What's Your Favourite Gearing Combo
10-09-18, 03:18 AM
#1
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What's Your Favourite Gearing Combo
What's your preferred gearing combination and what sort of terrain are you cycling on ... mostly flat or fairly hilly?
10-09-18, 06:28 AM
#2
Sunshine
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My gravel rides average 75% gravel and 25% pavement and 50 feet per mile of climb. All the climbing is from river valley riding, so itll be climb out of a river/creek valley which means relatively short and steep climbs.
Most climbing is in the 5-7% grade with a few 10-12% grades on most rides.
11 speed drivetrain. 46/34 chainrings and 11-36 cassette. with it I can go as fast as my legs will allow on pavement and gentle decline while also being able to climb the steep hills. Its a fairly wide range, but 2x11 allows for the jumps to be close enough that I dont search for a comfortable ratio very often.
Most climbing is in the 5-7% grade with a few 10-12% grades on most rides.
11 speed drivetrain. 46/34 chainrings and 11-36 cassette. with it I can go as fast as my legs will allow on pavement and gentle decline while also being able to climb the steep hills. Its a fairly wide range, but 2x11 allows for the jumps to be close enough that I dont search for a comfortable ratio very often.
10-09-18, 07:07 AM
#3
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My gravel rides average 75% gravel and 25% pavement and 50 feet per mile of climb. All the climbing is from river valley riding, so itll be climb out of a river/creek valley which means relatively short and steep climbs.
Most climbing is in the 5-7% grade with a few 10-12% grades on most rides.
11 speed drivetrain. 46/34 chainrings and 11-36 cassette. with it I can go as fast as my legs will allow on pavement and gentle decline while also being able to climb the steep hills. Its a fairly wide range, but 2x11 allows for the jumps to be close enough that I dont search for a comfortable ratio very often.
Most climbing is in the 5-7% grade with a few 10-12% grades on most rides.
11 speed drivetrain. 46/34 chainrings and 11-36 cassette. with it I can go as fast as my legs will allow on pavement and gentle decline while also being able to climb the steep hills. Its a fairly wide range, but 2x11 allows for the jumps to be close enough that I dont search for a comfortable ratio very often.
My wife: Same gearing.
Me: 46/34, 11-32.
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10-09-18, 07:14 AM
#4
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My preferred gearing is 46/34 front, 11-32 back. My riding is almost completely flat, little elevation change. I like having the range just in case I decide to do a ride that does have some hills.
10-09-18, 07:43 AM
#5
Mostly Mischief
Long climbs/descents, some steep rollers, rarely flat. 40/20/40% rugged dirt to single track to pave.
2x11. 38/28, 11-40.
2x11. 38/28, 11-40.
10-09-18, 08:05 AM
#6
Non omnino gravis
I go everywhere. Might be 1,000 vertical feet over 30 miles, might be 4,000 vertical feet over 15 miles. I would say the split has moved toward 60% paved, 40% dirt/sand/smoosh/singletrack.
1X with 42T and 10-42 cassette. Any time I get to where the 42/42 feels like it might not be enough, the grade is so steep the back tire starts slipping. So it gets it done.
1X with 42T and 10-42 cassette. Any time I get to where the 42/42 feels like it might not be enough, the grade is so steep the back tire starts slipping. So it gets it done.
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10-09-18, 04:26 PM
#9
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I should have asked whether people are running Tiagra's / 105's as well .... I quite like the sound of this one but most of the gravel bikes with 105's are limited to 11-32's on the rear ... the only bike I've seen with this exact set up is the Cannondale Topstone which isn't due out over here until the New Year.
10-09-18, 04:41 PM
#10
Just finidng my cadence
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I have the Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset on my Motobecane Ti Century Pro. It came with an 11-34 cassette but can accommodate an 11-36 cassette (without a wolftooth). I switched out the chainrings to a set of AbsoluteBlack Ovals. Not for the Oval but for the 46/30 2x setup.
I am so happy with the new chainrings that I went back to the 11-34 cassette.
I am so happy with the new chainrings that I went back to the 11-34 cassette.
10-10-18, 04:03 AM
#11
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My typical rides average 100ft per mile of climbing. I'm currently running 48/34 with an 11/34 10 speed cassette. SRAM S700 Hydro levers with a Rival FD and GX 2x rear derailleur.
10-10-18, 07:05 AM
#12
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40/30/22 x 11-36
Mostly gravel roads. Occasional National Forest roads with very steep climbs at high altitude.
Mostly gravel roads. Occasional National Forest roads with very steep climbs at high altitude.
10-10-18, 09:24 AM
#13
nothing to see here
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My current set up is 46/32 with an 11-40 10sp cassette(one up expander cog and roadlink). The majority of my rides are along steep fire roads with lots of rollers as well as a good dose of pavement getting to the trails. Seems to work well for what I need.
10-10-18, 09:27 AM
#14
Fredly Fredster
50/34 x 11-32. 11-speed Shimano 105... same as my road bike. I ride my gravel bike on mostly gravel rail trails and dirt roads. This gearing does very well on pavement, too.
Last edited by DomaneS5; 10-10-18 at 09:43 AM.
10-10-18, 09:52 AM
#15
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46/30 to 11-34 (not racing)
46 to 11 @ 100 rpm on (40-622) is 34.3 mph
50 to 11 @ 100 rpm on (25-622) is 35.7 mph
I am not too worried about spinning out on a 46 on a gravel bike.
46 to 11 @ 100 rpm on (40-622) is 34.3 mph
50 to 11 @ 100 rpm on (25-622) is 35.7 mph
I am not too worried about spinning out on a 46 on a gravel bike.
Last edited by Metieval; 10-10-18 at 09:56 AM.
10-10-18, 12:39 PM
#16
Banned
Gears .. IGH
Rohloff, Both.. gravel roads or paved, Flat & Hills,
until walking is less work, around town or Touring..
...
until walking is less work, around town or Touring..
...
10-10-18, 06:36 PM
#17
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FYI - when the current cassette wears out, I will be go to a 11-34 as well.
10-11-18, 04:47 AM
#18
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1x
40t front and 11-42 rear. Climbing includes 20% grades on gravel roads and the gearing works fine for me. If the bike was loaded I would want more gearing.
40t front and 11-42 rear. Climbing includes 20% grades on gravel roads and the gearing works fine for me. If the bike was loaded I would want more gearing.
10-12-18, 10:17 AM
#21
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I wonder if this is the setup people either love or hate ... I like the idea of it and the simplicity but would be scared to make the leap of faith and find the gaps between gears were too large and a few others mention the downhill gearing's not high enough .... I guess part of this will also depend where you mainly ride and how hilly it is.
10-12-18, 10:33 AM
#22
Full Member
Riding in hilly and occasionally mountains:
650b wheels with 47mm WTB Horizon — 46/34 with an 11-32 cassette (more mixed riding)
700c wheels with 40 mm Maxxis Ramblers — 46/34 with an 11-36 cassette (90% gravel and trail)
650b wheels with 47mm WTB Horizon — 46/34 with an 11-32 cassette (more mixed riding)
700c wheels with 40 mm Maxxis Ramblers — 46/34 with an 11-36 cassette (90% gravel and trail)
10-12-18, 11:51 AM
#23
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This is a huge factor. There's just no way to go 1X in the mountains without giving something up. You either lose low end, high end, or tight spacing between cogs. There's just no way around it and 2X doesn't suffer from this.
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10-12-18, 01:36 PM
#24
Senior Member
A good many people in and around the MTN bike capital of GA use 1X. The new 1X GX Eagle with a 32 up front and a 10-50 cassette handles a similar range to most 2X. I switched recently and do not get out of my middle gears much on hills that I could not get up with my old 2X. I switched my front gear to a 30t on my 11 speed 1X MTN bike 11-42 and have no problem with it either.
Last edited by McMitchell; 10-12-18 at 01:53 PM.
10-12-18, 01:48 PM
#25
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I wonder if this is the setup people either love or hate ... I like the idea of it and the simplicity but would be scared to make the leap of faith and find the gaps between gears were too large and a few others mention the downhill gearing's not high enough .... I guess part of this will also depend where you mainly ride and how hilly it is.