For example, Shimano’s most compact GRX gravel double crankset (30/46T) paired with an 11-34T cassette and the same 700c x 45mm tires still only gets you a bailout gear with about 25 gear inches.Įnter the mullet. Yes, we know there are great 2×10 and 2×11 road drivetrains out there, but most still don’t achieve a really good, climbing-friendly bailout gear. That’s often a little too high for pedaling a loaded bike up super-steep hills for most of us mortals. Furthermore, when paired with a 38t chainring up front (the GRX, Apex, and Rival crankset minimum chainring) and 700c x 45mm tires, the net result is a 25 gear inch granny gear (23 for the 46t GRX combo). The newer GRX 1×11 can operate a bigger 11-46t cassette, but it still maxes out at 418%. Most road one-bys (such as the popular SRAM Rival 1 and Apex 1) are limited*** by SRAM’s 10-42-tooth cassette and provide a slim 420% range.
And as of right now, there aren’t too many wide-range 1x drivetrains on the market, either. For reasons I’ll explain, most road 2x systems don’t quite cut it. Gravel cyclists simply want more range, and bikepackers often need a granny gear that’s low enough to tackle steep climbs with loaded bikes, which is where the mullet comes in. So, why the mullet? For those unaware, there’s been a lot of demand for wide-range 1x drivetrains on drop-bar bikes.
To clarify, the mullet drivetrain configuration uses a road shifter (business in the front) to control a mountain bike derailleur/cassette (party in the back). Originally published April 2020 updated Jan 2021įirst off, what exactly is a mullet? That endearing term-made famous by the 90s Beastie Boys song “Mullet Head”-was recently reappropriated to describe a hybrid road/mountain drivetrain.
0 kommentar(er)
