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Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 6:19 pm
by 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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 6:50 pm
by 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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 7:13 pm
by 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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 7:57 pm
by petemaz
yeha wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 6:19 pm
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)?
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 8:01 pm
by petemaz
bluebus200 wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 6:50 pm
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?
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 5:09 pm
by bluebus200
petemaz wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 8:01 pm
bluebus200 wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 6:50 pm
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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 5:14 pm
by bluebus200
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 7:34 pm
by petemaz
Thanks. I'm still waiting for the parts to arrive, so I'll hopefully get to work on this at the weekend!
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:11 pm
by ZeroDarkBivi
jameso wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 6:50 pm
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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:30 pm
by 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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:54 pm
by 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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 3:13 pm
by PaulB2
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 11:51 am
by 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!
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:26 pm
by 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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:37 pm
by 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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:42 pm
by 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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:42 pm
by chris n
I think you mean twiddle.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 12:49 pm
by Cyclepeasant
ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 12:37 pm
Twaddle.
SR... Surely you mean ... twiddle!
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:06 pm
by ScotRoutes
Lazarus wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 12:42 pm
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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:07 pm
by ScotRoutes
Cyclepeasant wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 12:49 pm
SR... Surely you mean ... twiddle!
Intentional choice of word
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:26 pm
by BigdummySteve
Lazarus wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 12:26 pm
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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:50 pm
by 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).
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 4:52 pm
by 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
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 5:53 pm
by The Cumbrian
bluebus200 wrote: ↑Mon May 18, 2020 4:52 pm
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.
Re: Gravel Gearing....again
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 6:07 pm
by 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
