This Is Ridiculous (No Ultra Low Gear Options)
#28
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I have learned that it's not so obvious to others when I type with my tongue in my cheek, so I'll tell you that is where my tongue is with this reply.
I bought a Lynskey titanium frame. You have the gall to suggest I hang "Alivio" and "Sora" "9 speed" components on this? Do you put Ketchup on your filet mignon?
I bought a Lynskey titanium frame. You have the gall to suggest I hang "Alivio" and "Sora" "9 speed" components on this? Do you put Ketchup on your filet mignon?
^tounge in cheek.
I get what you are saying, but they are options to address your need. You mentioned a triple, those are triples that are reliable. They are budget, yes, but they work perfectly fine and I already suggested the boutique expensive option- White Industries crank to get the 2x rings you want for the ratios you need.
#29
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Dont try to church it up- its a Lynskey, not a Seven.
^tounge in cheek.
I get what you are saying, but they are options to address your need. You mentioned a triple, those are triples that are reliable. They are budget, yes, but they work perfectly fine and I already suggested the boutique expensive option- White Industries crank to get the 2x rings you want for the ratios you need.
^tounge in cheek.
I get what you are saying, but they are options to address your need. You mentioned a triple, those are triples that are reliable. They are budget, yes, but they work perfectly fine and I already suggested the boutique expensive option- White Industries crank to get the 2x rings you want for the ratios you need.
#31
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OP already got all these answers earlier in another thread yet he ignores the answers and asks the same thing.
#32
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Dont try to church it up- its a Lynskey, not a Seven.
^tounge in cheek.
I get what you are saying, but they are options to address your need. You mentioned a triple, those are triples that are reliable. They are budget, yes, but they work perfectly fine and I already suggested the boutique expensive option- White Industries crank to get the 2x rings you want for the ratios you need.
^tounge in cheek.
I get what you are saying, but they are options to address your need. You mentioned a triple, those are triples that are reliable. They are budget, yes, but they work perfectly fine and I already suggested the boutique expensive option- White Industries crank to get the 2x rings you want for the ratios you need.
You know, your post kinda strikes at the heart of my beef. Cheap or Boutique solutions, none of which are offered as OEM. When real world gearing from major manufacturers and makes it to OEM, it will be interesting to revisit this thread.
I know my one post was kinda long, but I was truly curious how 46/30 11-42 wouldn't suit you well for your favorite gravel rides.
#33
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"Im just saying it isnt a large market. No matter how many people want that gearing, 20x more dont, and that group is will obviously be the one that is served."
Friendly discussion here, so don't take any of this the wrong way. Let's think in terms of the average buyer. I think those of us that hang out here and are very serious represent a small fraction of buyers. I'd guess that 20X people don't really know what they want or are never going to come anywhere close to needing either end of their gear range. Most of them will buy what the sales person steers them toward. They'd be just as happy with 50/36 11-32 gearing as they would with 46/30 11-42. gearing. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that 80% of buyers would be as happy with one as they would the other and would never truly need a limit.
What about the other 20% (or whatever you think that number may be) Let's take standard gravel bike gearing. 50/34 or 46-30 and 11-34 is fairly standard 2X gearing these days. All I am asking for is rear derailleur shifter combos that would allow me to run an 11-42 rear cassette instead of the 11-34 with the 46/30. Now let's apply that to a gravel loop. You and I are going to ride your favorite loop and my favorite loop. My chosen gearing is 46/30 with 11-42. This is my loop. At some places there are some rougher 20% climbs. https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4655864239 I will need better than 30-36 on the steeper parts. On this entire loop, I'd never have a need for more top end than the 46-11 affords. I have a hunch that my chosen gearing would serve me very well on your favorite route. I have a hunch that it'd serve you and most others perfectly well on your favorite route too. If it wouldn't, help me understand why.
46-11 gives you 27 MPH at an 80 RPM cadence. At a good sprinting cadence of 100, that's 34 MPH. Are people really hitting these kinds of speeds on gravel? I know many of our loops involve tarmac. Is it common for you or others to pedal faster than 34 on the tarmac stretches of your gravel loops? On my mixed surface routes, I am happy to coast when speeds start getting over 30MPH.
Friendly discussion here, so don't take any of this the wrong way. Let's think in terms of the average buyer. I think those of us that hang out here and are very serious represent a small fraction of buyers. I'd guess that 20X people don't really know what they want or are never going to come anywhere close to needing either end of their gear range. Most of them will buy what the sales person steers them toward. They'd be just as happy with 50/36 11-32 gearing as they would with 46/30 11-42. gearing. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that 80% of buyers would be as happy with one as they would the other and would never truly need a limit.
What about the other 20% (or whatever you think that number may be) Let's take standard gravel bike gearing. 50/34 or 46-30 and 11-34 is fairly standard 2X gearing these days. All I am asking for is rear derailleur shifter combos that would allow me to run an 11-42 rear cassette instead of the 11-34 with the 46/30. Now let's apply that to a gravel loop. You and I are going to ride your favorite loop and my favorite loop. My chosen gearing is 46/30 with 11-42. This is my loop. At some places there are some rougher 20% climbs. https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4655864239 I will need better than 30-36 on the steeper parts. On this entire loop, I'd never have a need for more top end than the 46-11 affords. I have a hunch that my chosen gearing would serve me very well on your favorite route. I have a hunch that it'd serve you and most others perfectly well on your favorite route too. If it wouldn't, help me understand why.
46-11 gives you 27 MPH at an 80 RPM cadence. At a good sprinting cadence of 100, that's 34 MPH. Are people really hitting these kinds of speeds on gravel? I know many of our loops involve tarmac. Is it common for you or others to pedal faster than 34 on the tarmac stretches of your gravel loops? On my mixed surface routes, I am happy to coast when speeds start getting over 30MPH.
I wouldnt be surprised if most dont ever come close to reaching the limits of their drivetrain range. This is due in part to where they ride(flatter paths that are paved or crushed stone), how fast they ride, and their cadence being on the slower side.
I dont think most cyclists, even enthusiasts, have an 80-100rpm cadence. You may be moving at 34mph in 46-11 at 100rpm, but that is probably close to 50% higher than the average cadence I see on paths, paved roads, and gravel roads. 70rpm is probably a cadence average that I see.
Your map didnt load, but you are correct that 46-11 and 30-42 would be more than I need for gearing. I used to ride a 46t large ring so that would be fine. And I currently have a 32t small ring, so obviously a 30t ring would work out fine.
Up to about 3 years ago, what is considered current wide range gearing didnt exist as a group and you needed to piece together components. So yeah, what you are looking for, which is even wider range road gearing, isnt readily available. Progress has been made, but clearly there is more to go with regard to wide range drivetrains. What you want is basically older MTB level gearing with wide range and small steps, but on a road bike. While many people could ride that and be happy, not enough have asked for it to make it a reality. There just arent enough people riding 20% gravel roads, I guess.
Then there is the reality that what you want does exist, it just doesnt exist in a nice enough groupset. That makes it even more niche. Its a niche option in a niche subactivity of a niche discipline of cycling.
White Industries crank...
You could pair a WI 40/26 crankset with an 11-36t cassette to have gear inches of 100 down to 20. It would also mean tighter cassette jumps and a lighter cassette since its smaller.
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#34
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I am with the people in this thread saying you can't expect this. Gravel bikes are a cultivar of road bikes that most closely resemble endurance road bikes (other claimants to their bastard heritage notwithstanding). You want to go on a dirt road with 1.5 inch tires, hey okay they made it one shift lower now.
You want to do loaded touring, that is a touring bike. It gets a MTB/hybrid triple system. Pretty easy to see that the two biggest shifting brands DGAF about supporting that combination with anything really new or premium, especially not with drop bars. Shimano still makes some really nice, really low double and triple systems - for flat bar controls. If you want to use them with drop bars, you will need to find help from a smaller brand. Which means Gevenalle or that Tanpan thing or Microshift barcons.
SHIMANO DEORE-XT T8000 Series | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT
You want to do loaded touring, that is a touring bike. It gets a MTB/hybrid triple system. Pretty easy to see that the two biggest shifting brands DGAF about supporting that combination with anything really new or premium, especially not with drop bars. Shimano still makes some really nice, really low double and triple systems - for flat bar controls. If you want to use them with drop bars, you will need to find help from a smaller brand. Which means Gevenalle or that Tanpan thing or Microshift barcons.
SHIMANO DEORE-XT T8000 Series | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT
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#35
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Shimano's GRX 2x uses 46/30 and most builds I see pair that with an 11-34 (or 11-36) cassette. The SRAM 12sp gravel builds usually have a 43/30 with a 10-36.
#36
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I don't know why you think I ignored those answers. I am going to go with one of the GRX offerings suggested. This thread wasn't seeking additional build advice, but rather commenting on a gap in the marketplace, soliciting the thoughts of others on said gaps and speculating on the future of the market. If my gratitude to you and others wasn't apparent in the other thread, I'll thank you again now.
#37
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Ha, kidding about the Lynskey quality. I fully agree that the meat of the market is ignored for very wide range options. You either go entry level or boutique as a result.
#38
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It's also worth noting that GRX di2 shifters can run XT/XTR di2 2x derailleurs. The standard XT 2x12 setup is a 36/26 chainset with a 10-45 cassette, but I would imagine you can run a range of chainrings and cassettes with this setup. This seems like another possibility (albiet expensive) for very large range gearing with drop-bar shifters.
That said, the need for gearing this low on a drop bar gravel bike seems fairly niche to me. I have a feeling most gravel bike buyers are looking for something closer to a road bike than an MTB, both in terms of gearing and use.
That said, the need for gearing this low on a drop bar gravel bike seems fairly niche to me. I have a feeling most gravel bike buyers are looking for something closer to a road bike than an MTB, both in terms of gearing and use.
#39
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I feel if you have exhausted your low gears with a 46-30 paired with a 11-36 which will should work fine with GRX, you aren't far from walking speed. There are a few local climbs like that and they'd be just as ridiculously horrible with any gearing.
GRX is really tailored reasonably well for most gravel bike riders, covers most the road riding needs with the 46-11 tallest gear and covers most gravel needs with a 30-34 or 30-36, but I guess if you really want MTB style gearing you will have to bodge something.
GRX is really tailored reasonably well for most gravel bike riders, covers most the road riding needs with the 46-11 tallest gear and covers most gravel needs with a 30-34 or 30-36, but I guess if you really want MTB style gearing you will have to bodge something.
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You want to do loaded touring, that is a touring bike. It gets a MTB/hybrid triple system. Pretty easy to see that the two biggest shifting brands DGAF about supporting that combination with anything really new or premium, especially not with drop bars. Shimano still makes some really nice, really low double and triple systems - for flat bar controls. If you want to use them with drop bars, you will need to find help from a smaller brand. Which means Gevenalle or that Tanpan thing or Microshift barcons.
SHIMANO DEORE-XT T8000 Series | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT
SHIMANO DEORE-XT T8000 Series | SHIMANO BIKE COMPONENT
The gearing range you get is marginally wider than the typical GRX setup, and the whole system is heavier and more kludgy to operate, and the shifters can do their own thing when going really fast on bumpy ground.
I won't ditch the system, because it works and I wanted to use all the parts I had laying around instead of sinking cash into it like my road bike, but if I was building a gravel bike from scratch, I'd probably go with GRX.
Last edited by Branko D; 10-19-21 at 01:22 AM.
#41
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My new gravel bike will have White Industries crank with 40/26 rings and 3T 9-32 11speed cassette (GRX dI2 shifting). This gets close to your low gear and still has a huge top gear. As a previous post said, the WI crank with variable BCD allows a lot of flexibility.
FWIW - we also ride a tandem and have 46/30 with 10-42 cassette (also GRX dI2). The 30/42 low gear is about 19 gear inch; top gear is 124 and we use all of them!
FWIW - we also ride a tandem and have 46/30 with 10-42 cassette (also GRX dI2). The 30/42 low gear is about 19 gear inch; top gear is 124 and we use all of them!
#42
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There's nothing contradictory in wanting a 19" gear while also simultaneously wanting the bike to be capable of fulfilling a road-bike-esque role.
#43
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I still see quite a few non-GRX type gearing bike, but your comment sparked a thought. Manufacturers make a move from compact to sub compact, because the need was there. If you think about the "technology" I am asking for, it's really not much. Just the ability to run an 11-42 cassette with that GRX crank. Shimano's MTB derailleurs can do it, why not build that into the GRX? The WWW is full of articles and discussions on fixes. Genevalle, Wolftooth and Microshift are catering to the market with fixes and seem to do well in that segment.
#44
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I saw it mentioned there and didn't dig for details, because I wanted to avoid dohickeys if possible. Having seen it mentioned several times, I thought I'd go ahead and ask about it.
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I still see quite a few non-GRX type gearing bike, but your comment sparked a thought. Manufacturers make a move from compact to sub compact, because the need was there. If you think about the "technology" I am asking for, it's really not much. Just the ability to run an 11-42 cassette with that GRX crank. Shimano's MTB derailleurs can do it, why not build that into the GRX? The WWW is full of articles and discussions on fixes. Genevalle, Wolftooth and Microshift are catering to the market with fixes and seem to do well in that segment.
#46
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I never quite got the "you might as well walk" mentality. When we are grinding up a hill at 8 MPH, do we bemoan our "running" speed.
By asking for a GRX derailleur that will play nicely with an 11-42 cassette, I am not asking for anything that Shimano can't easily make, and I am not asking that they do so at the expense of those who think 46/30 11-34 is nirvana.
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BTW GRX 2X rear derailleurs can handle a 42t cassette with a road link. There is a great video from Bikepacking.com that shows how the B screw aligns just fine once the Road Link is added.
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#50
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I used Gevenalle shifters for aabout 5 years and really liked them. The hood shape fit my hands well and my hands are large enough that I could shift the rear from the drops so that common downside wasnt an issue. They are simple and dead reliable. The cables out in front was really my only gripe, but clearly I didnt care enough to change.
I even used them on my current gravel frame, even though at the time it would have been an easy switch. I finally sold them after a year on the new frame because I went hydraulic.
My old gravel bike had a wolftooth as well. Again, simple and dead reliable. Its just a piece of machined aluminum, so it doesnt stand out as a hack since most all bikes already have one of those as the replacable hanger.
I even used them on my current gravel frame, even though at the time it would have been an easy switch. I finally sold them after a year on the new frame because I went hydraulic.
My old gravel bike had a wolftooth as well. Again, simple and dead reliable. Its just a piece of machined aluminum, so it doesnt stand out as a hack since most all bikes already have one of those as the replacable hanger.
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