Can't tell enough how much I value you not being worried about the Pros. Makes your reviews much more valuable to me.

Best review of one-by drivetrains I've ever watched. Bravo! 👏👏👏

Thanks again for being so rational Dave. I look forward to trying 1x.

Another solid presentation, filled with clear facts, stats, and your expertise. Thank you.

I know three people who bought new road bikes last year. They all went for Shimano 11-34 cassettes and 2x. The first 4 sprockets on that cassette are 11,13,15,17 - So that’s an example of a 2x system where the ‘gaps’ are no smaller than in a 1x system. 2x11-34 does have more gears, but those extra gears are grouped close together at the easier end of the cassette, where the gaps in a 1x system are small anyway. The overall range of 50/34 x 11-34 is also only marginally greater than that of 44 x 10-42.

This is a very, very useful review. If you're an average or even above average rider, 1x makes a lot of sense, especially if you've decided to dabble in the gravel world. The perceived problems are simply not as important as most people think, and it's great to have one less derailleur to worry about in terms of maintenance and noise. I switched to a 1x setup this past fall, and I love it. I may never go back to a 2x.

Great points! I really like a 1x system and that is why I am now using 1x13 and 1x12 on all my bikes, road and mountain bike. I am actually designing my own gravel frame around a 1x system. Thanks for a great video.

I hope one day we'll get hub gears + belt drive that are almost as lightweight as the normal stuff - no noise and grease on the outside is a huge win IMO.

The information what you have told in this video is really worthy for people like me who are in search of 1 speed crankset in gear cycles.I love the way of how these gravel bikes work even in flat roads,roughs,terrains,offroad,etc.I was having doubt in cross chaining in these types of cycles since my search.Thanks a lot you cleared most of doubts in this single video and also gave much important and relevant information about this topic.

Love my 1x on my Gravel bike - Love your vid's mate.

Nice video. One way of establishing the exact gearing differentials is to divide the number of teeth on the chain ring (s) by the number of teeth on the cassette and multiply it by 2.7 The result gives you the length of travel per revolution of the crank. For example taking a 2 by: 52/34 with an 11/34 rear cassette for climbing very steep terrain will give you; 34/34 x 2.7 metres = 2.7 metres of travel per revolution of the crank. At the other end of the scale; 52/11 x 2.7 metres = 12.76 metres of travel per revolution of the crank. I would suggest that anyone considering a 1 by to simply go through their 1 by and each individual 2 by gearing and you will establish exactly the comparative differences. Cheers Steve

Must admit I’m one of those who try to stay at around 90 cadence until a big hill appears then it’s just get over it . In regards to the x chain I always change as and when it’s required so I don’t worry if I’m x chaining!! Great blogs BTW 👍

Thanks, David - another awesome video, and your experience adds so much credence to your arguments.

Excellent video, answers a ton of questions I’ve been debating in my head in your usual very sound and clear manner 👍👍

Great video. You nailed all the main points with confidence and clarity.

I am outraged that David says I should not think like a pro. I mean, when I am rampaging down the road at 22 kph, spitting out 140W for minutes at at time, I am practically Wout Van Aert! I kid, of course. I think the entire bike industry is wise to move away from an exclusively race-centric model of development and marketing. For all but a relatively small number of competitive amateurs and purists, wide tires, compliant seat posts, and other comfort enhancers are far more important than marginal gains in weight or aerodynamics. 1x may or may not be right for me, but if not it would have more to do with the general availability of 2x groupsets. I would have to customize a bike to even try a 1x setup, and that would mean some time and expense that might not produce any benefits. I like the simplicity it represents, just not sure there is any practical way to even experiment with it when all the bikes I would otherwise consider come with 2x setups. But would I if I could? Absolutely. I am neither a racer nor a purist, just a guy who wants a fun ride.

Nice review. Personally, I like 2x on road and 1x on mountain. I hate having to shift across 3 or 4 gears at a time on 1x to get the ratio I want. It’s so much easier on 2x to make a wider ratio change quickly. To each their own. It’s nice to have choice.

Really great video debunking some common myths and bringing a real world perspective on bike trends. I have a 1x and 2x, and you nailed all the benefits of 1x and debunked the common complaints that I have to explain to others. Next time I’ll just send this video 😂

Great vid, thanks! My first 1X12 bike is on order now. My last touring bike was 3X10, canti brakes, down-tube shifters, and tubes. I'm finally moving into the 21st century.

It’s been two years since I converted my road bike to 1x and there’s no going back. I’m delighted and maintenance has become much easier. And the myth of chains wearing much sooner is simply not true. My KMC 10 speed chain is still doing great after 11.000 kms!!!

Good honest review again. Keep the content coming.😉👍

Thanks for the video Dave, very well explained and food for thought on my new bike decisions, surprised with top end with that set up. Looking forward to your reviews on the 3T and the Revolt Advanced 0 , it would be great if you did a comparison of that two, thanks Derek

Another brilliant real world opinion David, thank you. I am fortunate to own a 2016 Giant TCX Advanced SX which I run as a one-bike solution with two sets of wheels; one set sporting 40mm gravel tyres for the winter and summer mixed surface rides and another with 28mm road tyres for the better weather months. The bike came with SRAM Apex and I recently upgraded to Shimano GRX (40T & 11/42). I absolutely love the simplicity of the 1x groupset and the smoothness of GRX over the entry level Apex has been more than worth the investment. I do sometimes miss the closer gaps between the gears of a 2x setup on fast road rides, but as a one bike does all solution would still choose 1x over 2x.

Agree with everything you said including not giving a toss about what pros do. I've been running 1x for years now and it actually used to be a bit easier years ago when you could mix-'n'-match Shimano road and MTB components. The road groupsets now are a bit better than they used to be though with 11-speed systems with bigger cassettes and compact chainsets.

Well after watching this and listening , you have helped me make my mind up ,my new bike for touring France when we are allowed is a 1x gearing , Thank, s for the excellent Advice .

I already converted my winter bike to 1x. I love it. It is very easy to clean it as well. 1x bike is lighter, therefore faster and I actually like the gaps. They give me another training opportunity and I am able to increase suddenly my muscles. And finally it is not very expensive to convert your bike. Excellent video. Thanks.

Very good review you have covered all my questions.

Great summary David. All your points are very much the same experience for me, in particular group rides. I swapped over to 1X about 3 years ago. Before I did this, I started to watch the gears I typically used in all types of riding. Once I knew that, I worked out the ratio and then established that I needed a 11-32 and a 42T 1X. Only gotcha to date has been in group rides. If you ride a 1X long enough, your legs get used to the variance, gears and cadence, however, depending on terrain , group rides may impose cadence that may not suit the group. What I found is that for flat groups rides, I need a 46T , whilst climbing 8-13%, I need a 38T. While this may be not for everyone, if you are into doing most of the maintenance on your bikes, then swapping out single chain ring now and then is no effort. I have also adopted oval chain rings as 1X (Absolute Black and Gabaruk). At the end of the day, I am having fun playing with all these gears and terrains. Isn't that's what "just ride bikes is about"

Great analysis and glad I opted for the 1x11 GRX800 groupset. Thanks for the vid David.

Great balanced detail once again. Thanks for posting.

I own a 26" Montague Paratrooper folding mountain bike. The US Army uses this bike for its silence, and because it has the ability to go anywhere without fuel. It has a 3 chainring Shimano transmission. I very rarely, if ever, use the smallest chainring, which has the shortest gears for the steepest hills. Occasionally I may use the middle ring--which seems to have nicely spaced gears--but nowadays I just use the largest outer ring. Its lowest gears are sufficient for climbing, and the bike is very fast at the top. When folded, the bike easily fits in my Hyundai Elantra's small trunk. The Montague is the best bike I ever had.

I’m sold! Been riding my road bikes 1x for a year and it’s a keeper for me!

Great review, hoping to get a gravel bike this year and was slightly worried about a 1 x set up. The review just makes sense to a casual cyclist 👍

Great video clearing up some myths. I've just bought a brand-new GRX 11x2 groupset. Couldn't get one with a single myself. But for a lot of people it'll be ideal. Love GX eagle on my hardtail.

Excellent, concise discussion of the topic. Much appreciated.

good, sensible review on this topic. Personally i think 1x11 has some slight disadvantages when riding in a (fast) group due to large jumps in candence between 12tooth and 10tooth sprocket but I'd guess this is less of an issue on 1x12 and 1x13. Another massive issue is the cost of the cassettes and weight of cassettes

I love the simplicity of 1X.

Brilliant video. You’ve sold me, as far as getting my first gravel bike is concerned.

Love that you stay in the real world and ditch the whole pros thing from your videos. I am definitely an average cycling doing it for fun and when my got my 2nd bike, a Canyon Inflite which I did a couple of small adjustments too I got my first 1x groupset. I remember people telling me before I got the bike how bad 1x is in shops :)) good I ignored them. I just love it, easy, simplistic, just a pleasure. My mtb still has 2x, is okay, I can handle it, but definitely more annoying for the rides I do. I changed to my inflite to a larger cassette and well, there is nth really I miss, easy comfy gearing that just works.

After having 5 new front mechs on my Canondale Topstone this year (Long story), I decided to give 1x a go and got a Whyte Friston, I will not be going back to 2x. None of the envisioned problems of lack of range, etc, appeared, just a great ride and no front mech to worry about.

I agree with much of your reasoning. My primary reason for preferring 2x on my all-road/gravel bike is that if I need to make a dramatic shift of gears, as when a steep grade appears unexpectedly, I can shift both front and rear and be in the gear I want in fewer clicks. In some cases this can be a safety issue, but even simply as a convenience I prefer it. And if I don’t want to shift between chainrings, modern front derailleurs have enough clearance to run through most if not all of a cassette anyway.

Completely agree about the don't worry about the pros thing! Do you, be you! I made the 1x choice on my trek road bike an I love it! Works very well for my in town riding weather it's an exercise ride or just a commute.

My maths says that 13 speed is the lowest limit for both suitable gearing and suitable jumps, although I would like to see a move away from sprockets smaller than 11t. The same study you linked noted greatly diminished efficiency for small cogs/sprockets. That's probably one way cross-chaining gets a bad rap. I would love a 13 speed 11-42 cassette.

I too live in the Cotswolds & I recently changed from a 50/34 - 11/30 to a 40 tooth front ring with wide narrow teeth & 11-36 cassette, absolutley fantastic, I have never ran out of gears flat out & gained a tiny amount up very steep hills. The lack of front deraileur has not held me back at all, its quieter, lighter & slicker looking, really recommended. I've got my bike down to 7.0 KG supersix evo high mod 58cm..woohooo! lets climb

Nice video, again! Love my BMC Roadmachine X 1x with 44 front and 11-42 back. The only problem is on some occasions, it is a bit gappy.

You’re content and presentation are fantastic great reviews thanks jaythebrick

Brill video, and well done for sticking your head above the parapet. I love 1x too.... But its not there just yet. Nearly. One of my road bikes is 1x, with a 42t ring and an 11-42 out back. Its great. BUT the gaps are an issue and the lack of top end sometimes is too, and by definition the shifting is very brutal (has to be to make those jumps). Campag have nailed it, now we need sram and shimano to make it mainstream.

Been using 1x on my MTBs for years and recently my cross/ gravel bikes are 1x. Used the gravel bike on a road sportiff with some success. 28mm tyres and 1x lead to me being in the top end most of the time which a change of chainring could have sorted. Ekar or Etap certainly have the gaps in the cassette sorted. Have got a Cervelo Caledonia on order with Force Etap. It so happens to come with a 10-36 cassette. I have a 46 tooth X Sync single ring to go on so that will be a 1x road experiment!

Think you hit the nail on the head ... I run 1x on my mtb and gravel bike that I use mostly on road and love it

Phew! I'm inching towards buying a Nukeproof Digger (comp?) as my first bike since my father's hand-me-down got nicked when I lived in London. I have test ridden the Digger and I really like the way it feels. Having had a little taste of speed (admittedly in a bike shop car park!), I had a bit of apprehension. Now I don't any more. An excellent review, dispassionately presented in the classic style of a humble cyclist. High five!

another great practical video thanks - I did a 1x conversion on my 2019 Cannondale super 6 evo which I love. Cleaned up the look and weight of the bike and perfect around hills of S Ohio.

I also have a 1x and love it, specifically a 1x10, which gives me most of the gears that I need during most rides. And for those times when it's not quite high or low enough, I pop into my big or small chainring. Yeah, I have a triple, which is basically 3 1x setups in one. No need for mammoth cogs or an 11 in the rear, I can use a tightly spaced cassette with small jumps so my cadence can stay steady, and I have bailout as well as fast gears for when I need them. Yeah, it's a bit heavier, but I'm not racing anything so I don't care. And there's absolutely no issues with the chain rubbing the other rings or derailleur, and I make sure to not cross-chain on the small and big rings, but there's no reason to so it's not an issue anyway. Perfect setup for me.

Best video on this subject I have seen!. Recently your vids and views have improved loads!!. Was never a fan before but you have changed my mind well done!!.. Nice to hear a non industry driven view you are right we are not all pro cyclists.

Great explanation. Makes total sense. I have a 2014 Trek FX 7.4 with a 3x front derailleur but 99% of the time I use the middle chainring and 9 gears in back is plenty. Plus this system is very quiet and smooth.

I’ve ridden both and currently riding 1x. I live in Colorado and 1x is working just fine for me. I like the simplicity and clean looks.

Been on a 1x road bike for almost two years. Won’t go back. Such a great ride. I started with a 48 chainring. Once i dropped that down to a 42 i find that I’m using all of my cog. Love, love, love my bike

Really value your videos. Well presented, informative and realistic. 👌

Remarkably educational. Thank you!

I got a 2x ultegra only 4 months old,brand new groupset on my road bike,,i recently converted my old trek 7.3fx hybrid with drop bars,new carbon forks from a 3x8 old skool gearing to a 1x10,42t upfront and a 11/36 cassette,,and can say i love it,so simple,for me i still got good. range and jumps aint too big,,love it that much wish i never bought the ultegra groupset now and considering selling my road bike,as my hybrid fits wider wheels plus a more relaxed seating position,as good as a gravel/endurance bike

I came to this video very skeptic and wondering what mis-information I would find... but I have to say it all makes sense! I'm still biased to a 2x simply because that's what I have, and I think it looks better... but getting rid of derailleur, without losing any practical function, definitely sounds tempting... maybe on my next gravel bike!

As you stated in the end, give it a go. Well I've got a CX bike with SRAM 1x11 and it's great for muddy CX races as there's no front mech to clog up with mud and the gaps aren't such an issue off road. I also commute on this bike and I enjoy the lower maintenance required with a 1x set up. However, on the road a 1x11 set up with an 11-42 cassette was just far too gappy for me, I do like to ride with a high cadence and I was constantly feeling like I was in the wrong gear, also the higher gear on a set up like that was too small for the road riding I do, it may be enough for others. A smaller cassette would help with the gaps but I'd lose the range which I need as I live in a hilly area. I accept that new groupsets such as Ekar address the gaps to a degree by having 13 gears but it's far too expensive right now for me, maybe when it's roughly 105 prices then I'll have a look. When it comes to road riding for now I'll stick with a 2x set up, 1x on the road to me is a solution waiting for a problem a bit like road tubeless. I'm no luddite though, I love having disc brakes on my road bike and 1x and tubeless are great for off road riding. One thing the video didn't address was that small sprockets such as 9 and 10 tooth ones are significantly less mechanically efficient than larger sprockets as the chain is wrapped so tightly, it's a shame Campagnolo went with such tiny sprockets on Ekar. Again this isn't such a problem off the road as it would be on the road on a fast ride.

Superb review for one like me looking to reenter riding and make one purchase after decades away.

Great bike footage I love the 1 by 1 system

Love 1x setups! Building up my Isaac Boson Disc with a 42 up front and a Rotor Uno 11-32 at the back. Best of both worlds! Small steps with 11 to 16 straight on and super light weight.

I have to say I was somewhat skeptical re 1x in the beginning however on completing my ekar build I appositely love it. No issues re running out of gear nor big jumps. Wife too is taken with it, she has issues in getting her head around the gears on her 2x road bike.

Classified Hub system! They do need to polish some important details but it sounds very good!

Some people might insist on sticking to the exact same cadence all the time but I think its optimal to switch up the cadence a bit. The body gets stronger when you give it a bit of variety in the workload. 85 for me is a good average but really its anywhere from 75 to 100 depending on how my legs feel and what the situation is. Going the same cadence all the time every day sounds like a good way to plateau in skill, not to mention boring! Going 1x with slightly bigger differences in gears seems like a great way to stay versatile.

I like and only use 1x on my mountain bikes but 2x GRX on my gravel bike. I was debating for a while but I’m glad I went with 2x. I’m one of those who hates the bigger gaps between the gears when riding on smooth gravel roads on on tarmac. I agree about the clean look but I find the enormous cassette ugly on a gravel bike.

I’m a huge fan of 9t cog. It allows you to run smaller chainring & so far it’s been quite durable for me. I’m using E13 Helix cassette 9-46t on all my bikes. Shifting is crisp & 9t gear never wore out or jumped on me pedaling at nearly 40mph (60kph). I actually prefer wider jump between gears so it’s perfect for me.

If you live where it's windy then you'll often cruise at 50kmh with a tailwind (thats 5-6m/s wind, which is very common where I live). Cruising at a very high cadence to keep average speed up is just not worth it. No matter how you see it a 1x will always have lower dynamic range and resolution. Of the 6 reasons, 4 of them are justifications of why 1x isn't bad, only 2 reasons are reasons why its better. Cleaner looks and quieter drivetrain is not worth it imo.

Admittedly, I've never ridden 1x. I live in a flat region and an 11-25 with 2x gives me more than enough range. I have 11-32 on the winter bike, but find even those relatively small jumps annoying on road, tending to stay in a harder gear for longer than necessary to avoid a gap. Off road is another story, and where I really see 1x working - shifting is easier and the jumps don't matter as much. All in all though, it's good to have options for different riders.

Love 1x. It's so much simpler, especially for a novice bike mechanic like me. I just built what was basically a parts bin bike for riding in the rain. I built it out with MicroSHIFT Advent 1x9 with drop bars (40T in the front 11/40 in the rear). Yes. I do occasionally notice gaps. But it's a very minor issue and, as you point out, I am not racing in the Alps. I am a middle-aged lawyer. I can spin it out; but again, that's pretty rare.

Really appreciate your thoughts on 1x! If I could get that Ekar groupset on a road bike at a price at or a little below an ultegra di2 equipped model, I would totally pull the trigger.

the 3T exploro race with the 2x grx was at the top of my list before I watched this video. I'm sold on Ekar but it's an additional $1000 over the grx

I also really like the look of 1x. It’s so clean, uncluttered, less fussy and just much nicer on the eye

"1x looks so much cleaner!" Me casually looking back from the chainring: "but what about..." "No. No. No. Nothing to see back there. Eyes forward. It's very clean looking. Very clean." 1x is functional for sure but not what I would call "clean". To each their own, it is an opinion after all.

lovely video. Found my perfect bike, the Canyon Roalite 6 (5 is fine too). It has the best of both worlds, 1X drivetrain, 46T chainring and a 10-51 cassette, and flat bars! When I found it by sheer chance I couldn't believe my eyes! (I wanted to cry) It seems to be designed by me. It almost has the speed of my 48-34T road bike (I can get up to 54Km/h or so, 11-34T cassette), and the easy gears of a MTB with the simplicity of 1X. It accepts 32mm slick tyres or more. Also it looks gorgeous. Plus it weighs 10,06Kg. Superb. Why don't we see more bikes like that?? On my road bike with a 48-34T chainring and a 11-34T cassette there are some hills on my region that I can't climb without issues, something that on my 22-30-40T 11-34T MTB with the middle 30T chainring-34T sprocket, I can climb basically almost everything, which is one tooth less than the Roadlite 6 on the 46T-51T gear so it's perfect for me

My experience of 1x has been mixed. I’ve always found 1x11 really limited - I do really feel the gaps in the cassette while on the road (interestingly, off road it doesn’t bother me). Personally, 1x11 on the road is a big no for me - it’s just too compromised. Ekar’s 1x13 though is a complete revelation. You have good enough range, and the extra two cogs fill in some of the cassette gaps to make on road riding feel so much better. Campag have done a great job on Ekar. It’s not perfect, but for me it solves the issues with 1x.

Helpful review, thanks. I agree about the rear derailleur aesthetic. I've owned top end from all three main brands, and they're all poxy looking I reckon. As are most crankets, but not my current Campy Chorus ones....

I converted my Trek Madone over to 1x for over a year but recently changed it back to 2x. I liked not having to faff about with the front mech to get trimming just right but I couldn't get the range of gears I really wanted. It was also a bit noisy in 1x which I put down to replacing the Shimano 34-50 rings with a Stronglight 42.

I much prefer the simplicity and ease of cleaning of 1x on my winter commuter, but for me, 2x on a summer bike feels more performance orientated with the closer ratios. For the winter, definitely 1x. Maybe do a video cleaning something like a 105 2x crankset after a few months of UK winter riding. So much crud inside, mashing its way round your nice clean chain!

Excellent content.. thank you

I still prefer 2x on road and gravel, you just deal with so much different gradients and surfaces (gravel) and speeds (road) that the right cadence is still important. On MTB I use 1x12 as I try not to go on the road much with it. And don't forget the spacings with 12 and 13 gears is huge in gear jumps AND to get the shifting just right.

My first road bike was 1x5. I dreamed of having 10 gears. 13 gears on a 1x sounds perfect! That dinner plate 40 cog does look wrong at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it!

I'm sold on 1x, so simple and efficient especially for MTB and gravel bikes..cheers!

I just purchased my first 1x bicycle this year. I been riding bicycles since 1970. I do notice I change gears more with a 1x vs my 2x road bicycle. I ridden my 1x over 1000 miles now so I am getting use to changing gears more.

I've recently put together a bike but the chain alignment even with the chain wheel spaced as close to the chain stay as I could get it without the chain wheel touching the chain stay was so bad that the chain would come off the chain wheel when 1st gear (a 28 tooth sprocket) was selected. The cassette is an 8 speed on an HG freewheel hub. I noticed the sprockets were the same on an 11 speed cassette, it was just the spacers between sprockets what were thinner on the 11 speed. So I removed the thicker spacers from an 8 speed cassette and replaced them with the thinner ones from the 11 speed cassette, that made the cassette about 7mm narrower. So I fitted a 7mm spacer between the rear wheel and the 28 tooth sprocket. That was enough to fix the problem with the chain alignment, so now the chain no longer comes off the chain ring in 1st or any of the 8 gears. Of course I now have to use an 11 speed shifter and chain with the newly narrowed 8 speed cassette, which is not ideal. I could just fit an unmodified 11 speed cassette and not use the first two or three sprockets but I would like to avoid that rubbish solution if I can. The bike is still a work in progress but it is in daily use.

I cycle for 50 years now, all over Europe. From curiosity I made a 1 x 9 of a good quality vintage steel bike. All good components. And 700 x 28 roadtyres. And I love it. So simple and does the job in my hilly area. Front 39, cassette 11-36. My most prefered bike and I've some carbon bikes

Awesome video !!!

I have a 1x SRAM force mechanical winter bike and 2x ultegra di2 summer bike. Thoughts on the 1x are on balance positive but not without compromise. Range is sufficient but only just, gear jumps are mostly fine but there are very rare occasions when you can't get a comfortable cadence, main benefit is the simplicity and reliability of shifting which is equivalent to electronic 2x and far superior to mechanical 2x

Upgrading my stock 2019 giant revolt advanced 2 shimano 105 to some iteration of the sram eagle and im so excited

NOT for the ROAD. It is NOT about SPEED, it is about close ratios. I run a 11-25 on the road (and YES I live in the mountains) with a compact. LOVE the close spaced gears. NOT possible with 1x.

I ride a 1,2, and even a 3x road rig, my heaviest bike is the 1x and it's fast, but you do notice the gaps, and you have to coax speed, you can't bully the drive train like you can in the 3x. 1x favors an even semi tempered cadence, whereas the 2x and 3x seem to leave more flexibility for varied cadences and better for dogfight style racing over rapidly changing road grades.

I live in a very hilly part of New England and went 1x for a season. Felt like I wasn't having as much fun spinning out while descending. That's the only reason I switched back to 2x.

I would love to try it, especially after spending weeks trying to fix my front derailleur position. I just think I would miss flipping the front derailleur every time I get to a hill. There's a tactile appeal to it somehow, and an inherent laziness of not having to frantically work up or down the casette.

I’ve ordered a 1x GRX 810 groupset for “‘my son’s” cyclocross bike. Such a pity it doesn’t come in 165mm cranks though as I have them on my other bikes and much prefer it (I ride 54 frames). My natural cadence is 70 so with the shorter cranks it allows me to spin higher cadence more easily. Bike manufacturers take note 👌

Great video. Hopefully in a few years the Classified powershift technology will be improved and trickle down in the market, so that we can put this whole debate to rest.

The gaps/range become less apparent, once you have more gears, my old commute bike was 3/9 which drove me nuts, on the commute. And now is 1/9 which is much better simpler, though do occasionally get between gears, tends to be heavy beast. My other two Gravel/MTB are 2/10 and just work to be honest, no real desire to change. This said agree with your points, I cross chain the doubles now and then doesn’t seem to worry the bike, or cause wear, it’s all logged.

I much prefer 1x . I think narrow/wide chainring teeth also help keep it quiet. Mine is silent like a belt drive!

I have sram apex, I think it’s great. Rear mech seized up if it gets dirty so remember to spray gt85 or similiar on it to keep it working smooth. I have a 40t chainring. Use it commuting and very happy with it. Ratios are great 99% of the time for me.