What gearing is best suited for your gravel bike? Which chainring setups are ideal for balancing road and trail riding? What gearing is recommended for beginners? Here’s everything you need to know.
Gear Ratio of 1:1
For gravel biking, it’s recommended to select a minimum gear ratio of 1:1. This means the smallest chainring has the same number of teeth as the largest cog on your cassette. A minimum setup of 30×30 or 42×42 (chainring x cog) ensures you can climb most gradients encountered in gravel riding. This ratio allows for a cadence of 60 revolutions per minute at a speed of just 7.7 km/h (4.78mph)
While this is a standard guideline, beginners might opt for even lower ratios, below 1:1. In this setup, the largest cog on your cassette (e.g., 42 teeth on an 11-42 cassette) is larger than the chainring (e.g., 38 teeth). This provides easier gearing for tackling steep climbs. A sub-1:1 ratio is also recommended for bikepacking, where the added weight of luggage demands lighter gearing to handle challenging terrain.
Single vs. Double Chainring for Gravel Riding
The choice between a single (1x) or double (2x) chainring setup depends on your riding style:
Single Chainring (1x): Prioritizes simplicity, light weight, and ease of maintenance. Ideal for trail-focused gravel riding.
Double Chainring (2x): Similar to traditional road gearing, it offers a wider range and smaller jumps between gears. Heavier but versatile, it suits riders who mix road and off-road routes or prioritize both slow and fast speeds.
Cassette Spacing
Your drivetrain choice also influences cassette spacing, which refers to the distribution and progression of gears on the cassette. For example:
11-32 cassette spacing: 11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32
11-42 cassette spacing: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42
An 11-32 cassette offers a smaller range but closer spacing between gears, which many performance-oriented riders prefer for smoother transitions. Conversely, an 11-42 cassette provides a broader range to tackle steep climbs but has larger gaps between gears, which may feel more abrupt when shifting.
For performance, riders favor cassettes with less variance between the smallest and largest cogs. However, for all-terrain capability, choose a cassette with a broader range of gearing to handle steep gradients.
Examples of Gravel-Specific Gear Options
Below are examples of popular gravel gear setups across different transmission brands:
Shimano GRX
- Single Chainring: 40 or 42 teeth
- Double Chainring: 48-31 or 46-30 teeth
- Cassettes: 11-25, 11-28, 11-30, 11-32, 11-40, 11-42, 11-46, 12-25, 14-28
- Examples: 40 x 11-40 or 48-31 x 11-32
SRAM 1x
- Single Chainring: 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 50, 52 teeth
- Double Chainring: 43-30, 46-33, 48-31, 48-35 teeth
- Cassettes: 10-33, 10-36, 10-42, 10-44 (XPLR), 10-50 (Mullet)
- Examples: 44 x 10-44 or 46-33 x 10-33
Campagnolo Ekar
- Single Chainring: 38, 40, 42, 44 teeth
- Cassettes: 9-36, 9-42, 10-44
- Examples: 38 x 9-36 or 42 x 9-42
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