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The time for compromises is over. When Sram presented the first pure single drivetrain in 2012 with the XX1, you still had to be pretty limited. The first 1x11 drivetrains from the US company with a range of just 420 per cent (382 per cent for Shimano) offered either a heavy gear for fast gravel descents or a light climbing gear for steep climbs. Touring riders in particular therefore remained loyal to the tried and tested shifting systems with two or three chainrings and a significantly wider gear range for a long time. However, those who did not want to compromise on the gear spread were never able to enjoy the benefits of a single gear system. By eliminating the front derailleur, the remaining chainrings and the left-hand gear lever, you save around 300 grams of weight. A bike with a single drivetrain also looks much tidier. Accidental cross-shifting, annoying chain jams on the crank and frequently jumping chains are a thing of the past with single drivetrains.
However, the purist drives only experienced their real breakthrough when Sram with its Eagle technology introduced the twelfth sprocket on the cassette. Since then, the many advantages of single-speed drivetrains have been accompanied by an acceptable range of 500 per cent. This summer, finally Shimano adds a twelfth sprocket to its XT and SLX groupsets donated. With the more affordable groupsets from Sram and Shimano, the triumph of 1x12 drivetrains is finally complete. If you still can't cope with 500 or 510 per cent bandwidth, Shimano still offers the option of installing a 2x12 version. This then offers a bandwidth of 623 per cent. Switching to the current twelve-fold standard has never been more attractive than it is now. In the first part of our 2020 BIKE Screwdriver series, we show you what to look out for when converting your bike.
Converting Shimano XT gears to 12-speed: the video guide
You have to pay attention to this when converting to 12-speed:
If you want to equip your old mountain bike with a new twelve-speed drivetrain, you should pay particular attention to the following problem areas.
The Rose online shop does not offer complete 12-speed groupsets, but does offer the individual parts at extremely favourable prices:
