Gravel Gearing....again

[yeha]

OP,

You appear to have the ought the same cassette that I've been using for nearly 2 years. Mine works fine.

Have a read - viewtopic.php?t=14923

[bluebus200]

On gear hangers...I used a suntour one from spa cycles...£6! Had to file it just a bit as the cage was fouling it when getting into the 11 tooth. But twas 10seconds work.

[BigdummySteve]

The same dilemma eventually led me to AXS Eagle, both Shimano and SRAM seem to inhabit a universe where one particular bike is only ridden on it designated surface and gradients. Dropbars just make the situation worse, AXS and GRX have failed miserably to deliver. 2x12 could theoretically deliver everything, wide range cassette and front chainrings to match. Eagle is ok on range and the jumps are fine off-road but once you hit tarmac you do find yourself looking in between sometimes.

[petemaz]

OP,

You appear to have the ought the same cassette that I've been using for nearly 2 years. Mine works fine.

Have a read - viewtopic.php?t=14923

Hi yeha, yes I saw your post and I commented on it when it first came out (this is me finally getting around to doing something!)

So you have the same tiagra setup, 10 speed, 50/34 and an RD 4700 mech which you 'dropped' using a goatlink copy and it works just fine?

I have been looking at a sunrace extender on amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SunRace-Extens ... 929&sr=8-1

Think that might work (with perhaps a modicum of fettling)?

[petemaz]

On gear hangers...I used a suntour one from spa cycles...£6! Had to file it just a bit as the cage was fouling it when getting into the 11 tooth. But twas 10seconds work.

Is yours the same as the one in the link bluebus200?

[bluebus200]

On gear hangers...I used a suntour one from spa cycles...£6! Had to file it just a bit as the cage was fouling it when getting into the 11 tooth. But twas 10seconds work.

Is yours the same as the one in the link bluebus200?

Yes, that one...I found it fouled the cage when dropping by into the smallest cog. So I filled the back down a bit with a round file. They have them on sale at spa cycles.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s222p39 ... ender-Link

[bluebus200]

Here's the set up

E73CB36D-C5E9-404E-A909-20C011698B9A by Chris Harris, on Flickr

[petemaz]

Thanks. I'm still waiting for the parts to arrive, so I'll hopefully get to work on this at the weekend!

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Amazes me that with all the hype around Shimano Gravel and GRX, they still haven't got a 26-40 range or 28-42 chainset. I really rate Shimano's kit but they're still too far off the mark in this area.

Same / similar to Stuart here, XT 28-40 MTB 10s chainset and 11-32 or 11-36 rear (650B wheels). No ego problems related to my chainring sizes Bar end shifters make it easy to get past compatibility limitations. It's not perfect, a narrower Q crank would be nice, but it's pretty good. Oddly, imo still more suitable for gravel and touring than anything made for drop bar bikes. I use the bike as more of a gravel/road tourer than MTB most of the time. I spin out at 28-30mph and that's fine.

Amen to that - wish I was one of those legends who insist on needing a massive top end gear to stop all that spinning (but cry going up the hills with a 1:1 gear).

Gerard Vroomen has done some excellent blogs on this (3T website) - he rides 'gravel' with a 1x with 10-42 and 34 chainring, but WTF does he know about bikes...!

I've had few issues with 1x 10-42, but now considering 2x with 11-40 and 30/46; with the right wheels/tyres, that should be capable of everything I need of a drop bar bike. Will save me at least 10 minutes in the garage every month or two swapping chainrings... Lockdown Induced Unnecessary Purchase.

[Lazarus]

he rides 'gravel' with a 1x with 10-42 and 34 chainring

there is not that much difference between 40 and 34

From Sheldon - first number is chain ring 34 , 40 , 43] rest is an 11-42 shimano
From Sheldon

6.4 7.6 8.1
5.4 6.4 6.9
4.7 5.6 6.0
4.2 4.9 5.3
3.7 4.4 4.7
3.4 4.0 4.3
2.9 3.5 3.7
2.5 3.0 3.2
2.2 2.6 2.8
1.9 2.3 2.4
1.7 2.0 2.1

[Jurassic]

I experimented when I initially decided that I needed lower gears for "proper" off road riding (there's some bloody steep forest roads out there). My original set up was compact road chainset (50/34) with an 11-34 cassette which was pretty crap off road and had me off and walking quite often. I then tried a 1x10 with a chainset I had lying around with a 34 chainring on, this was a bit too low for road riding but still didn't give me a super low climbing gear so I tried a 38 chainring with the thought of going with an 11-42 cassette eventually to sort out my low gear issue. The 38 was fine for 95% of road riding only spinning out on steeper descents where I just coasted and either enjoyed the scenery or adopted an aero tuck if I was feeling racy! I was loathed to open up the ratios on the cassette any more though so the plan for the 11-42 cassette was shelved and I bought a Deore double 28/38 chainset to try. This was good and gave me pretty much what I wanted but over time the granny ring has been swapped for first a 26 and now a 22 on the basis that it's just a bail out gear for really steep climbs or when I have bikepacking luggage on. I can't see any reason to change this any time soon, it works well for me and while I'd still like to close up the ratios on the top end of the cassette for road riding I don't feel it's financially worth going 11 or 12 speed to do that.

[PaulB2]

A new expensive option:

https://bikepacking.com/gear/sram-force-axs-wide

[petemaz]

So over the weekend I installed the 11-42 cassette, along with the Sunrace extender and a new 10speed chain. With just a few minutes tinkering (and I'm no bike mechanic), it was quite happily going up and down the gears with the Tiagra mech. On the road test, it was a bit sticky when I move into the big front ring (50t), so I reckon for now I'll try and stick to using the small 34t front ring with a view to possibly going with just the one ring (36 or 38) upfront when funds allow.

Thanks to all for the advice/help!

[Lazarus]

A new expensive option

TBH if i need to spin a 30 front 42 rear i will be walking as its more efficient

The problem with silly low gears is they allow you to get up stufff but its not any faster than walking and its more effort

[ScotRoutes]

Twaddle.

There's nothing wrong with having, and using a 30/42 ratio. The lowest on my #gradventourer is currently 34/40 but I have MTBs that go lower than that. 26/42 on my Pact IIRC.

[Lazarus]

EDIT: removed as he explained - or at least elaborated
I think we will all have MTBs with lower gearing than drop bar bikes-I am less sure how this negates my point.
OH and panda goes here

[chris n]

I think you mean twiddle.

[Cyclepeasant]

Twaddle.

SR... Surely you mean ... twiddle!

[ScotRoutes]

EDIT: removed as he explained - or at least elaborated
I think we will all have MTBs with lower gearing than drop bar bikes-I am less sure how this negates my point.
OH and panda goes here

LOL, I think it depends on how and where you use your gravel bike.

[ScotRoutes]

Twaddle.

SR... Surely you mean ... twiddle!

Intentional choice of word

[BigdummySteve]

A new expensive option

TBH if i need to spin a 30 front 42 rear i will be walking as its more efficient

The problem with silly low gears is they allow you to get up stufff but its not any faster than walking and its more effort

At 90rpm your doing 5 1/2 mph, faster than I walk uphill and for me more comfortable, I’ve 32x 50 and 32x 42 available and both are going to provide 5mph plus at 80-90 rpm, I find spinning up a hill in a low gear saves cooking the legs. I rarely get out of the saddle preferring to sit and spin.

The 32x50 gives me a low gear of 18.6” and a high of 93” on 32x10, ideally I’d like a bit more on the top end but hey I can coast.

In my opinion the ‘so called AXS wide’ misses the mark yet again regarding low gears when loaded.
I’d like something like 18-110” with smaller steps than Eagle which is a little wide when you spin up on the road.

[jameso]

30-42 isn't that low really, still a higher gear than the 22-36 of old. That was on 26" bikes mainly, a gravel bike tends to have a bigger OD wheel. 22-36 on a loaded bike in the Alps, off-road, high up, still feels like a big gear. On a 29er it IS a big gear (or at least has felt like it to me often enough).

[bluebus200]

My lowest is a 30/40 combo front/back....yes you spin. But If you can get a fully loaded bike up the hills where I live (Asturias, northern Spain, think Cornwall x snowdonia) you deserve some kind of meddle and probably a knee operation. Yes you could walk, but spinning is more energy efficient and imo much easier. It all depends on your terrain...

3BFA3009-DE1E-4FB8-9B96-DC5F08C7BDED by Chris Harris, on Flickr

[The Cumbrian]

My lowest is a 30/40 combo front/back....yes you spin. But If you can get a fully loaded bike up the hills where I live (Asturias, northern Spain, think Cornwall x snowdonia) you deserve some kind of meddle and probably a knee operation. Yes you could walk, but spinning is more energy efficient and imo much easier. It all depends on your terrain...

3BFA3009-DE1E-4FB8-9B96-DC5F08C7BDED by Chris Harris, on Flickr

Lovely place to live. I went on holiday there in 2015 and loved it.

[Lazarus]

cheers for the maths - was going out riding or i would have done it

At 90rpm your doing 5 1/2 mph, faster than I walk uphill and for me more comfortable

Still reckon its more energy than walking but I will give you your 1 1/2 mph advantage