Tree-climbing gear for my gravel bike?

[BumbleBeeDave]

That Road Link is a Wolf Tooth product? Keeping the 31-48 crank ans just being able to go down to 42 sounds ideal. What's the cassette? SRAM? Shimano?

Originally Posted by bikinchris

Scratch all of that. Get a Road Link and put a cassette with a 42 tooth low gear and be done with it.

[fa63]

Both SRAM and Shimano make 11-42 11-spd cassettes for mountain bike applications. You will need to adjust the spacer on your freehub to fit the MTB cassette on a road freehub properly. Something like the Shimano SLX CS-M7000 should shift nicely and doesn't cost an arm and a leg in case the experiment doesn't work out.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-SLX-CS-M7000-Cassette

Originally Posted by BumbleBeeDave

That Road Link is a Wolf Tooth product? Keeping the 31-48 crank ans just being able to go down to 42 sounds ideal. What's the cassette? SRAM? Shimano?

[BumbleBeeDave]

At $72 that works for me to experiment with. I've seen some of those MTB dinner plate cassettes at some insane prices.

Originally Posted by fa63

Both SRAM and Shimano make 11-42 11-spd cassettes for mountain bike applications. You will need to adjust the spacer on your freehub to fit the MTB cassette on a road freehub properly. Something like the Shimano SLX CS-M7000 should shift nicely and doesn't cost an arm and a leg in case the experiment doesn't work out.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-SLX-CS-M7000-Cassette

[Tall]

Originally Posted by hokoman

The white industries cranks have jumps as high as 20 teeth from the small to large. I replaced a 50/34 with a 46/30. I also have a set of cranks that are 44/24 - those are going on a bikepacking bike, so can't comment on the shifting, but can't imagine that WI would sell a terrible shifting crankset.

Something like this might work well...they offer chainrings in 2 teeth increments so you can customize. More expensive up front, but might be a better solution for lower gearing than going bigger cassette jumps.

I have a WI VBC crankset on my main all-road bike. I used to run 48/30 (with a 12-30 cassette), and before my 11-days trip to the Alps this summer I switched to 46/28 (with 11-36 cassette). It's basically a 1-by-with-granny setup. Most of the times I'm in the "big" ring. I have DT shifters, and the shifting performance between the rings is fine. For the shift to the smaller chainring you have to ease up quite a bit; the other direction is very smooth.

I'm really glad I had gears as low as I did. On an 11-day trip with some luggage, it's super helpful to be able to spin up many mountains passes in zone 2.

[truth]

What 11 speed 11-36 cassettes are people using?

I don't think Shimano makes one, do they?

[EB]

Originally Posted by truth

what 11 speed 11-36 cassettes are people using?

I don't think shimano makes one, do they?

cs-hg710

[Wunder]

As noted I'd start with an 11 speed 11-40 or 11-42 cassette and see if you can make it work. You'll almost certainly need a longer chain and increase B-Screw tension but it might work okay WITHOUT using a road link. My understanding is that the road link will help if you can't get the derailleur to shift onto the 40 or 42 even with the B-screw all the way in but you'll still have the same chain capacity concerns (likely slack chain in the small/small).

[Dave]

Every 4 teeth requires another inch of chain. Use the chain length formula.

[fried bake]

Originally Posted by fa63

This is the main problem for me with 1x; the jump between cogs. Some people seem not sensitive to it at all but I guess I am.

You could switch out to a Shimano 46/30 crankset in the front, and also go with a 11/40 cassette in the rear. I don't think the 6800 rear derailleur will work with that cassette without a RoadLink; people report that the newer RX or GRX derailleurs can.

No road link needed on my Bianchi with a 46/30 and 11-40 Shimano cassette.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by EB

cs-hg710

That's 12 speed.

The 11 speed version was cs-hg700 and it was "only" 11-34, not 11-36. Has some very nice jumps mid-cassette, very unique offering and a great climbing cassette.

[EB]

Originally Posted by robertbb

That's 12 speed.

The 11 speed version was cs-hg700 and it was "only" 11-34, not 11-36. Has some very nice jumps mid-cassette, very unique offering and a great climbing cassette.

Doh, you're right. I meant to say SRAM PG-1170.

[jacrider]

Back to the original poster, I was facing the same question recently.

Ended up with a mix of DA and GRX. DA shifters/brakes/chain. GRX derailleurs to shift a bigger cassette. A Rotor crankset with 48/31. One wheelset has the DA 11-34 cassette and a more gravel focused wheelset has the 105 11-36 cassette.

So can run a 31/36 when needed. Have heard of people running a MTB cassette (11-40?) on the GRX derailleurs without the Wolf extension thingy.

This is better than what the bike had previously - a 12 speed Campy Chorus where max was 32/34.

[Wunder]

Originally Posted by jacrider

So can run a 31/36 when needed. Have heard of people running a MTB cassette (11-40?) on the GRX derailleurs without the Wolf extension thingy.

I've also run 11-40 (with a 50/34) using a 105 R7000GS derailleur and no extension. B Screw was ALL the way in, and I had to size the chain perfectly, but it worked fine. First gen 11 speed (6800 which I think OP has) may not clear quite as well. The second gen R7000/R8000 derailleurs are basically a MTB design anyway and can shift giant cassettes.

[Mr.Appa]

I run an xtr 11-40 cassette with the 41/38 chainring combo on my dirt rando without any fuss (using the GRX 810 RD). I think chainstay length and hanger position all have a slight effect on whether or not that combo works.

In addition to using a bigger cassette, you can go with smaller chainrings. The 80 BCD of the GRX can accomidate a smaller chainring than the 30 - the TA 44/28 combo is an option...
https://www.starbike.com/en/speciali...11speed-black/
https://www.starbike.com/en/speciali...d-inner-black/

I personally haven't tried them (but they are in the bits box!), since my chainrings are silver and living a good life so far...