While the first part of the evaluation covered the type questions, type of bike, wheel sizes, tyres and brakes, we are now delving deeper. Because now we are looking at gears, drivetrain, bearings, saddle and bags.
And once again, please note: due to the multiple answer options for some questions, the total is more than 100%. But that’s self-explanatory.
And if you find any errors in the graphics, please let me know. Thank you!
You can always find the total number of votes at the bottom left. A total of 518 people took part in the survey and contributed their experiences.
Here we go!
Gearing: Chain & Shimano
As expected, the good old derailleur is preferred to all other types. This certainly has to do with the better efficiency compared to other gear types, but also with the lower weight. Hub gears, such as a Rohloff, Shimano or Kindernay, have lost 3 percentage points compared to the last survey, while gears such as the Pinion have gained 7 percentage points.
When asked about the brand, Shimano is still in the lead. I find this quite interesting in comparison to the Bikeanalytics analyses, where I look at the equipment of the bikes that take part in the most demanding ultra races, because SRAM is usually preferred there. New this year is Microshift. You find more and more of this brand on bikes and Bombtrack, for example, equips some of their models with it.
Speaking of models: the Shimano GRX leads the field when it comes to the preferred shifting model. One of the reasons for this may be that many gravel bikes are now being ridden and these gears are often fitted.
Above we looked at the types of gears, and belts are often used as the drive version for geared hubs and gears. 11% rely on belts, 3 percentage points less than in 2022, but the chain is of course still the number one ‘driver’ and also gained 3 percentage points.
E-bikes still don’t play a role. However, I am interested to see how ‘the industry’ is increasingly pushing MTBs and gravel bikes with e-drives. It would be too hasty to simply reject or ridicule this, however, because these bikes often offer people the opportunity to take part in our passion, even if they might not be physically capable of doing so or are recovering from injuries. And I’m not talking about e-MTB riders who get lost on hiking trails in the Alps, can’t handle the bikes and then have an accident or endanger other people. I’m talking about inclusive access to our great sport.
Let’s stick to the topic of electric: electronic gears are becoming more popular, as their share has more than doubled from 12% in 2022 to 25% this year. So they have arrived on the market and – at least in my bubble – are also being used a lot.
I assume that the share will continue to rise because the new direct mount drivetrains, such as SRAM Transmission, Red or Red XPLR, offer very interesting electronic drivetrains. I also assume that Shimano will soon follow suit and continue to push electronic shifting. However, the manufacturers still need to do some educational work here, as 34% are still unaware of direct mount.
When asked about their preference for electronic shifting, the majority favoured SRAM, which in my opinion currently has the best system on the market. Behind them is Shimano, who also have a Di2 system on the market, but are not as agile as the Americans at the moment.
From back to front: the majority use drop bar shifters (STI), which is probably simply due to the popularity of gravel bikes, which are almost exclusively equipped with drop bars. MTB shifters are used by 31%, 9% use twist shifters, which is probably why the majority ride Rohloff or Pinion. 4% use bar end levers. As the name suggests, these shifters are mounted at the end of the handlebars and are mainly (exclusively?) used on road bike handlebars.
Crank: Shimano, 1-speed, 32/38
Now it’s time to look at the drivetrain, specifically the cranks: the majority use Shimano, followed by SRAM. This was also obvious, as they are often ‘included’ when you buy your bike. And it doesn’t always make sense to replace them straight away. But the mentions of Race Face, FSA, Hope and Rotor already indicate that some of you choose your components individually.
The most popular is the Shimano XT crank – and it is also very good. This is followed by the Shimano GRX, which, as mentioned above, is standard equipment on many gravel bikes.
More interesting, however, is which or how many chainrings are fitted to the cranks. And here the picture is split: the majority of 59% ride one chainring at the front. That’s 12 percentage points more than in 2022. 42% of respondents use two chainrings, which is 7 percentage points more than in the last survey. And 9% rely on 3 rings, which are presumably touring bike fans travelling on classic touring bikes. However, the 3x share continues to fall steadily: 50% or 9 percentage points compared to 2022.
But now it depends on the size: those who ride 1x like to ride cranks with 32 or 38 teeth. Close behind are 34 and 36 teeth. Personally, I currently ride a 34-tooth crankset at the front and rely on 32 teeth for certain tours. Normally I would ride 36 teeth in everyday life, but I’m currently too stingy to buy one for my transmission.
If you’re riding 2x, you’ll go for the obvious dream combination of 46/30.
But there is one question about the crank: oval or round chainring? It’s all a question of taste and preference. I personally like to ride oval chainrings and am one of the 11%. 69% favour round chainrings and 20% don’t care!
Where there are one or two rings at the front, there are 12 or 11 at the rear. 55% of cyclists use a 12-speed drivetrain, followed by 39% who ride an 11-speed drivetrain. 13 gears – a gravel-specific variant of Sram or Campa – are used by 9% of cyclists.
By the way: In 2022, 11x was still ahead of 12x with 49% and 37% at the time. And 23% of those surveyed at the time still favoured 10x. This year it was only 15%.
In terms of cassette capacity, the MTB 10-52 cassette is ahead. It is presumably popular because it makes it easy to achieve a mountain-orientated gear ratio on a gravel bike, especially with electronic gears. In second place is the 11-speed 11-42 cassette, which is often standard on serial gravel bikes.
Bottom bracket: Shimano Hollowtech
If it cracks, it is sometimes the bottom bracket. And then the search begins and first you look to see what type of bearing is actually fitted. Mostly Hollowtech, if the results of this survey are anything to go by, followed by BSA 30mm.
What is that? Yes, BSA stands for ‘British Birmingham Small Arms’. They used to produce weapons, then prostheses and then bearings. BSA is available for various crankshaft dimensions, such as GXP or 30mm. This refers to the inner diameter of the bearing, which in this case is made for 30mm crankshafts (MTB). There is also DUB with 28.99mm diameter and Hollowtech with 24mm diameter. As you can see, standardisation is a key issue in the bicycle industry. The dimensions I give here, such as 24mm or 30mm, do NOT refer to the diameter of the bottom bracket per se, but to the respective crankshaft that fits into it. Thanks to Fridolin for pointing this out and making it clearer.
And as he says so well:
‘So picking the right bottom bracket can be the hardest part of building a bike!’
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
When asked for model recommendations, Shimano is in the lead, followed by SRAM and Hope.
Saddle: Brooks & rigid seatpost
When it comes to saddles, there are no major changes, as many have again recommended Brooks, followed by SQlab and Ergon. And so the two most popular models are the Brooks B17 (a classic touring bike saddle) and the C17, which is often used on gravel bikes.
The seatpost also remains rigid for the majority, with only 17% opting for a suspension seatpost. However, the popularity of suspension seatposts has risen by 4 percentage points compared to the previous year.
There have been slight shifts in the seatpost material: the majority still ride aluminium seatposts, but these have lost 3 percentage points compared to 2022. 39% use carbon, which is 17 percentage points more than in the last survey. A strong increase.
Stem, handlebars & pedals
The majority of stems are rigid, but at 20%, suspension stems such as Redshift or Vecnum have made up some ground, gaining 7 percentage points.
Interestingly, when asked about the model, there were many votes in favour of Redshift (suspension), followed by Syntace and Ritchey.
According to the survey, the majority of them hold drop bar handlebars with flare. Flare refers to the sideways outward bend. These types of handlebars are found on Bikepacking/gravel bikes and allow a little more comfort and safety on the handlebars off-road.
This is followed in second place by normal road bike handlebars, which are mainly used on sporty/performance-orientated gravel bikes. Or on randonneurs. The flat handlebar with bar ends has lost some ground and is in third place, which I find interesting given the current MTB renaissance, as this is not visible in the results. Or many are already focussing on Drop Bar MTBs, i.e. hardtails where the straight handlebars are swapped for a Drop Bar.
When it comes to materials, most people opt for aluminium, followed by carbon. I’m an aluminium rider, even if the carbon handlebars are definitely interesting. However, I’m still worried about undiscovered breakages and the handlebars are too important a component on the bike for me.
I’m also a self-confessed aerobar fan. I love the speed you can build up, but also the additional comfort it gives me. I even ride in the Aerobar from time to time off-road, especially uphill, to take the strain off my upper body. But of course I don’t need it for normal cycling. That’s why the majority of people don’t have one on their bike and many decide on a case-by-case basis whether to fit a handlebar attachment or not.
When asked about the handlebar model, most people voted for the Ritchey Venture Max. I used to have one and found it very comfortable. However, I currently ride the Salsa Cowchipper.
When it comes to pedals, I’m between pure click pedals and mixed pedals. I started with mixed pedals, i.e. pedals that have a normal platform on one side and a click system on the other. This allows you to unclip on longer off-road tours and ride more safely through certain passages. Or if you have problems with your shoes or want/need to ride different shoes, you can simply use the platform side.
However, I no longer have to worry about this and now ride pure clipless pedals.
Mixed pedals are also favoured by the majority in the survey (50%), which is 10 percentage points more than in 2022, but pure clipless pedals have also gained 7 percentage points. Pure platform pedals have lost 2 percentage points.
Light & power
I am currently focussing more intensively on lights on bikes and am also looking at the new SON Ladelux, for example.
For the majority of those surveyed, lights should always be on a bike. But when it comes to the power source, they are divided: 58% favour hub dynamos and 51% batteries. And both have advantages and disadvantages. Presumably many are initially reliant on battery-powered lighting, as many bikes for bikepacking and cycle touring initially come without a hub dynamo. And a hub dynamo often means converting or buying a new front wheel.
In terms of price, however, hub dynamos and good battery-powered lights don’t have much in common, although the latter might be a little cheaper if you consider all the purchase costs.
When it comes to the brand for the front light, most people rely on Busch & Müller, followed by Lupine. Right behind them are Supernova and SON.
I always find it interesting that the bicycle light market is firmly in the hands of German manufacturers. Obviously ‘we’ are good at making lights.
Among the models for the front light, the SON Edelux II (which I don’t like at all) received the most votes, followed by the Supernova M99 DY Pro, which is currently considered one of the best dynamo lights approved for use on German roads. Right behind it is the Lupine SL AF, the first battery-powered light.
Busch & Müller is also favoured for the rear light, followed by Sigma and SON.
However, the Lupine Rotlicht, which also has a legendary reputation, was the most frequently named model. I found it interesting that the Garmin Radar came in second place.
The majority rely on power banks/rechargeable batteries to power their bikes during the tour. Those travelling with a hub dynamo prefer the Forum charger, followed by the Cycle 2 Charge USB charger. Interestingly, there are already some voices in favour of the SON Ladelux, which is only really available these days. I would wait for practical experience, but with the Ladelux, SON has a light including USB charger on offer that is definitely interesting in its compactness and performance.
Apart from the power bank and hub dynamo, the good old solar panel has also been able to gather some votes. I also used this from time to time when I was travelling by bike.
Luggage transport & bags
After all the components, we now come to the interesting topic of luggage transport. There are so many different ways and options that this survey can only cover part of it.
Let’s start at the back: with the pannier rack. For the majority, this is always or sometimes included. In recent years, after all the Bikepacking bag euphoria, the realisation that a pannier rack can sometimes make life easier and can also be stylish has become more widespread.
The majority favour the classics from Tubus, but Bikepacking solutions such as the Ortlieb Quick Rack and Tailfin Aeropack have also received many votes.
From time to time a carrier is also fitted to the front. And here too, Tubus is favoured, presumably mainly for the LowRider. However, there were also a few votes for the more Bikepacking-specific carriers from Allygn and Specialized.
When it comes to luggage transport, things get really wild. It’s best to see for yourself:
To summarise, it can be said that bikepacking predominates, pannier racks play a role in this and the classic touring bike setup is also included with 14%. This should also reflect the proportion of touring cyclists, even if they now like to mix things up a lot and put together the best of both worlds on their bikes. And that’s exactly how it should be – Bikepacking and travelling by bike are the same thing, they just differ in their approach.
Ortlieb is the clear leader when it comes to bag brands, followed by Apidura, Vaude and Tailfin. In any case, the range has become more diverse and DIY also has many fans.
Water & mudguards
Finally, two results of the survey from the ‘Good to know’ section:
Transporting water is an issue for many. Traditionally, bottles are mounted in the frame triangle, but many also use the down tube or fork to attach bottle cages. This is because sometimes the frame triangle is blocked by a bag and bottles no longer fit, especially on smaller frame sizes.
However, many also use hydration bladders or carry a water bladder (usually 1.5-2 litres) in the frame bag.
For most of those surveyed, fenders are not part of the bike, but 40% say they are. However, if fenders are fitted, then they are permanently mounted. Even if very close to mudguards in the distribution of votes.
In winter, I use a mudguard at the front and an Ass-Saver at the rear, but it only works semi-functionally.
That brings us to the end of the evaluation!
Thank you once again for your participation and attention. The next survey will probably follow in 2027.
Nice overview, little nitpick: BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd. (not British Small Arms)
You are right!