Gravel Bike recommendation?

[snwbrdr]

As one that has a 1x on my OPEN (SRAM AXS eTap Force/Eagle Mullet) - I havent really found the cog jumps to be too bad. I run a 10-50 out back and one of 3 chainrings up front (actually cant remember what I am running now, think a 42). At least in my experience, riding the rig around town - im not shifting all that much, and that 50t is lifesaver in many places on the long fire roads up to the BRP. It actually feels like the cassette is bifucated - flat, "around town" cogs and mountain cogs. havent dropped a chain (use wolftooth rings). I wouldnt go back to 2X on the gravel unless it was my only bike <- kind of hard to stay with the fast group on 1X around town, for any length of time, that 10t is "theory".

You're also on a 12-speed cassette, so that's just one more cog to space things out better.

The main key with 1x is the X-sync that SRAM pioneered, which is the narrow-wide chain ring to fit the chain better with the outer plate spacing and inner plate spacing.

Over the years, I converted my old hard tail to from the typical triple, to remove the big chain ring and replace with BBG Bashguard, to 1x with the SRAM X7 clutched derailleur with a RaceFace narrow-wide chain ring.

 

[snwbrdr]

You don't really need to worry about riding a gentle downhill in a group with tailwind either though.

Often enough, to get to the downhill, you need to climb uphill. I love bombing down downhill sections, but my terminal speed due to my body.... I can never break 40 mph... I have always wanted to get a speeding ticket on my bicycle, but could never achieve that.

 

[PowHog]

1x's on gravel setups are not there yet. the gearing has far too wide of jumps.

Definitely true if you ride the road most of the time. When mixing it up with trails etc. I found the 1x's to work decently though, not missing the 2nd chain ring much.

Campa has issues a 1x13 which is worth looking into these days.

 

[Ron]

yeah, for bike packing or single track/fire roads, its fine, Even for flat-landers who dont do much climbing or fast descents where they dont need to pedal it works "ok" too. Campi's new groupo is better but still not there. My Engineer, bike-geek friend who can recite every gearing out there still says it's not close enough.

 

[PowHog]

yeah, for bike packing or single track/fire roads, its fine, Even for flat-landers who dont do much climbing or fast descents where they dont need to pedal it works "ok" too. Campi's new groupo is better but still not there. My Engineer, bike-geek friend who can recite every gearing out there still says it's not close enough.

To be fair at the beginning it took me a while to get accustomed to the different gear spread - particularly among the 'longer' gears - but adapted to it. It was quite a good training of cadence variability too,
my rides consist of a fair amount of dirt trails over road and pure gravel where I don't really need top end gears on the descents.

On extended road climbs with very moderate pitch I sometimes find an extra gear helpful but not absolutely necessary.

 

[babanff]

Ended up with a Checkpoint SL5... just happened to walk into a local shop at the right time and this one had been just built two days prior and put on the floor that morning after the person on the waitlist backed out. I'm honestly not too big into Trek, but can't be picky this year unfortunately. Has the groupset I wanted and checked all the boxes, so easy decison. And if I don't like it, I can sell it for what I paid in about 10 minutes.

 

[Thmsdamiaz]

This type of need is common among many people. The vehicle should have certain adaptations even if you don't plan to use it solely for hill climbing. Every time I want or think about buying a new bike, I usually check https://www.bikethesites.com/gravel-bikes-under-1500/. This platform contains a lot of useful information as well as examples that can serve as inspiration. Moreover, here is an article about using a gravel bike as a road bike and all the points you should consider are discussed.