I hear you, the idea of having 3 bikes is, in part, to not have to deal with wheel swaps.
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@oldandfast - you’ve got me thinking about a very similar build, don’t have a gravel bike and beginning to feel like it’s N+1 time. Don’t know if I’ll pull the trigger on it, but I’m scoping it out.
Have you looked into whether the MOG needs something like the Force Wide Crankset instead of Red? Gets you a 2.5mm wider chainline for better tire clearance, but the MOG FAQ seems to say that it’s not an issue for 1X.
Edit: From the FAQ it appears that the wider chainline would give you a benefit in that it allows larger front chainrings
- How big of a chainring in general can you run?
- 2X: Shimano GRX double cranks (47mm chainline)
- 2X: SRAM WIDE double cranks (47.5mm chainline).
- *Standard road double cranks WILL NOT fit.
- 1X: Max 44T for 44.5-45.5 chainline (SRAM 1x Cranks w/ typical aftermarket direct mount chainrings.
- 1X: Max 50T for 47+ Chainline (Shimano GRX, SRAM 1X WIDE)
- 1x Ekar has a 45.5-46.5 chainline. Cranks are offered with 38-44T options and all will fit MOG.
- *Older SRAM Force 1 (or similar) 5-bolt cranks will NOT clear with the stock bolt spacers on the backside of the chainring spider. These cranks are compatible if the stock ring and spider is swapped for a direct-mount ring.
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Interested to hear your preference for a 1x.
My preference with electronic drivetrains is 2x, since it has a similar total gear range, with closer ratios than 1x, and the electronic shifting makes it as easy to shift a 2x as a 1x…
I see it as having all the benefits of a 1x without any of the hassles - curious what you see differently?
I’ll give you my thoughts.
You lose a little bit of tire clearance. On the MOG, it’s labeled as 50mm, but they say this:
- Are there any known derailleur/tire clearance issues with the MOG?
- The Mog will clear (with proper 6mm tire clearance to allow for debris and tire deflection) up to a 47mm tire with the Shimano GRX front derailleur, electronic or mechanical. The chainring clearance is a non-issue with either GRX double crank option, the limiting factor is the front derailleur.
If you’re looking to run larger tires at the burlier end of the spectrum, it could matter.
Also, there’s a simplicity / reliability aspect. Think about Unbound Gravel this year and mud like that if you ever run into it. A 1x with a chain guide is going to be more reliable from a retention perspective and one less thing to break / go south.
I’d never run 1X on my road bike, and when it comes to gravel I think it depends if you’re on the more “road” or “XC” end of the spectrum and how you’re going to use the bike. 2X has gearing / cadence advantages. 1X has simplicity / reliability / clearance advantages.
Personally, I also like that a lot of the spare parts would be the same between my XC MTB and 1X Gravel setup if I go the SRAM 1X Route.
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Great thoughts - really appreciate you sharing them. And I see how it all fits together for you!
I went 650b wheels to maximize tire volume - I’ll be running the WIDE crankset to keep the front derailleur out of the way.
Totally hear you about Unbound. Rides/Races with that much mud are not part of my plan or schedule, ever 
. And I have a great XC FS bike if I want to go burlier.
Thanks for sharing your thinking! It’s good to know I wasn’t missing anything for my priorities 
.
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2 contradictory points, trying to solve:
- Enve says it’s ok
- SRAM says the new transmission needs “wide”
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Want to build the bike with the new SRAM transmission. I want a light, competent bike for the most technical gravel/singletrack.
If I had to guess, Enve is correct and SRAM is picking one “Safe” recommendation. Enve also says to run larger than a 44T front chainring, you need wide.
And, the extra clearance if you find yourself in really muddy conditions might not hurt either.
But does the new 2023 force have a 44 or 46T “wide” chainring?. I don’t see it. Will the new RED have a “wide” option?
The prior Force Wide looks like it’ll go up to 46T.
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Should I assume that I can swap the 40T for 44 or 46T in the new one as well?
I’m not sure. The big news when SRAM introduced the new generation of Force this spring was that the chainrings were integrated into the (power meter) spider. I’m not certain whether that applies to the non-power meter version of the cranks. If it does, then you can only do it if SRAM makes a 50t version of the integrated spider. Here’s the FAQ Answer that’s closest to what I’m describing: https://support.sram.com/hc/en-us/articles/13302467263259-When-power-meter-equipped-new-Force-AXS-2x-integrated-road-chainrings-wear-out-does-the-power-meter-have-to-be-replaced-
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According to this:
You should be able to use these parts:
I have similar setups on my current XC and road bikes.
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Looks like Garbaruk makes bigger rings too if you wanted bigger than 46T.
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The link you provided only talks about 2x chainring. I asked SRAM, waiting for their reply.
Thanks a lot!. The key issue is whether I’m going to be able to make it work with the 2023 force or not. I believe the link you provided is for the older model.
I would have to imagine we’ll get a lot more clarity on options over the coming months and into the fall, and I’d bet companies like Wolf Tooth are also working on additional chainring options, etc. So, there’s probably a benefit to waiting if you don’t need it short term. But, it looks like there are options… (For me, if I do anything, it’d be over the winter for next spring)
I’d bet if you called / emailed power meter city and talked through it with them, they’d help you out. Been great to deal with for me. If I did that, I’d certainly be giving them the business though for those parts when I purchased.
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This is SRAM official inicial response:
the minimum recommended chainstay length is 425mm, as Transmission is primarily designed for MTB use. My Rover has the same 420mm length chainstays, but I did want to make sure that was something that you were aware of. With a 44t chainring, you would want a chain size of 120 links, and you will use the Setup Key in position A, and your Setup Cog will be 21t (the one with the red ring). We do officially recommend using the road wide cranksets for an application like this. I have the recently updated Force crankset in wide with a 42t chainring and 107 BCD power meter. 44t should be good to go if Enve says it’s good and with the additional clearance from running the Wide crankset. This will also get you closer to the ideal chainline.
I need to inquire more what he means by 21T setup cog with RED 
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