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.

[DuddyJ]

I have a similar set up to what you are thinking. Di2 sprint button to XTR rear. I am currently running 40x11-46 and I wouldn't want to go higher than 42T in the front, I almost wish I did 38T, but at the moment I am happy with the 40T. The 11-46 shimano cassette goes from a 37 to a 46 so the last gear is really just to granny it up the mountain.

I don't have experience with flared bars but some people swear by em.

[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

[rheosibal]

Personally hate the look of flared handlebars, but again, I haven't tried any so I can't comment on the feel.

I prefer sizing up with the bars that I have on my road back. Ex 40-42, 42-44.

As for gearing in your area, you'll be fine with 44t, however I'd prefer 42t (my fitness sucks). But with a 42t, you'll be able to play with 42 and 46 cassettes comfortably, especially if you'll be bike-packing.

FWIW I've been on 42F/42R with 650b, and 42F/46R with 700c

[jtbadge]

I like flared bars, it's nice to keep your lever hoods in the same position you are used to, while giving you a wider base for descending while riding in the drops. If you lean more towards road, I think you'll prefer a 6-12 degree flare over something more extreme.

I've used and liked the Cowbell a bunch, but have come to prefer a round bend instead of a compact shape. I want to try the NeoMax, which is the NeoClassic with flared drops. No curve in the tops like the EvoMax.

[livingminimal]

Originally Posted by DuddyJ

I have a similar set up to what you are thinking. Di2 sprint button to XTR rear. I am currently running 40x11-46 and I wouldn't want to go higher than 42T in the front, I almost wish I did 38T, but at the moment I am happy with the 40T. The 11-46 shimano cassette goes from a 37 to a 46 so the last gear is really just to granny it up the mountain.

I don't have experience with flared bars but some people swear by em.

Ha! That's my old bike..I keep running in to you everywhere

[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.

[Clancy]

I have the Ritchey bars, great, get ‘em, you’ll like them.

People tend to have road bike set-ups in the back of their minds when choosing set-ups for gravel bikes. Although there are obviously a lot of similarities, it helps me to think of a gravel bike as a gravel bike and a road bike as a road bike. Yes you can ride gravel on a road bike with 28c tire but that’s not a gravel bike. I believe this helps both in approaching how to set one up to how I go about enjoying it.

Road bike. Gravel bike. Bikepacking bike. If we have the luxury/resources to treat each as its own discipline we end up with far better suited machines.

An example of that are bars. When people think about trying a bar with sweep, they compare it to their road bar. Understandable but apples to oranges, just as a flat bar is to MTB, sweep bars have shown to be a strong choice for gravel where a Jones bar for example would tend to be picked up for bikepacking.

For what it’s worth, everyone loves 1X set-ups and yes they have advantages. But I’ve found through riding 1X set-ups, lots of trial and error and too much time spent on Seldon Brown’s gear calculator site that a sub compact gives me the best range with fewer gaps and overlaps. I really hated the big jumps on the 1X, made it hard to get in a rhythm, especially climbing. I have the White Industries crank in a 30/46 and switch back and forth between a 32 or a 36 cassette. Very sweet set-up.

[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.