Yep, there's a lot of options out there to mix and match parts to suit your weight/cost/performance matrix, for sure.
And, to your point, depending on your application a smaller front ring can be advantageous. I wanted to go 42 here, I've got a 40t on my personal gravel bike, and I find myself in the top gear or two more often than I'd really like. Those gears are watts goblins, hard on chains, etc. So going up to 42 still gives me a much lower gear than GRX, as well as a bit less time at the pointy end of the cassette. I'll be going to 42t on my bike if this Force XSync ring ever wears out.
June 1, 2022, 1:58 p.m. - Cooper Quinn
Yep, there's a lot of options out there to mix and match parts to suit your weight/cost/performance matrix, for sure. And, to your point, depending on your application a smaller front ring can be advantageous. I wanted to go 42 here, I've got a 40t on my personal gravel bike, and I find myself in the top gear or two more often than I'd really like. Those gears are watts goblins, hard on chains, etc. So going up to 42 still gives me a much lower gear than GRX, as well as a bit less time at the pointy end of the cassette. I'll be going to 42t on my bike if this Force XSync ring ever wears out.