Gravel Bike - Bars and Gearing

[livesadventure]

I'm buying the last few pieces for my 3T exploro build and wanted to hear your thoughts on hand positions and gearing

Handlebars: I see more and more gravel bikes with flared handlebars. Do you like these, hate these, why? It seems that some flare might give more control when in the drops, but is it worth it? I'd probably go no more than 12*, like the Ritchey WCS EvoMax

Gearing: I'll be running 1x, Ultegra di2 to xt di2 with an 11-46 in the rear. Most of my riding is in the Marin Headlands and on Tam, so it is steep, but not awful. My roadie friends say to go 44 up front, everyone else says 40 or 42. I'll be bike-packing occasionally, and have found that at least a 1-1 ratio is necessary.

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by livesadventure

My roadie friends say to go 44 up front, everyone else says 40 or 42.

I don't know enough about Marin or Tam to have a specific opinion.

I do know enough about cyclists to know that roadies worry about having big enough gears but other cyclists worry about having small enough gears.

[scoobydrew]

I really like the Salsa Cowbell bars on my gravel bike. Also has a 12 degree flare but shallower do and shorter reach than the Ritchey bars. Comes in aluminum alloy and carbon flavors.

[GregL]

I don't have an opinion on the handlebars, but certainly do on the gearing. While I get 1x for MTB and cyclocross, I really like a conventional, double-chainring crankset for gravel. With 46/34 chainrings and an 11-34 11-speed cassette, I have all the range I could ever want and reasonably close ratios. When racing on gravel, I usually end up using both ends of the gearing spectrum.

Greg

[shoota]

Originally Posted by GregL

I don't have an opinion on the handlebars, but certainly do on the gearing. While I get 1x for MTB and cyclocross, I really like a conventional, double-chainring crankset for gravel. With 46/34 chainrings and an 11-34 11-speed cassette, I have all the range I could ever want and reasonably close ratios. When racing on gravel, I usually end up using both ends of the gearing spectrum.

Greg

+100, especially in mountainous regions.

[mktng]

why not do 2x. make all your friends happy !

[prototoast]

I tried flared bars and really didn't like them. Can't really say why, other than personal preference.

I run 2x with a 50-34 and an 11-36. If anything, I wish I occasionally had an easier gear to ride. Never wished I didn't have at least that easy.

[sandyrs]

For an 11-46 cassette, get a Sunrace CSMX8 (I think that's the name) or Box Two cassette instead of Shimano. Instead of just slapping a 46 onto the end instead of a 42, leading to that massive last gear jump, this cassette (they're seemingly the same cassette just sold under different names) has more sensible jumps. The last jump is 40-46 instead of 37-46.

[kingpin75s]

Really like flared road bars.

Ran 6 degree flare 3T Ergonovas for years for road bikes with carbon bars, but have since been converting all over to carbon Cowbells as have always preferred the 12 degree flare on those. All my AL bar road(ish) bikes have been running Cowbells for a long time. Easy and comfortable access to drops with the flare combined with short and shallow geometry.

[BikeNY]

First, as sandyrs said, get the Sunrace 11-46t cassette, much better jumps than the Shimano.

I recently set up an 1X allroad bike with Etap, and 11-46t cassette and am currently running a 36t chainring. I use it for some pretty steep trails, and am very happy to have the low gearing and have not missed the lack of top end. I'm also running pretty big tires, 27.5x2.35. I'd say maybe start with a 40t or 42t and see how it goes.

I am a fan of the flared drops for this type of bike. I put a Salsa Cowchipper on this bike, and so far so good.

[kingpin75s]

For gearing, I can only say I would likely go with the 40t up front as that aligns very closely to my lowest gear on my 2x gravel bike. That said, it is enough lower than a 1:1 to clear just about anything, which you may not need where you ride. For context or example, a 40t up front with 46t rear is very close to the gear I am in when I clear a 12.7% grade on loose gravel.

I will also qualify that I am always willing to lose a touch on top to never walk my bike.

[d_douglas]

That Moth Attack is very cool!

I used Salsa Cowbell 46cm and scaled down to 44cm in the past year - the larger size just seemed ungainly.

[dem]

Gearing is really reallly locale dependent.. personally I think the bay area has some of the most ridiculous fire roads around (35%+ grade) - if you plan to ride instead of walk, go with the sub-compact double. It will give you more options.

I keep going lower and lower and still think I might go one more notch down. Currently on a 44/28 with 10-42 cassette and am eyeing the Wolftooth 44T cog.

[livingminimal]

I'm running 46/30 Absolute Blacks w/ 11-34 in the back on my all-terrain bike and I love it. If I went down to a single ring, it would definitely be a 40 or a 38, with that 11-46 cassette. Getting on with roadies for me basically means riding with one of my friends or something, where we all happily accept each others gear choices and/or limitations.

[559Rando]

I just saw the bars on the Canyon Grail last night:



Pretty cool and makes sense me!