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Cross-tops also useful for descents where you may need to bunnyhop or navigate very steep sections.
Are they though? When I first took my CX bike properly offroad I made the mistake of trying to ride a rough section on the tops. For all the control it gives I may as well have ridden it no handed, there's just not enough leverage, it lifts your CoG up high, and makes the steering twitchy.
I'd agree with TINAS - the drops are the safest place to be for pretty much anything spicy.
Cross-tops also useful for descents where you may need to bunnyhop or navigate very steep sections.
Yeah? How wide are the bars on your MTB?
I think some hope riders use chicken levers for the 3 peaks?
They do indeed, they're excellent. Personally I'd hate to do the Three Peaks without them - partly for the extra control they give and partly for the extra hand positions - can descend on tops or drops.
Completely at the other end of the radness scale, bar-top levers are excellent on canal towpath type riding too.
I’m happy off-road on a CX around Ladybower and the rest of the Peak with hoods. I get that hand position choices are useful but I’ve never felt the need to go back to chicken levers/cross tops. Admittedly, last time I tried them was on my ‘boys ten speed racer’ in the 80’s, but they were scary back then. I assume they’ve improved along with everything else, but I’m not convinced there’s a need for a third braking position, and I’m not convinced that bartops of a 420-440 bar (so thumbs practically at the stem) is a positive move for offroad given that all other movements have been towards wider and more leverage. Bartops is a relax position to me, not an on-it one.
Was going to start a new thread about the GRX groupsets but found this one after a search so thought I get this one going again.
I've a few questions for anyone who bought any GRX components or ideally the whole groupset:
1. How you getting along with your GRX groupsets and which one did you get?
2. Is there a discernable difference between the 3 different levels, 400, 600 and 800? Apart from the 400 only having 10 speed.
3. If you chose 1x did you ever regret it?
4. What type of riding are you using it for?
Have bits of GRX on a 2x gravel build, specifically the 810 cranks and front mech.
I keep thinking I have the rear mech too but it's actually Ultegra RX.
Cranks are lovely, lighter and cheaper for than anything else for the money I paid (think they were on offer). I'm annoyed at myself for forgetting they are offset 2.5mm outboard to suit disc hubs because I'm using them with a rim brake hub, so the chain line is a bit off. Tried spacing it back in but of course the front mech can't cope with the chainrings being 2.5mm closer to frame. Silly me.
Only annoyed that Absolute Black oval rings don't appear to be compatible, but AB are saying 'watch this space'. Regretting not going 46/30 to be honest, could get the 600 cranks for £90 and just swap the rings over...
Have noticed the chain will drop down a sprocket or two if I back pedal too much, I'm assuming this is because of the chainline being out, happily I don't back pedal much on gravel rides.
GRX 600 full double groupset built onto a Tripster AT. Works really well, no problems with back pedalling as above so chainline may well be your answer. Good spread of gearing 46-30 and 11-34, though I have seen that you can run an 11-40 with no modification which would be handy loaded up with some trips I have planned. At the moment used for offroad/tame MTB, byways and roads. I cannot fault it so far. Did wonder whether I should have gone for 1X but glad I didn't
Cheers for the update. I'm thinking of getting a full 600 groupset including the brakes. I really want to go 1x but don't want to regret it. I could buy the 2x and just buy another chainring but I've heard that the rear mechs are 1x and 2x specific.
The oval ring I've got my eye on is the garbaruk one.
https://www.garbaruk.com/grx-oval.html
In my experience an oval chainring does make it easier to grind out a gear (used on my Stooge setup single speed)
I’ve heard that the rear mechs are 1x and 2x specific.
Is that just to do with the range of gears (chain length) they can accommodate? Like GS / SGS for road mechs? Or is the max cassette size important too?
I would imagine you can use a '2x' rear mech as 1x (I.e. if/when you later change) but not the other way around?
GRX 810 mech here, on a gravel bike. Yes, I like it. Same weight as the Force mech it replaced, surprisingly. Nice stiff spring so a good return on it.
I plan to go 1x for winter CX season (or at least, pretend CX season since all the races have been cancelled!).
Hope that's not true about the mechs being 1x or 2x specific, but could imagine it's just down to capacity. I don't plan to change cassette when I go 1x so the mech shouldn't notice any difference!
I got a Planet X oval as they were one of the few that did 36 tooth for a road chainset. Needs some 'modification' apparently which I read as 'get your file out'.
Edit: Hmm... those Garbaruk rings look pretty good, I like that they are offset also...
According to this review there are 5 rear mechs. https://www.cxmagazine.com/shimano-grx-review-gravel-component-group-mechanical-wheels-rx810-rx812-rx570
the 2X mech is supposed to run a max of 34 tooth cassette. I have seen videos of people running with larger though
So if I bought a double groupset I then can't then use it at as a 1x with a 11-42t cassette at a later date? Well kind of can't unless I put up with a noisy rear mech which will probably prematurely wear out.
Maybe I'll buy the full GRX double groupset and then sell the rear mech and buy a 11-42 one along with a 11-42 cassette, oh hang on that might just end being the same cost as buying them separately but with extra hassle.
I'm more confused as ever 😬😄🤔
The 2x rear mechs swing through a more shallow arc as they are designed to work with a 34T top sprocket on the cassette compared to 42T for the 1x mech. Liberal application of B-tension screw will probably help.
As you guys suggest the mechs are 1x or 2x specific
I bought a full GRX 810 1x group set, running 40 x 11-42 and also have the wooftooth 38th front ring for when my wife rides it and any loaded touring i do.
All in all been ive been very impressed, but very minor things
- the unused left lever still moves sideways slightly, i wish it didnt
- the clutch stopped working for me but i opened it up and the internal adjustment screw had shaken loose, keep an eye on it. dont run it clutch off and if it stops working just open it up yourself
- the limit screws are a tiny bit 'wandery' and i dont have any loctite
- the easiest gears can make noise and pop down when back pedaling as its quite 'crosschainy'
Highlights:
- fantastic braking
- slick shimano shifting
- light weight
in deciding 1x vs 2x i would suggest:
if you want to either loaded tour or group ride on the road or you hate hills get 2x
if your riding is largely unloaded and off road and you are powerful then 1x is great
GRX 810 with Easton crankset here, 42 x 11-40. Very much as above, very pleased with it overall. Braking is fantastic as is shifting.
Minor niggles:
* Chain drop down from large sprockets on back pedal
* A bit noisy in lowest gears
* Rear mech doesn't rotate back very far making it hard to get the rear wheel in and out
Thanks for the responses. It does make me think that 2x is the way to go, but then should I just get the 400 as it's pretty cheap at about £450 all in.
GRX 810 lever & 1x 11sp rear mech, 40t chainring, deore 11-51 cassette. Done around 60 miles on it so far without issue. No mech extender/roadlink used.
As you'd expect it's pretty low gearing and I only did it as an experiment for UKgravelcollective so I don't need that range for my general riding but a heavily laden tour/bike packing bike might. It does highlight the versatility of the GRX stuff
Cheers rocketdog, it now lets me know if I do go down the 1x route I can always fit a bigger cassette.
I have the 800 series crankset 48/31 paired with an XT 11 speed 11-40 cassette, XT shifters and rear derailleur and SLX front derailleur. Shifting is fine and I love having such a wide range of gears.
I got the Canyon Grail AL with GRX 2x setup. I've been nothing but impressed with it and enjoying it everywhere I'm riding. Shifting is close to my 105 road bike and the braking is superb. I've been down some silly hills and never needed to be in the drops since braking from the hoods is enough, and I weigh 250lbs.
Having 2 sets of wheels is excellent - 1 with knobblies, 1 with some 42 slicks. 2 min to swap them over for more off or more on road. Big tyres on the road and it's a magic carpet ride!
Hi Tootall, what GRX groupset is it you have?
New 1 x 11 speed GRX 600 full groupset (or is it?) now installed as part of my new cross bike build.
First impressions:
Nice looking components but was a little surprised by the heft (using my none calibrated feel) of the shifters, rear mech and cassette.
Parts were installed without too much problem, bleeding hydraulic drop bar disc brakes was a new one on me and I managed to destroy an olive as you can't see if you've inserted in right, my bad!
First ride:
Shifts and brakes very well but the drivetrain is noisy (cross chaining noise but then my cross bike's chain stays are quite short) at either ends of the cassette but I did go for the largest official cassette of 11-42t, hopefully this'll settle down over the next couple of hundred miles or so. The cassette also rings like what I can only explain as a little bell at times, my 11-50t Sram GX cassette on my mountain bike doesn't do this but no biggy, just a bit different.
Is this a GRX 600 groupset?
I think that Shimano has not really released 3 groupsets (400, 600 and 800) in fact you could argue that they've not even released 1 full groupset as they use components from other ranges, let me explain.
- Levers are marked 600 but can't comment if they're the same as 800 but doubt it as 800 has servo-wave brakes (400 is 10 speed).
- Brake calipers are marked 400.
- Chainset is marked 600 but is the same one used in the 400 groupset and as it's not Hollowtech (which the similar level of mountain bike slx and road 105 are) I'd even argue that it's a 400 chainset.
- Rear mech is marked 600 but haven't compared this to the 400 and 800 so can't comment on it's difference/similarities.
- Bottom bracket, I used an Ultegra one as the groupset didn't come with one.
- Disc rotors, I used SLX ones as the groupset didn't come with any.
- Cassette is marked XT, not sure why though as I specified GRX but can only assume that there isn't a GRX branded one.
- Chain is marked XT too.
Looking forward to getting as many miles in as I can before the nights start to draw in. Fun, fun, fun!
Who did you buy this grouoset from? As you've likely correctly identified, it's often easier to compare Shimano equipment levels by their numbering rather than their name 😊
I'm using GRX Di2 in 2* config with an RD-RX-815 rear derailleur and an 11-40 cassette, despite Shimano saying its only suitable for 11-34 max. It works fine. The b-screw isn't fully applied.
I've got a similar setup on two bikes, one is 50:34, the other is 46:31. Both are using FD-RX815 front derailleurs and on both it works fine.
Bought from bike 24 (minus the bottom bracket and rotors as I hadn't worked out what ones I was going to fit yet).
Debating whether to buy a Voodoo Marasa for commuting, or get the incoming Boardman ADV 8.9 with GRX for commuting using C2W.
Getting a bit fed up of the slog on the Wazoo fat bike now I have to use the rear fat wheel instead of the 29er.
I'm hindsight I should have bought 2x GRX as I'm finding the 40 chainring a bit spinny on the road, I could try a bigger chainring on the front as the 11-42 cassette is pretty low gearing. Will just batter on for the now though.
I'm still experiencing a noisy drivetrain with my new 600 GRX, it shifts nice and doesn't drop the chain when pedalling backwards but is noisy when in the last couple of hardest gears and really quite noisy in the last couple of easy gears (it's less noisy when I switch off the clutch on the mech). I'm running a 40t chainring and an 11-42t cassette.
I've had a look online and can't seem to find anyone else with the same experience, is there anyone on here having the same issue?