I've been riding my RLT a bit more lately as I recoup from a MTB injury. On my MTB I run a 1X10 drivetrain and love the clutch RD and simplicity of not having a FD. I'm wondering what my options are for a similar setup on my RLT which has Shimano 105 1X11 right now.
I ride this bike mainly on hardpack and loose gravel here in NC but occasionally I take it out on the road.
I've been out of the "bike loop" for the past year or so since the injury - I used to follow new tech pretty closely but its been a while and I know I've probably missed a lot of new stuff?
For starters, if you want to use a Shimano clutch derailleur with your existing Shimano shifters then you have to get around that the Shimano road and mountain groups no longer have the same cable pull. There's a couple of ways to get around that. One is to get the Lindarets TanPan which is a little pulley gadget that modifies the cable pull. The other is to modify the rear derailleur, like by drilling a hole in the actuation arm to change the cable pull ratio.
Thanks. I'm not married to Shimano. I'd like to try to find a way to do this without having to replace everything but if the best option is to go SRAM Rival I'd do it. I'd also do a Wolftooth ring and keep my cranks if possible. It's not that I love them but they work and if I can save some $$ on the upgrade that'd be good to.
I've got a Nine RLT Steel with SRAM Force1 w\\hydraulic brakes. It came stock on the IMBA edition I won in Dec and was delivered in Feb. It is my 1st SRAM bike as well as my 1st 1x. So far, I'm pretty impressed. It's very quiet and has shifted flawlessly. The best thing though is no dropped chains which is what has been happening a lot lately on my Ridley w/Ultegra 2x. I'm not sure of the reason yet but I'll assume part of it is the non-clutch RD. Also, I changed out the 42t ring for a 38t so it's got a pretty good low though the high is a bit lower as well.
It's a great bike - I put on some Nano 40c tires and combined w/the steel frame it is so smooth. What is peculiar is that it has a lot of toe overlap, the most of any bike I've ever had, and the front steering is very quick, almost twitchy.
I've been running 1x11 Shimao for the past few months with no chain drops riding bridleways and singletrack here in the UK.
\nI'm running an 11 speed Ultegra rear mech with RS685 hydraulic brakes/shifters and a SRAM Force 1 crankset with a thick/thin chainring. I was going to look to switch to an XTR rear mech with a TanPan but currently don't see the point.
trumpus, I've got two gravel bikes with 1x drivetrains -- one of them is an RLT9.
I think it's the ultimate setup:
FRONT: SRAM Force1 crankset with 42T chainring, easily switched out for 38T or 40T REAR: Shimano XTR Di2 rear derailleur with XT 11-42T cassette CONTROLS: Shimano R785 Di2 shifters with hydraulic disc brakes -- programmed to shift the rd from either side.
I love this 1x setup on gravel, paved roads or easy MTB trails. Plus, the Di2 shifts perfectly even when mud causes cable-actuated shifters to jam or become difficult to shift.
The setup works great on my RLT9. I'm selling that bike, but only because I had a custom titanium Lynskey built using most of the RLT9's geometry.
I run both 105 and Ultegra rear derailleurs in 1x11 setups. You can throw on a little chain guide to ease your mind if you want. Origin8 makes some cheap options that either clamp on the seat tube or sandwich between the frame and bottom bracket. K-Edge makes one that mounts directly to the FD braze-on but it's really expensive!
I'm running Force 1 on my RLT 9 Steel, and have had zero issues with it. I'm switching wheelsets between 28s and 38s for both pavement and gravel.
When I made the switch I kept my existing HY/RD brakes. I've read that in severely muddy/icy conditions the chain tends to lift off the ramps, so you may want a chainkeeper if you're often in really messy situations. The Force 1 clutch has made it through curb-hops and 5 miles of hike-a-bike at muddy Land Run with no chainslap or slipping. It just works.
Can't compare to Shimano but the clutch on the SRAM derailleurs are serious business. I really like the 1x on my SuperX as far as function but I'm not 100% sold on the gearing spread...yet. I figure it will just take some time to get used to but I'm also riding mostly road at the moment so it might be less or no issue once I start getting on dirt and gravel more with this bike...if it's around much longer.
Alternatively (to replacing lots of stuff), is there an easy way to go 1X11 with an extended range on my cassette (is this even necessary with a 105 1X11?)?
Personally on a gravel bike I still like a 2x system if you have steep, sustained climbs. I'm using a 46/30t and 11-34t. For those 13-18% pitches, some which are 200-300 yards at least, it really helps to conserve energy. It seems like around here in Norcal gravel roads are way steeper than paved ones.
If for some reason someone forced me go 1x, I'd want SRAM 10-42t since it has more gear range than Shimano 11-42t, so more top end and less spinning out.
It's not really a clutch derailleur, but Gevenalle sells beefed up derailleurs with higher tension on the spring. Pretty inexpensive, with a crash warranty. I don't know what the max tooth size is, tho...
Mudville Stomper wrote:It's not really a clutch derailleur, but Gevenalle sells beefed up derailleurs with higher tension on the spring. Pretty inexpensive, with a crash warranty. I don't know what the max tooth size is, tho...
