Front chainset selection for gravel bike

Building up a croix de fer ti and wondering what folk are using up front on their gravel machines. Looking at a 42/28 front as I’m in the highlands and it’s a we bit hilly up here, just wondering if this maybe a bit low for other forest track type riding… What gear combo’s are folk using?

Also interested in lower gears for my gravel/ adventure/ carrier towing/ “life” bike….

Currently 9 speed sora 50/36 – 11-32.

Looking to upgrade to 105 to get rid of cable/ bar bag interference.

Was thinking of mtb rear mech – 11 sp txt would do it with a cable pull modifier of some description ( lindarets/ gtek).

Thing is any shimano mtb cassettes in 11 speed seem to have a min 40 t big cog! 36 top bottom gear would do me really.

Can I use another cassette if I can find an 11-36?

Just seen the interloc racing 11 sod road cassettes – available in uk? Anyone tried one?

I put a Rotor Agilis on my Kinesis Pro6 and have a 46 and 30 Stronglight rings The back is 11 speed Ultegra with 11-32 105 cassette. Changing is slick front and back and spread of gears has been fine for everything from commuting to alpine cols as for off-road, traction from the rear normally defeats me before needing a lower bottom gear

Before I flipped mine to 1×11, I used a 94bcd spider on some middleburns. I had 30/46 chainrings, and 30/40 sometimes too. Sounds crazy but now Middleburn is gone, some old square taper 94bcd cranks is what I’d look for or eBay for some middleburns.

50\34 on an 11-32 cassette, works fine in the Peak District for me.

For clarification, will a 10 speed xt mech work with 10speed road shifters? May 1×11 my mtb and shift mech and cassette onto my gravel bike if so.

I’m in a similar position thinking about gears

Based on rising a 26inch MTB with slicks a 42 28 upfront would be fine. The top hear would be high enough for, I’m quite spinny

But there are issued that would need to be resolved.

As its a Ti bike I assume you are looking at a better build. With 10 and 11 spd shimano road shifters won’t directly drive am MTB front mech. So if you have a MTB chainset you’ll need some sort of ratio changer

If its all SRAM no problem. You can run MTB mechs and an MTB chainset

Another option is a Sugino sub compact. Similar ratios but with road chain line so more likely to work with a road fromt mech. Or use the first 2 rings of a road triple

Lots of advice here

Low Gear Range: Road Shifters & Gears For Easier Hill Climbing

For clarification, will a 10 speed xt mech work with 10speed road shifters? May 1×11 my mtb and shift mech and cassette onto my gravel bike if so.

No but 10 speed road will work with a 9 speed rear mech and a 10 speed bloock

With 10 and 11 spd shimano road shifters won’t directly drive am MTB front mech. So if you have a MTB chainset you’ll need some sort of ratio changer

I had a 40/28 mtb double for touring this summer ansd just used a roadie front mech (10s 105). That was with an 11-36 out back and i found it gave a nice spread.

My front mech is a CX one. the cage profile is better suited to smaller chainrings. I seem to remember I tried a road one first but the trailing edge of the cage fouled the chainstay.

I run 10-42 rear and 42 n/w upfront, can swap to 40 front for hilly rides. Sram clutch mech.

I was looking at using my sram xx chainer up front (42/28), dura ace shifters with xtr mid cage rear on 11/32 and an xtr double front mech. Will this not work?

best with a cx specific front mech isn’t it?

just to be clear for this numpty. If i go for a cx (ultegra) front mech paired with DA shifters can this work with the Sram xx front chainset (42/28). It seems an XTR 10spd rear wont work but a 9spd rear and 10spd block will (ive done this before). may just opt for a different chainset..

I’m not in a position to give a definitive answer. But as i understand it yes

But I’m pleased to see that some people are running MTB cranks with road front mechs. Pleased in that it works but also pleased that I’m not the only one who sees 34×32 as too tall as a bottom gear

just to be clear for this numpty. If i go for a cx (ultegra) front mech paired with DA shifters can this work with the Sram xx front chainset (42/28). It seems an XTR 10spd rear wont work but a 9spd rear and 10spd block will (ive done this before). may just opt for a different chainset..

Yes, it should. I run a 105 triple mech on an XT trekking chainset and that’s fine too. You have to keep an eye on mech to tyre clearances and BB spacers with these setups though.

Thing is any shimano mtb cassettes in 11 speed seem to have a min 40 t big cog! 36 top bottom gear would do me really.

Can I use another cassette if I can find an 11-36?

A Sram 11spd 11/36 will work fine.

I’m very much of the opinion that lower gears are needed on a lot of road/gravel bikes. My Genesis CdA came with a 50t outer ring – about the only use I could find for it was as a trivet.

I’m now running an old Shimano Ultegra triple chainset, minus the big ring. All the original Claris mechs and shifters work fine with it. Gives me 42/30 rings, with 11-32 at the back, which lets me pedal up to ~30mph (after which I’m generally better off working on my aero tuck, rather than trying to pedal any faster).

A 50t outer is perfect for the road, and I suspect that’s where most CdA’s spend the bulk of their time.

The thought of a 28t front ring on a gravel bike seems very low, unless you are touring, surely if you are in terrain that needs a 28t then you’d be better off with a mtb.

(after which I’m generally better off working on my aero tuck, rather than trying to pedal any faster).

indeed, and a fact lost on most people.

Even my Audax bikes only use 44(11t) and 48(12t) tooth big rings and go plenty fast enough when required. I can keep up with club chaingang on the flat and tuck works better downhill.

We really do seem to have let elite racing dictate recreational gearing for far too long, especially on bikes not meant for racing! go with what works for you, and it’s likely you’ll miss the low gears before the high ones, especially on longer hilly rides when you’re tired.

surely if you are in terrain that needs a 28t then you’d be better off with a mtb.

a steep fireroad or hardpack doesn’t need an MTB, it does need low gears, and since lots of ‘gravel’ bikes are also used for bikepacking and touring then it makes sense to have the range to cover all uses.

The thought of a 28t front ring on a gravel bike seems very low, unless you are touring, surely if you are in terrain that needs a 28t then you’d be better off with a mtb

Now that is a can of worms.

But I can think of situations where the surfaces are smooth enough for drop bar bike with 40mm tyres but steep amd loose enough to want to spin a low gear. Particular if like me you suffer from the triple wammy of:

1. high weight
2. low power output
2. high cadence

I’m very much of the opinion that lower gears are needed on a lot of road/gravel bikes. My Genesis CdA came with a 50t outer ring – about the only use I could find for it was as a trivet.

On the other hand, as I don’t have huge elevation locally (Southwest London area), I spend most of my time in the 50T on my CdA on or off road (I do a fair bit of gravel bashing through the parks and on towpaths). I’d maybe go a little smaller on the front if I upgraded to 10 speed and a smaller range road cassette.

42/28 x 11-36 gives a nice range – but that’s with a heavy bike and usually some stuff onboard.

My cross bike is set up 1x as 42×11-36. Given I can turn that up to over 30mph I don’t really feel the need for anything higher. On a road bike, yes, but I wouldn’t have thought there are many people taking gravel bikes that on a regular basis.

28×36 as a low gear on the tourer was nice for dragging up the hills. Most of the time I rode in the 40 though.

If i had the cash and was buying new ID probably look at the sram 10-42 cassettes and a single ring

“42/28 x 11-36 gives a nice range”
Bloody hell.
I use a 42/28 with an 11-25. Here in the FoD there are no real hills on gravel and for the odd one you stand up.
That’s a MTB triple cs with the outer ring moved in to the middle position. Sometimes I use a 44 instead.
I’d love to find a nice looking double that doesn’t put the big ring behind the arms like MTB stuff does. Its ugly. Road stuff won’t go small enough. Square taper makes it possible but somehow it doesn’t appeal on the modern bike but I suspect I am going that way again. Its only vanity really.
The Sugino cs is still putting the big ring inside the arms. There is a Praxis thing out there. Middleburn would do it but some hope now.
Got a SRAM X0 on the Pickenflick. Works and it looks better than a Shimano thing but anything would. BCD limits ring replacements though.
MTB cs have a wider Q factor than I like.
Ideally? Through axle, double road dimensions but Shimano spec BCD.
Oh yeah. Not sodding black.

46-36 11-32 11 speed, works for me and the hills round here (Quantocks & Exmoor) are pretty steep.

I’m no hero, like some of the above are. I use my escapade off road mainly and appreciate being able to sit and spin up loose surfaces like I can on my mtb. I tend to use the escapade as it’s nicer for covering longer distances on the smooth but sometimes loose gravel surfaces.

It also gets used loaded up for nights away and towing the bike trailer. Try getting traction stood up pulling that thing up a loose surface…!

I fancy a couple of longer trips and the Devon coast to coast and the Wales cross country trans cambrian way look nice but I would like the option of some friendlier gears for when it gets tough and I want to keep going without my old knees popping.

ok, these are the final options ive got to play with:
1: XTR race crank 42/30 with 10spd 11/30 rear or
2. ultegra CX crank 46/36 with 11spd 11/32 rear

any good?

I’ll take a guess that the XTR is wider than the Ultegra, assuming that’s road width. Will this affect your front mech and what about Q factor?

the rear on the CDF is 135 spacing so i may be wrong but the XTR should be ok with this?

oh, ive got the ultegra CX front mech which works with smaller rings..apparently