Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

I'd agree with that.

It's a rare event where I'm like "wish I had a higher gear". Maybe the odd time trial and the 24hr MTB thing where I raced my singlespeed and it was dry for the first time ever.

I'd agree with that

And with that, the forum can shut down forever

You’ve just armchair questioning someone who done quite possibly the hardest road/gravel races on the forum (excluding skinny).

It's simple math really, any lower gear and you're into walking speeds/you'd probably be walking anyway.

@hippy I get the "I wish I had more gears" point, was trying to undestand what extreme scenario would actually make it worth it to have a longer chain, tweak an RD and run a massive cassette with large gear jumps.

ALL THE GEARS

Pinion, 2x chainrings, rohloff with cassette and derailleur?

On a loaded bike, I'll nearly always take riding over pushing the fecking thing up a steep incline.

Hippy's next bike

https://youtu.be/e-ig-R65yHg

Can be arranged. VB might not be happy though but I can get him something for his kitchen to keep him occupied...

Just wait until we get back onto gear ratios

...

Mashallah

I am quite happy varying my cadence so the big jumps in a cassette bother me less than the "having to do 600W to clear this section" every few minutes and the argument about "you may as well walk" is old and tired (like me) - if I wanted to walk I'd walk. I don't want to walk so I'll run lower gears kthnxbai

I did legit look into gearboxes a couple of years ago. I think it was after watching Ryan Van Duzer or whatever his name is, when he rode the TD route using a gearbox bike.

I mean, I very much dislike deraillers, but not enough to go to that extent and I don't like gearbox limitations like the stop pedaling to shift stuff.

stop pedaling to shift stuff

It's more like you just ease off for a split second, rather than any stopping. Something deraileur gears appreciate too, except perhaps the latest Shimano 12spd hyperwondermega stuff

Stopping pedalling on an offroad climb would drive me nuts, so I'd have noticed it

All good, I'll shut up now :D

Maybe I should just give one a go rather than outright dismissing them.

Nah, I'm trying to get rid of bikes and now I want a Crux-y type thing so the weird touring shit will have to wait :)

It's fine. Question everything. Trust no one! :)

Wait until shimano catch up with SRAM like mullet drivetrains, or get SRAM and slap a massive 52t

It's just fun going less than walking speed up a hill. Pushing as a last resort happens anyway.

Fucking SRAM

Shimano can already do mullet drivetrains. Their main limiter is the lack of support for FD when using XTR RD. My MTB is cable with 30x51. I could probably get that working on the gravel bike with the mod I posted earlier in the thread. But I'm going the other way now - using my MTB more and then having a road/gravel bike which I'll probs keep around the 30x42 or 30x36 range.

I just hate walking. It's the only reason I ride bikes.

It's annoying but I've got used to it. Mostly off-road using flats and Five Tens now anyway so it's less of a drama. When I was doing gravel stuff in my midfoot Speedplay setup... you really don't want to dab. As soon as Speedprays see mud... there's 5min gone cleaning the cleats out.

lol speedplays for off-road; It's a tale as old as Time (atacs).

I mean, they're obviously not "for" off-road but midfoot freak... limited options. I've come to terms with Five Tens now as silly as they look with knicks.

It's simple math really

Again, armchair opinions.

Walking up a steep hill isn’t always the better option especially on a laden bicycles, and 20ish GI is actually rideable.

So is 16, even if people walk past me.

I'd rather just spin along than push my bike, occasionally smashing my shin into a pedal

I've seen people using the GRX double with 42, 40 also fairly common and works reasonably well without roadlinks or any other bodge.
TL;DR GRX double and as big a cassette as you can fit without compromising the shifting too much.