[Closed] 1x10 vs 1x11 - A (little) different from usual posts on this topic (I think)

It goes up to 11!

I have xt 1x11 and it simply works. So why not? All the planning about saving money could be wiped out in one OTB.

Very specifically for a dodgy right thumb I'd go SLX M7000 over SLX M8000 on both shifter and mech.

At least what Shimano say is the SLX takes significantly less pressure on both... (they do give some numbers) but I understand the cost of this easier to shift is the XT is more positive... and probably works better caked in mud... type thing.

YMMV type thing but there was a youtube review by the Polish XC guy... (sickbiker or something) where he compared them then got slated in true internet fashion for suggesting SLX might be good for your wife/girlfriend... when I think what he meant was people with smaller or weaker hands...

I currently run both 1x10 and 1x11 ... the 1x10 is on my 27.5 XC bike and where/how it's used I ended up back on a 11-36 with a 32T front... If I was racing I might want a bigger front to avoid spinning out on fire trails which might necessitate a bigger rear to compensate.  I did have it with a 40T expander... and it got taken off and I started riding it as it is and hd no reason to put it back.

The 1x11 is on my trail bike also a 27.5.... and I have a 32T on the front and 11-42 on the back...

With that 32T on the front I honestly don't feel a need for a bigger rear... perhaps with a 29er ... or if I felt I needed a bigger front..

What I did notice is chains and cassettes both cost more and chain links are mostly "single use or use at your risk" (whichever you take they go slack much faster than the 10sp ones)... this is a large part of the reason I still have the 1x10 but then I have a 2 unused chains I need to use before I run out.  (Bought at discount).... I have the play bike (kinda DJ with gears and 2 brakes) that has a Zee 1x10 so perhaps I'll consign the chain to this.

The recommended wear is also lower so its a more expensive chain more often as well.

There is also the i-Spec issue.... unless you have bar mount... if you have spec B brakes then you can buy a i-spec B shifter but do you want to?  Will your levers last or would it be better to wait and replace the levers and then go i-spec II???

Overall I honestly don't think the cost of 1x11 over 1x10 was worth it the way I did it (ending up with unused 1x)... but it is definately worth more than £2... don't forget the chain costs as well... and also the 1x10 with expander is relatively cheap to replace the 40T or 42T compared to the whole cassette.

Don't get me wrong... I wouldn't rip it off to go back to cheaper chains and links etc. but I would have chosen a different time to upgrade and probably gone i-spec II at the same time

The obvious answer is 11, an extra gear could be the difference between walking and riding up a long drag.

if it was an extra £50 then, yeah, that’s a discussion, but at the same price it’s a no brainer.

1x11 gx grip shift for the dodgy thumb. Over 4000km before it went into the spare box when I sold the frame.

1x11 of course. It's not more finikety at all. I found with 1x10 I had to make a compromise on the ratio's - either gain lower gearing at one end at the expense of higher gearing at the other meaning I would spin out on the flat, or the other way around. 1x11 gives a much better range meaning you don't need to make that compromise...especially with the SRAM set up and XD driver giving you the 10t high gear, though I happened to be replacing wheels at the same time so had the option to go XD.

11 all day

Xt 10 speed shifter had a softer action imo . 11 speed feels a lot more industrial and clunky.

Thanks all.

Interesting thoughts about not going to xt for a dodgy thumb. Will give that some thought. Having said that, it isn't a crippling issue, just occasionally gets a bit achy. Got a feeling M7000 might actually workout more expensive.

Haven't really given a switch over to sram much of a thought really, mainly because of the freehub cost that would be involved. Might price that up and see how it comes out. I could still use the SunRace with that setup as well I think. SRAM cassettes appear to be a bit piss takey for a consumable part imo.

Regarding the total costs, so far I have included cassette, mech, shifter, chain, cable and outer and links if going 11speed. Have already brought a NW chain ring and spacers. Don't think I have missed anything?

SRAM cassettes appear to be a bit piss takey for a consumable part imo.

Gx is steel so lasts a lot longer. Higher cost lower over the life

I have both 1x10 and 1x11 and prefer the 11, the set up was easier and I find the shift more positive

Ive run them all extensively (all the 10 speeds, M6000, M7000, M8000, GX, XO1, GX Eagle, X01 Eagle) and the outright best is the X01 Eagle and the second best would be M6000 in my humble opinion, based on factors like quality, reliability and price.

How long do 11 speed cassettes last?

Usually get 18 months or so out of a Shimano 9 speed, 10 speed seems to be going the same way.  Not a huge milage but it's often muddy gritstone.

I usually pay £30 quid or so for decent, non series cassettes from places like Spa.

A Sunrace 11-46 11 speed is just under twice as much, anyone have a rough comparison as to durability?

I'd be interested to give it a go now  I can get a decent  gear range, but only if running costs are the same or less.

I assume front chainring wear equals out cost wise against a double/triple?

Lol. I appear to be tumbling down the groupsets! I assume through all these a good constant to stick with is still the sunrace cassette? Think this would let me use both Shimano or sram mech/shifters without the need to buy a xd freehold?

10 speed quicklinks work on an 11 speed chain, making 11 speed cheaper, so now you have to go 11 😉

Pretty sure if you buy a shifter it'll include a cable. I've been working out prices and for lowish end stuff with a 11-46 range the price difference for me is negligible (weirdly 10spd 11-46 cassette plus cable is around the same price as an 11spd 11-46 with a shifter).

I bought a load of 10sp stuff because my wheels are 10sp, and as a roadie thought they wouldn't  fit 11sp cassettes.

when I found out that 11sp mtb cassettes  actually do fit, I then updated to 11sp. No brainer really. I wonder if 10sp might have stronger chains and being more durable, I'd still go 11sp though.

SLX 11 speed shifter has a much lighter action than the XT and XTR equivalents.

As for finiky, I hammer mine at endurance races over 7, 10, 12 & 24 hours and it's never missed a beat.

The chains last, the cassettes do too. On the main bike I've done knocking on 4000km in all sorts of conditions, don't really clean it that often and it's on its 2nd cassette and 2nd chain, changed about 1000km ago and when I checked it before the weekend there was negligible wear. M8000 XT cassette and XT / Ultegra chain

I've just bought a Stache that came with 1x10 gearing. It manages most things with 30 at the front and 11-36 out back, but not mega steep stuff. Ordered a Deore M6000 11-42 10 speed cassette and chain for £36 from bike components .de

Not fitted it yet but don't see how it can be bad! Sunrace 11-42 cassette is the same price with no chain.

Deore shifting is light, positive and just works. It is certainly a nicer actio than my XT 11 speed set up.

Usually get 18 months or so out of a Shimano 9 speed, 10 speed seems to be going the same way.  Not a huge milage but it’s often muddy gritstone.

I usually pay £30 quid or so for decent, non series cassettes from places like Spa.

My only real comparison was my last 10sp bike SRAM gear, the 2x10 and 1x10 setups did about 1500km each I think, some sloppy muddy stuff in there but mostly at the drier end of things, not much love and forgot to swap chains on one so it died early.

Swapped it out to SRAM GX which did just over 4000km in the same conditions on 3 chains (mangled one, left one too long and the other was still fine when I put it in the spares box) good longevity for me, being made mostly from steel makes a difference.

For ref though you can get a branded NX one for £52

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.SRAM-PG-1130-11-Speed-Cassette_91919.htm

and the GX for £84 now with various sunrace in the middle

So you need to get 2x the life if it's just cassette which it probably isn't far off

My SLX 11sp shifter and mech is much lighter action than two sons XT 10sp.

I'm 10 months in on 11spd chain and Sunrace cassette - starting to show signs of needing replacing, about the same as the 9sp it replaces which I generally got a year +/- out of.

FWIW, I notice the extra gear spread of the 11speed over 10.

Mrs_oab has SRAM 2x10, and that's even wider ratio and so functional. Better for touring or long days in big mountain IMO.

I've got XTR 11 speed and XT 11 speed. The action from both is pretty clunky ( or is that positive?). The XT is definitely lighter and I backed off the clutch a bit on the XTR which makes some difference. I have some old 9 speed XTR shifters on my sons bike and I can move them by telekinesis they shift so lightly!. Interesting that SLX is a lighter shifter. I do marathon races and have definitely had a sore right thumb after some of them. Might have to look at that.

With the lighter shift of slx, is it the shifter, the mech or the combination of them both that results in the lighter action?

I have 1x10 and 1x11 both with Sunrace 11-46 cassettes, XT 11 speed mechs and Zee/SLX shifters and XT 10 and 11 spd chains respectively. I built up the 1x10 as I had spare chains and shifters to use up.

In use I prefer 1x10 as the ratios suit me better (less double shifting) and it seems to stay in tune for longer.

I don't notice a difference between the Zee and SLX shifters (but am not the most subtle gear changer...) and wonder if the clutch tightness has more influence than the shifter as there seem to be wide variances in clutch tensions out of the box?

I also find the Sunrace gear ratio's far better than the Shimano 11-46 ones.

With the lighter shift of slx, is it the shifter, the mech or the combination of them both that results in the lighter action?

Its the shifter - the mechs are very hard to tell apart in function. The XT shifter has an (oddly) heavy 'thunk' to the shift. Quite unlike what you'd expect from Shimano.

Quick update:

Comments above made me decide on 11 speed so visited my LBS (Evans!) to have a little play with the various shifters.  I was amazed by how horrible XT felt in comparison to SLX and GX.  What on earth made them approve that for sale?  I mulled over the thought of a conversion to GX but the thought of have to add a XD driver to the cost (even when I found one attached to some E1900's at a bargain price on Mr Pinnicks website) has made me stick with Shimano.

Looking at various gear conversion charts has led me to a 30 tooth superstar chainring and a 11-46 cassette (sunrace) as this apparently matches the 24/36 setup I have already.  Obviously loose a couple of gears from the top end but with a bikepacking trip to the lakes in a few weeks time I figured that I would rather be on the low side.  Plus, I cannot remember the last time I got close to spinning out top gear on a fast offroad downhill.

Shifters I went for the SLX M7000 and because of tesco vouchers went for the XT mech (also cos of shiny).

Now all have to do is wait for it to be delivered and then find some time to attach it all!

Thanks for all the advice.