# Help me build a gravel bike!

**URL:** <https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/help-me-build-a-gravel-bike/35879>\
**Category:** Equipment\
**Tags:** bike, wheels, power-meter\
**Created:** [May 13, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/help-me-build-a-gravel-bike/35879 "2020-05-13T18:15:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 29

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**Author:** ![AgingCannon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/agingcannon/32/48092_2.png) [@AgingCannon](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/AgingCannon)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/help-me-build-a-gravel-bike/35879/29 "2020-05-17T17:13:12Z")

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Thanks to SRAM’s recent releases, my bike build is becoming a little more defined. My first thought was that, however rough the surfaces may be around Florida, it’s still flat and a 1.00 lowest gear should be low enough for me. But then I spent a little time this morning with [Bike Calc’s “Cadence at Speed”](https://www.bikecalc.com/cadence_at_speed) page and realized that even the 43/30 has far more top end than I’m likely to need in the next 5 years (e.g. 43x11 @ 100rpm = 55kph).

The new 43/30 sub-compact crankset gives me all the speed I’m likely to want, greater flexibility on the low end, a lower bottom gear (0.91x), and makes the jumps between gears even smaller when I’m going at road speeds… clearly the best choice for me, though I didn’t think so at first.

What I think I “know” I want is:

- Open U.P. frameset
- SRAM Force AXS groupset (43/30 front, 10-33 rear, narrow crank to avoid increased Q-factor)

Wheels are where I’ve got the least knowledge and experience. I’d like to set up two wheelsets for this bike: 700x40 and 650x47. What brands/models would you suggest I check out?

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