Ultegra mods for gravel

[bobrayner]

I don't think the Sram 11-36 was really meant for gravel riding but if you like it then that's great for you.

The 11-13 jump never bothered me either, but the SRAM 11-36 was common on CX bikes and it naturally entered that end of the gravel market when it emerged (and mullet gears covered the other end of the market). I've been very happy with the SRAM 11-36 on gravel.

[NickJHP]

Officially the GRX derailleurs aren't any better. RD-RX812 can clear larger cassettes, but as it is intended for 1x use only it does not have any increased chain wrap capacity. Still I do believe people have been using it for 2x with decent results…

I'm using a GRX 810 RD with a Goatlink and that copes fine with an 11-40 cassette plus two chainrings up front. You should be able to use a Goatlink with the Ultegra RD.

[ooo]

sunrace have 11-36t cassette 11-12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36 that is more smooth than sram 11-36 and shimano 11-34
it is not expensive, but it wears out quickly. topic link - comparison of 11-36t 11s cassette
untested mod: replace small cogs with w/ shimano cogs 11-12-13-15-17-... to improve its life

my favorite ultegra rd mod for cx/gravel:
ultegra gs_body+ss_cage = works best for 1x setup (vs ultegra gs_body+gs_cage vs ultegra ss_body+ss_cage vs xt rd)
you can do offroad, clearance is huge, no chaindrops, no weight penalty, no clutch resistance, all you need is NW chainring