At Interbike 2011people kept telling us 1x wouldn't really ever happen for MTBikers. Everybody had different logic, but they agreed it was implausible that 1x systems would be widely adopted.
We've seen how that is turning out.
Roadie 1x systems
We did find some people to listen, and agree, but suggesting 1x for road bikes or anything other than MTBs was a bridge too far for everybody I talked to.
Then in 2013 there was the first 1x production road bike. Now, all of the sudden this year, we're seeing all sorts of developments in that area. Foundry Cycles is now offering a CC bike with SRAM's new CX1 system. So the second largest drivetrain player has a 1x road based system available, and it's already being spec'd as OEM.
Then in 2013 there was the first 1x production road bike. Now, all of the sudden this year, we're seeing all sorts of developments in that area. Foundry Cycles is now offering a CC bike with SRAM's new CX1 system. So the second largest drivetrain player has a 1x road based system available, and it's already being spec'd as OEM.
One of the reasons often cited by doubters is that road bikers would never accept the gaps between gears necessary to run 1x on road bikes. But then Tony Martins just won the only Time Trial in the TDF this year, and he did so on an 11-32 SRAM cassette. Two or three years ago, that was a MTB cassette. That's unusually large spread for road bikers, and almost on par with what's needed to run 1x. Tony, I guess we should say Mr. Martins, is a TT specialist, a discipline where gearing and cadence are fundamental, so he's maybe a touch ahead of the curve with this progressive setup.