In this post I want to share my point of view after almost 2 years of riding gravel — in my case, with my Canyon Grail.
Why did I want a gravel bike?
I come from MTB, and sometimes you just don’t feel like hitting technical trails. You just want to put in the miles and ride long distances. But at the same time, you don’t really want to ride on the road, because unfortunately we all know what can happen when accidents occur. You want something in between: light, versatile, and able to handle both dirt tracks and paved roads.
That was my reasoning when I decided to get a gravel bike.
The next question you might have: double or 1x?
Here’s my experience: I live in Barcelona, close to the Collserola mountains. You get a bit of everything there, but when it rains, the trails get muddy. I started out with a double chainring, and I got tired of those rainy days when the front derailleur would jam, skip, or get so clogged with mud that it just wouldn’t shift.
Also, I found the jumps in the GRX setup too big: I first had a 46/30, then tried the 820 with a 48/31.
In the end, I switched to a 1x: I went with a GRX 40T chainring and a 10/50 cassette. Honestly, it was the best decision I’ve made, coming from MTB.
Pros and cons?
It really depends on what you’re looking for. In my case, most of my gravel rides go through trails, some compact singletrack, and just a bit of road. If you spend a lot of time on tarmac, then a double chainring might be better for you to get more top-end speed.