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  • Ultra-Wide Range 2× Drivetrains for Drop Bars: GRX & CUES Compatibility & Hacks

    Ultra-Wide Range 2× Drivetrains for Drop Bars: GRX & CUES Compatibility & Hacks

    With a raft of new Shimano drivetrain components and a much clearer understanding of Shimano CUES compatibility, the cycling community has uncovered 2× setups that offer wider gear ranges and lower climbing ratios than many riders realise.

    This article is a curated list of unsanctioned drivetrains – combinations that Shimano doesn’t officially endorse, but which have been tested thoroughly enough to be genuinely excellent options for your next bike.

    I’ll be breaking down why 2× still matters, and how GRX, CUES, and even third-party components can work together reliably to build drivetrains that outperform what’s already on your bike.

    Let’s get into it!

    The Advantages of a 2X Drivetrain

    This Shimano GRX drivetrain has significantly lower gear ratios than standard. Image: Reddit/HZCH

    One of the main advantages of a 2X drivetrain is that it provides smaller steps between gears compared to a 1X setup.

    Each time you shift, your pedalling cadence changes. Ideally, your cadence would remain constant as you speed up or slow down, but that’s not possible on a bike with gears. The next best solution is to minimise the difference between each gear, allowing you to stay in your optimal pedalling range for longer. Bikes with 2X drivetrains typically use a smaller rear cassette, which reduces the jump between gears.

    2X drivetrains are also generally more efficient. With a straighter chain line in most gear combinations, less energy is lost to friction. On average, 1X drivetrains are about 1% less efficient than 2X, and in the three highest gears, the difference can be 1.5 to 2.5%. You can see the full test HERE.

    Finally, a 2X drivetrain provides a wider overall gear range, letting you maintain your preferred cadence across a broader range of speeds.

    Gear range example: Modern Shimano 1X drivetrains typically have a 510% gear range, meaning the largest gear is 5.1 times bigger than the smallest. In contrast, a Shimano 2X drivetrain with a wide-range cassette can reach 627%, or 6.27 times the smallest gear. Assuming both setups use the same low climbing gear, this means that if you pedal at 120 RPM in the top gear, the 1X setup would reach around 55 km/h, while the 2X setup would hit 68 km/h – a significant difference.

    GRX & CUES Compatibility Guide

    Cable Pull Compatibility

    Shimano CUES rear derailleurs use MTB-style cable pull, which is functionally equivalent to Shimano Dynasys and very close to Microshift Sword and Advent.

    Because of this, CUES rear derailleurs do not work correctly with standard Shimano road or gravel shifters (eg GRX or 105) unless you use a cable-pull adapter such as a Wolftooth Tanpan or J-Tek Shiftmate.

    As a result, Shimano CUES drop-bar shifters are really intended to be paired with CUES rear derailleurs if you want correct indexing without adapters or hacks.

    Chain & Cassette Compatibility

    Within Shimano’s ecosystem, there are two distinct chain and cassette standards:

    • LinkGlide (LG)

    • Hyperglide (HG)

    LinkGlide uses thick, square-profile teeth with wider spacing and is designed for maximum durability. Shimano claims up to three times the lifespan of Hyperglide, which makes it ideal for high-mileage touring and commuting. The trade-off is that shifting is slower and more deliberate, and cassette options are limited to 11-39, 11-43, and 11-45T.

    Shimano CUES 9 and 10-speed systems are designed exclusively around LinkGlide, and must be used with LinkGlide chains and cassettes.

    Hyperglide, by contrast, uses Shimano’s traditional ramped tooth profiles for lighter, faster, and smoother shifts. This is what you’ll find on GRX and most road groupsets.

    Shimano CUES 11-speed is unique in that it can be used with either LinkGlide or Hyperglide, since all Shimano 11-speed cassettes share the same spacing.

    Front Derailleur, Crankset and Shifter Compatibility

    The all mountain CUES derailleur design is different to the City & Touring model.

    Shimano offers two distinct CUES front derailleur families: “City & Touring” and “All Mountain”.

    The City & Touring derailleurs are designed for front chainrings ranging from 46 to 22 teeth, supporting up to a 16-tooth difference between chainrings. These derailleurs are fully compatible with CUES drop-bar shifters, making them ideal for touring setups where wide-range gearing and smooth front shifts are important.

    On the other hand, the All Mountain front derailleurs are designed for slightly smaller chainrings, from 40 to 22 teeth, with up to a 14-tooth difference.

    The All Mountain derailleurs are not directly compatible with CUES drop-bar shifters because they require more cable pull than a road shifter can provide. While there is a workaround for this, it should be considered a hack rather than native compatibility. I’ll explain the workaround later in this resource.

    GRX & CUES Compatibility Testing

    Every drivetrain listed here has been physically tested – either by bike manufacturers, well-trusted independent sources, or by me personally.

    A special thanks to Russ from PathLessPedaled, who has put many of these drivetrain combinations through real-world testing. You can find his in-depth drivetrain experiments on his YouTube channel.

    For the gear-inch calculations that follow, I’ve assumed a bike running 700C × 47 mm tyres, and unless otherwise noted, a Shimano GRX 46–30T crankset. Smaller front chainrings are readily available, which can push the climbing gears even lower if required.

    Tiagra GRX Wide (2X10)

    • Gear Range: 585%
    • Lowest Gear: 20.1″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    The Tiagra GRX Wide setup is probably my favourite 10-speed option because it offers the best shift performance. Shimano GRX 800 components tend to be built to a higher standard than CUES. They’re stronger, more resistant to misalignment, and deliver smoother, more precise shifting.

    This drivetrain uses Tiagra 4700 shifters that are paired with GRX 800 components and a mountain bike cassette. Although this setup combines 10-speed shifters, chain, and cassette with 11-speed derailleurs, don’t worry – the cable-pull ratios line up perfectly, so shifting is flawless.

    We’re using Hyperglide chains and cassettes for ultra-smooth shifting, and the Tiagra levers are available in small-hand sizes for better ergonomics.

    Key components:

    Tiagra CUES Ultra Wide (2X10)

    • Gear Range: 641%
    • Lowest Gear: 18.4″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    This drivetrain uses a cable-pull ratio adapter to pair 10-speed shifters with a Shimano CUES rear derailleur. Although the rear derailleur is technically an 11-speed model, it works reliably with Tiagra 4700 shifters and 10-speed Shimano Hyperglide components.

    The key benefit of this setup is cassette capacity: the derailleur can manage an 11-46T cassette, delivering extremely low climbing gears. Care is required in small-small combinations (eg. 30×11) due to capacity limits.

    Additional advantages include the smooth, precise shifting of Hyperglide and the fact that Tiagra 4700 levers are available in a small-hand version, which is a major ergonomic benefit for some riders.

    Please note: the Wolftooth Tanpan must be the 11-speed version, as Tiagra’s cable-pull ratio differs from most other Shimano 10-speed road shifters.

    Key components:

    CUES Sword Wide (2X10)

    • Gear Range: 641%
    • Lowest Gear: 18.4″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    Another intriguing option introduces a new brand: Microshift. The Microshift Sword drop bar shifters have a cable pull very close to Shimano CUES, which means they work well with CUES rear derailleurs without any modifications.

    The main benefit is that the Microshift Sword shifters are more affordable; in fact, you’ll save over $100 compare to the previous drivetrains. You can also continue using Hyperglide chains and cassettes for shifting, even though this technically shouldn’t be possible. It turns out, the little difference in cable-pull ratio doesn’t seem to affect this particular combination of mismatched parts (video HERE).

    This setup works well with an 11-46T cassette, but make sure you use a Microshift front derailleur, as the CUES front derailleur is not compatible with Microshift Sword shifters. Also, care is required in small-to-small combinations (eg. 30×11T) due to exceeding derailleur capacity limits.

    Key components:

    Sword Advent Wide (2X10)

    • Gear Range: 585%
    • Lowest Gear: 20.1″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    The final 10-speed drivetrain option is almost entirely Microshift, which means it’s the most affordable option here! This setup pairs a 9-speed Microshift Advent rear derailleur with 10-speed Sword drop bar shifters and Shimano Hyperglide components.

    The main advantages are affordability and derailleur options. The Advent derailleur comes in a clutch version, which provides superior chain retention over rough terrain; the ratchet-and-pawl clutch is also easy to adjust and repair. There’s also a non-clutch Advent option for road riding, which can deliver even smoother shifting.

    As with many other options, you will get to run Hyperglide chains and cassettes for smooth shifting, and make sure to fit the matching Microshift Sword front derailleur.

    Key components:

    CUES Ultra Wide (2X11)

    • Gear Range: 627%
    • Lowest Gear: 18.8″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    Our first 11-speed setup exclusively uses Shimano CUES components, meaning it runs LinkGlide cassettes and chains throughout.

    Of all the options listed, this is the most durable drivetrain. LinkGlide components wear significantly more slowly than Hyperglide equivalents, especially under load. Longevity can be extended even further by running a wax-based chain lubricant – you can find the best wax chain lubes HERE.

    The RD-U8020 rear derailleur is required, as its geometry is optimised for very large cassettes and delivers noticeably better shift performance than lower-tier CUES derailleurs.

    Key components:

    CUES Insane Wide (2X11)

    • Gear Range: 669%
    • Lowest Gear: 13.8″
    • Highest Gear: 92.3″

    This is a complete Shimano CUES 2× mountain bike drivetrain paired with CUES drop bar shifters. The result is an incredibly low climbing gear and an impressively wide gear range (I used a 36-22T crankset for these calculations rather than 46-30T). Since everything is 11-speed, you can run either Linkglide or Hyperglide chains and cassettes.

    The main challenge is matching the CUES front shifter to the front derailleur. The wider crankset often requires a CUES side-swing MTB front derailleur with front cable routing, which demands more cable pull than the drop bar shifter can supply. To fix this, you’ll need to use an inline barrel adjuster (BBB BCB-96 is recommended) fitted to the front of the front derailleur to achieve the correct tension.

    Please note: CUES 2x MTB cranksets have a wider crankset (q-factor) than the gravel versions, which some people don’t like as much. Personally, the extra width doesn’t bother me.

    Key components:

    Ultra GRX Wide (2×11)

    • Gear Range: 641%
    • Lowest Gear: 18.4″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    Using a simple GRX derailleur hack, it’s possible to run massive 11-46T mountain bike cassettes.

    The process starts with a Shimano GRX 810 rear derailleur. You remove the stock inner and outer jockey wheel plates, then replace them with the longer inner and outer plates from a Shimano XT mountain bike derailleur. These XT plates are designed for larger cassettes, are long enough to handle the extra chain wrap, and can be purchased as aftermarket replacement parts.

    The result is a high-quality 11-speed drivetrain with an exceptionally wide gear range and some of the lowest climbing gears available in this comparison.

    Key components:

    Easy GRX Wide (2X11)

    • Gear Range: 558%
    • Lowest Gear: 21.1″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    Another straightforward 11-speed option is to install an 11-40T cassette onto an existing GRX 810 drivetrain. This setup works with minimal fuss, though you’ll be operating near the maximum capacity of the rear derailleur. Please note that shift performance will not be quite as crisp as when you use a typical 11-34 or 11-36T cassette.

    A further hack you can do with this setup is fit some 44/28T Specialites TA X110 and X80 chainrings to the crankset to have a climbing gear under 20 gear inches!

    Key components:

    105 GRX Wide (2×11)

    • Gear Range: 558%
    • Lowest Gear: 21.1″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    If mechanical brakes are your preference over hydraulics, this Shimano 105 setup is an excellent choice. Swapping to 105 levers for mechanical brakes cuts the cost by roughly $600, making this the best-value wide-range 2×11 drivetrain in the lineup.

    To make the 105-GRX mix work, you’ll need a Shimano GRX 400 10-speed rear derailleur, which pairs cleanly with 11-speed road shifters. Add an 11 to 40T cassette, then finish the build with a Microshift, Shimano 105, or GRX front derailleur, depending on budget and availability.

    Key components:

    Easy 105 Wide (2X11)

    • Gear Range: 558%
    • Lowest Gear: 21.1″
    • Highest Gear: 118″

    You can also run an 11 to 40T cassette with a Shimano 105 11-speed derailleur setup too. In fact, some bike manufacturers offer this option on their stock bikes.

    I’ve found it works well for a wide range of gears, but it can’t handle extreme combinations – like big chainring to big cog or small chainring to small cog – as gracefully as the GRX derailleurs.

    Key components:

    Roadlink Derailleur Hack (2X11)

    The Wolftooth Roadlink lets you use any long-cage Shimano 11-speed derailleur with an 11 to 40T cassette. I’ve run this successfully on a road bike, though it’s worth noting that extreme gear combinations – big chainring to big cog, or small to small – don’t shift perfectly. This is more of a practical hack than a long-term solution.

    If you already have a 10 or 11-speed road drivetrain, the Roadlink (US $23 on Performance Bike) lets you keep your existing shifters and derailleur. You’ll just need a new chain and cassette.

    Summary

    Shimano GRX, 105, and CUES compatibility is possible if you understand how derailleurs, shifters, chains, and cassettes interact.

    You’ve just seen numerous excellent 2x derailleur drivetrain options that provide wide gear ranges and very low climbing ratios. While these setups are not officially supported by Shimano, they generally perform nearly as well as native component pairings.

  • Low Climbing Gears On Your Road Bike: Seven Road Crankset Options

    Low Climbing Gears On Your Road Bike: Seven Road Crankset Options

    When it comes to mountain roads, most road bikes don’t have low enough climbing gears. I see people struggling all the time, grinding away, trying to get over the top of their lowest gears so that their pedalling rate doesn’t drop to catastrophically low turning speeds.

    A few months ago I published a piece stating that hills are not harder than cycling on the flat. And it’s true. When you ride up a hill and you’re pushing 150 watts, that is the same 150 watts as when you’re cycling on the flat. The difference is that 150 watts on a climb simply translates into a slower speed due to the effects of gravity. By using a mechanical advantage (low enough gears), you can pedal at the same revolutions per minute AND push the same amount of power into the pedals on most road gradients – check out my piece on how to calculate the steepest hill you can cycle up.

    The crankset is a good place to achieve climbing gears. This is because it allows you to use cassettes with less of a jump between the cogs, and because you won’t need to hack and modify too many drivetrain parts. Basically, there’s no funny business here.

    With all of these cranksets:
    – You can use your existing road derailleurs without exceeding capacity (long cage)
    – You won’t need to fit a mountain bike cassette (Shimano Ultegra HG-800 is 11-34t)
    – You won’t have to modify the position of your rear derailleur (No RoadLink or long B-Screws)

    Let’s take a closer look at the cranksets that offer better road bike climbing gears.

    Praxis Sub-Compact Cranksets (48-32t)

    Praxis Works has managed to fit sub-compact chainrings (32t instead of 34t) on their current cranksets, despite using the same chainring dimensions as a ‘compact’ crankset (110BCD). These cranks are available in the 30mm axle diameter (BSA, BB86, 386EVO, BB30/PF30) and go for between US $175 and $240.

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 7.5% gradient all day long with these ratios (0.5% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 48-32t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 25 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 7.5%

    FSA Adventure Sub-Compact Cranksets (46-30t)

    46-30t or 48-32t.

    FSA last year released their adventure ‘sub-compact’ crankset range which is quite popular on stock bikes of all price points. The US $90 FSA Tempo (9-speed, square taper) is the cheapest option, and the range tops out at US $350 for the 617g FSA SL-K carbon crankset (10/11-speed, BB386).

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 8.1% gradient all day long with these ratios (1.1% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 23 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 8.1%

    Middleburn RS8 X-Type Super Compact Cranksets (46-30t)

    Image: Enigma Bikes

    Middleburn makes a 94BCD road “super compact” spider for their RS8 crankset which allows you to run a 46t outer ring and 30t inner ring. This 24mm axle crankset will directly be able to replace any bike currently using a Shimano crankset. You can also use them with adapter cups for BB30 bearings, and they will fit threaded bottom brackets with external bearing cups.

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 8.1% gradient all day long with these ratios (1.1% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 23 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 8.1%

    Engin Cycles Spider + SRAM Road Crankset (46-30t)

    The Engin Cycles Sub-Compact Spider for SRAM cranksets – CyclingTips.com

    Thanks to the removable spiders on SRAM road cranksets, there is an aftermarket aluminium spider option from Engin Cycles that allows for sub-compact chainrings. The 110/74bcd spider will allow you to fit Sugino 46-30t chainrings (10-11 speed), but if you have 8/9 speed you can fit even smaller inner chainrings (a 42-26t combo, for example).

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 8.1% gradient all day long with these ratios (1.1% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 23 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 8.1%

    Sugino Compact Plus Cranksets (46-30t)

    Sugino OX601D Compact Plus Crankset – EpicureanCyclist.com

    Sugino makes what they call “compact plus” cranksets with 110/74BCD chainring sizes. This setup provides a super small inner climbing gear and a nice low q-factor (145mm width between the pedals). This 24mm axle crankset will directly be able to replace any bike currently using a Shimano crankset (including BB90 press fit). You can also use them with adapter cups for BB30 bearings, and they will fit threaded bottom brackets with external bearing cups. The 26 and 28t inner chainrings are technically designed for 8/9 speed but some riders have had success with these on 10/11 speed drivetrains.

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 8.1% gradient all day long with these ratios (1.1% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 44-26, 44-28, 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 23 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 8.1%

    Note: a braze-on front derailleur mount may not get the derailleur low enough. Band clamps are ideal. 

    White Industries VBC Cranksets (40-24t)

    White Industries VBC Cranks can use a 24t inner chainring – OceanAirCycles.com

    The White Industries VBC cranks have a narrow 150mm q-factor and can operate with a 24 tooth difference between chainrings; although I’d recommend a 16-20 tooth difference so that you don’t exceed the capacity of your road rear derailleur. Inner rings start at 24t and go up in even increments. There is both a BB30/PF30 model and a square taper model for those with threaded bottom brackets.

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 10.3% gradient all day long with these ratios (3.3% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 40-24, 42-26t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 18.6 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 10.3%

    Note: a braze-on front derailleur mount may not get the derailleur low enough. Band clamps are ideal. 

    Middleburn RO1 Incy Cranksets (36-20t)

    Middleburn Incy 94/58 BCD Crankset

    The award for the smallest chainring on a road crankset goes to Middleburn with their 94/58 BCD “Incy” chainring spider (removable). The “Incy” spider offers a small front chainring as low as 20 teeth! That gets your low gear right down to 17 gear inches. The RO1 cranks are for threaded BB bikes only – sorry press-fit crew.

    With my weight, power and preferred cadence, I can technically ride a 12.6% gradient all day long with these ratios (5.6% steeper than a compact crankset).

    Crankset: 36-20t, 38-22t, 40-24t, 42-26t, 44-28t
    Cassette: 11-34t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×28 Tyres: 15.5 Gear Inches
    Maximum Gradient (90kg/200w/80rpm): 12.6%

    Note: a braze-on front derailleur mount may not get the derailleur low enough. Band clamps are ideal. 

    For More Drivetrain Options With Climbing Gears Head HERE

  • Low Gear Range: Road Shifters & Gears For Easier Hill Climbing

    Low Gear Range: Road Shifters & Gears For Easier Hill Climbing

    Sometimes a compact crankset doesn’t offer enough gear range in the mountains. Compact cranks can achieve a 34t front and 32t rear gear, which may be fine for a strong rider carrying minimal gear, but what if the gradients are beyond 15% and you want to carry a few things?

    Unfortunately, modern road and MTB groupset parts are largely not interchangeable. If you listened to the manufacturers, you would also think you were locked into each models groupset components and ratios.

    But thinking outside the box yields different results.

    Gear Capacity

    Different Types of Road Crankset

    Before I take you through all of the different options, let’s have a quick lesson on derailleur capacity.

    The range of a drivetrain is limited by the cage height of the front derailleur, and how much chain slack the rear derailleur can take up. Different derailleurs are designed to handle different capacities. The advantage of using smaller capacity derailleurs (short derailleur cages and shallow front cages) is that they perform faster and snappier gear shifts.

    Finding out what capacity derailleur you will need isn’t hard. Simply throw your numbers into this equation:
    [Largest Front Ring – Smallest Front Ring] + [ Largest Rear Ring – Smallest Rear Ring ]  = Capacity

    For example: [50-34t] + [34-11] = 39t Capacity

    Long cage derailleurs generally allow around 45t total capacity, mid cage derailleurs can handle 37t and short cage 33t. But here’s the thing; manufacturer recommendations are generally quite conservative and you can get a few more teeth out of your setup if you are careful.

    Without further ado, let me outline what to do when you have integrated road bike shifters (STI) but want a mountain bike gear range.

    Double Cranksets (2X)

    10/11 Speed Option: SRAM 10 or 11 Speed Shifters with SRAM 10 Speed Mountain Bike Cranks and Derailleurs

    The SRAM cable pull ratio (1:1) is the same on 10-speed MTB, 10-speed road AND 11-speed road bike components. That means you can directly use 10 or 11-speed road shifters with 10 or 11-speed MTB cassettes. It’s important to note that you need to use a 10-speed mountain bike derailleur, even with the 11-speed shifters and cassettes. With this drivetrain, it yields some of the lowest gears on this list as 22 tooth front chainrings can be matched with wide range cassettes.

    10-speed Crankset: 36-22, 38-24, 39-26, 40x28t
    Cassette: 11-36t
    Setup Capacity: 39t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 17 Gear Inches

    Salsa use SRAM 10 Speed Road and MTB components on many of their bikes.
    Salsa uses SRAM road shifters with SRAM MTB components on many of their bikes.

    10 Speed Option: Shimano 10-speed STI Shifters with a 10-speed MTB Cassette and 9-speed Derailleur

    This is a pretty popular hack. If you’re using 10-speed road shifters (Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura-Ace), you can hook them up to a 9-speed MTB derailluer, a 10-speed MTB cassette and a 10-speed chain. As the 9-speed MTB derailleur pulls in the same way as a 10-speed road, you are essentially just increasing the derailleur cage length to increase the overall capacity. Keep in mind the 10-speed shifters will ONLY work with 10-speed road front derailleurs.

    Crankset: 50-34t
    Cassette: 11-36t
    Setup Capacity: 41t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 26 Gear Inches

    10 Speed Option: Shimano 10-speed STI Shifters with a 10-speed MTB Cassette and 10-speed Derailleur

    The JTek Shiftmate is a ratio-changing pulley which is used for matching different shifters and derailleurs. It works by converting the cable pull between components. That allows you to use a mountain bike derailleur and wide-range cassette with your 10-speed road shifters. This is essentially the same end-result as the 9-speed derailleur hack above. More on the Shiftmate HERE.

    Crankset: 50-34t
    Cassette: 11-36t
    Setup Capacity: 41t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 26 Gear Inches

    9 or 10 Speed Option: Middleburn Crankset with an Incy 94/58 BCD Spider

    Middleburn cranksets use removable spiders to customise your gear ratios. The 94/58 BCD “Incy” spider offers the smallest front chainring available with just 20 teeth. That gets your low gear right down to 17 gear inches – great for loaded touring in hilly terrain. You will need a long cage rear derailleur to make sure you don’t exceed your gear capacity.

    Crankset: 40-20t, 42-22t, 44-24t, 46-26t, 48-28t
    Cassette: 11-32t
    Setup Capacity: 41t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 17 Gear Inches

    Middleburn Incy 94/58 BCD Crankset
    Middleburn Incy 94/58 BCD Crankset

    10 or 11 Speed Option: Shimano 10-speed STI Shifters with a 130/74BCD triple crankset using two chainrings only

    You can run a road triple crankset with just the two inner chainrings; simply remove the outer 50t chainring and that’s your double. The secret to this setup is the 74BCD inner chainring which permits down to 24t (much like the Compact Plus option below).

    Crankset: 39-24t
    Cassette: 11-32t
    Setup Capacity: 36t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 20 Gear Inches

    You can use 9-speed rear derailleurs with 10-speed gearing.
    You can use 9-speed rear derailleurs with 10-speed gearing.

    11 Speed Option: Shimano 11-speed STI Shifters with an 11-speed MTB Cassette and 11-speed Derailleur

    The JTek Shiftmate is a ratio-changing pulley which is used for matching different shifters and derailleurs. It works by converting the cable pull between components. That allows you to use a mountain bike derailleur and wide-range cassette with your 11-speed road shifters. More on the Shiftmate HERE.

    Crankset: 50-34t
    Cassette: 11-40t
    Setup Capacity: 45t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 22 Gear Inches

    JTek Shiftmate which has been used to run a Shimano MTB derailleur and cassette with an 11s road shifter.
    A JTek Shiftmate 8 which has been used to run a Shimano MTB derailleur and cassette with an 11s road drivetrain.

    11 Speed Option (9 and 10 Speed too): Compact Plus Cranksets

    Compact Plus cranks offer a super small inner climbing gear, a low q-factor (145mm width between the pedals) and the ability to use every single one of your gears without complication. Keep in mind that 11-speed shifters will ONLY work with 11-speed front derailleurs. The Sugino OX901D cranks are the 11-speed model of choice.

    Crankset: 42-26, 44-28, 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-32t
    Setup Capacity: 37t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 22 Gear Inches

    Sugino OX601D Compact Plus Crankset - EpicureanCyclist.com
    Sugino OX601D Compact Plus Crankset – EpicureanCyclist.com

    11 Speed Option: Middleburn Incy Crankset

    Middleburn put together a 94BCD road “super compact” 11s crankset which allows you to run a 46t outer ring and 30t inner ring. These guys make really great quality components with a lifetime warranty.

    Crankset: 46-30t
    Cassette: 11-32t
    Setup Capacity: 37t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 26 Gear Inches

    Image: Enigma Bikes
    Middleburn R02 94 BCD Cranks – EnigmaBikes.com

    11 Speed Option (9 and 10 Speed too): White Industries VBC Splined Crankset

    Here’s another neat solution for 11-speed shifters. The White Industries VBC cranks have a narrow 150mm q-factor and can operate with a 24t difference between chainrings, although I’d recommend less of a difference for better-performing shifting. This setup should work fine with standard 11s road double front derailleurs. Inner rings start at 24t and go up in even increments.

    Crankset: 48-24, 50-26t
    Cassette: 11-32t
    Setup Capacity: 45t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 20 Gear Inches

    White Industries VBC Cranks can use a 24t inner chainring - OceanAirCycles.com
    White Industries VBC Cranks can use a 24t inner chainring – OceanAirCycles.com

    Triple Cranksets (3X)

    9 Speed Option: Shimano 9-speed Shifters with Deore 9-speed Cranks and MTB Derailleurs

    With 9-speed Shimano, you can directly use 9-speed road shifters with 9-speed mountain bike derailleurs and gearing. That’s great news if you’re working with an older bike or a current Sora-level gear system. Please note that you are slightly exceeding your rear derailleurs capacity with this setup, so be careful with your installation and gear choices.

    Crankset: 44-32-22t, 48-36-26t
    Cassette: 12-36t
    Setup Capacity: 46t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 tyres: 17 Gear Inches

    Using 9-speed STI shifters with MTB Derailleurs - SaddleUpBike
    Using 9-speed STI shifters with MTB Derailleurs – SaddleUpBike

    9/10 Speed Option: Shimano Road Triple Groupset with a 24/26t Small Chainring

    Here’s a hack that requires a bit more care. You can swap out the 30t chainring (74BCD) from your road triple cranks right down to 24 or 26t. This is where it gets tricky though; you WILL lose a few gears due to exceeding the capacity of the derailleur by ~5 teeth. The rear derailleur will likely have no tension in the 11-15t cassette cogs while using the small chainring, so make sure to avoid these gears. I highly recommend using a ‘chain watcher‘ with this setup given the large drop between the 39t chainring and 24t chainring. Both Sugino and TA make small 74BCD chainrings. Please note that Shimano Ultegra 6703 cranks have a 92BCD small chainring, and NOT 74BCD. There are no smaller chainrings than 30t available for this setup.

    Crankset: 50-39-24, 50-39-26t
    Cassette: 12-36t (9s), 11-36t (10s)
    Setup Capacity: 50t (9s), 51t (10s)
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 tyres: 18 Gear Inches

    Using a 26t Chainring on a Sora Crankset
    Using a 26t Chainring on a 105 Triple Crankset

    10 Speed Option: Shimano 10-Speed STI Shifters with 10-Speed MTB Cassette and 9-Speed Derailleur

    This is a pretty popular hack. If you’re using 10-speed triple road shifters (Tiagra, 105, Ultegra), you can hook them up to a 9-speed MTB derailluer, a 10-speed MTB cassette and a 10-speed chain. As the 9-speed MTB derailleur pulls in the same way as a 10-speed road, you are essentially just increasing the derailleur cage length to increase the overall capacity. Keep in mind the 10-speed shifters will ONLY work with 10-speed road triple front derailleurs.

    Crankset: 50-39-30t
    Cassette: 11-36t
    Setup Capacity: 45t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 Tyres: 23 Gear Inches

    Shimano Acera 9-speed derailleurs work with 10-speed gearing.
    Shimano Acera 9-speed derailleurs work with 10-speed gearing.

    10-speed Option: Shimano 10-Speed STI Triple Shifters with 10-Speed MTB Cassette and 10-Speed Derailleur

    As 10-speed shifters will only work with 10-speed road triple front derailleurs, JTek has created a product (the Shiftmate 7) to change the cable pull ratio of the front derailleur. This means you can hook up your road shifters with a full 10-speed MTB drivetrain if you like, provided you make use of the Shiftmate 8 for the rear derailleur too. More on the Shiftmate products HERE.

    Crankset: 44-32-22t, 48-36-26t
    Cassette: 12-36t
    Setup Capacity: 46t
    Smallest Gear w/ 700×38 tyres: 17 Gear Inches

    Modifying Rear Derailleurs

    There are a few ways to increase the gear capacity of a rear derailleur when using a 1x or 2x chainring setup.

    Wolf Tooth RoadLink and GoatLink

    These adapters re-locate Shimano derailleurs to allow for larger cassette use. Coupling the ‘RoadLink’ with a mid or long cage road derailleur, you will be able to use a 11-36t cassette (I actually squeezed a 11-42t on my road bike) rather than a 11-32t. The ‘Goatlink’ is designed for 10-speed MTB derailleurs and will permit 11-42t cassettes (but probably more).

    The Lindarets RoadLink will allow you to use wider-range cassettes with your road derailleurs.
    The Lindarets RoadLink will allow you to use wider-range cassettes with your road derailleurs.

    OneUp RAD Cage Kit

    The RAD cage is a replacement outer cage for Shimano medium cage derailleurs which can accommodate for up to 40-42t cassettes. The RAD moves the upper pulley wheel rearward to optimize the derailleur for larger cassettes. As the derailleur moves into larger sprockets, the top pulley wheel then automatically moves away to adjust the chain gap, no longer relying on just B-Screw.

    OneUp Rad Derailleur Cage Kit - Image/PinkBike.com
    The OneUp Rad Derailleur Cage Kit – Image/PinkBike.com

    Modifying Cassettes

    It’s possible to turn regular 10 speed 11-36 cassettes into 11-40t. A number of companies have cropped up to make space by removing one of the smaller cogs (16t or 17t) with a bigger one (40t or 42t). This setup is proven and works well on drivetrains with long cage derailleurs that don’t exceed their capacity by too much (45-47t should work). Check out Hope or OneUp for more.

    One Up 42t Cassette

    Final Note

    You can make combinations out of some of the setups listed above. For example, you could use the White Industries VBC crankset with a 10-speed MTB cassette and 9-speed MTB rear derailleur. Leave me a comment and we can discuss how well your combination may work.

    The smaller the gap between front chainring sizes, the better the overall shifting will be and the less capacity the rear derailleur will require. I generally recommend a maximum of 20t difference for a double crankset and 24t for a triple.

    Check Out My Resource On Gear Ratios For Touring HERE