The "best" possible gearing
- Thread starter qclabrat
- Start date
Red Mosquito
Formerly RLB the Scrapple Boy
Admittedly haven’t ridden a 1x so take that FWIW. I sought a 2x due to my prior road experience and the fact that most “gravel” in these parts is at best 50/50 paved/unpaved. To me it’s less about the fitness and more about running a close ratio cassette for optimizing cadence on the road sections.
With that said, I’m finding the 2x11 GRX to be very finicky up front and I’ve been eyeing up the parts to try a 1x conversion. I guess I should try it before I swear it off.
With that said, I’m finding the 2x11 GRX to be very finicky up front and I’ve been eyeing up the parts to try a 1x conversion. I guess I should try it before I swear it off.
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
What are your chainrings and cassette range?
GSTim
Formerly M3Tim
At this point I'm ready to make the move to 1X for everything. I'm not racing anyone, so even on the road it's really nice not to think about shifting the front. I think even for the cross-country trip I'll run 1X with a 10-51 rear, 12 or 13 speed.
Currently on my gravel bike I have 1X with a 42 front and 10-46 rear 11 speed.
Currently on my gravel bike I have 1X with a 42 front and 10-46 rear 11 speed.
Juggernaut
Master of the Metaphor
Dedicated 1x gravel’er here. Started with an AXS mullet setup force AXS shifters paired to an AXS eagle RD with a mountain xx1 crank with a 38t chainring and 10-50 cassette. Now I run the same force AXS shifters paired to a force xplr RD with 10-46 cassette and a Force AXS crank with a quark PM and 40t chainring. Works flawlessly.
Red Mosquito
Formerly RLB the Scrapple Boy
46/30 with an 11-34 cassette. The 30/34 combo is enough to get me up all of the hills around here (palatine etc). Any gravel climbs I have not cleaned would probably not have been helped by more gears (Monkey Knife Fight goat hill road is the first that comes to mind).
JonF
Well-Known Member
The guidance i've seen mentioned in multiple places when building up my rig was that if you are going pure gravel, never paved; go 1x. if you do a mix with substantial road in there, def go 2x. But i suspect its really all about your ratios and being able to make use of what you got. You can gear 1x really high for speed (if your frame will accept a big ring) or low for climbing. Its about being honest with your application and intentions.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
This is also based on tire size. Basically can't run 2x on most modern gravel bikes, that's why I use my road bike with 33s for road/gravel mix instead of the Warakin.
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
For x-country consider 10 speed, much strong chain and you may even find them at a Walmart if needed. I think @liong71er was on either 10 or 11 when he was riding his KM to the west and with minions. 12 speed chains never last long for me.
JonF
Well-Known Member
So true. This would definitely matter whether you are retrofitting or buying new.
krink
Eddie Munster
I started out on a 2x but 5+ years ago switched to a 46 x 10-50 red/eagle AXS and never noticed an issue with cadence. Always ran 172.5 cranks. Never wanted to switch back but I come from the MTB world more than a road setup so I’ve never been focused on steady cadence (prolly should have). Could ride anything in Bedminster on that gearing but would grind up parts of black river, pickle, palatine and the very top of Bissel and always go about half the speed of most of the beasts on here anyway.
I’ve done the last 2 years of Overland and the climbs on the final 1/3 destroy my legs no matter how I fuel. I’ve specced my new rig with a red/xplr 40 x 10-46 to give me one easier gear. I’ve also said what the hell and went with 165 cranks. I’ll report back on any difference I feel on the shorter cranks
I have a 10 52 AXS mullet setup on my gravel bike with a 40t up front. I think I’d rather have gotten the xplr with closer gearing on the cassette The jumps on the Transmission cassette are big and I keep searching for the right gear.
Until I’m on single track and then I’m happy I have that 52t. 😂
Until I’m on single track and then I’m happy I have that 52t. 😂
acw
Member
If your GRX front derailleur is finicky, make sure it was installed properly. It should come with a little metal stick-on tab that you put on the seat tube. You then tighten a set screw against it to create another point of contact to brace it in position. It made a world of difference on my bike.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Or like a route like Endless Mountain where you need 2 gears, a 28x52 and 55x10.
Juggernaut
Master of the Metaphor
Walter, there’s no such thing as perfect gearing. Everything is a compromise and it’s soooo damn easy to go down the endless rabbit hole chasing ideal gearing. Choose the gearing for what you ACTUALLY do. If you ride in groups, keep the cassette tight and go 2x. If you mostly ride solo, tight ratios aren’t really a big consideration so save the headache and go 1x. If you only ride places that require a 52t once in a while, why build your whole drivetrain around that scenario? If dismounting and walking 100’ twice a season lets you keep the ratios more enjoyable for the majority of your rides, isn’t it worth the minor inconvenience? Just say’n.
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iman29
Well-Known Member
I can give some comparison since I’ve ridden both 2x and 1x setups.
My first gravel bike was a Checkpoint alr5 with GRX and 2x. 46/30 up front and 11/34 out back. 175 cranks.
Over 2 years I did many long distance and hilly gravel rides on that bike including LuLacka WycoHundo. That bike always felt very close to my road bike and I also had another set of wheels to ride the roads with it and I could keep pace with my buddies on pure road bikes uphill or downhill without too much struggle or spinning out on the flats.
The current Checkpoint SL7 is 1x with 40t up front and 12 speed 10-50 out back. SRAM Axs. Also 175 cranks.
Gravel rides on this one are much more enjoyable especially for climbing. For flat rides on gravel like Columbia trail there are some times where I’m trying to find “the right gear” to be in but never to the point where oh this sucks. For any flat roads or downhills I spin out around 25mph so on downhills I just coast and if I’m with a group I draft or let them go until the next regroup spot.
I think @Juggernaut made the right statement nothing perfect and everyone’s preference is different. I debated changing mine to a 2x when I got it but decided after a few months to ride it as 1x and in the end it doesn’t really limit me to what gravel or mixed surface rides I want to do.
My first gravel bike was a Checkpoint alr5 with GRX and 2x. 46/30 up front and 11/34 out back. 175 cranks.
Over 2 years I did many long distance and hilly gravel rides on that bike including LuLacka WycoHundo. That bike always felt very close to my road bike and I also had another set of wheels to ride the roads with it and I could keep pace with my buddies on pure road bikes uphill or downhill without too much struggle or spinning out on the flats.
The current Checkpoint SL7 is 1x with 40t up front and 12 speed 10-50 out back. SRAM Axs. Also 175 cranks.
Gravel rides on this one are much more enjoyable especially for climbing. For flat rides on gravel like Columbia trail there are some times where I’m trying to find “the right gear” to be in but never to the point where oh this sucks. For any flat roads or downhills I spin out around 25mph so on downhills I just coast and if I’m with a group I draft or let them go until the next regroup spot.
I think @Juggernaut made the right statement nothing perfect and everyone’s preference is different. I debated changing mine to a 2x when I got it but decided after a few months to ride it as 1x and in the end it doesn’t really limit me to what gravel or mixed surface rides I want to do.