 22 granny gear used less than 5% but oh so useful when i want it.
32T middle cog can be used with all 9 cassette sprockets, ideally only 7 for the majority of ridng, and a 44T large front for long flats and. descents with the top 4-5 high gears.
Rear cassette is now an 11-34 on an older Surly.
Magic

[speedpower]

This is unpopular because 3x has fallen out of fashion, but for me it's still the best option. For road riding in my area with extremely varied terrain, 2x doesn't have quite enough range, even with a compact and 11-32 cassette I find myself wanting a higher and lower gear, without increasing the gaps between gears.

[JimKJeffries]

I was running a 3x, grinding through tons of chains & rear cassettes. Then I changed the rear to a rohloff & the front to a schlumpf drive; huge range, evenly spaced, one chain lasts an incredibly long time, smooth shifting, great low and high end, doesn't freeze in place....love it.
I live off my bike, so having a planetary gear in oil and one in grease, both sealed, has just been brilliant.

[jimilongtube]

I’ve just done 2 weeks in the alps on a 1x42 with a 10-33 SRAM Red AXS on my road bike. Getting near the same ratios as my old double compact 11-28 I had no problems what so ever and the advantage of a lighter setup for the mountains, I haven’t looked back! Most people can’t get their head around it…and that’s the mindset that will most likely stop most people from converting to a 1x setup.

[mrxua]

I use 3x on both bikes, and use all 3 chainrings every ride pretty much.

[joelungaidon]

3x with a 40/30/22 and 11-34. More than I'll probably ever need but I like having options depending on terrain and riding mood

As for the duplicate ratios what I can say is: map those ratios out. Learn how to shift to maximise both cassette and chainrings without crosschaining

[kpsig]

I am now converting an old MTB, from V Brakes to mech disks and a proper front carbon fork instead of the suspension one. It has 3x9 XT all around, which I will keep and enter local CX races. It works like a charm and I do not care spending the money for a 1x conversion, neither do I expect that such a change would offer me a lot in performance.

[rangersmith]

When I began serious riding over 40 years ago, there were not many 3X options. Ten years later there were tons, mostly on mountain bikes. Another ten years, and there were fewer again. I own a 2001 model "hybrid" and a 2022 model "endurance" bike with 3X, but I rarely use the smallest ring. My more serious road bikes are 2X, and my e-bike is 1X. All have their places.

[zipp]

Not sure 1x is lighter. The big range cassettes are extremly heavy and expensive. With the same budget, you can build a much lighter 2x setup, with more range and smaller steps

[billmccaffrey]

I just went through this analysis last week when buying a new gravel bike (2X vs 1X both by 11x). The bike I was purchasing was a Trek Checkpoint. For Treks std configurations for each, 1X or 2X, it was a trade off of top end speed vs low end speed. The 1X setup would be quite as fast as the 2X, but had slightly better climbing gears. So I had to make a choice based on the type of riding I thought I was more likely to do and went with the 2X.

[steve]

I love shifting my triple chain ring set. It takes less time to get through from high to low, I don't have to spend more time pedaling slower so my chain can move to the next gear.

[markvincentcocjin]

3X is the best way to keep your rear wheel lighter while having a wide range of gears.

The best riding quality of any bike is to have the center of gravity at the bottom bracket. Even more important than the overall bicycle weight.

[antontejada]

I switched from a 1x 42T to a 2x 46/30 on my gravel bike and I've never been happier. I am able to tackle the same uphill areas easier with the 30T crank. Never going back to 1x as I have more options on the 2x especially on gravel roads. Better set-up for me.

[davebarrett]

Started cycling (again) 2 years ago, and bought a hybrid with a 3 x 8. I found I hardly ever used the smallest ring, and spent 95% + in the middle ring - we have some over 20% hills around here (Dundee) and I still never found a need for the smallest ring. Ended up replacing the middle ring twice in 10k miles. Recently swapped to an endurace with 2 x 11, and I find myself using both rings a lot more, but at times wishing I had a smaller gear!

[jasonmcgrody]

The 3x crankset really is fantastic for newer cyclists or cyclists with lower power outputs. The ratios can get crazy low. It can be very frustrating for beginner cyclists (and, really, any cyclist) having to mash in a lower gear to get anywhere up a hill.

[kovie]

If I was much younger, fitter, stronger and lighter then a 2x would be the obvious choice for me. But since I'm not, I prefer the range that a 3x offers, basically all the gear ratios I'm ever likely to need with a 12-23 10 speed cassette. And if I'm tackling lots of steep climbs, I can always swap it for a 12-30 and I'm good.

The additional weight is of no concern to me especially given that losing weight would way more than offset this. Chain rubbing is a non-issue as I've got the front derailleur situated perfectly (took me many hours to get it just right when I fight built up the bike, but like a proper bike fit it was worth it and never has to be repeated). And I always have the right gear for whatever condition I face and cadence range I prefer.

Now younger, fitter, stronger and lighter riders who don't bikepack obviously don't need a 3x and maybe not even a 2x. But that ain't me, and a whole lot of riders. There's a bike for everyone, the magic of cycling.

[pipolchamp]

1x for mtb and gravel, 2x for road, 3x for touring/bikepacking

[slicbigdaddy]

I like my three x setup. It has 50x38x30 all alloy cranks and 9 x 40t cassette. Where I live the trail are long graduated inclines and nice down hills so I can get up on the 50t crank ring. The 30 crank ring enables me to come steep hills. Say what you want about the 3 crankset but with the multiple elevation decline and level sections gives me the perfect setup.