Giving my TCX some love after the cross season

I use my Giant TCX Advanced to race 1 bike cross through the season up near the pointy end in my local league and once the season is over it will get a well deserved strip down. The current set up is 11 speed r8020 Ultegra shifters with a r812 GRX mech. Ultegra cassette and xt calipers I have a 105 chain set with a absolute black oval narrow wide chainring. (frame is post mount NOT flat mount hence the choice of calipers)

The shifters need replacing due to wear and tear from mud and crash damage as well as the chain and cassette. The Mech seems to be ok apart the well worn pulley wheels which looks like throwing stars! Should I go the same again ie 11 speed replaced like for like or perhaps GRX levers over the Ultegra or should I bite the bullet and go 12 speed mechanical with 105 with GRX mech or GRX levers and mech. I will be using my existing calipers.

Keeping it 11 speed is the easiest and cheapest option but is 12 speed worth the upgrade?

I also use the bike with 40mm deep wheels and 28mm gp5000 tyres to train on through the summer so it will get plenty of use.

Stick with 11 speed. It will cost less and the rigours of CX mean you will end up replacing the chain and cassette fairly frequently anyway.  I can’t imagine GRX or 105 would be a significantly different when shifting and breaking, although the rubber hood covers on the GRX offer better grip when muddy.

Tricky one this…depends what other bike/s you’ve got I’d say. I’ve stuck with 11 as I have a variety of 10/11-36/42 11 spd cassettes and suitable wheels, but 12 speed Shimano is tempting now as it will work with my XC cassettes too. In terms of range 10-45 cassettes are nice, but 10-42 11 spd XD is not far off, so for CX/road I’d say there’s not much to choose. Just the one bike though, with what you’re replacing, I’d probably go 12 speed with an 11-36 cassette. Prices are similar and particularly for road smaller gaps in the 12 speed.

I’d stick with 11 – but I am not a fan of 12 speed in general off road, definitely not for cross. Just gives you nothing meaningful and is more sensitive to the rear der hanger getting slightly bent. If you ride the bike on the road a lot then maybe 12sp is nice.

I’d consider di2 11sp before any flavour of 12 – I like that on my cross bike, works well. Decent argument not to run an expensive rear der in a cross race, so perhaps I’ve just been lucky having no problems with it – seems popular on the starting grid though.

The grx crankset is a bit limiting on chainrings so prob right to avoid that. I was after a bigger ring recently for some road work and there were very few options. Do you like that oval ring? I’ve ran them quite a bit but fell off the idea with all the wham absoluteblack talks – didn’t really feel much of a difference.

Thanks for replies. I did not consider going di2 due to the cost of replacement parts but I am curious to it’s advantages. I have 12 speed xt on a specialized chisel and it is faultless which is why I was considering the 12 speed upgrade for the CX bike (also some parts would be interchangable)

Staying 11 speed is the sensible option but should I go GRX 810 over the Ultegra 8020?

Decided to replace with r8020 Ultegra as they have been great for the last few years.

Will be like a new bike when I have them fitted with a new chain, cassette, chainring and a service of the rear mech with new pulley wheels.

Also new headset bearings will be ordered and replacement bb bearings. Might even change the bar tape!