22 June, 2021

1x11 Shifting Components are in!

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 pavĂ© 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!


17 comments:

Vincent said...

What is the shifting indexing pattern of these? Are they compatible with sram/shimano gear or are they proprietary?

Unknown said...

Are these shifters compatible with Sram/Shimano? They look amazing!

Hobbes vs Boyle said...

Very interesting. What's the cable pull on the the brake levers with these?

Igor Shteynbuk said...

We are testing some different drivetrains out. The shift pull ratio is about ~3.43mm.

Igor Shteynbuk said...

@Hobbes vs Boyle,

The brake pull is short pull.

trigger said...

hi, where made ?

Igor Shteynbuk said...

@trigger,

They're made in China.

Ming said...

There are videos of this shifting SRAM on YouTube.

Anonymous said...

What do you suggest to replace a 3spd crankset?

VeloOrange said...

@Anon 3:56- We'd suggest getting a narrow wide single chainring in the proper bolt circle diameter for your crank. Aftermarket rings like Wolf Tooth have great options.

Unknown said...

I recently read Scott's blog post about 3x drivetrains (published last August), and I'm wondering if you guys would still recommend 3x over 1x for touring? Or have you turned a complete 180 since that post, which seemed to pretty adamantly boast the superiority of the 3x drivetrain for touring?? I've been wanting to upgrade the drivetrain on my Polyvalent, which is currently 2x, but I'm having trouble deciding what to do... The simplicity of the 1x is very appealing, but I worry about not having a low enough granny gear for climbing hills with a fully loaded bike.

VeloOrange said...

@ Unknown 6/29- I don't think it's turning a 180 deg turn from last year to offer a 1 x drive train. I think it's more being able to offer an option.
I would still stand by my assessment that a triple with a 36 T cassette would give you a lower gear and easier steps between gears compared to a 1 x system for loaded road touring. For off road touring/bikepacking I'd probably go with a 1 x system and be prepared for what bike packers call "hike a bike". It's far more common/normal in the bikepacking world to push/hike your bike up a hill vs the road world- Scott

Christopher Andress said...

What crankset do you recommend for the 1x11 setup. You are using a 50.4 bcd above, but you folks only offer the Grand Cru Fluted Single Crankset in a single. Will that work for 1x11? Do you have plans to offer a 50.4 bcd 1x11 option? Or do we need to buy a double and convert?

Thanks - Chris

ohheohh said...

38T Grand Cru chainring For 12speed
please.. I waiting..

Unknown said...

@veloorange

'it's far more common/normal in the bikepacking world to push/hike your bike up a hill vs the road world'

Yeah, maybe, but that's because of off-road terrain that's too steep and boggy/rocky/slippery/muddy etc etc to ride up anyway, not because you run out of low gears. if you're running out of low gears when bikepacking, then your bike is set up wrong, and definitely not (imo) an acceptable sacrifice for going 1x. the reality is that for the vast majority of people the 'magic 1:1 ratio' is nowhere near low enough to haul a loaded bike plus rider up technical climbs, so you either need a small chainring with a big cassette, or a 2/3x setup for both low and high end.

the kind of setup you're talking about here - 42 up front with an 11-46 cassette - is gonna give you a low gear of about 25 inches. unless you're ultra fit or only riding on flat ground, you're gonna want a sub-20 low gear at a minimum for loaded off-road riding. if your average inexperienced/first time bikepacker heads out into the mountains with camping gear and food for 2/3 days and a 25 inch low gear, they are going to have a miserable time (or their knees will explode).

nobody should be going 1x with bikepacking or touring in mind and then just accepting that they're going to be walking a lot because they're throwing away their lowest gears! there are tons of gearing options (including 1x) that give you low enough ratios to ride up almost any incline. let's not pretend that it's a good idea to just hack off all your low gears for bikepacking - the kind of riding where you need a granny/bailout gear the most.

The Urban Family said...

I have the SRX 11-46 paired with a 36 chain ring. ... Can't get it to not skip on the 46 under hard pressure going up a steep climb. I have adjusted it several times. Suggestions?

Igor Shteynbuk said...

@the Urban Family,

You likely need to adjust your derailleur hanger and/or make sure the housing and cable is in good condition and tension.

-Igor