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Shimano GRX component series is the first dedicated gravel group w/ 10 & 11 speed options

Shimano GRX Gravel dropbar group
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Gravel is big right now. Really big. Everyone’s jumping in, and more are coming all the time. With one glaring ommission: Shimano.

Now, after years of secret research and development, Shimano is joining in on the gravel party in a big way. More than just additions to current product families, the have an entirely new GRX category of products solely focused on gravel riding and racing.

Shimano GRX 587 gravel road bike group
Yep, they’ll have 1x and 2x specific gravel groups.

Why wait so long, Shimano?

Citing a “multi-year global market study” in their press release, Shimano’s Road Project Manager Dave Lawrence said that the gravel trend was first brought to the attention of their global product team in 2014. But it wasn’t until 2016 when they brought their whole product team (designers, engineers, project managers) to Kansas that the pieces really started to come together. Shimano noticed that riders were looking for more versatile bikes overall and often started their “gravel” journey on cyclocross bikes. The new GRX family offers the ability for riders to “gravel your way,” with 1x and 2x specific gravel gearing and compatibility with existing products.

So why introduce a completely new family dedicated to gravel? As Shimano Road Brand Manager Nick Legan puts it, “Shimano isn’t asking gravel riders to repurpose road components. We can’t make the best road group also be the best gravel group. The riding is too different.” Instead, the GRX group is positioned as an adjacent group of components to their road offerings that just so happens to have the ability to mix and match.

OK, but why stick with 11 speeds?

A gravel-centric group is a great idea, but why 11 speed at a time when everyone is going to 12? Again, Legan said it was Shimano’s position that there is a lot more that can be accomplished with 11 speed drivetrains than others are willing to try. Not only that, but retaining the ability to run existing cassettes and chains means there is no need for new hubs, freehubs, and many of the parts will work with current road components making it a lot easier to upgrade your current bike to perform better off road and on gravel. It also meant that Shimano can get everything to market sooner with mechanical groups expected in June/July, and Di2 groups expected in August.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Drivetrain Options: 10 & 11 speed, mechanical & Di2, 1x & 2x

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to the entire GRX family of drivetrains. Technically there are four different tiers of products with unique attributes that make for a dizzying product matrix. Best to think of it as an RX8xx level that’s Ultegra equivalent, and an RX6xx level that’s on par with 105.

At the top end is the 11-speed RX815/817 Di2 group with hydraulic brakes. Available in 1x or 2x configurations, there are two different rear derailleurs:

  • The RD-RX815 for 2x groups has a longer cage and the ability to handle the longer chain wrap span that a double chainring setup requires to get through all the gear combos.
  • The RD-RX817 for 1x groups has a larger maximum cassette range to handle a wide-range cassette with a 40-42t max cog size.

Technically, you could run the 2x rear derailleur in a 1x system, but you’d have to stick with the narrower range cassettes because of where the upper pulley wheel is located and how it articulates away from the cassette. So, if you have a really flat course and want smaller gear steps, you could swap your 2x to a 1x for the day.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Next down the line is the 11-speed RX810/812 mechanical groups, also with hydraulic braking. There are also two rear derailleurs here for the same reason – RX810 for doubles, and RX812 for 1x.

At the 105-level is the RX600 groups which are essentially the same as the RX810/812 group with 11-speed mechanical shifting and hydraulic braking, but is slightly heavier and therefor a bit less expensive.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Finally, the RX400 group takes many similar features and packages them into a 10-speed group with mechanical shifting and hydraulic brakes. The drivetrain is based around a 2×10 configuration using the RX600 crankset with a 46-30t layout, but additional materials changes are made to save costs.

Yes, GRX will work with current Shimano groups

While it’s not often the case with new groups, GRX components are blessedly cross compatible with current road components of the same speed. For example the 11-speed GRX shifters would work with a current Ultegra rear derailleur, or vice versa. You do have to be careful about front derailleur and crankset compatibility though – GRX uses a +2.5mm chainline, so Shimano says you need to run the GRX front derailleurs with GRX cranksets, and road front derailleurs with road cranksets.

As mentioned, the groups all use current cassettes and chains, so the 11-speed GRX components can be used with any 11-speed Shimano road cassette and chain, and the 10 speed GRX components can be used with any 10 speed Shimano road cassette and chain. Cranksets are also cross compatible, but one of the biggest “gravel specific” features here is the new gearing options up front.

Gravel Specific Gearing

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

In terms of gearing, Shimano found that riders were mostly happy with the high gearing most groups offered, but almost everyone wanted the option of lower gearing as well. To get there, they created a 2x crankset with the largest delta in chainring size they’ve ever offered – a 17 teeth gap. That makes a 48-31t crankset possible when used with their new front derailleurs that can handle the increased range.

When paired with an existing 11 speed Shimano 11-34t road cassette, the resulting 31-34t  combination is well below one to one. But you also get to keep the 48-11t combination for descents or those days with the perfect tailwind.

While the higher end RX810-2 crankset will only be offered in 48-31t, the RX600-11 will be available in an even lower 46-30t combination. This makes a 30-34t low gear possible for even more of a bailout gear. Only the RX810 series cranks make use of Shimano’s Hollowtech II construction though, so the RX600 cranks are a bit heavier – 816g vs 722g. RX810 cranks will be sold in 170, 172.5, and 175mm crank lengths, while the RX600 gains an additional 165mm length.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Both the RX810 and the RX600 will also be available in 1x configurations with a single 40t chainring (RX810 also has a 42t option). When used as a 1x configuration with the GRX rear derailleurs, you’ll have the option of running an 11-40 or 11-42t cassette out back.

These use the same crank arm for either 1x or 2x configurations so they can be converted to the other option in the future, and they use a 110mm asymmetric BCD for the outer ring, and 80mm BCD for the inner.

The RX600-10 is nearly identical to the RX600-11 with the same gearing, lengths, and specs, just with 10 speed specific chainrings.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Front Derailleurs

Due to the 17-tooth delta of the RX810 cranks, you’ll need a derailleur that will handle the range. And one that has the right chainline. All GRX cranksets use a new +2.5mm chainline so you’ll need one of the GRX front derailleurs to go with it. The RX815 is an 11-speed Di2 front derailleur with a 17t capacity that weighs 131g. For 11-speed mechanical, the RX810 is the answer with a 94g weight. And the RX400 front derailleur has a 16t total capacity and 95g weight for the 10-speed unit.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes. Rear Derailleurs

As mentioned, you’ll need a specific rear derailleur depending on whether you’re running a 1x or 2x setup, so each 11-speed tier has two options – two Di2 rear derailleurs, and two mechanical. The fifth option is the RX400 rear derailleur for the 2×10 speed group with a max cassette range of 11-30 to 11-36t, and max front chainring range of 16t with a 41t total capacity. All of the new rear derailleurs use Shimano’s Shadow RD+ design with an adjustable clutch to increase chain retention.

RD-RX815/RD-RX817 (Di2)

  • SHIMANO SHADOW RD+ stabilization
  • Compatible with existing Di2 DUAL CONTROL levers
  • Max. cassette range:
    • RX815 (11-30 to 11-34)
    • RX817 (11-40 to 11-42)
  • Max. front chainring range: 17T (RX815 only)
  • 288/322 g

RD-RX810/RD-RX812 (Mechanical)

  • SHIMANO SHADOW RD+ stabilization
  • Compatible with existing 11-speed mechanical DUAL CONTROL levers
  • Max. cassette range:
    • RX810 (11-30 to 11-34)
    • RX812 (11-40 to 11-42)
  • Max. front chainring range: 17T (RX810 only)
  • 251/264 g

RD-RX400 (Mechanical 2×10)

  • SHIMANO SHADOW RD+ stabilization
  • Compatible with existing 10-speed mechanical DUAL CONTROL levers
  • Max. cassette range: (11-30 to 11-36)
  • Max. front chainring range: 16T

What about the original Ultegra RX?

The RD-RX800 (mech) and RD-RX805 (Di2) will remain in the line as a more all-road option that complements the current Ultegra road group and sized to work with standard road cassettes. Why? Because options, people.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.
Kristen Legan and Parker Bloom Gravel Road biking in Kamloops, British Columbia

Dual Control Levers

Up front, the Dual Control levers are another area that Shimano has worked to integrate a gravel specific design. These levers not only feature new shapes, but new anti slip texture on the hoods and brake lever blades. And for Di2, there’s a revised brake lever axis for better braking from the hoods. Ergonomics were a big part of the GRX development especially since there are different riding styles that Shimano was trying to design around.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

The top-level ST-RX815 Di2 levers raise the brake lever axis by 18mm, putting the pivot point at a spot that makes it easier to pull the lever while riding in the hoods and maintaining a secure grip in adverse conditions.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes. Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

The Di2 GRX RX815 levers seem to be the most radically shaped levers in the bunch with a taller hood and extra thumb notch. They also stick to the standard Di2 button layout, even for 1x builds, so you can program it however you want. And they have additional buttons that you can program as shifters or to cycle through the pages on a paired cycling computer.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.
Kristen Legan and Parker Bloom Gravel Road biking in Kamloops, British Columbia

The other lever options keep the same (current) mechanical/hydraulic hood body and pivot placement, so you’ve gotta go Di2 if you want the improved braking ergonomics. But, all of the GRX levers get new hood covers with large ridges on the brake hoods for improved grip.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.
Kristen Legan and Parker Bloom Gravel Road biking in Kamloops, British Columbia

The mechanical levers share the same new shaping, but do not get the revised lever pivot placement (update: we previously wrote that they did have the new pivot location, which was incorrect). The RX810 will actually be offered in three different left shifter models with one for 2×11 set ups, one strictly for 1×11 with hydraulic brake operation only, and the RX810-LA for a 1×11 set up with the ability to use the shift lever for controlling a dropper post. The RX600 is a 2×11 set up with the same gravel inspired ergonomics and textured lever for added grip.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

Hydraulic Cross Top Brake Lever Option!

One of the more interesting additions to the group is the introduction of the RX812 Hydraulic disc sub-brake lever which allows you to add a cross top-style lever to your hydraulic brakes. For those new to the concept, these are mounted to the tops of your bars, and allow you to brake from either the normal hood position, or the top of the bar for added control.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

As for the brake calipers themselves, they are the same as current Ultegra calipers with ICE Tech pads, rotors, flat mount design, and one-way bleeding.

Shimano GRX is the first component group dedicated to gravel with 10 and 11 speed options for both mechanical and di2 shifting with hydraulic brakes.

There’s new wheels, too

If all that wasn’t enough, Shimano is also launching a new WH-RX570 wheelset in both 650b and 700c. These feature a wider 21.6mm internal width with a tubeless ready design, and hubs built around the 12mm e-thru axle standard.

I think I got it, but tell me all over again

which shimano grx components are compatible with each other and with regular ultegra

TL;DR…here’s the visual mix-and-match compatibility chart from Shimano. Double chainring options above, and 1×11 options below:

And here’s the parts list with recommended chainring and cassette size combos:

It’s all crystal clear now, right? No? OK, here’s a few more details worth noting: The cranks are the same whether you’re running 1x or 2x, so you can swap between 1x and 2x chainring combos. The 17-tooth jump on the biggest 2x is the largest chainring jump Shimano has ever made. All cranks are available in 170, 172.5 and 175 millimeter lengths, and the RX600 series adds a 165mm option, and it’s used for both the 10- and 11-speed chainring options, but those 10-speed chainrings are a distinct part number and are 10-speed specific.

Shimano GRX component pricing

Click on the image above to see the full pricing chart. Shimano expects mechanical groups to be available by June or July with Di2 following in August.

bike.shimano.com

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Gillis
Gillis
4 years ago

I wonder if this means we won’t be seeing a 12spd bump for DA in the near future?

Czechmate
Czechmate
4 years ago
Reply to  Gillis

Why so? The highest-spec RX800 is an Ultegra-level groupset. Purposefully leaving the top-tier Dura Ace free to evolve to 12-speed next season. And letting it trickle the following year down to a 12-speed Ultegra, then a 12-speed 105 and finally a 12-speed GRX. My question: will the microspline freehub make its way onto the road along with the new 12-speed Dura Ace?

Shafty
Shafty
4 years ago
Reply to  Czechmate

My guess is no. The smallest sprocket and jump to the next would ruin some of the smoothness that Dura-Ace has. The range just isn’t needed for road racing. The 11s road freehub is long enough for 12s already, at least with large sprockets. At the most I think we might see microspline paired with the GRX group, if it sticks around, since that’s the closest to an off-road group.

Celest Greene
Celest Greene
4 years ago

As much as I like the look of those new levers and am happy to see the 1x and dropper left options, with a max 1x range of 382% Shimano is still well behind SRAM’s Force 1 at 420% and the 42×11 a kind of low in my experience for a high gear. I guess that you could swap in a 10-42 XD cassette, but it would have been nice to see a proper Shimano microspline 10-42 or the capacity to run a HG 10-46.
Maybe next year?

Bob
Bob
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

SRAM competes on spec sheets and shimano completes in the real world. I would rather have 382% of excellent performance and maintainability than 420% crap.

Celest Greene
Celest Greene
4 years ago
Reply to  Bob

1) sram had been pretty solid lately and I’ve switched from Ultegra to Force (1 and AXS) on my gravel and road bikes. Ergonomics and finish aren’t as good but performance hasn’t left me wanting and the gearing works better for me. If you’re going to go electronic, wireless just makes more sense.
2) wait aside, M9100 XTR isn’t as good as it should have been given the head start that Eagle had.
3) why make it a choice? Shimano could have done something on par with Force 1 and made it a no brainer but didn’t.

VeloFreak
VeloFreak
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

If xtr 9100 is not galaxies above Eagle, I´m the queen of England. Not even entering aesthetics, price and reliability of the brakes… in which xtr is also oh so much better than X01, which is still more expensive than XTR.

By the way, when is XT 2020? when?

Celest Greene
Celest Greene
4 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

Been on it since November. The 9100 race brakes are underwhelming, the cassette prone to creaking, and cranks and revolutionary freehub don’t exist.

It’s good and I prefer it over xx1 but no, it’s nowhere near as good as it should have been.

VeloFreak
VeloFreak
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

Depends what you consider how good it should have been… See, 10 to 50 cassette is a very bad idea, it’s never gonna perform “as good as it should”, a 1999 xtr rear mech and cassette will work oh so much better, guess why shimano went late to this game, cause it’s lame. As lame as a 10t on a pro tour bike on the road. With the new xtr, good luck shifting 3 cogs at a time, from 3 or 4th gear to the top 51, good luck with that, even with shimano. Why? cause it’s a lame system, with expensive cassettes. It’s like putting inkjet printer ink to a bike, to make it more expensive in mainteinance, not to mention crossed chains, chain out, etc… still, there is no more underwhelming brake in mtb history than a sram level brake. the mofo is even uglier as hell. looks like a 2004 brake lever.

Sram is lame yankee marketing. sram is like specialized. and they should not hire graphic designers coming from snowboard, the graphics are lame.

Colin M
Colin M
4 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

“a 1999 xtr rear mech and cassette will work oh so much better”….and so much more fodder…

Ok ok stop I can’t stop laughing here. Do you exist in real life or are you just an internet vapor? Please please go demo a bike from 2019 and don’t just look at photos on the internet.

VeloFreak
VeloFreak
4 years ago
Reply to  Colin M

yes mate, an xtr 1999 8 speed 11-28 shift oh so much better, it had 4 cogs less and no clutch tension, smooth as butter. And guess what! a cheapo Alivio BB square tape axle lasted a life time with no creacking, not this current crap of press fit joke. And guess what part two; you could back pedal without a chain derrailing!!!! amazing!!!

Tomi
Tomi
4 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

I can back pedal on all my modern groupsets : Sram Force 1, Shimano ultegra and Sram 12sp GX groupset.

I also appreciate the range of my 10-50 MTB cassette. It allows me to ride some stupidely steep climbs I used to walk and yes while slow I’m still faster than pushing the bike.

Sure the cassette itself is expensive but you find it easily way below MSRP and it last quite a long time in my experience provided you replace the 30$ chain on a regular basis.

I’m not sure what you are talking about.

Hurricane
4 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

Welcome to this post your heiness!
Sram has been giving Shimano a royal ass kicking in the off road segment for years and now with AXS, its going to do it on the road also.
I admit that Shimano does have a slightly better aesthetics, but Campy beats both in that field it that’s what matters first.

Robin
Robin
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

Some may prefer wireless, but whether wireless “just makes more sense” is dependent on the user. There is nothing about wireless that makes objectively superior to other options.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  Robin

“There is nothing about wireless that makes objectively superior to other options.”

Indeed, and there are ways in which is it objectively inferior. Radios are expensive and delicate, it requires 4x batteries instead of one.

Shafty
Shafty
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

While SRAM may technically have more range, for all practical purposes it’s a wash. They directly give up gearing resolution for a massive gearing jump on a gear that should be seldom used anyways. For the gears that people use frequently, the Shimano 11-42 is better. Stronger riders will change their chainring appropriately, if they need more speed.

The whole idea of tiny sprockets isn’t new to Shimano, but they’ve pushed back because of the performance hit. They made it an option with Capreo because there is effectively no other way to gear small wheeled bikes high enough. With larger wheels you’re fighting the opposite issue, where low enough gearing can result in obscenely large sprockets instead. And look where we are….

typevertigo
typevertigo
4 years ago
Reply to  Shafty

“there is effectively no other way to gear small wheeled bikes high enough.”

FSA makes 55/44T cranks for folding bikes for this very purpose. They come stock on some high-end Tern and Dahon models. If you’re willing to give up brand snobbery, you can find similar crank options from LitePro, which is a brand that specializes in folding bikes and mini velos. LitePro even makes braze-on front derailleur adapters that will work on a 33.9 mm seat tube diameter common to many folding bikes.

I don’t criticize Shimano all that often, but going the 9T route, then subsequently pairing it with a sub-50T crank, like Shimano did with Capreo, wasn’t well thought out in hindsight. With folding bike juggernauts Dahon and Tern’s 20-inch foldies being compatible with most off-the-shelf Shimano components (except MTB cranks), Capreo got relegated to a niche.

Dominic
Dominic
4 years ago
Reply to  typevertigo

Moultons have been designed to fit cassettes with a 9t for I guess decades now. I guess it depends.

Chris
Chris
4 years ago
Reply to  Celest Greene

42×11 is kind of low? Interesting because with a typical 700×40 gravel tire a 42×11 gear pedaled at 80 rpm results in a speed in excess of 24 mph. Pedaled at 90rpm it results in a speed of 28 mph. Even a 42×14 at 80rpm works out to nearly 20mph which is a pretty fast clip on most gravel surfaces. Anyone who manages to spend a significant amount of their time riding at those speeds should have no problem getting a pro contract! Personally, I don’t see the point in having 3-5 gears that are so high that they’re only useful on downhills.

Dylan
Dylan
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris

A lot of ‘gravel’ rides would include some significant stretches of tarmac to get to the gravel. 46-30 with the 11-34 would be my pick of this bunch.

Lyford
Lyford
4 years ago
Reply to  Dylan

I’m not a wattmonster, and so far a 46/30 with the Ultegra 11-34 is working well for mixed-surface rides. Still experimenting, just swapped the threaded 11 for a 12, curious to see if I miss it.

drosser9
drosser9
4 years ago
Reply to  Lyford

Same here. I see nothing about GRX that makes me regret getting my Topstone 105. I love the 46/30 crankset, even (gasp) on the road!

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris

Part of the issue is gearing can’t be summarized with a ratio chart. A 42×11 may be tall enough to reach a given speed, but if you’re pouring a lot of watts into it to make a speed, the system is noticeably draggy compared to the same ratio on a 2x system, the gaps between the smallest cogs are greater. For most gravel bike owners, lots of riding is done on pavement, because many buy these bikes for versatility, not a specific use case.

Brad Comis (@BradComis)
Reply to  Chris

“Even a 42×14 at 80rpm works out to nearly 20mph which is a pretty fast clip on most gravel surfaces.” There are many different types of gravel surfaces, some really rough, some nearly as smooth as asphalt. Then there are tailwinds and pacelines. Spinning out 42×11 with a slight downhill and a gentle tailwind wouldn’t be hard at all. Not everyone rides exactly the same.

Dominic
Dominic
4 years ago

That cross top lever is fascinating! reminds me of the mounting style of the Trikstuff Piccola. I guess it doesn’t have an open chanber so would be of middling use as a stand alone lever.

typevertigo
typevertigo
4 years ago
Reply to  Dominic

My sentiments exactly. I can’t recall anybody else attempting this type of lever before – Cane Creek’s and Tektro’s versions were cable-based. I believe Hope tried it a few years back, but don’t quote me on that as I’m not sure it made it to market.

Woody
Woody
4 years ago

Why wait so long? Because Shimano

Brian
Brian
4 years ago

Had this been announced in 2015 it would have been huge news. Too bad Shimano keeps proving they are 4 years behind the mark.

Brad Comis (@BradComis)

Best thing out of everything here: RX812 rear derailleur. Finally an easy 1x conversion for anything with Shimano 11 road or Tiagra 4700. I’m going to order one ASAP.

dr_lha
dr_lha
4 years ago

So is the ten speed compatible with old Shimano ten speed or the “new” Tiagra 10 speed? I’m assuming the latter.

I was actually pretty excited about this, I have a hacked 1×10 Shimano setup on my gravel bike, and it looked like this might allow me to move to 11 speed and have a system that works a bit smoother together, until I realized that the levers only support hydraulic breaks. Oh well.

AJ
AJ
4 years ago

SHIMANO MISSED 11-36 CASSETE FOR 1x OPTION!!!!
JEEZ!!!

oh and 1×10!!!

therealgreenplease
4 years ago

You know… I actually really like some of the new additions. The higher axis for the brake hoods makes sense and I’m very curious to try out one of those cross top levers.

RightSadFred
RightSadFred
4 years ago

Whats the BCD on these new chainrings? I suppose its not compatible with any of their existing cranksets with the 2.5mm chainline shift.

Heffe
Heffe
4 years ago

I don’t typically run Shimano parts but I have to say that the design changes in moving the pivot and a new handle shape for the ‘brifters’ is great work. Kudos to them for some thoughtful designs.

typevertigo
typevertigo
4 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

The “new” brifter shape actually reminds me of old-school aero brake levers back when they had no shifting mechanism inside them.

I agree the higher brake lever pivot seems like a good functional change in theory though. Even with the RS685 hydraulic levers on my bike, I’m still not fully convinced I can brake powerfully from the hoods with just one finger (for gentle stops, no problem). These GRX units might change that.

JBT
JBT
4 years ago

As a huge Shimano fan, it’s nice that they’ve finally gotten to par. As others have mentioned, better late than never, but this is too late. It’s already outdated from day one with Force AXS, save for cost. Shimano seems like it’s out of answers and innovation. It took 5 years to get a gravel product to market? And I have a Shimano “gravel” hydro system composed of an Ultegra RX der, XTR cassette and 675 hydro shifters. So I fully drink the fan Koolaid, but still this is basically recobbled and rebadged parts bin components from other groups. This is not compelling.

Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict
4 years ago
Reply to  JBT

You don’t sound like a huge Shimano fan. Your comment reminds me of a 2016 Facebook political ad.

Admiral Wormser
Admiral Wormser
4 years ago

WHAT IF I AM ON PAVEMENT AND GRAVEL IN THE SAME RIDE!!!

I THINK A NEW GROUPSET WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THIS SOON, I HOPE.

Velofreak
Velofreak
4 years ago

Exactly. And another group for gravel & grass…

Bring out XT soon for the real gravel, shimano. This is hipsters peanuts. Bring out the guns.

Jeff Servaas
Jeff Servaas
4 years ago

Then you can mix and match Ultegra or 105 Shifters & FD, and Ultegra RX RD. Road gearing with Clutch derailleur is pretty good for tarmac rides out of the city to where the gravel starts, a gravel loop, and back home from the gravel on the road again.

Moby
Moby
4 years ago

Lame, Shimano, lame. This misses on all marks. I guess I will continue to just wait for 12 speed XTR di2 with my R785 levers for my 1x gravel race bike, but I am so close to giving up on Shimano. If I trusted Sram engineering and testing at all I’d switch over in hot minute. I may give up and switch anyway.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  Moby

What are “the marks”? If you need that much range, you should run a 2x. A 1x with that much range has large gaps and poor efficiency at the faster end of the cassette.

Felipe
Felipe
4 years ago

can I use my ultra-shifter 8000 with the front derailleur and crankset GRX?

typevertigo
typevertigo
4 years ago
Reply to  Felipe

I think you mean Ultegra R8000 shifters? You should be able to.

GRX FD and crank should allow you to run wider rubber at the back.

Ryan Brink
Ryan Brink
4 years ago

The ranges on the RDs seem to be a little small yet. 2x option is the same as current generation of road RDs. I know they are now Shadow+, but would have expected the 2x to be something like 11-36 or 11-40. 1x to reach up to 11-46 or something. Would have jumped all over a 2x RD with that range for my 50/34 setup, maybe they want me to buy a new crankset instead.

Trybo Bike Tech
Trybo Bike Tech
4 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Brink

Considering how long the cages seem to be, I am sure those mechs have some excess capacity. So if you want, you might run 11-42 cassette with 50-34. You might get some hanging chain on the small-small combos, but that is a minor issue.

Jared
Jared
4 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Brink

the 2x rd works just fine with the 11-46, I’ve been running it that way since last August. I wasn’t aware that Shimano was even making a specific 1x rd up until a month ago

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  Jared

I would think the current Shimano “mid-cage” derailleur would not have enough cage capacity to manage the chain length necessary to run an 11-46 with a 2x crank, even if it can shift the 11-46 range correctly.

End the weekend (@Eventmechanics)
Reply to  Jared

Anyone know what the body of the di2 shifters is made from? Aluminium of r785 good, carbon of r8070 less so.

Jeff Servaas
Jeff Servaas
4 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Brink

Plenty of people in forums having good success running 11-40 and 11-42 with Ultegra RX and a RoadLink

Marc Lindarets
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Servaas

We’ll want to confirm once parts are available, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wolf Tooth RoadLink DM would be the best choice here. An 11-46 would match the range of SRAM’s 10-42 so should suit a lot of riders. You’d want a bigger chainring, too- but there are plenty of 110BCD 44s and 46es for your current cranks.

Stay tuned 🙂

Tyler
Tyler
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Servaas

I actually have a 105 R700 with an 11-40 cassette and 38t chainring on my gravel bike with no road link and it works perfectly. Suprisingly I have only dropped the chain once as a result of bunny hopping over a hole.

Mark
Mark
4 years ago
Reply to  Tyler

I currently have full 105 r7000 with compact crank and a 11-34 cassette. Can I use a SLX m7000 11-42 cassette or do I need the Rx 810 derailleur as well, and will this be compatible with the compact crank?

Benny Watson
4 years ago

“Due to the 17-tooth delta of the RX810 cranks, you’ll need a derailleur that will handle the range. And one that has the right chainline. All GRX cranksets use a new +2.5mm chainline so you’ll need one of the GRX front derailleurs to go with it.”

LOL! I’m betting the existing front derailleurs can handle the extra one tooth difference and that the 2.5mm change in chainline can be easily accommodated with limit screw adjustments.

Guilherme Theobald
Guilherme Theobald
4 years ago
Reply to  Benny Watson

I’m wondering if we’ll be able to use this new front derailleur on mountain crankset, since the difference between the GRX chainline and the M7000 will be only 2mm. That would be able to use a 2×11 drivetrain similar to a Deore 2×10, on a 28-38 crankset with an 11-42 cassette. Considering this drivetrain with the use of M7000 rear derailleur since I already bought the wolftooth tanpan. And I’ll not use a road crank because I’m repurposing a hardtail for this project.
The alternative is just keep the 1×11 with the 11-46 cassette.

Rodrigo Diaz
Rodrigo Diaz
4 years ago
Reply to  Benny Watson

Chainline issues are not fun. I have a top-pull routed CX bike (really all rough road ride – gravel, bad pothole roads, CX, etc.). It would rub in the granny gear with a CX70 derailleur – either a clamp-on or a braze on if the adapter was too thick. The main problem is that it has a 34.9 seat tube and non-shimano cranks (an old Quarq power meter).

I actually shopped around and bought the skinniest braze-on adapter I could find. Still wasn’t great with 11 speeds (CX70 is 10 sp). I eventually started using an MTB front d.

Frank
Frank
4 years ago

Should have called it: UlteGravel.

Who is running the marketing department over there anyway?

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
4 years ago
Reply to  Frank

UlteGravel?! … I hope you don’t work in marketing.

pm732
4 years ago
Reply to  Frank

this is hilarious Frank. bravo.

Colin M
Colin M
4 years ago

Am I seeing an integrated dropper post and brake lever system for the left side? Did Bike Rumor miss this?

Seems like a lot going on here. I’m going over to the Legan’s house to see this stuff in person…

mudrock
mudrock
4 years ago

The 105 and Ultegra groups are very familiar to users, Shimano should have made gravel variants using those names. Road groups work fine for gravel with the addition of a rear clutch and lower gearing. If a bikepacking bike is desired, use mountain group parts. I have a Kona Sutra for off-pavement trips and it has Rival shifting, 73mm 1x crank (RaceFace w/36t but any 1x mountain crank would do) and 10-42 cassette on a XD driver. A perfect setup.

Chris
Chris
4 years ago

Ha…. what about all the frames that can NOT run 31- tooth chainiings? CHAINSAW to the stays while cross-chaining. I’ll bet a few will find this out the hard way.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris

What would be the limitation on an existing frame to run a 31T chain ring?

King County
King County
4 years ago

I am surprised they did not make this Microspline to get a 10 tooth there.

Marquito
Marquito
4 years ago

Well the next DuraAce will likely be Microspline because one of the reasons Shimano made this change was so they could make the freehub out of aluminum rather than titanium.

blahblahblah
blahblahblah
4 years ago

bye bye sram

Seraph
Seraph
4 years ago
Reply to  blahblahblah

I think you mean “what’s SRAM going to do next so that Shimano can copy it”?

blahblahblah
blahblahblah
4 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

why would shimano want to copy bankruptcy?

Paul S.
Paul S.
4 years ago

I was really disappointed with the 2x gearing options on Force AXS. The gearing options here are actually good. It will be interesting to see how the bike companies position the RX8x-level 2x bikes against Force-equipped gravel bikes.

threeringcircus
threeringcircus
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul S.

I agree. However, I’d still love to see the return of a triple in a group like this. 48/36/26 makes much more sense to me than 48/31. 16T gaps are awkward enough, especially as you go with smaller tooth counts.

Pinko
Pinko
4 years ago

Must love how sram sends their marketing people to comment here lol

Hexsense
Hexsense
4 years ago

So while Sram sacrifice front ring range range from 16t down to 13t to finally improve front shifting to a very good level.

Shimano flex the muscle saying their front shifting is good enough for 17t?
nice move on this one.

Morten Reippuert
Morten Reippuert
4 years ago

Surprised no one has noticed that the available casettes is still has gigantic gaps and are useless for road:

11-13-15-17-21-23-25-27-30-34, first 3 jumps are 18%, 15% 13%

Come on Campagnolo’s new casette alhough its 12-speed offers a tight casette in the tall gears with a nice progressing increments when reaching the low end (even if u obmit campagnolo’s 16tit would be far better)

11-12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-29-34 – even the gap between 29t and 34t is smaller than Shimano’s gap between 11t and 13t.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago

I have plenty of time on the Shimano 11-34 cassette, mostly on gravel and CX. At lower speeds, it’s pretty good but you’re right, on the smaller cogs/higher road speeds, the gaps can be a little annoying. Their own 11-32 is much better in that regard.

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago

> even the gap between 29t and 34t is smaller than Shimano’s gap between 11t and 13t

I pointed that out on a thread somewhere. I sure wouldn’t want to use Shimano’s 11-34 cassette.

A 12-speed 11-36 cassette would be very nice:
11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-31-36
It has a very low standard deviation of steps.

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago
Reply to  Velo Kitty

SRAM’s 11-speed 11-36 is:
11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32-36

John
John
4 years ago

I can see how the gaps at the top end of a 11-34 would offend the delicate Victorian sensibilities of a crit racer. The gravel we ride has grades of 12%, 15%, up to 20%, and the 23-25-27-30-34 cogs at the low end running a 2x are just about perfect for that. I don’t remember that last time on gravel I needed a 50/12, where a 50/11 or 50/13 wouldn’t do (equates to 30mph vs 32mph or 28mph at ~90 rpm) but I know what its like not being able to find a good climbing cadence.

Frippolini
Frippolini
4 years ago

What about backward compatibility with cable actuated brakes (rim brakes), such as the Avid Ultimate brakes I have on my Yeti CX?

Looks to me like Shimano decided they want to stay relevant in a market segment that has grown significantly over the years, yet they didn’t fully commit to it by rebranding old parts and extending the life of existing production lines.

Seriously, why not 12 speed?
Why not compatibility with mountain bike instead of road?

John
John
4 years ago
Reply to  Frippolini

Shimano 12-speed road will make its debut on Dura-Ace, probably this fall. And probably less expensive than SRAM’s electronic-only 12-speed road.

GRX 11-speed is compatible with the 105/Ultegra that many people have on their bikes today. Imagine the howling on teh interwebs if this was based on new proprietary standards that didn’t work with existing drivetrains.

Michael Hooper
4 years ago

If i have an old CX bike with Tiagra 2×10 speed (4600 series I believe, the silver ones) would this rear derailleur work with my current shifters? getting a lot more low range and a clutch for 63$ + cost of 11-36t cassette would be pretty awesome.

HeavyRider
HeavyRider
4 years ago
Reply to  Michael Hooper

I would bet a $1 that RX400 10sp drivetrain uses same cable pull ratio as the 11speed road & GRX groups, which would make RX400 compatible with Tiagra 4700 10sp group. I don’t think your 4600 Tiagra shifters are compatible with the GRX RX400 derailleurs.

neilwheel2015
4 years ago

I think that brifter shape & design is a sneak peek of how the next-gen DA & Ultegra levers will look/work….

John
John
4 years ago

1. Can you please list all the chainring combination options in the 2×10?
2. Anyone know the weight difference between Easton EA90 cranks with 47-32 rings vs Shimano GRX 2×10?

Thanks

Dann
Dann
4 years ago

Here we go Sram are about to fire and blame their engineers again…. I still don’t understand how in 2019 Sram can’t make a hydraulic brake that can be bled without needing 5 arms and environmentally unfriendly corrosive brake fluid. I understand 1x for mountain bikes, but it makes no sense on road/gravel where you’re pedaling a pretty constant cadence the whole time.

Tyler
Tyler
4 years ago
Reply to  Dann

I had sram brakes exactly once. They were level T brakes. Pain to bleed and pretty crap on a trail. For MTB brakes shimano was my preference, then I put TRP quadiems on one of my bikes. Modulation for days and a super easy bleed.

RobertW
RobertW
4 years ago

I’ll stick with 11 speed 105 rim brake for my cheap unimproved surface rigid.

Harry
Harry
3 years ago

Shimano needs to wake up and give baby boomers a break . What horse crap , the gearing is all for younger stronger riders . Is it too much to ask for a 1x system that has an 12 or 13 to 42-46 or perhaps even a 50 cogset with a 34 or 36 chainring ?? Why the heck not ??? I am a senior , don’t want to ride an electric bike but struggle with existing gearing . God is it too much to ask for , really ??? We are not all 35 year old fit people , we are 65 plus very fit people that just need some help . Is it asking too much ??? Bike component companies need to wake up …. Thanks ….. H.

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