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1x11 Shifting Components are in!

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

by Igor

Sensah Components has been in the drivetrain game for a number of years producing shifters, derailleurs, cranksets, and cassettes for just about every type of drivetrain and bike. More recently, they've gotten into 1x (1by) drivetrains for mixed-terrain and off-road touring bikes (read: gravel). And so, we are pleased to now be offering SRX and CRX components for 1x drivetrains!

1x drivetrains are here to stay. They're easy to maintain, quick to set up, and are simple enough for anyone to hop onto. And as such, they are great for commuting, touring, and all-around adventuring. I've personally converted several of my bikes from double drivetrains and I really like the simplicity, minimal aesthetic, and clutch'd derailleur offerings for off-road use.

In testing out their components, I outfitted my Polyvalent Low Kicker with a suite of SRX drop bar shift/brake levers, rear derailleur, and 11-46 cassette. I've taken the bike on all sorts of rides and terrain from gravel to single track to pavé and I'm happy to report performance has been absolutely flawless. Let's go through each component and discuss their features!

SRX 11 speed Rear Derailleur

The SRX Rear Derailleur features aluminum alloy and steel construction for durability and has a max cassette range of up to 52t.

The derailleur features a spring clutch so it keeps the chain from bouncing around too much on rougher terrain. I put mine on max and find the shifting action still easy.

There is also barrel adjustor (without detents) for quick adjustments.

SRX 1x11 Integrated Shift/Brake Levers

The SRX brake/shifter levers are 1x11 only and have excellent ergonomics. For anyone who has used integrated shifters, the shifting action will be right at home. To shift into a harder gear, a light tap of the blade will release cable tension and provide you with a satisfying clunk of the rear derailleur. Pushing the whole lever will increase cable tension and move you up (easier) the cassette. You can do 3 gears at a time with a full sweep.

The left lever is purely just a brake lever. Nothing much to see.

Each lever has a simple reach adjustment. A turn of a 2.5mm allen wrench can move the lever closer or further away from the handlebar. A major convenience for those with smaller hands.

There is also a nice bit of flare in the blade for easier shifting and ergonomics.

CRX 11 speed Flat Bar Shifter

The Flatbar CRX shifter has the same pull ratio as SRX, so you can use the SRX Rear Derailleur. The shifter is simple and effective. There are two levers. The lower one can shift up the cassette changing a maximum of 5 gears with a full sweep.

The upper lever has dual-action meaning that you can shift into a higher gear with either a press of your thumb or a pull of your index finger.

11 speed 11-46 Cassette

While you mostly see 1x drivetrains on modern-looking bikes, a 1x conversion is perfect for older bikes, too! This 11 speed cassette uses Shimano HG splines, so if you have a 8-10 speed freehub body designed for Shimano HG cassettes, then you can upgrade to an 11 speed drivetrain.

While the derailleur technically goes up to 52t, we have found that 46t is about the max that provides consistently good shifts without significant jumps in gearing. 11-46 is a very generous range and when paired with a 42 or 44t chainring, you still have that magic sub 1:1 gear for steeper climbs.

I pull around our son in his trailer or our dog in her trailer up hills with a 42t x 11-46 drivetrain and don't find the need for anything lower. For us, anything lower would be slower and less efficient than walking.

11 speed Chains

What can I say?? They're 11 speed, solid pins, and have a simple quick link. There isn't much to them and they work well. And they're silver!

Other Chains

It's been pretty obvious that for the past 15 months consumables like chains have been hard to come by. So, we imported a bunch of 5-8, 9, and 10 speed chains. They're quality chains. And like the 11 speed version, they have solid pins and a simple quick link for installation. And they're silver!

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