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Upgrades

Old 11-19-21, 12:10 PM
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Ollie62
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Upgrades

Hi all, I have a 2019 trek checkpoint SL6 which is pretty much stock and would like to upgrade, what upgrades would be the best "bang for the buck" and allow me to climb easier (I do realize fitness is the best solution and am working on it). thanks
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Old 11-19-21, 02:07 PM
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If 2019 has the equipment as current, it s a 2x with a derailleur rd rx810 which is maxed with a 34 cassette already on.

so you could try a 11-36 that would help a little (not much) or swap the chain ring; 48-31 to move to 42-28.


if you’re thinking bigger budget, move to 1x11 set up: rear derailleur, 11-46 cassette, single 38 chainring Or a 36 if you want to ease further.

and if you have a rather large budget, get raid of the groupset and fit grx di2 shifter with a deore xt di2 groupset
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Old 11-19-21, 02:09 PM
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When you say you want to climb easier, do you mean the current setup doesnt allow you to get up hills comfortably, or do you mean you just want the overall bike to be lighter for easier climbing?

If its a gearing issue, your bike came with 2x11 Ultegra drivetrain which is a road drivetrain that Trek decided to slap onto a gravel bike. Instead of a 50/34 crankset, look into a subcompact one that is 48/31 or 46/30. Instead of an 11-34 cassette, look into an 11-36 cassette. Those changes will give you more gear range and allow you to more easily pedal on steeper climbs.

If its a weight issue, the stock wheelset is supposedly 1600g so there isnt much to drop from that. The drop bar isnt light at 323g and could be swapped for a carbon bar that would save 50-80g. The stem also could be swapped for a Uno7 Lightweight stem that is inexpensive and would save about 70 grams.
Its a relatively light bike in stock setup.
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Old 11-19-21, 02:48 PM
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I was going to suggest tires, but even the Bontrager GR1 Team 40c are pretty nice. If you are only riding on road, maybe some slick tires, but not sure this will make climbing easier.

If you find yourself running out of gears, I'd start by changing the cassette to a 36T as mentioned above and ride it for awhile before changing the crankset.

Originally Posted by Fentuz
.....and if you have a rather large budget, get raid of the groupset and fit grx di2 shifter with a deore xt di2 groupset
And for the largest budget, buy an ebike.
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Old 11-19-21, 04:07 PM
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I'm gonna think, if you have lightish tires/wheels (you do) and a 1:1 drive train (you do), you have everything you need except the motor. Going 1x or throwing $$$ at a good bike isn't going to fix anything. You have a $4,000 sub 20lb bike - its pretty darn nice as it stands, IMHO.

What do you mean by climb better? do you spend a lot of time at 34x34 and feel you want lower gearing? Is that it? You can put a bigger cassette on there and that will help a little (or change the crankset if you really want to). Or is it something else you are after?
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Old 11-20-21, 03:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
I do realize fitness is the best solution and am working on it.
There's an old saying, "Don't buy upgrades, go up grades." In your case, the bike you have is light, and set up with good components, and a drivetrain that is geared for exactly what that bike is intended (all-road riding). I personally wouldn't worry much about the gearing, instead focusing on upgrading the motor which only requires healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and using some common sense to achieve the work capacity you need, both endurance and strength. It won't happen overnight, but it can happen pretty quickly if you just keep riding. Oh, there's also another saying, "It never gets easier, you just get faster."

For the record, before the BF police come after me, there is nothing wrong with upgrading your bike, and sometimes there are physical limitations, and the reality is that some of us will never climb in the big ring.
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Old 11-20-21, 04:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Fentuz
...and if you have a rather large budget, get raid of the groupset and fit grx di2 shifter with a deore xt di2 groupset
OP, if in fact you really need lower gears (some folks prefer this for a variety of reasons), this is the easiest way to get to a true mullet build. While mechanical/cable actuated derailleurs and shifters have pull ratios that must be matched, on Di2, road and MTB components can be mixed and matched with relative ease. The suggested RD in Di2 would give you the ability to go to a gigantic MTB cassette, then matched with a 1x crankset giving you a wider range than you currently have, but you would sacrifice your top end, and the gear steps relatively speaking would be a bit larger.
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Old 11-20-21, 06:00 AM
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Going from a 34 to a 36 in the back isn't going to make a noticeable difference. Chainrings Chaingrings Chainrings.
If you want to keep your current crankset then Absolute Black makes 48/32 and 46/30 chainrings that will fit your current cranks but they are spendy.
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Old 11-20-21, 07:36 AM
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Thanks for all the advice everyone. Seems like the bikes not the issue. 🤣 I was hoping to add attachments to show a current ride but I guess I'm too new for that. I find as I near the top of larger hills I am in the lowest gear and wonder how I will be able to do steeper climbs. Until this season I lived in a relatively flat area so this is my first year of climbing. I have started a Zwift training program (live in a northern climate) so I'm hoping this will increase my fitness level. My riding this year was probably 70/30 road/gravel but am retiring next year and hope to get away to areas with more gravel. My tires are Schwalbe g-one allround 700x35 and the wheels are Bontrager Paradigm Comp that list as 1900g. Once again thanks for any advice.
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Old 11-20-21, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
I find as I near the top of larger hills I am in the lowest gear and wonder how I will be able to do steeper climbs. Until this season I lived in a relatively flat area so this is my first year of climbing. I have started a Zwift training program (live in a northern climate) so I'm hoping this will increase my fitness level. My riding this year was probably 70/30 road/gravel but am retiring next year and hope to get away to areas with more gravel. My tires are Schwalbe g-one allround 700x35 and the wheels are Bontrager Paradigm Comp that list as 1900g. Once again thanks for any advice.
Thanks for clarifying the issue- since it's running out of gears, Changing the cassette and/or crank to make a wider range driveteain will help.

Something to consider with gearing and gravel/wide tires- the wider the tire, the more difficult gearing effectively becomes. So a bailout gearing if 34-34 with a 28mm tire will feel more difficult with a 35mm tire and feel even more difficult with a 43mm tire.
Add in the fact that unpaved surfaces are more difficult to climb than paved, and you can see why an easier drivetrain with a wider range may be needed for gravel.

If someone can climb a paved 10% road that lasts .5mi in 34/28 on a 28mm tire road bike, they may need 34/34 to climb a 10% gravel road that lasts .5mi on a 43mm gravel tire since tire size changes gear inches and unpaved surfaces take more energy.

Zwift will help for sure. Really any indoor miles will help during the winter, but Zwift is popular for a reason- it keeps people more engaged so they ride longer.


I looked up your wheel weight yesterdayand stated 1600g, but apparently I pulled up the rim brake version.
If these are your wheels, then they weight 1800g and you could look into a different wheelset that would drop 200g or so. It wont be inexpensice to drop that weight though and if the wheels you have feel good and have been reliable then it may not be worth the swap. https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e...wheel/p/34503/
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Old 11-20-21, 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
I was hoping to add attachments to show a current ride but I guess I'm too new for that.
Pic Assist - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/23166550

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Old 11-20-21, 02:31 PM
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I have a 2019 steel Norco Search XR 2x gravel bike. Unlike Trek back in 2019, it came with a true gravel specific SUB-compact crankset and 11-34 cassette. I've since upgraded to GRX (the 810 RD, and GRX600 crank with 46/30 rings, and the 810 hydraulic brakes). This gearing allows me to ride the often steeply pitched forest roads near me, while loaded down with 2-3 water bottles and a half frame bag with way too many things stuffed into it. The interesting thing is i've since installed a Sunrace CSMX8 11-42 cassette (could not find the 11-40 in stock) which is WAY out of shimano-approved spec, and it works fine, with the B-Set screw adjusted accordingly.

Maybe some of this info can help...

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Old 11-21-21, 11:04 AM
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Lots of good advice it seems that changing to a chainring more suited to a gravel bike might be a good upgrade (48/32 or 46/30). What would be the idea size cassette if I was to upgrade the chainring, also would i need to change my chain ? Also what does changing to a 1x11 crankset achieve and if I was to go that route what size cassette/chainring would work best. Thank you !
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Old 11-21-21, 12:11 PM
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1x vs 2x is a personal thing. I have 1x on my Surly ECR dirt tank with flat bars, built for being loaded up, but usually isn't. I ride solo or with a friend or 2, and we're usually not out riding for speed. having 1x generally means bigger gaps between gearing (and a simpler drivetrain, no front derailleur to mount, adjust or shift). Sounds good, right? but if you're riding with a group, and you guys/gals want to be racy-racy, you'll have a harder time finding a good gear to maintain your speed and cadence with the rest. Especially if they're all 2x. a 1x drivetrain is often coupled with a huge cassette range on the MTB side of things. Mine is a 10-51, which allows a nice very low gear, coupled with the 30 tooth front chainring. 1:1 ratios are so last year (chuckling). I'm also running 29x2.6-3.0 tires on my 1x bike.

Having a 2x drivetrain is more of a road-style dimension (unlike the MTB style of a 1x) allowing smaller jumps between gears, making it easier to find that Just Right combination. especially when riding in a group. If that group includes some roadies, or former roadies, 2x is especially nice. I have 2x on my drop-bar gravel bike which is running 27.5x40c-2.1 tires.

In the end, both work, and personal fitness is always a huge deal. I'm sure others will chime in with their own take.

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Old 11-22-21, 03:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
Lots of good advice it seems that changing to a chainring more suited to a gravel bike might be a good upgrade (48/32 or 46/30). What would be the idea size cassette if I was to upgrade the chainring, also would i need to change my chain ? Also what does changing to a 1x11 crankset achieve and if I was to go that route what size cassette/chainring would work best. Thank you !
Yes, as a first stage chain rim is the "simplest" thing to do and possibly shorten the chain.

Cassette, as Eric said, he managed to fit a 11-42 despite 34 being the approved max and it works for him.
If I were you, I would do a search to see what is the most common "out of spec" setup. On my daugther bike, I went for a 11-36 9s instead of a 11-32 8s although the derailleur was speced for 34 so the risk of not working was rather low. On my gravel, the derailleur is speced for 42max but some people manage to get 11-50 MTB cassette to work and some don't. I found that for my setup, most people achieve 11-46 without any trouble so I thought is was an acceptable risk and upgraded for 11-46T (inexpensive) on 700c and after several successful month I upgrade the 650B with XD to 9-46T (expensive).
Point is that you have currently max the approved validated cassette setup but it doesn't mean you cannot go over as manufacturers include some safety factor. if you go over the specified cassette, they is a risk it doesn't work and will cost money to put right so do your research.

Now, 2x or 1x, as mentioned above, it is a personal choice we cannot make for you however, there are thing you can do to decide:
Before being with a 1x, I rode mostly a modified folding bike with 2x9. When I was debating on 1x, I simply went for a ride, I recorded what gear I used and like (as I did when upgrading from 2x7 to 2x9). Once I knew what I likes, I set-up a XL file with the gearinch and spent time comparing data [Tyre Dia x(chainring/cassette)] and compare the 20" gearinch to the 700c gearinch to find that it would work for me as a initial purchase.
Then, I repeated the process to find out how chainring swap would affect the gearinch and swapped accordingly... and same again with the cassette.
Did the same when building the "work horse" - bike I use to tow the kids tag along and child seat.

By comparing the gearinch, I could see how groupset vary and I see what compromise I would have to make (easy the top and overspinning downhill). It also allowed me to see how my groupset would compare to other people groupset and see if I were over or under geared.

As I said, it is personal but you can look at the data to make a better educated choice.
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Old 11-22-21, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
Lots of good advice it seems that changing to a chainring more suited to a gravel bike might be a good upgrade (48/32 or 46/30). What would be the idea size cassette if I was to upgrade the chainring, also would i need to change my chain ?
It sounds like you are concentrating on climbing. So, lower is better. Start with chainring (or the cassette if you wish). But if you go a lot bigger in the rear, you will need a new derailleur and a chain. You can do the 46/30 and maybe go a little bigger in the rear without changing the chain or derailleur.

None of us need a chain ring bigger than 46.
(I'll give you an exception if you like to sprint to a finish line at 40mph, but that isn't an issue here).

I used to live in a flat part of town and avoid the hilly part. Now I live in the hilly part and love it.
I worked on getting strong cardio, also doing intervals so I could climb better.
Better than changing the bike was me getting a heart rate monitor. I know what my threshold is, and I can climb as long as I want to as long as I keep my heart rate below my threshold.
I'd guess, it would help if you kept your RPM up closer to 100 when climbing.


Originally Posted by Ollie62
Also what does changing to a 1x11 crankset achieve and if I was to go that route what size cassette/chainring would work best. Thank you !
Nothing really. You'll loose that 30 on the chainring, and be stuck with something like 40 (basically splitting the difference between 46/30). 1x is fine for some people in some conditions, but it doesn't really solve anything (it was "invented" to allow designers more freedom with full suspension bikes).

Last edited by chas58; 11-22-21 at 07:40 AM.
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Old 11-22-21, 07:55 AM
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I'm thinking a 2x will probably work better for me as I still do some road climbing to get to the trails.I have a Absolute Black 46/30 in my checkout cart. Should i just leave it at that and bolt on the new chainring and see how it works. Does changing the cassette do anything or would you recommend leaving it as such for the time being. thanks
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Old 11-22-21, 08:37 AM
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It sounds like you are concentrating on climbing. So, lower is better. Start with chainring (or the cassette if you wish). But if you go a lot bigger in the rear, you will need a new derailleur and a chain. You can do the 46/30 and maybe go a little bigger in the rear without changing the chain or derailleur.

None of us need a chain ring bigger than 46.
(I'll give you an exception if you like to sprint to a finish line at 40mph, but that isn't an issue here).
OP- this is pretty true and a way simpler way to say what I said earlier in a wall of numbers and text.
I used to have a 46/34 for my gravel bike and the 46 was fine. 46/11 allowed me to ride as fast as I felt comfortable on gravel. I have a 48/32 crankset on my gravel bike for the last couple years because I wanted to change to a 32t small ring, not because I was seeking a larger big ring. If it were 46/32, I would be just as happy.
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Old 11-22-21, 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
I'm thinking a 2x will probably work better for me as I still do some road climbing to get to the trails.I have a Absolute Black 46/30 in my checkout cart. Should i just leave it at that and bolt on the new chainring and see how it works. Does changing the cassette do anything or would you recommend leaving it as such for the time being. thanks
No, That isn't going to help any.

If I google your bike it shows a 48/31 crank and an 11-34 cassette.

so, if you are in the small chain ring and the large cog, you are at 31x34, which is pretty low.

On the crank, the difference between a 48/31 and a 46/30 is negligible. (the 48 and 46 aren't going to be used by climbing if you want low gearing).

you are already at the max size on your cassette (34). Typically on shimano, you can push it and go bigger, but that isn't gonna help a whole lot to go up a couple of teeth.
Eric went crazy on his GRX derailleur, but I'm thinking 40 wont' work on your ultegra. 36 probably, 38 maybe/maybe not
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Old 11-22-21, 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by chas58
No, That isn't going to help any.

If I google your bike it shows a 48/31 crank and an 11-34 cassette.
A couple sites show that model year has an Ultegra 50/34 crank.
The OP giving more details would certainly clear up some confusion in the thread.
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Old 11-22-21, 05:36 PM
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I googled Trek's website and it shows as a Ultegra 50/34 (compact) crank.
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Old 11-22-21, 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
I googled Trek's website and it shows as a Ultegra 50/34 (compact) crank.
...or just look at your bike.
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Old 11-23-21, 08:00 AM
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Upgrades

I have visual confirmation that it’s a Ultegra 11S 54/30 MS.
So would the Absolute Black 48/32 or 46/30 Chainring be a good upgrade for climbing if so would you just leave it at upgrading the chainring until I have ridden the bike for a bit.
Thanks !
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Old 11-23-21, 08:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Ollie62
So would the Absolute Black 48/32 or 46/30 Chainring be a good upgrade for climbing if so would you just leave it at upgrading the chainring until I have ridden the bike for a bit.
Thanks !
Since it is what teck did with the later version, the answer is yes.
Having said that, Absolute black is not the only solution so you may want to look for (shimano, FSA, Sram etc.)
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Old 11-23-21, 10:39 AM
  #25  
pipeliner
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I’ve got a GRX 46/30 crankset and running a SRAM 11-36 cassette. I had an 11-34 on it but really prefer the 11-36. The gear spacing is much more useful and yes, that extra 2 teeth on real steep climbs is nice too.
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