[Closed] CX/Gravel/Adventure single chainring gearing

Do you know your cadence?

my gravel bike is 11-40 with a 38 on 700c by 40 tyres.

its mountainous where I live so this allows me to climb and spin at around 30mph on the downs.

depends on terrain but a 40/42 would be fine.

42 42 11spd on mine , have some steepish short climbs locally which are manageable and rarely use the hardest gear, just the odd DH section. I think I'll get a 40 on the front next time.

Thanks on and on. Cadence on the road would be 90ish.

Dont intend to go fast than 30mph!

Thanks

Cool. Thanks scruff. 40 seems about right then

42x42 11spd here, was a bit concerned about top end speed but can reach 30mph and I wasn't spinning uncomfortably.

36 front with 10 - 42 for me. gets spinny at high 20's mph. 36 / 10 is equivalent to 40 / 11 pretty much

I've a 11<42 on my 650bs with a 40t chainring, and a 11x36 with the same ring on my 700c's.

My 650s are used on more offroad rides, 700c used on road rides with a little flatter, less tech, off road.

Depends on where you're doing most of your riding - I find that 1:1 is needed if riding steeper trails as over-gearing simply results in wheel-spin as you often want to stay seated to maintain grip. I don't worry too much about top-end speed e.g. roads as you'll lose far more time on the climbs than you would gain on the descents - I'm happy spinning along at 30kph.

38T narrow wide on mine. Works fine, but is a little under geared for road. So I run 11-23 on another wheel set.

38t with an 11-32 cassette. I run out of spin at about 28mph but it's fine for commutecore and bridlegnar. When it wears out I'll swap to a 40 or 42 and a wider cassette.

Thanks all, NW 40T on its way!

42 up with that cassette. If riding tricky muddy roots etc, ie MTb terrain, then low is good as you can sit but if its gravel and rough tracks then grip isn't an issue. Most climbs won't be too steep on this going either. I use a 42 with either a 28 or 32 biggest at the back. Even 42/28 will get you up a 25%er with some effort. Not much off road is that and long.

Please note that I am mega unfit with legs like pipe cleaners but started riding when a 42 inner ring was the thing and TT gears were 13-17 and thus don't subscribe to the winch you way up hills with legs like humming birds wings. Just heave a bit and have some fairly nice gaps instead of whopping great chasms.

Of course it all depends on where you ride doesn't it?