I’m thinking of pulling the trigger on a new gravel bike. No urgency since my current bike is serviceable. I want a 2x and therefore will go Shimano. I have heard rumors recently that its time for Shimano to bring in the next generation of GRX (? 12 or 13 speed etc…).
I’m now thinking i should wait until at least the spring because If i buy an expensive brand-new bike and then a week l later a “new and improved” groupset drops, I think i’d be pretty unhappy…
anyone have similar thoughts? am I overthinking this??
I think you answered your own question. The new GRX is inevitable, and you aren’t in a hurry. I would wait.
4 Likes
I’ve heard rumors or Q3 2023. Who really knows at this point…
2 Likes
I was wondering also if a new GRX would “mesh” with the first generation , if I wanted to upgrade parts…
seems like SRAM is more reliable for this ability
1 Like
SRAM wireless and ability to replace the battery seems superior to Shimano.
Assuming it goes 12 speed, the only thing that would work are the brakes, and even that they seem to be changing enough to encourage people to chenge em. Pretty sure 12spd microspline fits 11 spd HG hub?
Im gonna stick with my grx for now and probably go 12spd when the new Di2 makes its way
3 Likes
I have a frame and wanted to ride the bike in 2023 so I bought sram
1 Like
Sram 2x?
1 Like
What do you mean by “… therefore will go Shimano”? I don’t mean to argue, but SRAM has a 2x gravel solution, too: a 43/30 crank coupled to a 10–33 or 10–36 cassette.
No way you will se a 13-speed groupset. Here is what I think Shimano will release: a 12-speed Di2 groupset. You’ll have a 11-36 cassette coupled to the current chainring sizes. I don’t think there will be a mechanical 12-speed version — otherwise we would have seen mechanical 12-speed road groupsets. And if there is no mechanical 12-speed version, then what you can get now is as good as it gets.
Perhaps you’ll also get a power meter option for the crank. Although I think this is more speculative and even if Shimano brings that to market, I would be skeptical as it might share the same problems that Shimano’s power meters for its Ultegra and DuraAce road cranks have.
So unless you want to go for a Di2 setup, I don’t think there is any reason to wait.
Since Shimano is sticking to HG hubs for its 12-speed road groupsets, I would expect the same here. (I was surprised that Shimano didn’t adopt its Microspline standard for its road groupset, too.)
Nope. Shimano (and SRAM) do not allow for that, you need complete new components. I think the only part that is sort-of compatible are the TT shifters, and I reckon it was just too expensive to make changes here. The only other exception is the crank.
I’d probably add a few months for general availability.
1 Like
I have heard from multiple sources that the SRAM 2x gravel solution has major chain retention issues
I will go electronic shifting.
1 Like
Assuming the next gen of GRX released in 2023, there probably won’t be widespread availability until 2024.
4 Likes
Sram has a lot of offerings for 2x 46/33 or go with wide and have a 43/30
2 Likes
Really? It’s the first I hear. (Not saying it isn’t true, it is just the first time I heard of it.)
I have had both, Shimano and SRAM on my two last road bikes, and have had much less issues with SRAM in terms of chain retention. So far I only dropped my chain on my SRAM eTap AXS bike once, when I went through a massive pothole. I have had much worse luck with Shimano 2x11 groupsets. My Shimano mountain bike 1x groupset so far has 0 dropped chains, so no complaints here.
Probably, though, I reckon availability will be a much bigger factor: if Shimano releases their GRX Di2 12-speed groupset in the summer, you might have to wait until 2024. And SRAM is available now.
Then I think your expectations are clear: you can expect Shimano to simply copy and paste their 2x12 groupsets to gravel. You’ll get the newer brake calipers, which by all accounts are an improvement. In terms of gearing, I reckon you can expect 11–34 and 11–36 cassettes and the same chainring sizes as before. I’m not sure whether the brake levers will change much. (AFAIK most people like GRX levers, so I don’t see any big things Shimano could improve — at least not without giving up their two-button setup.)
If you can wait and you want to go Shimano, then the choice is probably easy. If the past is anything to go by, I’d be careful when it comes to power meters. Apparently, with third-party power meters you can have interference issues. And at least at the moment, there is no Shimano GRX power meter crank out there yet. Not sure if this is a factor for you, though.
1 Like
I think this is where sram delivers the best product to the market. The quarq offerings are great.
Having used sram customer service it also has been some of the best I have ever dealt with.
do you know if the gearing range of Sram vs Shimano would be the same? I live in a mountainous region so am always looking for the easiest gear I can find (often with a wolfetooth)
1X set up or 2x?
Do you need the wider cranks of grx? If not could ultegra di2 with some smaller chainrings be a good option for instant gratification?
2x
Red crank is offered 50/37, 48/35, 46/33
You can run a force 10/36 cassette
Force wide 43/30 with a 10/36 cassette
Grx 46/30 with a new 11/36
I ran a 50/34 with a 11/34 when I ran 2x grx and an ultergra front but it was 11s
Biggest issue to my knowledge is grx cranks don’t have a power meter.
SRAM currently has a significantly larger gear range (516 % >> 434 %). SRAM’s setup has significantly smaller steps between gears (the cassette feels identical to a 11-speed 11-32 cassette with an extra gear on top).
If Shimano’s largest 12-speed cassette is the 11-36, then SRAM will still have larger gear range (516 % ≈ 507 %), although not by as significant a margin. You will still have a slightly easier climbing gear with a SRAM setup. I reckon both cassettes will feel very similar.
2 Likes