[Lil' Lavery]

First and foremost, ask your drivers. How often did they shift in prior seasons? How useful did they feel it was?

Based on my experience with shifting drivetrains, I'd argue that for most teams it's really not worth the cost and effort. For teams looking to get from the 80th percentile up to the 90th and who finish with plenty of time for driver training, they could be worth it. For teams who are building up to the last minute or are in the middle of the pack currently, it's probably worth focusing your resources elsewhere (such as finishing earlier or your manipulator).

Especially with COTS 6-CIM options and high traction wheels, single-speed drivetrains can execute most defensive and offensive strategies. Holding position is more a function of your mass, bumper design, and traction than the maximum torque you can transmit. Geared properly, single-speed drivetrains can often give all the accelration and velocity most drivers can handle accurately. A true "pushing match" is relatively rare. Simply getting in a position before the opposing team often suffices. If an offensive team has to bulldoze their way through your robot, you're playing great defense already. If you beat the defensive robot to your scoring position, it's better to invest the rest of your resources into a manipulator that can score quickly and reliably than building a drivetrain that can mask a poor manipulator.

Finish early. A practiced driver on a single-speed will almost always best an inexperienced driver with a dual-speed.