danders

Recently purchased a 2012 Vaya 2 and find the 48/34 11-32 gearing a bit high for this old guy and the local hills.
Disc brakes add confidence for descents. Bike is 2x10 sram apex. Looking at options, I keep coming back to changing
crankset to Sram GX-1000 36/22. This would give me 19-89inch gearing without needing to change cassette and RD.
What concerns me is I don't see this combination used often and wonder why?

Edit: Apparently I rambled: The question is would switching to Sram Crankset GX-1000 36/22 be a good solution to
lower gearing. While keeping original 11-32 cassette and med cage derailleur.

https://salsacycles.com/bikes/archive/2012_vaya

Thanks

Tourist in MSN

When I set up my Rohloff bike for touring, I my highest gear is 85.1 gear inches. I often spin out on downhills. I wish I had higher, but I am unwilling to give up any of my low gears to obtain a higher gear. My point is that with a high gear of 89 inches, be prepared to spin out on shallow downhills.

Since you understand gearing calculations, you could try to figure out which gear you currently have that would approximate that 89 gear inch high gear, and then try riding some without ever going into a gear higher than that to see what that might be like.

I do not use those higher gears that often, but on shallow downhills or when I roll down into a valley and want to maintain momentum part way up the other side, I often appreciate having the higher gears to.

danders

Thanks, I have compared current gearing and 48/15 or 87 inches is the tallest gear I can't live without.

saddlesores

umm, like, so what's the question?

Barrettscv 

The Shimano GRX 48/31 crankset would provide the gear range you are looking for. This eleven speed crank will work with a 10 speed SRAM drivetrain. The 36/22 is not a good match for a road drivetrain. A road front derailleur probably won’t work with the 36/22 mountain crankset.

coatseast

I have the original the bike and 2x10 gearing as the original poster. Would it be an option just to change the smaller front chain ring. (Say from 34 to 30?) Keeping the cranks set the same seems like that would be a cheaper option. conversely I’m wondering if I could just change the rear cassette with a larger granny gear. Let me know thanks so much!

Yan 

I ran this exact setup with the GX crankset. It is an excellent idea. Go for it.

Some people will claim that the 36-11 top gear is not fast enough, but in practice I almost never used this gear. Maybe five times a year max. I'm not strong enough to push this speed on the flat, and on downhills if I'm going that fast I'm already coasting.

I did use mountain derailleurs however. You'll want to check the compatibility documentation for your derailleurs to see how much range they can support. Personally I don't think the 48/31 GRX crankset is a good solution. It's barely lower geared than what you already have. What's the point.

Polaris OBark

I agree on the GRX solution, but get the GRX 46/30T one for 10-speed and save some money ($150 IIRC). It will probably work with your current front derailleur, but at absolute worst, you would have to pop for another GRX for $50.

cccorlew

Go lower. Find a 46-30. FSA makes one that isn't too costly. My wife has that on her Vaya. She also got a cassette with a 40 tooth cog.

djb

Aren't there mountain bike doubles still available 42\28? They seem like a much more real world useful crankset.
I admit I don't keep track
My touring bike has a (brace yourselves kids......) 44/32/22 on a 26in wheeled bike (so fricken passe I know, sheesh) but I tend to carry more weight than bikepacking though.

Another bike of mine 700 wheels, has an old 42/34/24 and riding that a lot in the 34t it does cover a really good range of speeds, so a 36t would be ok, but the 22t is pretty low if you are riding unloaded.
**Don't get me wrong, I'm the biggest fan of low gears, it just depends on the circumstances.

Good luck with getting ideas and proper solutions, it'll come down also to how much money this will cost you!

But as mentioned, you get into fd issues possibly

Tourist in MSN

I generally do not try to keep track of doubles, as I have triples on most of my bikes. But I think that Spa puts a bashguard on a triple and calls it a double.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109...h-Zicral-Rings

I assume they ship to Canada. I bought something from them about a month or two ago, if you are in the US you have to e-mail them for ordering instructions because their computer ordering system is not designed for that, they have to e-mail you a shipping quote so your e-mail should say what they would have to ship to you.

djb

Nice, but this guys bike probably doesn't have square taper BB, so there's that to change.....IF the BB shell is threaded.

Like so much, the devil is in the details.

robow

Thanks Tourist MSN, had not seen their offerings before and I do like the looks of that 44/28.

danders

I ended up going 3x9, like you 22/32/44 crank, 12-36 cassette.
Crankset is shimano FC-MT210-3. FD is microshift that can go
to the small 22 ring.