How Are Gravel Bike Drivetrains Improving in 2024?

Question

Which modifications can be expected on gravel bike drivetrains in 2024 so as to increase their performance on steep gradients?

Answer 1

The year 2024 is set to be a revolutionary one for the gravel bike owing to the introduction of gravel bikes with low gearing. For instance, fitting a SRAM Apex Eagle drivetrain with a 38 tooth front chain ring enables an average 80 kg user to ascend a 9.4% incline with an ease that otherwise never existed which is a 30% more incline than earlier. Similar gains are accomplished by Shimano GRX 1X and Microshift’s new Sword groupset making it less strenuous for riders tackling greater gradients.

Comments

Easy solution to hills is to use a Wolf Tooth and appropriately larger cassette with your GRX.  Simple and cheap solution.  Don't need a new derailleur.

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I put a 46t cassette on mine with a double 48/32 chainrings. No more grinding up steep climbs. A deraileur extension is all that's needed to make the grx deraileur work with a wide angle cassette. Easy and cheap

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These big range cassettes will of course produce much bigger increments between the consequent gears which means that on a flat when producing my optimum sustainable power output I’ll be able to “select” between 72 rpm cadence and the next one available - let’s say 95 - where ideally I would like to have somewhere around 85. This is not something you can fix and it can be extremely bothersome…

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The most interesting part of the article is the expected use of an enclosed gearbox.

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I don’t think a 38x52 drivetrain is needed at all. I’m 65 years old and I still can climb double digit grades with my gravel bike. I have a Specialized Diverge with a 42x11-42 drivetrain running stock wheels and 700x42 tires. I’m sure there out there, but I have yet to find a hill I couldn’t climb. My cadence slows down to 70 and my speed to around 6 mph on big climbs, but I’m okay with it. I don’t have to stop at the top to recover for a minute either. My conditioning is good, but ordinary for anyone who cycles year round. Just my opinion. I enjoy the content!