A Surprising Tech Choice

[Smokin Joe]

Aqua Blue Sports have opted for SRAM's 1x11 gear train for next season. It makes perfect sense for non competition use, but I'm surprised to see it in the pro ranks.

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/p...ngle-chainring-team-bike-unveiled-2018-357446

 

[StuAff]

It was announced back in September, I think the formal launch was at the Rouleur Classic today (I was there but left before the presentation), Gerard Vroomen was there as was a 3T Strada team bike. They'll make it work....or be switching frames for next year. With the various cassette options (including a 9-32) and chainring choices I doubt they'll have a problem getting a decent gearing range for most stages. A bit of adaptation for riders, and possibly some earplugs to deal with all the tut-tutting from armchair experts who forget it's not their bike....

 

[Cronorider]

As long as they can cover all the requisite gear inches, it won't be any different

 

[Smokin Joe]

A big jump between ratios, though.

It will be interesting to see what the riders have to say after a few races.

 

[MikeG]

I'll bet a bit of sponsorship money helped make up their mind about this change.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A big jump between ratios, though.

It will be interesting to see what the riders have to say after a few races.

No more than 10 gear inches jump each time. So surely that would be fine given the benefit of sequential shifting?

 

[Cronorider]

A big jump between ratios, though.

True enough. The ratios will be much wider and that could be problematic.

 

[StuAff]

The whole 'jump' thing is overstated. Most pro riders are running 11-28 for the majority of stages anyway, the days of 23 or 25 max are long gone. I did see an 11-28 cassette described as 'gappy' in ProCycling a few months back- writer would have been horrified by the 11-32 I run on the Litespeed, let alone the 11-40s at least a couple of people on here run. I don't find my cadence falling into some chasm, neither will the team. I'm pretty sure that if the Aqua Blue riders want tighter cassettes for certain stages they'll get them. The single ring (and presumably a clutch rear mech) will be an advantage for the cobbled classics, no risk of chain drop.

 

[Cronorider]

Wouldn't a classic place be the last place you would want to ride one of these? The same could be said for mountain stages. You need to be running a minimum of 52 on the front, 11 rear, to keep up on the flats and downs, and would require, given the large front ring, what, least a 38 to 40 on the rear to make it up some of the steeper than steep inclines? If they are running 11-28 with a 38 front, then with a 52 or 53 on the front they are going to need something really huge on the back to make it up some of these long climbs.

 

[StuAff]

Wouldn't a classic place be the last place you would want to ride one of these? The same could be said for mountain stages. You need to be running a minimum of 52 on the front, 11 rear, to keep up on the flats and downs, and would require, given the large front ring, what, least a 38 to 40 on the rear to make it up some of the steeper than steep inclines? If they are running 11-28 with a 38 front, then with a 52 or 53 on the front they are going to need something really huge on the back to make it up some of these long climbs.

First off, as I mentioned earlier, 3T is offering 9-32 cassettes (at least as standard, sure the mechanics will be able to tweak them) with a choice of two gear spacings. https://www.bikerumor.com/2017/08/3...t-overdrive-cassettes-shift-approach-1x-road/ 10t will likely be an option as well from 3T. As they're using SRAM's XD driver body, the SRAM 10-42 cassette is another choice. Secondly, a classic would be exactly the right place for these. Narrow/wide rings and a clutch rear mech will pretty much eliminate the risk of chain drop. See http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/i-took-a-monstercross-bike-to-the-classics-49687/ and the video version..

And 1x drivetrains aren't new in the pro peloton anyway. Tony Martin did OK in the TdF TT this year…

 

[Cronorider]

Even with a 9 on the back, a pretty big front ring will still be necessary for top end speed, so, a pretty large climbing gear will be needed on the back. Will riders be willing to put up with the wide spaced gearing? We'll see if it catches on

 

[ColinJ]

My point is that in some of the classics you will have to get off and walk up the climbs if you have a 32 on the back and 52 or 53 on the front

His point is that with a 9 on the back, you would not need a 52 or 53 on the back; a 43 would give the same top gear and the bottom gear would be equivalent to a 34/25!

 

[Cronorider]

His point is that with a 9 on the back, you would not need a 52 or 53 on the back; a 43 would give the same top gear and the bottom gear would be equivalent to a 34/25!

Quick on the math there

 

[ColinJ]

Quick on the math there

I had a calculator app handy!

 

[andrew_s]

And what will neutral service carry? 11-28?, 11-25?