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I'm wanting to build a new road bike and now I'm convinced over the merits of a wide range 1 X 11 set up from doing some longer/hillier rides on my cross bike, I'm trying to figure out how to do it electronically on a road bike .
I thought going 1 X 11 on Etap with a wifli derailleur would work but that just goes up to 32t . I don't think a goat link and an mtb cassette works due to different spacing. I assume that the same goes for running a di2 XTr derailleur with di2 dura ace because of different spacings again.
Surely there must be a workable solution to running wide range cassettes with electronic shifting on a road bike?
I am sure I saw a Cannondale Slate which was 1x using an xtr di2 mech. Don't have any details I afraid, but from memory that is what he had done
Edit: Here is an example
Dura-Ace or Ultegra Di2 levers with XTR or XT rear mech works fine. I know a chap running this set up on his Ridley cross bike with no issues.
The Ultegra RX clutch mech in medium cage will take a 36 no problem.
Surely a lot of the point of electronic shifting is the near instant front shifts? If your already carrying the weight of the battery anyway and the 'complexity' of electronics is a front mech and chainring not actually lighter and wider range?
The jumps in my 11-28 alps cassette annoy me, a cassette to allow a single ring up front would be horrible on the road wouldn’t it? It doesn’t seem to matter so much off road as cadence is rarely steady anyway.
1x12 eTap Eagle is on the way, if the rumours are true! Makes a lot of sense IMO.
https://road.cc/content/tech-news/237568-sram-etap-1x12-groupset-coming-year
For it to give adequate range surely you're looking for a cassette that goes up to 40 or 42 teeth, with say a 42t chainring, assuming overall range is the goal then you'd ideally want to be using something with a 10t sprocket, which at present means MTB cassettes and mechs, right this minute that would probably tie you to XD...
In terms of range it would be a bit like having a current compact with an 11-32 cassette (like a pretty standard mid-range 105 equipped bike) minus the highest two or three ratios and far bigger jumps...
As others have noted though, this will inevitably be a steppy sort of drivetrain for the road, the narrower the range you can use the smaller the steps if course, but where do you want to compromise? Climbing, or on descents/flats?
1x for road bikes is coming I reckon, but the question is just how versatile will such bikes be?
You could use a di2 roadie shifter with a di2 MTB rear mech and attach it to a SRAM 10-42 cassette. I'm doing the same but using cable shifting and a tanpan and it's great. Mostly using a 38t chainring but I have a 42t as well if I decide the 38t isn't enough for a 'proper' road ride.
I’ve been using 1x11 on my fast road bike for over five years.
cassette is either an 11-32 or 11-40 xtr depending where I’m riding.
Where I live ( the alps, for the moment ) 11-40 is great with a 46 front ring for most things. I’m faster over the terrain I’ve ridden than on my Synapse with 11-28 / 50/34 compact, in fact I hate that bike more each time I use it.
Anyway. I also have a pickenflick with ultegra / xtr Di2 system with a 11/40 cassette and 38 front ring.
nice system but I don’t like ultegra levers/ hoods. I’ll probably change to sram force and go back to non electronic on this bike.