Helix 9-45 with XPLR and 38t chainring - anything missing?

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stevesbike
Posts: 324
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 5:33 pm

by stevesbike

I'm finally considering going 1x on a new gravel build and finding the compatibility/options a bit bewildering. Would I be missing anything going for a setup with the helix 9-45 cassette and a 38-tooth front chainring? The 38x9 is almost as big in terms of gear inches as my current 48x11 while the 38x45 is smaller than my current low gear of 32x36. The other option would be a mechanical ekar setup, but it seems a bit finicky in terms of consistent shifting and has less range than the Helix. It's a bit unclear to me why most of the preconfigured setups run larger chainrings. Thanks for any input.

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andy4g63
Posts: 199
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:02 pm

by andy4g63

E thirteen have brand new gravel 9-46 cassette that's direct replacement for XPLR.

That 38 ring is very small at least for me.

A lot of times I am spinning out with 46-10.

But I am sure what your objectives are.

OnTheRivet
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:41 pm

by OnTheRivet

I was hesitant to try the helix cassette excuse of reviews I read about there earlier stuff. I'm running the 9-50 mtb cassette and its every bit as good as the SRAM Eagle cassette it replaced.

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