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Spotted: Wide Range Shimano 1x Road Set Up from WTC and Lindarets?

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WTC Road wide range shimano goat link

When you look at this photo from the WTC Instagram account, the first thing that jumps out at you is that bright red chainring with matching GC cassette adapter. We’ve seen the WTC 110 BCD CX/Road chainring before so no big deal there, but wait – that’s a road bike with a Shimano road derailleur running a wide range cassette. How is that possible?

From the looks of it and the comments on the photo, our money is on a new version of the Goat Link from our friends at Lindarets that will allow road derailleurs to clear the big cassettes. You can clearly make out a silver link between the derailleur fixing bolt and the derailleur hanger which is most likely the missing link. If that is the case it will open up the world of wide range 1x drivetrains for CX or other purposes to a lot of riders with minimal investment. More when we have it…

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Dave
Dave
8 years ago

Looks like they didn’t want this to get noticed.

Bob
Bob
8 years ago

It stands out because somebody Photoshopped most of the color out of the photo.

Dudley
Dudley
8 years ago

I would have tried something like this already, but Shimano don’ sell a plain left brake lever that matches a right STI lever.

Colin M
8 years ago

Photoshopped? It is two black and white colored bikes, a black and white FJ Cruiser, a black and white truck in the garage, and a green pail in the background. There is no photoshop. Somebody just has a fetish with their bikes and trucks being black and white.

BTW, 1x on a road bike with Eggbeaters pedals is a sure sign this person is not a dedicated roadie.

Remi
Remi
8 years ago

@Bob – that’s not photoshopped, that’s just how the bike industry is… Black, grey, white, and carbon with a splish-splash of red.

dukmon
dukmon
8 years ago

Let’s just take a moment to enjoy the realization there is one less dedicated roadie out there.

AlanM
AlanM
8 years ago

, that is absolutely Photoshopped with reds and greens left in.

mechanic
mechanic
8 years ago

But why?

me
me
8 years ago

This is a proof that consumers are being played all this time. Monster RD were never needed from day one…but they did it anyways to generate some extra profit.

Wyatt
Wyatt
8 years ago

I think they photo shopped it to only leave the reds and greens in on purpose as an attack on the color blind. I’m offended!

Colin M
8 years ago

I guess that is photoshopped as the Fox rear shock on the Scott should not be black. I stand corrected.

Dave
Dave
8 years ago

Yes, clearly photoshopped. Kuat is not cool without it’s anodized parts.

Kerrold Fleffinger
Kerrold Fleffinger
8 years ago

@dukmon, amen brother.

Skip
8 years ago

Good grief! Who really cares if it is Photoshopped or not Photoshopped. I think the single chain ring with a huge cassette is just not a very good idea. The big hype of the 34/50 ring set as a do all double is bad enough. This setup just does not make it.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
8 years ago

Gah! 1x drivetrains are making cassettes humungous and look just as bad as Fred leaving a pie plate on. I totally get the undeniable benefits of 1x for MTB and CX, but why road?

CXisFun
CXisFun
8 years ago

Man, I can’t wait to have massive jumps in gears while climbing, that sounds like fun.

Come on, we know why SRAM went this route, they couldn’t create a front derailleur that shifted will to save their lives. On the other hand, Shimano’s front shifting is amazing, why remove it?

R0b0tAt0ms
R0b0tAt0ms
8 years ago

@ Skip – What makes you think it is a bad idea? A Commuter/CX/Fun bike with a 38 ring and a 11-40 cassette sounds pretty killer to me. The less moving parts the better I say.

Colin
Colin
8 years ago

It’s not photoshopped it’s an instagram filter, you old farts…

MaraudingWalrus
MaraudingWalrus
8 years ago

M, no doubt this person isn’t a dedicated roadie…they’ve got a scott full suspension bike with Enve’s on it in the dang photo…

Peter
Peter
8 years ago

!X is an awesome system. Having problems with gearing? Swap in a new front ring. My son is racing under 15’s and this is what we did for the gearing restrictions. At the other end with no restrictions in mtb races we decide on race gearing based on a practice lap using a 32t chainring and move up and down from there. No need for useless triples and heavy doubles with shifter and derailleur.

Before condemning something new, why not explore the advantages first.

Greg
Greg
8 years ago

@dukmon
+1

knut
knut
8 years ago

Take it easy with this dedicated roadie business. Maybe some cyclists just do the math and is realistic about gearing.

If you don’t race then probably don’t need 53-11 (or even 50-11). If you do get up to that gear care you going to push it at an optimal cadence for an extended period? So having a 40t chainring and a 11-32 cassette would give you a very similar range to a 50-34 and a 11-28 which a lot of people have. It would work for some some.

But maybe your a real roadie and need to have a Dura Ace 53-39 crank for your cafe stop.

Mr. P
8 years ago

This absolutely needs to be explored. Check out these numbers if that rear cassette goes up to 42 tooth like MTB.

Gain Ratios:

Compact with 11-25 cassette
36×25 = 2.8

Compact with 11-28 cassette
36×28 = 2.5

Single ring with 11×42 cassette
53×42 = 2.5
50×42 = 2.3

A 53t x 42t cassette is equivalent to a compact 36t x 11-28 cassette in range. That is pretty compelling.

P

hjb
hjb
8 years ago

The Goat Link is what allows the greater cassette size- it just lowers the derailleur location relative to the cassette. This is great in that you can use monster cassettes, but what about the issue of chain wrap- surely this is affected?

Dockboy
Dockboy
8 years ago

One way I’ve found to expand the range of a road derailleur is by placing a thin washer between the derailleur and hanger. It helps you eke out another tooth or two. I wonder if they’ll try a modified cage to address chain wrap?

Lars
Lars
8 years ago

Photoshopped.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

People who hate small gaps.

goridebikes
goridebikes
8 years ago

Chain-wrap isn’t really a big deal, I’ve run a similar setup on SRAM – 11-32 11-speed, 50T front WTC ring, and a short cage derailleur. It works fine. For the 42T you may end up having to do a mid-cage although it’s not completely clear what they’ve done in this picture.

In any case, been there, done that. It’s cool. Great for a commuter or a crit bike, but NOT for all-around riding. The jumps in cadence are either too high or the range isn’t wide enough. People are sorely mistaken if they think an 11-speed, 11-42 cassette is going to feel good on a fast road ride – you’ll be hunting for gears that don’t exist as your speed varies by 1-2mph, unlike a MTB where variation is much greater in speed.

p.s. – sram left shifters take about 5 minutes to remove the shifter internals if you want a custom 1x setup (e.g. brake lever that says RED on it)

DT
DT
8 years ago

1. “When you look at this photo from the WTC Instagram account…” INSTAGRAM! Not Photoshop.
2. 2/3X setup = widest range, smaller gaps
3. 1X setup = narrower range, bigger gaps but simpler, lighter, possibly cheaper.
End of story.

alvis
alvis
8 years ago

electronic 2 speed rear hub with conventional rear shifting and 1 at the front…..it’s coming and not from where you might think.

Durianrider
Durianrider
8 years ago

love hearing peoples reason they got dropped on a ride is ‘I didnt have close enough cassette on the back so I could punch out 6 watts per kg for 30mins! otherwise I could! honest!” haha.

Ive NEVER seen anyone get dropped cos their cassette was to ‘openly spaced’ but I see it a few hundred times a year people getting dropped in the mountains I ride cos they don’t have a proper climbing ratios.

Flat landers learn the hard way. 😉

Reformed Roadie
Reformed Roadie
8 years ago

They took perhaps the ugliest D-A crankset Shimano every produced…and made it 10x uglier.

tom
tom
8 years ago

Longer chain, better chain wrap,longer chain life for an 11…

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

Alvis –
Bring it. Make it light enough and that is my ideal: 2spd internal hub holding an 11-spd cassette on a 1x.
My only caveat is efficiency of the hub compared to what is a pretty light/efficient/capable fd set-up on road bikes

britton kusiak
8 years ago

https://instagram.com/p/2ZW_aCEG3f/?taken-by=volkerbicycles

we’ve been making 1x road bikes all year. 46 or 50t ring with xtr 11-40 cassette with x9 long cage derailleur hooked to a sram 11s right shifter.

Colin
Colin
8 years ago

@durianrider,

when you don’t train, people NEED to be able to blame it on something other than themselves, duh

but I will say that the gap between 36 and 42 on an XX1 is more like a crevasse when you are on certain sustained grades. 36 will load your legs up pretty quick and 42 will make you spin until your lungs burst.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

DT gets it right.
Gears provide both range and ratio gaps. Choose what mix of each works for you. They both have pros and cons. End of story really.
Not sure why this road bike is “new”. Its a 1x drivetrain. Do people think they can’t be installed on road bikes for some reason?

jooo
jooo
8 years ago

*shrug*

No guide and/or clutch. Sounds like this particular setup is going to be pretty crap to me…

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