Importance of gearing range

[dimrub]

I'm thinking of replacing my Canyon Grail AL 7.0 1x11 gravel bike. It's perfect for my current needs - commuting (30 km of which 1/3 is gravel) and an occasional touring trip in the better tended parts of Europe. However, I'm thinking of trying somewhat more challenging tours - say, Eurovelo 13, and for that this bike doesn't seem like a good fit. The aluminium frame, the carbon fork, the hydraulic disk brakes - and, well, the 1x11 drivetrain. I'm looking at Kona Sutra which is one of the few bikes that I can buy here in Israel that seem like a better fit. It has a chromoly frame, mechanically actuated hydraulic brakes, a plethora of mounting points and a set of mudguards - and, well, a 2x10 drivetrain. However, looking at gear-calculator.com, these two appear to be an exact match at the top gear - 42x10 vs. 46x11, and at the low end, there is indeed some difference, 42x42 (1:1 ratio) for Canyon vs. 30x36 (1:0.83) for the Kuna. Just how significant the difference is? With the bike heavily loaded, I'm starting to struggle around the longer ~8-10% climbs, but one may point out that, first, there isn't that many of those, and one can probably get away by reducing cadence, second, one's fitness improves quickly on longer rides, and thirdly, I'll be suffering just as much with the lower gears, and not likely to even feel the difference. What do you think? I may end up replacing anyway, but if I don't insist on 2x setup, the choice may be a bit wider.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

So my lowest gear is 26x40 which is very low by road bike standards. I rarely use it but it comes in handy when I come across, say, a 20% hills on a 150 mile ride. If I were you I'd go with the lowest gear possible. 1:1 is too high for me for steep (>15%) hills. I can do it but I like to stay well below my lactate threshold for long rides.

 

[Jameshow]

If I were buying a touring bike I would want as low a gear as I could get, not just for hills, but headwinds, hitting the wall etc.

I have 34/36 on my carbon bike and it's nice to have tbh.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

For laden touring, I'd say lowest gear makes a massive difference and the sutra would be much better. Highest gear is near irrelevant. For me, even 30/36 would be borderline and there's no way I'd tour with 1:1 gearing, but I like hills!

It of course depends if course on your fitness, your route and how much luggage you have.

There may be much cheaper ways to reduce the gearing than a new bike...

 

[Ian H]

Bicycles nowadays seem to be less-and-less frames on which you hang your choice of components, and more complete machines bought from a shiny showroom (real or virtual) on a take-it or leave-it principle.

 

[Jameshow]

Bicycles nowadays seem to be less-and-less frames on which you hang your choice of components, and more complete machines bought from a shiny showroom (real or virtual) on a take-it or leave-it principle.

Kona sutra is pretty adaptable tbh.

 

[Spiderweb]

Kona Sutra SE has a triple with 36t back & a 26t granny ring up front ;
https://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product...qF9DSE_wFSFhIantQjXeP8S3n10JljZYaApnoEALw_wcB

 

[chriswoody]

I have the off-road/gravel version of the Sutra, the Sutra LTD. Like your Canyon it also has a 1x 11 drivetrain and at first I had the same issues as you. I then decided to invest €25 in a new smaller chainring. The bike came with a Race Face Affect chainset as stock and it's a really easy job to swap the ring over.

So now, for day to day use I have a 34 tooth chainring married up to a 10-42 cassette. For touring, I swap out the 34 tooth for the 28 tooth chainring, which gives me an 18 inch lower gear for the hills and a 89 inch gear at the other end for the flats, downhills etc. I find that a great compromise and so far I've I've notched up over a thousand kilometers of touring, mostly off-road, with that set up and love it.

 

[sleuthey]

Just how significant the difference is?

In the lowest gear on a climb the Kona will require your feet to apply approx 17% less force at the pedals at the same tempo as the Canyon. Assuming crank arm length, tyre size, weight etc are the same. It will of course be 17% slower.

What do you think?

If it were me I would buy the Canyon and spend an extra £15 on a 38T narrow wide chain ring.

 

[Kajjal]

It was similar in mountain biking when 1x first appeared. People half killed themselves trying to get up hills with inappropriate gears. Just choose the gearing that fits your riding needs, my mountain bikes are both 2x as it gives me the really low gears for longer, steeper climbs as well as top end speed.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

A few thoughts....

I'm thinking of replacing my Canyon Grail

Are you replacing or supplementing?

A commuter and a bike to do long haul tours carrying a load are not exactly mutually exclusive but they don't have a lot in common.
My steed excepted.

I'm starting to struggle around the longer ~8-10% climbs, but one may point out that, first, there isn't that many of those, and one can probably get away by reducing cadence, second, one's fitness improves quickly on longer rides, and thirdly, I'll be suffering just as much with the lower gears, and not likely to even feel the difference

As said by others, laden touring, in my opinion, is far less about gear range and far more about having the easiest granny gear possible.
It's not just about hills. There's wind, there's surfaces, there's a sore body and there's the mental cushion of just being able to spin.
You're contemplating, what, a 10,000km ride? Think bigger. Think broader.

Also, a Touring Bike is a hell of a lot more than just the gearing.
Given your location and propensity to use planes, if I was in your position I'd be seriously considering S&S couplers to make transport easier and safer and possibly cheaper.

I also wouldn't limit myself to just the home market. A reputable supplier would be able to kit you out with what you want or need (and offer advice) so that a bike was ready for collection and adventure.
(You can square away the tax implications yourself).

After all that, the only things I can suggest for anyone looking at a laden touring bike is to consider:
Fork: For mounts (rack or backpacking bags), width for tyre variety and mudguards
Gearing: Whatever system is chosen should be variable and adaptable to change as needs may change.
General Unfinickieness: The more specialised something is, the more difficult to adapt, replace or repair. For short tours not much of a problem, but for longer ones?

 

[MichaelW2]

Comparing chainring and cog ratios is easier if you convert them to Euro style "developement" or Brit/USA style " gear inches".

 

[dimrub]

If it were me I would buy the Canyon and spend an extra £15 on a 38T narrow wide chain ring.

Yes, sounds like an easy interim solution. Thanks! Anything in particular I should look at when choosing a chain ring? Aside from it being "38T narrow-wide" and the mounting method?

If I do end up switching to the Kona, I'll consider replacing its lower chain ring to be of the more grandmotherly type, too, now that I think about it.

Are you replacing or supplementing?

I wish I could be supplementing. No, I don't think it will fly with my wife to have 2 bikes in the house (aside from the Brompton and the MTB) for such overlapping purposes.

if I was in your position I'd be seriously considering S&S couplers to make transport easier and safer and possibly cheaper.

You mean, some sort of folding bicycle, that would fit into a suitcase rather than a dedicated cardboard box? I thought about this. If I were travelling a lot with my bicycle, I'd probably do that. One of the guys who run this podcast, who is an airline pilot, did just that - but then, he flies A LOT, and wants to have a bike with him at all times. For the couple of times per year that I fly, I don't think it's worth the trouble.

I also wouldn't limit myself to just the home market. A reputable supplier would be able to kit you out with what you want or need (and offer advice) so that a bike was ready for collection and adventure.

I thought about that, too. A golden opportunity will present itself in just a month, when I'm travelling to Vienna. I'm just not sure I want to risk the whole trip on something going wrong with the bicycle, or with my fit to the bicycle. I'll try looking into this option deeper, thanks!

Fork: For mounts (rack or backpacking bags), width for tyre variety and mudguards
Gearing: Whatever system is chosen should be variable and adaptable to change as needs may change.
General Unfinickieness: The more specialised something is, the more difficult to adapt, replace or repair. For short tours not much of a problem, but for longer ones?

Agreed on all. Kona seems to me to check all the boxes on this list, and more.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

You mean, some sort of folding bicycle, that would fit into a suitcase rather than a dedicated cardboard box?

S&S couplings are quite different - you cut through the tubes in the middle then fit the couplings. So you can chop your bike in half whenever you like by unfastening the couplings.

Sounds brutal and unwise, but apparently very good. We wanted them for our Tandem but alas not possible with ovalised tubing.

Reassuringly expensive.

https://cycletraveloverload.com/all-about-ss-couplers-should-you-get-them/

 

[dimrub]

Reassuringly expensive.

🤣