Benefits of a 1x Drivetrain

September 5, 2021

First off, what is a 1x drivetrain? A 1x drivetrains is comprised of a single chain ring in the front and typically 10-12 speeds on the rear cassette. For example, a bike with a single gear in the front and 12 speeds on the back is called a 1x 12. They have been featured on mountain bikes for a number of years, but innovations in derailleurs have made 1x drivetrains a fairly common feature nowadays. Despite having less gears than a 2x or 3x setup, 1x drivetrains offer nearly the same amount of range. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your bike or purchase a new one, let’s go over key benefits to a 1x drivetrain. 

Simplicity

1x drivetrains are more simple to use. Rather than shifting gears in the front and the rear, you only have to focus on changing gears in one place. This makes things easier. There’s no more worrying about cross chaining, which is when your chain is positioned diagonally across the front and rear gears. This also makes things more tidy on your handlebars, since you only have one shifter instead of two. Modern 1x drivetrains are typically 10, 11, or 12 speeds, which is plenty of gears for mountain biking and gravel bike purposes. 1x drivetrains are even coming stock on commuter bikes like the Specialized Sirrus X.

Reliability

There’s nothing worse than having your chain slip off when trying to shift gears, climbing a hill, or going through a bumpy descent. 1x drivetrains utilize a special feature in the derailleur called a clutch. This keeps tension on the chain and helps prevent it from bouncing off. This is super useful for both mountain biking and the gravel bike, but will also give you confidence that the chain is going to stay in place when commuting through the city.

Weight

1x drivetrains are typically lighter than a 2x or 3x setup. This is because there’s no front derailleur, extra chain rings, or front shifter. For some riders, weight is a concern, so a 1x drivetrain helps to cut down on precious ounces. 

Final Words

1x drivetrains are a great great way to simplify your bike, make for a smoother ride, and potentially save on some weight. The top manufactures of 1x drivetrains are SRAM and Shimano but there are low-cost options from companies like Box. If you’re planning on upgrading your bike to a 1x, there are certain things to consider like rear spacing, bottom bracket size, and minimum /maximum chain ring diameter. We recommend talking with your local bike shop before taking on this project by yourself. If you’re in the market for a new mountain bike, we highly recommend looking for one with a 1x drivetrain.

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The Best Healthy Gifts for Cyclists

December 10, 2015

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite cyclist?  Well, if you’re anything like us at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, health and fitness are gifts that you want to share with your family and friends all year round.  So why not select gifts that will help your favorite cyclist to be really motivated to continue reaching  health and fitness goals in the New Year?

Your search for the perfect holiday gifts are over!  Surprise and delight your favorite cyclists with our list of healthy holiday gifts!

Give the Gift of Nutrition
Nutrition matters.  We all know it – but that doesn’t mean we eat and drink what we know we should.  And athletes suffer from poor choices too.  The symptoms of poor nutrition rears its ugly head in many ways: via muscle cramping, struggling to complete workouts, and unsuccessful race efforts.  Eliminate all the frustration and gift your favorite cyclist with bike nutrition.  We have several options including nutritional products just for women.  Specifically, Osmo nutrition – This product is specific to women offering three options: active hydration, acute recovery, and preload hydration.  Other favorites for both men and women are Scratch Labs and Honey Stinger Products.  

Give the gift of Compression
Medical compression stockings have been used to treat poor blood flow for many years.  Recently, the technology has been made available to cyclist of all levels.  While the many claim it is difficult to prove that an immediate performance gain from wearing compression garments, many do claim that it lowers perceived muscle soreness the day after a big day on the bike and they can reduce the swelling of legs after prolonged sitting. 

Give the gift a Power Meter
Is your cyclist a data junkie?  Then, this is the ideal gift for your favorite cyclist!  The main idea behind using cycling training tools is to dial in training to optimize performance as it relates to specific goals and objectives. Our post, The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling, dives into the benefits of training with power. As for which power meter to purchase, consider our most popular one, Stages Power Meters, beginning at $1000. Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today.  Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter offered at $2000 and is a bit more sophisticated.  A third option is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

Give the Gift of a Great Fitting Bike
Gift a Bike fit –  Does your cyclist complain of hands falling asleep while riding? Or shoulder or neck pain after a long ride? A bike fit isn’t just for professional riders – they are for anyone who rides whether they are a beginner or advanced rider. A bike fit helps ensure riding comfort but it also impacts technique which is crucial to preventing overuse injuries and how an athlete rides. Consider the gift of giving your favorite cyclist a bike fit for Christmas. Not only can we help them with the fit, but we carry all the bike parts required to get the bike in the very best setup for their riding needs.  Give us a call (303) 216-1616 or stop by the shop in Golden to schedule your bike fit.

Give the Gift of Adventure
Gift a fat bike demo! That’s right! Fat bikes are all the rage.  They thrive in snow, sand, desert, bogs and mud as well as riding what is considered normal mountain biking.  In fact, fat bikes are the fastest growing segment in the bike industry.  Book a fat bike demo for your favorite cyclist that will up the giggle factor to their normal winter riding program.  Who can’t smile while riding a fat bike?

Give the Gift of Bike Parts
And last but not least, what is a cyclist dream gift?  Bike parts! As a reminder, our shop BikeParts.com offers a huge selection of road bike parts, mountain bike parts, BMX bike parts and more. If you need it for your bike, then we have it! Because we sell our bicycle parts online, we are able to help customers all over the world. In addition to bike parts, we also carry a large selection of bicycle accessories. We know bikes, and our extensive inventory includes more than 45,000 bike parts from all of the leading manufacturers including Avid, Pearl Izumi, Shimano, Rock Shox, Michelin and SRAM.  

There you have it!  See how easy it is to make your favorite cyclist smile this Christmas?  By selecting a healthy cycling gift, you help your favorite cyclist reach health and fitness goals well into the New Year. Happy Holidays and Happy Riding!

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