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What gearing is on your gravel bike?

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

What gearing is on your gravel bike?

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Old 08-21-16, 09:06 PM
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What gearing is on your gravel bike?

1x?
Compact double?
CX double?
Old mtb triple?

What cassette range do you run?


A few of us were discussing a bike im building and how i took a risk and am trying something different from my norm which is an old mtb triple.


So what do you run on your gravel bike and what benefits and limitations have you found?


Mine wil be 105 11sp. 46/36 cranks and 11-32 cassette.
Pretty sure itll be an epic fail and ill long for a 48/38/28 triple with a 9speed 11-32 cassette due to hills.
Really just wanted to try something different.
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Old 08-21-16, 09:30 PM
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Old 08-21-16, 09:46 PM
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22-30-40 x 11-36
47c tires.

Very low. I do some light mtbing on it which takes me up some very steep pitches. I will change to 32 and 42 when these rings wear out.
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Old 08-21-16, 10:16 PM
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Compact and 11-32
I really want to slap on a roadlink and run a 11-40 on my gravel wheels. That 32 in the back just isn't enough for some of the gravel hills and mtn biking around here.
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Old 08-21-16, 11:01 PM
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I'm running a Ultegra 6800 crank with 46/34 chainrings and a SRAM 11-36 cassette with a Roadlink. Works okay, and gives me a nice low climbing gear.

A interesting new product for gravel/adventure bikes is FSA's new 46/30 subcompact crank. This means nice low climbing gears with a closer spaced cassette.
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Old 08-22-16, 04:52 AM
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I run a Sora crank with 49/46 chainrings and a 11-36 10 speed Shimano cassette. Gives me 20 usable gears with no overlap.

if you would drop that 36 down to a 34 or 32 you would have almost the same GI coverage with less redundant gears.
check out this nice online gear calculator...

HTML5 Gear Calculator
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Old 08-22-16, 05:18 AM
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44/32/22 and 11-28 8 spd
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Old 08-22-16, 06:31 AM
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Compact (46/36) with an Ultegra 11-sp 11-28. I wish I had the 11-32 at the moment - around here I ride a LOT of steep hills.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:07 AM
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I run sram force 1X up front with 44T, and 11-36 in the rear. Makes for a very low gearing but still can do 35 MPH with out extreme cadence. Very simple with no front derailleur to contend with. Works very well with gravel.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:13 AM
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Originally Posted by bwilli88
I run a Sora crank with 49/46 chainrings and a 11-36 10 speed Shimano cassette. Gives me 20 usable gears with no overlap.

if you would drop that 36 down to a 34 or 32 you would have almost the same GI coverage with less redundant gears.
Ive thought about swapping the 36t for a 34t.
its a 110bcd crank, so the smallest ring possible is 33t and that isnt made for my crank.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:34 AM
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34/50 up front,
11-32 out back,
22 speed,

I have three overlaps I think.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:37 AM
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42-28 mtb double. 11-32 cassette. We have some really steep gravel and you can't stand up. I might not be using the 28-32 combo very much at this time of year. I tried to figure out how to make a 1X work, but that 42-11 is about as low as I want to go. I use my gravel bike on the road enough that I'd rather not go with a really wide range cassette. It works really well on the road, it has made me seriously consider a 46 for the road bike.Wish it was easier to get a 12 tooth small gear on a cassette
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Old 08-22-16, 07:40 AM
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Right now it's 36/50 5800 crankset, but I'm patiently waiting for 4 arm shimano 46t large rings to stop being so blasted expensive.
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Old 08-22-16, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by jwehman
Compact (46/36) with an Ultegra 11-sp 11-28. I wish I had the 11-32 at the moment - around here I ride a LOT of steep hills.
My bike came with a 46/36 Ultegra crank and I swapped the 36 chainring for a 34, costs maybe $10.
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Old 08-22-16, 08:52 AM
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I have a tripe 48/38/28 with 12-32 cassette (the cheapest setting my bike could be configured in), but I plan to upgrade to 50/34 11-34 Tiagra as soon as I can afford it.
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Old 08-22-16, 10:33 AM
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I completed my first gravel/ultra-cross event last weekend on my SS using 40x17. 38x17 (or lower) would've been a better choice.
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Old 08-22-16, 12:02 PM
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Subcompact 46/30 crank and 11-36 cassette on my AWOL.
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Old 08-22-16, 12:40 PM
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I run a Campagnolo Athena 50/34 crankset to an 11spd Ultegra 11-28 cassette.
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Old 08-22-16, 01:48 PM
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Diverge A1 sport. Compact crank (50-34). I changed rear cassette and derailleur to a 12-36.

I don't race and live in the mountains of Northcentral, PA. I am seriously thinking of switching out the front crank to a sub-compact (48/32 or 46/30) to help with the mountains and making it a more touring configuration.
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Old 08-22-16, 01:52 PM
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11-32 vs. 50/34T (11-speed Ultegra Di2).

Contemplating a 46/30T crank.
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Old 08-22-16, 03:31 PM
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Pretty interesting how many have mentioned they wish for or are contemplating a chainring or crankset swap for easier gearing.
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Old 08-22-16, 06:38 PM
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I use 42x30T chainrings (Vuelta SE Plus 94mm BCD on Lightning cranks) and an 11-28 cassette.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:14 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Pretty interesting how many have mentioned they wish for or are contemplating a chainring or crankset swap for easier gearing.
The bottom line is most recreational gravel/multi surface riders need gearing closer to what you would find on a mountain bike than a cyclocross race bike.

The new FSA 46/30 crank paired with a 11-36 or 11-40 cassette in my option is ideal gearing.

SRAM 1x setup with a smaller 38 or 40 chainring and a wide range 10-42 cassette is another great option for this type of bike/riding.
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Old 08-22-16, 07:41 PM
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^ Have Force 1x 46 chainring and 10-42 cassette. Works for me nicely, don't cyclocross.
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Old 08-22-16, 09:27 PM
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Got the same as GeneO, Force 1x 46 front and 10-42 cassette. The only downside I've run into so far is that if I hit rough road spot, or if I bunny hop too strong while in lower gears, the chain will sometimes fall off the chainring on the outside

It can be quite disconcerting, as I'm going at a good pace when in that gear!!! Happened 3 times so far.

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