It’s been a few years since I posted here on Bike Forums.

I’m a longtime roadie. I’ve raced/ridden a few multisurface events on my road bike using 28C Gravel Kings and decided that I needed something more appropriate. I bought an ‘18 Specialized Crux E5 Sport from a friend; it’s in good shape. For those not familiar with the bike, it’s got an aluminum frame, carbon fork, 11-speed 105 and hydraulic discs.

At this point in time, my main concern is changing the gearing. It’s got the standard CX 46/36 crankset and a short cage RD. I’ve ordered a mid-cage RD and can pull the 11-34 cassette off my road bike for a short term fix. I’m interested in options for the crankset. I’ve emailed Praxis to see if I can stick their 48/32 chainrings on the Alba spyder, which I expect to be a “no”. What other options are out there? I’m the stereotypical retired guy on a fixed income, so price matters.

I plan to stick with the stock wheelset. I’m open to changing tires, it currently has Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38s on it. I rode my first event on the bike yesterday, 28 miles with about 1100 feet of vertical, about 2/3 of it was hardpack with the rest gravel, sand, or pavement, and the tires seemed to do well. My next event will be about 1/3 gravel and 2/3 really bad roads.

Thanks!