[MrEconomics]

I’ll try to explain this clearly.

Friend offered to sell his gravel bike but it’s Force 1x with 10-42t on back and Force long cage. I have Quarq power meter 50/34. If I just add crank that will give me odd gearing.

Should I Swap cassette to 11-32 which my current bike has? Replace 34t on crank with 42t (keep 50t. I never use smaller ring on road or Tri bike)?

Goal is being able to move my Quarq between my three bikes. I can change now in about 6 minutes. I’ve been looking at Ultegra gravel bikes because then it’s easy to swap. But he’s offering me a good deal to pay for new baby coming.

Thanks for advice and suggestions.

 

[Joe Nation]

If it has a Force 1 rear mech with a clutch, you'll need to change this for a Force 22 (or Red/Rival/Apex, 10 or 11 speed, or any SRAM rear mech with exact actuation, eg XX) rear mech without a clutch to use a double chainring (the clutch doesn't allow for the chain length to change quick enough when you shift to the big ring and it will break the clutch or snap the mech off).

 

[acedeuce802]

If you end up swapping derailleur/cassettes and are in the US, I have a practically brand new 11-32 cassette I don't need anymore (about 20 miles on it, Shimano 105 level), and am in need of a long cage Force/Rival 1 derailleur and a 10-42 cassette. Could do a trade + cash.

 

[HollyBoni]

If it has a Force 1 rear mech with a clutch, you'll need to change this for a Force 22 (or Red/Rival/Apex, 10 or 11 speed, or any SRAM rear mech with exact actuation, eg XX) rear mech without a clutch to use a double chainring (the clutch doesn't allow for the chain length to change quick enough when you shift to the big ring and it will break the clutch or snap the mech off).

The rear mech won't work great with a 2x because of the decently offset upper pulley (although Shimano somehow made that work on 2x12, which I still don't understand), but are you sure about the clutch part? There are plenty of clutch RDs meant for 2x setups, after all clutches were first introduced in the 10spd days when most bikes were 2x and 3x.