It would have been uncommon to find a cassette as large as SRAM’s Eagle 10-50 a few years ago. Alex Evans I splashed out on nicer wheels (Shimano RS21) which seem to be wearing at an astonishing rate - next bike is disk based.

I also have to make do with a 10-speed triple chainset as there are no 11-speed triples now. Happily it works fine with an 11-speed chain. Other than that, 4 sets of brake pads, 3 tyres so far (Hutchinson Equinox from new which were scary then Michelin Lithion 2 25c which are much better) and bar tape. Still on the same chainrings, BB, front mech. In the last couple of years, Shimano has introduced 11-34 cassettes at Tiagra, 105 R7000, and Ultegra R8000 levels, so the old 105 5800 is now the only enthusiast-level groupset you're likely to find on a new bike that doesn't officially work with 11-34, and there's not much 5800 left on bikes in the shops. You can always upgrade the rear mech to R7000. On the mountain bike side, Shimano uses its Microspline freehub standard for its 12-speed Deore, SLX, XT and XTR groupsets. Part of Shimano’s forward-thinking R7100 series, this road cassette comes kitted out with durable steel cogs and an aluminium spider for maximum strength and reliability. This 12 speed model also features an 11-34T ratio, which makes it ideal for everything from sprinting on the flat to climbing steep inclines on your road bike. Its refined 12-step gear combination also ensures excellent efficiency, so none of your effort is wasted. You’ll experience faster, smoother shifts under maximum torque (pedalling force) and shifts so smooth you’ll barely notice them, whether you’re biking uphill, downhill or rolling on the flats. Compatible with both Shimano 11 and 12 speed freehub bodies, this cassette is a versatile choice of upgrade for conquering your next road journey. 12 Speed Cassette with Hyperglide Technology

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You will need a long-cage derailleur if you want to use an 11-34t cassette on a road bike. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media Shimano's SPD-SL system is well-established, and the PD-R7000 pedal is an incremental development over the last incarnation. The new design of the carbon fibre reinforced resin pedal body has managed to shave a bit of weight, though; the weight is down 25g to 265g, only 17g more than the Ultegra pedals. There's a big range of tension available, so you can be securely or loosely held to your bike depending on your preference. The SPD-SL system is my personal favourite for road cycling, but different pedals suit different folks. The pedals come shipped with SM-SH-11 (yellow) cleats, which have 6° of float. There are two other options: blue, with 2° of float, and red, with no float at all. SRAM XDR road cassettes are 1.85mm wider than SRAM XD MTB cassettes. With a spacer, you can run an XD cassette on a road wheel with an XDR body, but you can’t use an XDR cassette on an XD freehub. Mountain bike versus road cassettes

Gravel bikes are best viewed as a crossover between a road and mountain bike. As such, it’s normal to see them specced with either a road or mountain bike cassette. For example, SRAM boasts a 520 per cent range with its 10-52t cassettes. How has SRAM arrived at this figure, and how do you work out your gear range percentage?The very latest versions of Shimano's Ultegra and 105 GS rear derailleurs will actually handle an 11-40 cassette, which opens up a range of possibilities for gravel bikes, touring bikes, and any other situation where you're not in a hurry. The rear derailleur is completely new for 105, moving over to Shimano's Shadow technology that's come over to the road from the mountain bike groupsets. The mechanism is significantly more compact than the previous mech, meaning that the derailleur doesn't protrude so far outside the frame (33mm, as opposed to 45mm). This means it's better protected in the event of a crash. The new derailleur is available in two cage lengths; the shorter SS mech is for cassettes up to 11-30T, and the GS has a claimed maximum of 11-34T (although in reality it'll handle a lot more). The new design is compatible with direct mount frames, although there aren't many of those in the road sector right now. I've been through 4 chains. SRAM 951 is my usual - yes it's 9 speed, not 8 but IME it cures rubbing on the front mech on a triple. SRAM’s eTap AXS XPLR groupsets are designed specifically for gravel riding. SRAM XPLR cassettes have a range of 10-44 and require their own compatible rear derailleur. It is also possible to mix and match drop bar shifters with mountain bike Eagle eTap AXS components if you want an especially wide-range 1x build. SRAM dubs this a ‘mullet’ setup. Where an 11-28 would have been considered an ‘easy’ training cassette a few short years ago, the smallest cassette available for a Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 is an 11-28. That might not sound like much but, when you consider pro riders would typically ride on 11-23 or 11-25 cassettes, it’s a sizeable difference.

Shimano, for example, uses a system it calls Hyperglide, which is engineered to provide smooth shifting. Its latest cassettes have a newer system called Hyperglide+, which Shimano says reduces shifting time by up to a third relative to Hyperglide, and improves shifting performance under power, up and down the cassette. Both 105 and Ultegra are 11-speed systems. 105 cassettes (above) are available in 11-28-tooth, 11-30, 11-32, 11-34 and 12-25 options. Ultegra is available in all of those plus 11-25 and 14-28. There’s no reason why you can’t use an Ultegra cassette with an otherwise 105 groupset, or vice versa. Finally, the 'styling' of the chainrings is just that, since all the hollow chainsets are made with a solid inner casting glued to a thin pressed alloy outer shell, so it's only styling as the structure is in the inner casting. So they could have made them all match and mix nicely, but they deliberately chose to make them different, to restrict interchange.

Bike Cassette

The derailleur cage has also been updated, although this part isn’t a straight port from the Di2 version – with the mechanical cage appearing to have more material cut from the outer plate, perhaps shaving off a few more grams. You’ll also have to alter the position of your front mech and get yourself a new chain (or at least shorten your existing chain). I'd also mention that there are sub-compact set ups that use mountain bike sized chainrings and touring chainsets (some very high end, like the TA Carmina and Middleburn X-type) and even Shimano's mountain bike chainsets. At the budget end, the Stronglight Impact chainsets offer doubles and triples with very useful combinations of chainrings.