1x11 suggestions

[Bryan H]

Hello decided to try 1x11 on my susie build, going with a XT deore 11 speed cassette. For the derailleur and shifter would love to keep it a classic silver/polish look. Any suggestions on this? Modern derailleurs are appealing to avoid lots of chain slap however couldn't find anything with the look and performance I'm going for. Any suggestions greatly appreciated! 

Bryan

Walnut Creek, CA 

[Piaw Na]

I've had very good luck with the m5100 series, but they only come in black. My wife is running the U8000 CUES rear derailleur, but it's also black. I think all the 1x derailleurs Shimano makes come only in black.

[David]

1x systems abound but not in silver. I guess it’s a combo of manufacturing costs and lack of demand. Shimano did make a limited addition GRX derailleur in silver which can be had on eBay for quite a bit of money (c.$400). 

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[David Ross]

Oh, also Madrone is a new boutique company that makes a 1x derailleur in silver. You can spec it for 11 speed shimano. 

[Seung Vo]

Wow that madrone looks nice! Have you tried it or know anyone that has? Worried it won’t be reliable but they look very nice 

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[David Ross]

They’re super robust derailleurs largely marketed to hardcore MTB riders. They also sell replacement parts for their derailleurs as well as some SRAM products. The derailleur itself is built like a tank, so I think they’ll be reliable for the average Rivendell use case. To me, the only issue is cost, but from everything I’ve read, they’re incredibly durable. I will pull the trigger one one when and if they start supporting Shimano Linkglide cassettes. I think they only support hyperglide at present. 

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[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 9:14 AM David Ross <dros...@gmail.com> wrote:

They’re super robust derailleurs largely marketed to hardcore MTB riders. They also sell replacement parts for their derailleurs as well as some SRAM products. The derailleur itself is built like a tank, so I think they’ll be reliable for the average Rivendell use case. To me, the only issue is cost, but from everything I’ve read, they’re incredibly durable. I will pull the trigger one one when and if they start supporting Shimano Linkglide cassettes. I think they only support hyperglide at present. 

There's no difference between linkglide and hyperglide from the point of view of the rear derailleur. If you're shifting in friction there's no reason the hyperglide derailleur wouldn't work. 

[David Ross]

Very true if you’re using friction, which I am not. I use my Gus as a true mountain bike, so trimming gears in the fly isn’t really a viable option. I’m indexed only at this point. 

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[Seung Vo]

hi David, do you have photos of your gus? What set up are you going with? Thanks for all your input!

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[Erik]

I

I  run 1x11 on my Gus and have since I built it.  I’ve run two different set-ups: currently it’s just a standard SRAM GX 1x11.  I ride my Gus really hard and wanted to the clutch derailleur.  Previously, I ran an XT with a drop tab and silver shifter.  See pic.  It worked just fine but the chain slapped a lot, hence the move to SRAM.  

[Erik]

[David Ross]

I’m running a Deore 1x11 with a Microshift thumb shifter and a 34T front chainring. As I mentioned, I also ride my Gus hard so a clutch derailleur and indexed shifting are better for my purposes. I’m currently building up another Gus project and am planning on using a 10 Speed Linkglide setup on that bike. Linkglide has wider cassettes, so the 11 speed doesn’t really work with 135mm rear spacing (something to keep in mind if you’re thinking about Linkglide)  

On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 1:15 PM Erik <litho...@gmail.com> wrote:

I

I  run 1x11 on my Gus and have since I built it.  I’ve run two different set-ups: currently it’s just a standard SRAM GX 1x11.  I ride my Gus really hard and wanted to the clutch derailleur.  Previously, I ran an XT with a drop tab and silver shifter.  See pic.  It worked just fine but the chain slapped a lot, hence the move to SRAM.  

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[Seung Vo]

I’m thinking of going sram, do you know if a 12 speed would work? I’m also considering axs non transmission Ha!

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[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

SRAM 12s pretty much requires that you use XD/XDR drivers, which may or may not be compatible with your wheel. There's one 12s cassette that works with regular hyperglide cassettes. The advantage of using XDR drivers is that you get to use the 10-52 Eagle cassettes which gives you an extra gear on the high end.

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[Seung Vo]

Would the eagle set up work on a Susie? I’m building up a wheelset with white industries so going XDR is not a problem. 

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[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 11:18 AM Seung Vo <bshm...@gmail.com> wrote:

Would the eagle set up work on a Susie? I’m building up a wheelset with white industries so going XDR is not a problem. 

Yes. You can even buy a kit that includes shifters (probably the thumb shifters if you have flat bars), rear derailleur, charger, and battery (e.g. https://tinyurl.com/4zszswvv). The setup is easily done.  

[Seung Vo]

Okay great, I may give it a go. Wish it was more of a polish/silver look but I to need a clutch since I’ll take it on the trails often. I was just nervous of the 12 speed not fitting on the 135 rear but sounds like it’s not a issue. Thank you!

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[Nick Shoemaker]

I've been gradually tweaking my Clem's 1x setup over the past 3 years of using it (almost) exclusively as a mountain bike:

All iterations: Silver2 Thumbie under the bar

1st iteration: XTR Rapid Rise derailer, 175mm 36t M730 crank, Riv/SRide 7s 13-42 cassette

Conclusion: so much chain slap & so many dropped chains....

2nd iteration: same as above, but with 10s Deore clutch derailer

Conclusion: no more chain slap, but shifter throw was too long....

3rd iteration: same as above, but with 9s SunRace M900 clutch derailer

Conclusion: very happy with the shifting, but too many pedal strikes (plus one surprise chainring strike!)....

Current iteration: SunRace M900 clutch derailer, Cues 165mm 30t crank (xtra-sooper-boost 55mm chainline), Linkglide 9s 11-36 cassette, just one (1!) 126-link Linkglide chain

Conclusion: done tinkering....

I also wanted friction + clutch + silver vibes, but I kinda love how it looks with the black drivetrain now. Not that it matters, since the functionality is so vastly superior to any other iteration. Oh, and the whole drivetrain set me back $261...

[Jeffrey Arita]

Bryan:

Sorry, late to respond but here goes: we have used a Shimano XT M8000-series RD for many tours, including the one we are currently on (Japan).  It is the 'SGS' or long-cage model which I believe has one of the largest capacities currently out there (why I chose to buy it in 2019).

That RD is currently setup with a triple crankset (46 - 33 - 20) [yes, a 20(!) tooth small chainring].  The cassette is a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed, 11-34), using friction bar end shifters.  The drivetrain is on a Co-Motion coupled tandem with full panniers, handlebar bag, two large drybags, etc.  I didn't know how hilly Japan could be, so I erred on the lower end of the gearing spectrum.  Glad we did as the 20 / 34 combo has been used a lot (650b tires).  That ultra low gear sure is easy on aging knees.

My point with the Shimano XT M8000 SGS is it handles a very wide range of gearing, handy if you ever want to perhaps go with a double or triple crankset in the future.  As a 1x11 speed it won't even be breaking a sweat 😉.  It isn't silver but it certainly does the job and it has been reliable.

Good luck,

Jeff & Lori

Touring Japan
 

[Zachary Cannon]

It doesn't attend to aesthetics, but XT 12 speed rear derailleurs handles up to a 51 tooth cassette, while XT 11 speed only handle 46 sometimes. The cable pull is virtually identical as well as the price these days, so I run 12 speed with 11 speed cassette and shifters for mountain applications.

I then repurposed the 11 speed for a 1x11 road application with suntour barend shifters and a Wolf Tooth tanpan. With any tanpan, any friction shifters should work (thumb, downtube or bar end). That would also be true for SRAM 11 and 12 speed. 

I find the shifting gaps to be easy unless I'm in a painful place on a climb. That can sometimes cause clumsy shifts.

Best, Zach in ABQ

[Seung Vo]

Thank you everyone for the input. For those that have a Susie, any idea which chainring I need in terms of offset? I am running square taper 3 bolt mount with 113x73 bottom bracket. If I plan on running a 1x12 or 1x11 would I get 3mm, 6mm or 0mm offset chainring? Thank you 

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[Ben Miller]

I've been running an 1x11 with a 11spd 11-51 cassette on my Romanceur for a long time now. Got the Deore M5100 RD tying it all together. It's a great derailleur, but I did find the out-of-box aesthetics to be lacking. If you're comfortable servicing derailleur jockey wheels, you can make it mostly silver. I know, cause that's what I did. I removed the lower cage and spray painted it with rustoleum silver paint. It both turned out better and held up more than I'd hoped. It turned a great RD into one that I also now enjoy looking at.