Hey guys!
If I would be doing a stupid thing, just tell me :D.
I am currently in the process of buying my first gravel and I've landed on this Giant Revolt 0. My friend works with Giant so he gave me a pretty good price on this one, so it got me thinking hard. Overall I like it, the specs are great for that price imo, it offers up to 53mm tire clearance, which is a deal breaker for me, as most of the bikes in this price range usually offer 45mm (some do 50mm, but that is rare) and I really like how it looks. The only thing I am having trouble with is the 2by system, as I really wanted a 1by, but I figured that I might try 2by at first and if I don't like it, I might change it.
So here comes the question, based on the specs on the second picture, is it possible to convert it to a 1by? What would I need to buy? How much would it approximately cost? And is it even worth it to make this kind of investment in this price range? Or should I just look for a bike with 1by in the first place. The thing is, apart from maybe Canyon Grizl 6, I couldn't find anything similar and I really like this one.
I might even like the 2by and in the end, won't need to change anything, but I just like 1by for it's simplicity and everyone I've talked to prefers 1by over a 2by.
Thank you very much!!
by hromnik1
5 Comments
This may be a hot take but if you want a 1x just buy a MTB, 2×12 should be more than enough for almost any thing you could ride.
Converting a bike from 2x to 1x is not going to be cheap because you need to change crankset (or adapt something), cassette, probably chain and maybe the real derailleur or an adaptor too.
I was talking to a friend about this and sent me this video, its kinda old but maybe could help you:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBSrw6xoIMw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBSrw6xoIMw)
Easy conversion, you’ll just end up spending extra money. I’d live with the 2x while. You’ll get used to the shifting patterns on 2x, it not rocket science.
My wife has a Orbea Terra bike and she couldn’t stand the 2x. Took it to a LBS, quoted $300 but actual cost was $200. I wish I could give you more details but couldn’t find the receipt stating what they changed.
We could simply swap our groupsets 😁😁
Grx820 1by looking for 2by^^
You say you really wanted 1x but my question to you is, why? Do you have a thought out reason for wanting 1x or is it just marketing and/or peer habits which shape your preference? I’m not saying 1x is bad, just questioning how you arrived at the conclusion that it’s good (for you) beyond what you already stated. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of benefits of 1x imho, although most don’t apply to a gravel bike (for me).
If 1x is what you really want and you plan on modifying the bike later, then you should just include that in the price of the bike off the bat, and suddenly it’s not such a great deal anymore. What it will cost will ultimately depend on what you buy and when.. lots of 1×11 groups have a decent price at the moment as 1×12 stuff is pushing it aside. Personally, my position is that it’s a waste of money to buy a groupset after the fact for any bike unless your ideal groupset simply doesn’t exist… it’s always going to be more cost effective to buy a bike that is already built up with the parts you want rather than adding them later due to oem pricing and economy of scale (unless you get lucky and score some grey market group or grab someone else’s take-offs or whatever). Best to buy the bike you want, unless you have very specific preferences and that isn’t really an option.
I prefer 2x, personally. Unless it’s a dedicated off-road bike… I’ll take 1x on a MTB every time. I’m not saying 2x is better but I certainly don’t think it’s worse on a road bike and I still consider most “gravel bikes” as road bikes. You hear that “simplicity” argument a lot.. I don’t find a front derailleur all that difficult to use so that argument in favor of 1x doesn’t track for me. The only complexity inherent in a 2x front build is the setup itself because manufacturers made it more difficult than it needs to be while claiming they were making it better. but once you have it dialed in, it’s not more or less simple in function (just don’t shift under load, anticipate shifts before hand).
Anyway, the tl;dr take, if you want a 1x then just get a 1x and ignore any good deals that cross your path that don’t meet that need.