Gearing for Gravel Bike

[extremez]

I have 11 speed Tiagra levers and have just fitted an 11-50 rear sprocket with a 42 front.

I have fitted a Shimano 105 with an extender hanger bracket from Rapide, it does work but the chain slacks too much when back pedaling and the gear change is not  smooth through all of the gears. ( I know this is not meant to work and will be removed)

What rear derailleur will be best suited?

[MORNE]

42/11-50 is huge…that said, I made my wifes setup work with 105 11spd/ wooftooth tanpan/11-46T cassette and 40T up front. That setup will easily take 11-50. the closest direct drop in rear mech you could use is a GRX 810. I have one on 11-42/42. They are apparently only good up to 46T in the rear.

If it were me and I really wanted 11-50…

Wolftooth tan-pan( make your rosd shifters talk to mtb derailleur) , Deore M5100 SGS rear mech, 11-50 casette. The 5100 is s relatively cheap derailleur so that snd the 1k odd cost of the Tan-pan should equal the price of a SLX or something. 

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deore-m5100/RD-M5100-SGS.html

evo bikes can get you a Tan-pan. They are about R900 ish.

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/tanpan

m5100 price:

https://www.cwcycles.co.za/product/shimano-deore-5100-sgs-1x11-rear-derailleur-10-51t

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by MORNE

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

Plus one for GRX mentioned above. It should work (in theory)

[Mongoose!]

7 hours ago, extremez said:

I have 11 speed Tiagra levers

 

Latest Tiagra (4800 series) is 10 speed and not 11 speed...

[MORNE]

2 hours ago, Mongoose! said:

 

Latest Tiagra (4800 series) is 10 speed and not 11 speed...

 

[christovdw]

Running a GRX 400 drivetrain with rapide extender on an 11-46 (10 spd) cassette with a 42T in the front. Works quite well.

Edited March 23, 2022 by christovdw