How to check compatible tires from wheel specs. *1: Exceptions are made for ST-R785, ST-RS685, ST-RS505, and ST-RS405. Visit our tours page for related adventures. rugged reliability, and quiet and stable drivetrain, sets itself apart from the rest of the component world. Tel 01225 588855. This article focuses on the attachment function of a freehub; the ratcheting purpose is covered in a previous feature about freehub ratchet mechanisms. If you hear a strange "shuffling" noise coming from the disc rotor area of your disc brake bicycle, it could be disc rotor distortion. Were impressed by what Shimano has delivered. Todays gravel riders demand more of their bikes and of themselves. It represents a ground up look at how cyclists want to explore their world. The shifting and braking are both as good as weve come to expect from Shimano and I cannot fault the ergonomics the tall hoods feel very secure in your hands and the lever shaping is just right. The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. Similarly, the cassette is held by a unique size lockring that is not cross-compatible with HG-style cassettes. When upgrading your gravel bike, keep the following elements in mind to help decipher what parts are interchangeable with your current road components. The GRX derailleurs sit further underneath the cassette than traditional road derailleurs they don't extend so far out when you're using the small sprockets. Besides, that ultegra crankset is prone to delamination failure (look at @thanksshimano on instagram). The lever has also been reshaped and is wider, and there are textured ribs on the hoods for more grip in slippery weather. A freehub is a part of the rear bicycle hub and serves two key functions. On a freewheel system, that spline will remain stationary when the sprockets are spun backward. Like Shimanos HG freehub, Campagnolos freehub was also limited to an 11T sprocket as the smallest size. Since the Shimano 105 drivetrain is a 2 x 11-speed group, it is not compatible with an 11-42-tooth cassette, even if you use the GRX RD-RX812 rear derailleur. Introduced in our MTB range and designed for more aggressive riding, this feature gives the derailleur a super low-profile design. Also, note that old 8-speed Campagnolo cassettes use a different freehub system and are not a direct fit for the existing Campagnolo freehub design. With the popularity of gravel road bikes and the spread of disc brakes, the choice of road bike wheel size has become not only the standard 700C, but also 650B. Paired with 700c x 40mm tires, it delivers a top gear similar to a road bike with 25mm tires and a 50 x 11 gear. This freehub body design was quickly discontinued and should only be found on a few series of old high-end Shimano wheels/hubs. "The change is more pronounced on the Di2 shifters. At this time, only Shimano is offering the EV Road freehub, while all other brands are instead continuing to offer the vastly more widely compatible and easier-to-manufacture HG11 design. Options abound. The idea is that this makes the derailleur less exposed and vulnerable to damage by things like undergrowth and rocks. Tiagra 4700 shifters are compatible with GRX RX400 derailleurs (front and rear), but apparently 105 5700 and Ultegra 6700 shifters are not. Pay attention to the capacity of the rear derailleur. Shimano recently updated its compatibility chart . Shimano GRX Gravel - Bikecomponents.ca If you like road.cc, but you dont like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. Side-by-side with a Shimano 105 road lever, the overall shape and design of the RX600 is very similar, although there are subtle differences, for example in the precise sculpting of the lever blades. Both are supplied with resin pads as standard, with fins for cooling. In this issue, we will look at the differences between 700C and 650B, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. And as a reminder, there are a number of wheel companies that employ DT Swiss rear hub internals that could be changed to an N3W freehub. > I suffered no mis-shifts at all, no grinding gears, no evidence that it couldnt cope with grimy riding. If your bike currently has 10-speed road components, you must use 10-speed GRX components. Tubeless is reassuring to have! SRAM 10-speed road cassettes are a direct fit without the need for such a spacer. Why not just put bigger rings on your GRX crank? As discussed above, a key advantage of GRX is the ability to mix and match with existing road groupsets, particularly among 11-speed components. And so Campagnolos entry into the 1x-specific gravel space with 13-speed Ekar brought along a new and shorter freehub body design that created room for a smaller 9T sprocket. The inline hydraulic sub-brake lever (BL-RX812, pictured above) is an interesting option. Is it 9, 10, 11, 12, or even bigger? This is the way that Shimano structures everything on its website. Of course, electric (Di2) and mechanical components cannot be combined even at the same speed. SHIMANO: Using an 11-42 tooth cassette is only possible when running a 1 x 11-speed drivetrain setup. Inside, outside serrations? I would like to be able to run the 1x set up with both a 11-40 (for gravel) and 11-34 (for cross) cassette. SRAM XDR is the latest version of SRAM XD, and is simply 1.85 mm wider than the original (just like HG vs HG 11). As above, GRX cranks have a 2.5mm wider chainline than road ones, so for 2 drivetrains youll need a GRX front derailleur to go with them. Our mission is to bring you all the news thats relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. 9. Dave Arthur used the RX810-F front derailleur and said, "Front shifts [were performed] well despite that 17-tooth jump between the two rings and being asked to do so in adverse conditions and with a regularity that rolling terrain requires.". Each has a rim with a 21.6mm internal width and 22mm depth, and the hubs are 12mm thru-axle. It represents a ground up look at how cyclists want to explore their world. An XDR freehub body is required to fit 12-speed SRAM Road AXS and XPLR cassettes. The single ring chainsets use Shimanos Dynamic Chain Engagement tooth profile tall teeth that are alternately thick and thin, specially shaped to prevent the chain bouncing off on rough terrain. HOME Gravel Upgrades: Mixing and Matching Shimano GRX and Road Components No chains were dropped. You have the GRX tubeless-ready wheelset and the cyclocross brakes, to name a couple. It attaches to the top section of your handlebar and connects to the main hydraulic line running to the front and/or the rear caliper to give you a second braking position. And on a related note, many wheel brands consider freehub bodies to be a service component that can only be purchased through an approved retailer sometimes, these things arent so easily sourced online. SHIMANO GRX helps you eliminate excuses, instead urging you to try that rough sidetrack or ride that little bit longer. We have compiled a list of points to note when choosing a wheel. They also have a shifting feel thats slightly crisper and more metallic than the RX600s, but the difference isnt huge. We redesigned the front derailleur and crankset giving the chainline more space, allowing for broader wheel sizes and tires. All GRX STI levers are hydraulic disc brake only, STI levers for road compatible with GRX components, Compatibility with various components for road bikes, Compatibility of GRX with DURA-ACE for road bikes, Compatibility of GRX with ULTEGRA for road bikes, Compatibility of GRX with 105 for road bikes, Compatibility of the GRX with TIAGRA for road use, ST-R9120ST-R8020ST-R8025ST-R7020ST-R7025ST-RS685ST-RS505, Road components that can be combined with GRX for gravel, DURA-ACE R9050 series => Compatible with GRX Di2, DURA-ACE R9000 series, 9000 series => compatible with GRX 11, ULTEGRA R8050 series => compatible with GRX Di2, ULTEGRA R8000 series, 6800 series => compatible with GRX 11, 105, R7000 series, 5800 series => compatible with GRX 11, compatible with TIAGRA 4700 series => compatible with GRX 10. Older Shimano Ultegra Shifter compatibility. What is Shimano GRX? Is it Better for Gravel? - Road Bike Action Share. You can expect to see bikes with similar specs starting at around 1,600 / 2,000 / $2,000 / AU$3,000, but bike pricing is in flux at the moment, so thats a moving target. Compared to regular road front derailleurs, the GRX front derailleurs have an additional 2.5mm outboard clearance to provide space for wider tyres, up to 42mm. Shifting is mechanical only. Its not a huge difference, though, and 105 levers are hardly noisy anyway. The RX810s have ceramic pistons, which are theoretically superior to the RX400s resin, but will you ever notice the difference? Shimano GRX 2x11 brake rotor compatibility. The latest R8100 series has a 12-speed shifting system, which is currently incompatible with GRX. These customized drivetrains often relied on specialty parts, which caused problems with reliability and made it hard to find replacement parts quickly. While rare, you should also beware of outliers. A key consideration with gravel and adventure bikes is getting low enough gears, so lets talk gear inches. In addition, only the top-level gets Servo Wave braking, a concept borrowed from Shimanos mountain bike brakes that makes the relationship between lever and pad travel non-linear. DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTERS | MANUALS & TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS | DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, Privacy Policy | Cookies Preferences | Terms of Use | California Transparency in Supply Chain Act | ADA Compliance | California Consumer Private Notice. If you're using a Shimano Ultegra or 105-level 11-30/34-tooth 11-speed cassette, you need to use the short cage Di2 RD-RX815 rear derailleur or a mechanical RD-RX810 rear derailleur (pictured above). If you are currently riding a rim-brake road bike and are considering converting to gravel using GRX components, you can save money by using STI levers that are compatible with GRX for road use instead of GRX. RX600 Shimano 105 level and mainly 11-speed (although there is a 10-speed RX600 chainset too). For Shimano products, you can use BR-RS303 or, although not officially compatible with Shimano products, TRPs Spyre can be used with GRX components and mechanical STI levers for road use. This is also why most Shimano 10-speed road cassettes are provided with a thin 1 mm spacer that must be used with regular freehub bodies (spacer goes behind the cassette, always). In addition, Shimanos components for road use do not have hydraulic rim brakes, so rim brakes cannot be used either. It uses the same Shadow RD+ geometry borrowed from mountain bikes, which tucks it under the rear dropout, making it less vulnerable to side impacts. Component categories and series of GRAVEL, Component categories and series of LIFESTYLE, Component categories and series of E-BIKE, Your smartphone to cycling computer on the bike, SHIMANO bicycle ride data collection/analysis service, SHIMANO AGAINST THE TAMPERING WITH E-BIKES, California Transparency in Supply Chain Act. Currently, Campagnolo, Fulcrum, DT Swiss, Mavic, FFWD, Hunt, and a number of others cater for the new design. If you want to convert your road bike to disc brakes, you will need to prepare a disc frame as well as wheels. Summary of Shimano wide ratio sprockets for road bikes. The availability of N3W-compatible wheels is improving all the time. THIS WEBSITE USES COOKIES TO IMPROVE YOUR USER EXPERIENCE. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. When using a wide-ratio sprocket with a low maximum exceeding 36, choose a GRX rear derailleur straightforwardly. I regularly asked the groupset to change gear in extreme circumstances, deliberately shifting under load and cross-chaining, but nothing I did invoked any reluctance. COMPONENT GRX isnt exactly one single groupset in its own right, but rather its a range of components that sits alongside Shimanos road groupsets. Welcome to the latest edition of road.ccs buyer's guide to Shimano's GRX range of components for gravel bikes. Are all Shimano 10 speed cassettes compatible with each other? "Another reason the braking is improved on the ST-RX815 Di2 levers (above) is the addition of the companys Servo Wave technology from its mountain bike brakes. TIAGRA is easy to choose as a 10-speed grade, one step down from the current higher grade of 11-speed, but you need to be careful when choosing components for compatibility. Before this time, bikes are likely to feature now-defunct fitments; please refer to Sheldon Brown for information about older bikes. Furthermore, the SRAM 12-speed MTB chain doesn't work on the road AXS cassette . INFORMATION The booster simplifies bead raising, which is the most difficult part of tubeless installation. While weve long been fans of double chainring drivetrains, we also recognize the value of a single chainring system. Shimano GRX Groupset Review: What Makes A Gravel Groupset? On a cassette and freehub system, the lockring spline at the end of the cassette will move with the sprockets when theyre spun backward. Tags New Shimano GRX Gravel Groupsets - Ten Things to Know - BikeExchange BR-R9270, BR-R8170, BR-R7170), the previous generation. Types of bicycle disc brake mounts, how to recognize them, and how to choose an adapter. SHIMANO GRX, with its gravel specific ergonomics, optimized gearing options, rugged reliability, and quiet and stable drivetrain, sets itself apart from the rest of the component world. Even so, Shimano calls GRX the worlds first dedicated gravel component group". A guide to freehub body and cassette compatibility - CyclingTips You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Those spacers are common parts. If you have a bike from the past 20-30 years with more than eight gears in the back, its almost certain that youll have a freehub. Firstly, it performs the ratcheting duty, allowing the cassette to stay stationary while the rest of the hub can spin freely so you can coast. The GRX derailleur also comes in two options with a maximum low gear of either 34t or 42t, the larger of which is compatible with MTB cassettes. SHADOW Plus revolutionized the mountain bike world and now its been tuned for gravel and rough road riding in GRX. Shimano uses mineral oil as a braking fluid, and both OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and aftermarket bleed kits are widely available. The latest R7100 series has a 12-speed shifting system, which is currently incompatible with GRX. All material FarrellyAtkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. The larger 11-speed cassettes, such as the 11-34 I have here, will fit on a 10-speed freehub (or an 11 with an extra spacer), a bonus if youre upgrading an older bike. road.cc reviewer Mike Stead tested the GRX RX810 chainset (pictured above) with a 40-tooth chainring and said, "The combination of the [rear derailleur] clutch (see below) and alternating chainring tooth profile meant no matter what I tried, the chain stayed put and was almost totally silent.". Those chainring options can be paired to an 11-30, 32, or 34 tooth cassette. What is a Through Axle? Shimanos GRX for gravel and DURA-ACE for road bikes are compatible with the DURA-ACE R9100 and 9000 series. It isn't a reworked set of road components. Not surprising given GRX's intended use, you get hydraulic disc brakes across the board. There are three types of chainset to choose from: 1x11-speed, 2x11-speed, and 2x10-speed (there is no dedicated 1x10-speed chainset). CS-HG50-10. I had a mate who constantly half wheeled me, I would speed up and the bastard would keep doing it until I was chewing the handlebars, then he'd Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. *When using GRX brake parts, only 105 hydraulic compatible parts are compatible. Shimano originally sent me the 42T chainring and 11-40 cassette, but I found that just a bit too high-geared for the often 10-15% gradient hills where I ride. ", "It's affordable, easily upgradeable, works with many other Shimano components, and most of all works out on the road or trail to deliver a flawless shifting and braking experience in the worst of weather or trail conditions. What is the ASTM standard for bicycle wheels? Shimano offers a mechanical shift ST-RX810-LA left lever that, when used with a 1x11 drivetrain, can control a dropper seatpost. There are no dedicated GRX cassettes and chains per se, these are simply borrowed from Shimanos road and mountain bike ranges. 1 More posts from the bikewrench community 180 What causes it and how to correct the distortion. Advantages and Disadvantages. Similarly, for the very best shifting, use a road (DURA-ACE, ULTEGRA, or 105) front derailleur if you prefer to ride with a road chainring combination like 50-34, 52-36, or 53-39, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTERS As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as 1.99. Choose between 10-speed and 11-speed, 1x11 or 2x11, and mechanical or electronic shifting. GRX 1x11 can quickly transform from gravel fun to CX focused with the change of a cassette. But, as the Gravel Cyclist learned, you can actually run as high as a 40T cassette. What parts are needed to convert a road bike to disc brakes and what to look out for when buying them. Summary of mechanical disc brake calipers for road use. Shimano GRX RD-RX400 RD w/ 11-42 cassette - Riding Gravel But it's not officially supported. Both 6 and 7-speed HG cassettes are narrower in width and therefore can be installed on any of the above HG freehub bodies with the addition of a 4.5 mm spacer behind the cassette. Id put Servo Wave in the nice to have, but in no way essential category. The RD-RX812 rear derailleur is compatible with mtb cassettes with a 42T low sprocket max. The hood shape is taller than normal to provide a more secure hand position on rough ground. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product if we think it's one of the best of its kind. Is that peak time for drivers or peak time for cyclists/pedestrians? This is the identical size spacer that is used for spacing down Shimano HG 11 freehubs even the splines match. Advantages and disadvantages of torque management. In practice, the range of free-stroke adjustment available is quite small, and I didnt miss it with the cheaper levers. In this issue, we will introduce a method to raise the bead of a tubeless tire that will not raise, considering the cause. Actual weights (except where noted) for the GRX drivetrain I tested are as follows: Retail pricing for the GRX mechanical drivetrain I tested are as follows. Alternatively, look on the cassette (often visible from the back) for a brand and/or model. The key difference between the GRX 800 chainsets and the GRX 600 chainsets is that GRX 800 uses Shimano's Hollowtech II hollow crank arm technology to reduce the weight. Do note that Campagnolo uses its own lockring tool interface and so a Campagnolo-compatible tool will be required for swapping cassettes. What is a torque wrench? A key change is the higher braking pivot which makes braking on the hoods easier. Like this site? 16, 2021. You have a huge amount of cassette options, and it makes getting spares and replacements when a service is due . GRX. Shimano says that the level of stopping power provided by the non-Servo Wave RX810 (pictured below), RX600 and RX400 levers is akin to Ultegra, 105 and Tiagra disc brakes respectively. The XD system uses a one-piece cassette design that features a securing thread at the back of the freehub body. The AXS 12-speed cassette is 1.85mm too wide for the XD driver; that cassette requires the wider XDR driver. For example, Shimano wheels are typically locked into the style of freehub body they were initially supplied with, and the company doesnt offer replacement freehub bodies for use with Campagnolo or newer SRAM cassettes. Similarly, new Shimano 12-speed road cassettes will fit HG 11 freehubs. The approximate 34 mm diameter across the splines means that an 11T sprocket is the smallest that can be fitted to this style of freehub body. If you have 11-speed components, use 11-speed GRX components for your upgrades. Now look for a lockring holding the cassette. Dave Arthur said, "The most successful aspect of the new groupset is the new hoods. > While this article covers the types of external spline fitments available on freehubs, its critical to note that each brand and model of rear hub is likely to use its own proprietary freehub. The tubeless valve is an essential item for tubeless use. Campagnolo has long used its own tall-spline freehub variant, something that in its current iteration dates back to its introduction of 9-speed gearing. (38/9 gives a healthy 115.4in). GRX 11-speed - SHIMANO BIKE-US If youre Shimano-inclined and looking to spec a bike for adventure, gravel or gravel-adjacent activities, it offers a wealth of options to suit different budgets, all of which perform well in the real world and are easy to live with. It offers you the option to Explore Beyond. If you're in the market for a new gravel bike or want to replace your current drivetrain completely, a full GRX groupset is an ideal place to start. Mounting adapters for bicycle disc brakes are essential when changing calipers with different standards or rotor sizes. The GRX crank is designed to go into a 68mm wide bottom bracket shell so I presume that's what your bike has. Shimano has extensive compatibility charts for its components and these show that, with some limitations on gearing options, 11-speed GRX rear derailleurs will work with existing 11-speed road components. The following is a summary of SRAM's proprietary XD and XDR standards, what makes them different from Shimano's, and what to look for when purchasing. How to raise the bead on tubeless tires. FEATURES Silent and uninterrupted rear shifting on rough terrain Adjustable chain stabilizer prevents chain slapping and drops SHIMANO SHADOW RD+ Smooth and reliable mixed surface shifting Switch stabilizer ON/OFF to match the terrain This section summarizes why disc rotor distortion occurs and how to correct the distortion. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. The 211-speed setup tested here gives a low gear of 30/34, which would equate to a 24.1in bottom end with a 70038mm tyre. This means that for 2 setups youll need a GRX front derailleur a road one wont work properly. The 211-speed RX600 crank is 46/30 only if you want the bigger 48/31 option, youll need the more expensive RX810 2 crank. GRX is divided into three different levels: RX800 Shimano Ultegra level and 11-speed. Derailleur-shifters compatibility Shimano GRX Shimano hasnt exactly developed an entirely new groupset. The N3W freehub body features the same spline pattern as Campagnolos previous freehub, but is 4.4mm shorter in length. You can then look at the options available within each category. At (approx) 35 mm across the spline length, the original-width HG freehub remains current for mountain bike purposes, but is discontinued on road-specific wheels. DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTERS | MANUALS & TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS | DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, Privacy Policy | Cookies Preferences | Terms of Use | California Transparency in Supply Chain Act | ADA Compliance | California Consumer Private Notice. Fantasy Cycling: game [at] road.cc Firstly, there was a short time frame (roughly 2004-2007) where Shimano introduced a 10-speed road-specific freehub design with a shorter body and deeper splines, in an effort to both reduce the chance of the cassette cutting into the freehub body and to increase the spoke flange distance. In addition to the standard levers, GRX also offers the option to fit cyclocross-style inline hydraulic levers that allow braking from the bar tops. Check out 19 Shimano GRX bikes you can buy now from Cannondale, Canyon, Bianchi, Scott, Mason, 3T, Genesis, Cube and more. Put another way, if you have a Shimano cassette with a 10T smallest sprocket, then youll require a Microspline freehub body. As of mid-2018, SRAM has introduced NX Eagle groupset, that includes 12 speed cassettes compatible with Shimano (and SRAM) standard freehubs (for 8, 9, or 10 speed cassettes). Shimano Microspline freehub bodies are only compatible with Shimano 11 and 12-speed mountain bike cassettes that feature a 10T smallest sprocket. The XT crank is designed to go into a 73mm wide bottom bracket shell. NEWS It isn't a reworked set of road components. For Shimano STI lever model numbers, add 50 to the base model number (e.g., ST-9100) to get Di2, add 20 to get for hydraulic brakes, and add 5 to get for small hand *1, so you can remember that the 70s are for Di2 hydraulic and the 20s for mechanical hydraulic. At the time of writing there appear to be no GRX rear derailleurs available in the UK. And lastly, you may consider avoiding the need for a new freehub or cassette by mixing and matching drivetrain components. Terms and conditions of use. In other words, you sometimes have to mix and match. Shimano 12-speed road cassettes remain backward compatible with common Shimano 11-speed HG freehub bodies. Shimano Dura-Ace, GRX Road/Gravel Shift Cable Set (Y0BM98010) The GRX FD is not officially compatible with the Ultegra crankset. > The chain is rubbing FD frame when on the largest or smallest cog (it is related to the initial setup). Years before the first gravel bike was introduced, riders tinkered with cyclocross bikes or touring rigs, creating drop-handlebar bikes with wide tires. Thanks! The flat mount calipers and rotors are carried over from Ultegra with the same caliper design and rotor sizes, and as such the braking performance was familiar, powerful and consistent.". Equally, I wouldnt turn my nose up at the 10-speed RX400 option, which is excellent in its own right. It is the lowest gear currently on offer for premium road drivetrains (aside from Shimanos own GRX 2x10 30-36 offering), perfect for climbing loose, dirt and gravel surfaces. Shimano GRX gravel groupset | full details, weights, availability Compatible with the current TIAGRA and above componentry for road bikes. Shimano GRX was designed from the ground-up to meet the rugged demands of gravel riding and racing. Freehub bodies are almost always replaceable, but not all hub/wheel brands offer all types of freehub bodies. Props to SRAM for keeping this consistent. This 23-spline freehub body is noticeably shorter in length (26 mm) than an HG body and uses cassettes that hang the smaller sprockets over the end of the freehub. Shimano GRX cranksets Shimano has finally, FINALLY made a dedicated 1 crank for drop bar bikes. This article is designed to be a resource to ease confusion over freehub selection and cassette compatibility. GRX offers both 1x11 and 2x11 drivetrain options. By comparison, SRAMs 11-36T 11-speed cassettes (PG-1170) are a pure road product and therefore require an HG-11 freehub body.