Curious what others ended up with for 12s gravel gearing. Initially I was planning to go from 1x11 to 2x12 because I thought I missed the tighter gear steps of a 2x system. But I decided to go 1x12 for no logical reason other than not feeling like I wanted to "go back" to a 2x setup.
(This is all with 45 width tires so factor that into the equation)
First I tried 42x10-45. I need neither the 10 nor the 45T cogs. So essentially it's a 10 speed 12-40T for me. The 42x14-16-18 ratios just seem "off" to me. Hinting that I might prefer (or have been used to) the 15-17-19 steps on 11 speed.
At this point I was regretting not doing 2x12. So I put an 11-36T 12s 105 road cassette (CS-HG710-12) on with the 42T chainring. Oh my goodness this is nice on the road. The steps are almost too small with the smaller 1x chainring. 12-13-14 steps are more substantial with a 46 or 48T chainring that cassette is designed for. I found myself frequently double shifting and skipping right over those precious intermediate gear steps I thought I wanted. 42x36 is just barely enough for my to climb some of my typical routes.
Switched to 40T chairing with the 11-36 cassette. Now climbing the steepest 1% of my rides is less daunting but still not what I'd call pleasant. I still found myself frequently double or triple shifting off-road due to the tight gear spacing. The 17-19-21-24 frequently ends up being just 17--->24 on rolling terrain.
Final verdict (for me): 40T x 10-45. At least I can use the 10T cog here. I'll probably never use the 45 but it's there if I need a bail out. Overall the steps seem sensible here.
Shimano, please make me a 11-42T 12s cassette. Sadly, the SRAM 11-44 cassette isn't usable for me without heavily modifying the Shimano 12s drivetrain.
(This is all with 45 width tires so factor that into the equation)
First I tried 42x10-45. I need neither the 10 nor the 45T cogs. So essentially it's a 10 speed 12-40T for me. The 42x14-16-18 ratios just seem "off" to me. Hinting that I might prefer (or have been used to) the 15-17-19 steps on 11 speed.
At this point I was regretting not doing 2x12. So I put an 11-36T 12s 105 road cassette (CS-HG710-12) on with the 42T chainring. Oh my goodness this is nice on the road. The steps are almost too small with the smaller 1x chainring. 12-13-14 steps are more substantial with a 46 or 48T chainring that cassette is designed for. I found myself frequently double shifting and skipping right over those precious intermediate gear steps I thought I wanted. 42x36 is just barely enough for my to climb some of my typical routes.
Switched to 40T chairing with the 11-36 cassette. Now climbing the steepest 1% of my rides is less daunting but still not what I'd call pleasant. I still found myself frequently double or triple shifting off-road due to the tight gear spacing. The 17-19-21-24 frequently ends up being just 17--->24 on rolling terrain.
Final verdict (for me): 40T x 10-45. At least I can use the 10T cog here. I'll probably never use the 45 but it's there if I need a bail out. Overall the steps seem sensible here.
Shimano, please make me a 11-42T 12s cassette. Sadly, the SRAM 11-44 cassette isn't usable for me without heavily modifying the Shimano 12s drivetrain.
(145lbs)
