The new Shimano GRX gravel group is great, but the official 1x chainring options are limited. Shimano offers only 40- and 42-tooth rings. Wolf Tooth Component’s Drop Stop ST chainrings increase that substantially, with both round and oval options.
WTC’s options range from 36- to 46-tooth, and weights range from 65.5g up to 102g. They use same 110BCD asymmetric 4-bolt mounting pattern and 50mm chainline to match GRX’s specs. Larger 48, 50, and 52 tooth counts are in the works for later this year.
The “ST” versions are designed for Shimano’s 12-speed Hyperglide chains, which is what the new 12-speed GRX groups use. The same chainrings are also available in their “Drop Stop B” tooth profile, which is for SRAM FlatTop and Eagle 12-speed chains as well as 9/10/11/12-speed chains from KMC, Connex, Wipperman, and Campagnolo.
The new GRX group allows you to swap cassettes and derailleur cages, but these make it easier to change the gear ratios depending on the severity of the gravel you’re riding, without affecting the total gear range.
