Nicest 46×30 gravel chainset

Am building up a dream gravel build (custom 853 frame, posh Lauf Smoothie bars, probably one of those ludicrously expensive Selle Italia gravel saddles 😎 ) but can’t decide what to do about the chainset.

I’m pretty sold on 46/30. I’ve run 48/31 with an 11-34 cassette out back and spent too much time crossed over for my liking, e.g. in the 48 chainring but upper half of cassette. I also ran out of gears once or twice albeit on silly steep loose sections with overnight gear on bike.

Either way, I think 46/30 and 11-34 cassette is the way to go. I might even go nuts and build a custom 11-36 cassette depending on what I can fit in a medium cage Ultegra RX derailleur.

So I could just go GRX 600 in 46/30 but A) I want oval chainrings B) GRX 600 is not as pimpy as I’d like and C) GRX has the extra 5mm chainline designed for disc frames, which mine is not.

Most obvious second choice is an Ultegra chainset with Absolute Black sub-sub-compact oval rings, gives me the option for an oil slick outer ring as well because I’m a completely colour blind magpie and can’t resist needless pimp.

Tempted by Praxis chainsets and my local shop can get them for me (Synergy Auchterarder) but I haven’t wanted to waste their time yet investigating if I can buy the crank arms only then buy the direct mount AB chainrings. Plus the Praxis bearings are a bit of an unknown quantity to me, bigger yes but are they as well sealed as Shimano?

Finally, I could just hold out for some tie-dye eeWings, which deep down is what I’ve always wanted anyway. Anyone care to lend me £1000?

Haven’t completely ruled out 1x but if will be more of a ‘fast’ gravel bike which will see its share of road miles etc plus I’m still not sold on super dangly long 1x mechs, hence wanting 2x.

Me and my partner run Ultegra chainsets and the AB susb sub compact chainrings.

It was a pricey way of getting 46/30 but we didnt really investigate GRX stuff. We had the Ultegra chainsets on the bikes and we would have needed a different front mech. A pr of AB rings were about £170 when we bought them. That was as much as a grx complete chainset.

In future i would look at an mtb 2x chainset for some low gears for laden hill heavy trips.

Ian

Haven’t completely ruled out 1x but if will be more of a ‘fast’ gravel bike which will see its share of road miles etc plus I’m still not sold on super dangly long 1x mechs, hence wanting 2x.

Isn’t the length of a mech based on the number of teeth need between the smallest/largest, and you could still have as long a cage with 1x then 2x?

FWIW I’ve run 42×11-42 for 3 years now on my gravel, no issues and ride a lot of rough stuff.

We use Sugino OX 901D sub compact chain sets. They come with a ceramic bearing BB and have been pretty good (4 years of use so far).

How about a rotor carbon? Can use hope bb for reliability, have found the praxis BB non drive side bearing go on mine Evey 3 months….

Isn’t the length of a mech based on the number of teeth need between the smallest/largest, and you could still have as long a cage with 1x then 2x?

Yea possibly the cage length is dictated by capacity (so for 46/30 and 11-34 that would be 39?) whereas for an 11-42 cassette it would be 31? But the mech still needs to sit lower down to accommodate the larger rear sprocket and I think also needs to take account of being in smallest sprocket whilst not also being in a larger chainring, so more chain slack to accommodate. Either way I think overall it ends up closer to ground. All I know is that I’ve suffered more bent mech hangers, mis-shifting and general undergrowth collecting with 1x than I ever did with 2x, perhaps just bad luck or cheesy mech hangers (am hoping the hanger on the new steel frame might be a bit more robust…). Am a 1x convert on MTB though, before anyone calls luddite 😎

My own (albeit limited) experience of Praxis was the chainsets on the fleet of Diverges we ran. They were shit. Made of cheese and replacement rings like hens teeth. The BBs weren’t up to much either. It may be that the hire bikes had a tougher time than most (unfamiliarity, lack of finesse) but it put me off considering them for my own build.

FWIW I’m currently running 50/34 and 11-40T with an Ultegra mech and it’s all working fine.

They were shit. Made of cheese and replacement rings like hens teeth. The BBs weren’t up to much either.

Rats, I think I remembered your feedback from before. Granted I wouldn’t be using their chainrings but still a bit offputting…

I googled Rotor cranks, I noticed they did a Carbon MTB crank (the Kapic) which looked useful, might withstand a few more rock strikes. Just need to figure out if Rotor cranks are all modular e.g. can you plug a road axle into an MTB crank arm etc.

I think the road aldul carbon is the same as the kaptic, but gives you the option of oval rings (which you can adjust).

Have just gone SRAM etap else I would have a set inbound.

Middleburn RS7/RO1 Square taper?
Whatever rings/spider combo takes your fancy.
And if money is no object how about a Royce Titanium BB?

Middleburn RS7/RO1 Square taper?
Whatever rings/spider combo takes your fancy.
And if money is no object how about a Royce Titanium BB?

Oh. My. Word.

Why hadn’t I thought of this? Middleburn cranks should complement the 853 Rourke frameset nicely, and frankly I’m still largely unimpressed with external BBs so I could go full retro grouch and run a steel frame, square taper BB AND rim brakes! 😁

It would only be the carbon forks letting the side down but 1kg weight savings aren’t to be sniffed at 🙄

Finally, I could just hold out for some tie-dye eeWings, which deep down is what I’ve always wanted anyway. Anyone care to lend me £1000?

You might be holding out for a while, production stopped a while ago.

Sturdy Cycles do a tie dye 3D printed ti one, but I’m not sure if it’s available other than an add on to one of his frames. And it’s more expensive than EEWings…

You might be holding out for a while, production stopped a while ago.

Gutted, I’d been keeping my eyes on one random set in my size and for gravel frames, must have since sold.

Anyway, I’m all over the Middleburn idea now, always wanted a set so now’s the time I think!

I’d echo the shite Praxis chainset comments which again was on my old lower end Diverge. Dropped chains way more that it should have for no reason.

Sunrace do an 11-36 cassette. I got one to go with my winter/muddy terrain wheelset.

Chater Lee would be in that sort of style, square taper super shiny!

Glad someone else mentioned Middleburn. That’s what’s going on my Rourke build up. I’m using an IRD Defiant bb though.

IRD Defiant bb though

Yeah I’d spotted those on SJS Cycles (where else 😎).

Think they’d be my choice too.

How is your build coming along? I’ve finally signed off on drawing and agreed on a (rough) eta giving me time to build and shake down before Paris-Roubaix.

Even decided a paintjob which is eerily reminiscent of this one…🙄

He’s even painting my favourite set of carbon forks to match, nice!

Chater Lee would be in that sort of style, square taper super shiny!

They are lovely but I think the extra redundant swirly bits in the middle of the chainrings puts me off a bit. If they were more purposeful looking I’d love a set with the PVD brass finishing details, lovely.

I came on here to suggest Middleburns but someone has beaten me to it.
Mine three are 17, 10 and 10yrs old and faultless, albeit a bit scruffy now.
Really wanted some road ones (I think it’s just the spider that makes them road/MTB) for my cross/gravel bike but too pricey and then I found some Dura Ace 7900 on ebay for about £40 instead. Nice, but I’d still swap for the Middleburns if I see any going cheap.
Good shout on the Royce BB by the way

I could go full retro grouch and run a steel frame, square taper BB AND rim brakes!

Being the peasant I am, I could only afford an old pair of LX square taper cranks for my Gravel bike, but they still work.

It’s not a binary thing you know, you can use a square taper BB and disc brakes, the retro police won’t get you.

Bearing life and durability wins over weight saving (IMO), plus if you just wanted a light bike you wouldn’t be having a steel frame built would you…

Other options include scouring eBay for ‘vintage’ 94mm BCD, 5 arm cranks

White Industries look the dogs danglies:

Review: White Industries MR30 Crankset – 1x or 2x and Low Gear Options

Stronglight 80 or similar with 86mm BCD.
Sqaure taper of course.
Biggest issue is a decent but not expensive BB.
Shimano UN stuff eg the 72 is long gone and new stuff is not as good.

Ooooooooh, always had a soft spot for White Industries! The reviewer also appears to have the ‘correct’ approach to gravel bike braking, I approve!

Lots to choose from now, fun times. Think Middleburn might edge it at the moment, an excuse to go back to square taper and fiddle with chainlines also 🙄

+n for Middleburn. I have R02 on my gravel bike.

For Shimano crankset conversion, I don’t particularly get on with oval chainrings (I guess I’m odd). Also, note that the AB rings are set in-board 2mm which can push the limits of the FD (cant’ imagine it working at all with a GRX FD) and makes setup a very painful/tedious exercise for me….I’ll probably go Middleburn on the road bike when the AB rings wear out.

Haven’t tried yet, but an ebay seller does round 46/30 presumably with the same workaround for the BCD as AB in terms of 2mm in-board offset of the rings and smaller bolts, which may be a less expensive way of trying it out.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323846025801?hash=item4b66ba3249:g:BmcAAOSwse1dFeeS

For Shimano crankset conversion, I don’t particularly get on with oval chainrings (I guess I’m odd). Also, note that the AB rings are set in-board 2mm which can push the limits of the FD (cant’ imagine it working at all with a GRX FD) and makes setup a very painful/tedious exercise for me….I’ll probably go Middleburn on the road bike when the AB rings wear out.

That’s useful info, thanks.

In truth though, if I did go square taper I could overcome this (presumably) by getting a longer axle BB? Better yet that might even achieve the extra stance width that my bike fitter thinks I might benefit from, although at the expense of best chainline I suppose…

That said, do AB do direct mount 46/30? Presumably with no bolts there’s not mucking about with offsetting bolt holes etc…

Matchy matchy pedants look away now. Un55 113mm square taper bb with cheap Spa Cycles crankset with 5x 96/110 bcd arms and rotor 25/40 q-rings. Sram red front dr being activated by Shimano da7800 shifters.

Also using cable disc calipers (Shimano 3~~?)

A build I did using spares from the shed a month or so back.

@13thfloormonk I’ve not heard from Rourke, or contacted them either, for a while. Just letting them get on with it.

Lots to choose from now, fun times. Think Middleburn might edge it at the moment, an excuse to go back to square taper and fiddle with chainlines also 🙄

I’ve had a Middleburn on my Cutthroat for three years or so now, coupled with a Wheels Manufacturing bb, been faultless, it adds a touch of class. I run a single 36tooth ring, also Middleburn.

Middleburn don’t do spiders for 46/30 absolute black chainrings 😭😭

Just checking in case Middleburn splines are the same as everyone else’s, at least then I could fit some Rotor DM Aldhu 46/30 ovals…

…or just cut out the middleman and get some carbon Rotors with direct mount rings

https://rotoruk.co.uk/v1.asp?cat=1021&prd=267950

Can’t say they move me in quite the same way as a set of White Industries or Middleburns sadly. Might have to retrain the knees to spin in circles again! 😂

You might be holding out for a while, eeWing production stopped a while ago.

Uh-oh. Spotted a set of eeWings in my size lurking on the top shelf of my local shop. They would work with a direct mount set of Easton chainrings too, which the shop also sells 🙄

Wife’s 10 year anniversary fancy earrings might have to wait for 15 years 😂

Oh lord help me. Maximum tastelessness!

They look pretty cool! :thumbsup:
Not so much the white one though.

I fancied the white one in a sort of putty grey/white/blue palette to go with a new frame I’m getting built…

Problem with Praxis is the bottom brackets are beyond shite.

Problem with Praxis is the bottom brackets are beyond shite.

Which was why I was hesitant about any 30mm axle cranks. What’s good in a 30mm BB for a standard BSA shell? I see White Industries do one so judging by their freewheels perhaps that’s the best bet…