SHIMANO GRX Review

I reviewed GRX on a Canyon Demo bike that was loaned to me at no charge. You can shop for GRX via my Competitive Cylist affiliate link here:

https://competitivecyclist.g39l.net/c/2360598/370726/5416

I only recently discovered the world of purpose built gravel bikes, and it’s been a complete revelation. I rode both versions of the Canyon Grail alongside a Pinarello Grevil and I even owned an Allied Alfa All-road for a while. And, probably the best part of my discovery has been that I can plan routes on these bikes that would result in dead end after dead end on even a traditional road bike with wide tires.

But, the frame’s only one-third of the equation. You also have to choose the right wheels and you DEFINITELY can’t roll up and rip down some of the more challenging fire roads in your backyard without the right gearing, instant responsiveness from the drivetrain, and impeccable braking. And as I learned from the Canyon Hoverbar, the interface between your hands and the bars is another big variable in the gravel bike equation.

Look - riding off road on a basically rigid bike with tires that are half as wide as my mountain bike’s can easily turn into a real death march, complete with a rattling chain as a rhythm section.

And that’s where GRX kinda...comes to the rescue. As long as I can remember, Shimano has ALWAYS looked to their venerable mountain bike group, XTR, as the testbed for what comes next on the road, and in my eyes there were always some big leaps from one to the other. GRX is really the ultimate hybrid of my beloved Dura Ace group and XTR.

The first thing you *visually* notice is the levers. If you look at the profile alongside Dura Ace or SRAM - they’re VERY different. And then, when you look at the forward angle - the difference becomes very striking - almost like comparing a duck’s bill to a platypus’ bill. AAND, when you wrap your hands around the GRX levers for the first time they feel VERY unlike any lever you’ve ever used. The cross section of the hood is really beefy, the rubber hood itself is thicker, and feeling the wide, flat surface area of the brake lever is a bit weird at first.

But...then you notice the rubberized anti-slip coating, and the completely new ergonomics and it kinda starts to make sense - you get the same top-tier shifting control as their high end road systems, but they REALLY leveled up the amount of control you get in mixed terrain. Seriously - these levers are the real centerpiece of the group - the lever blades are easy to find when the road’s rough, and because there’s nearly twice the surface area as their road levers, you can still perfectly modulate the brakes...which are also sublime. It’s an undisputed fact that nobody does hydraulic brakes better than Shimano and GRX is no exception. Combined with a set of ICE rotors, there’s just nothing more confidence inspiring.

So, the other third of the equation is the drivetrain and gearing. We’ve already talked about shifting quality, so let’s address gear ratios. There’s 1 by and 2 by options available but I rode the 48/31 double with an 11/36 cassette, and even though it’s a 17t gap this mechanical group shifted flawlessly EVERY TIME. I was also surprised by the stiffness of the crank, and I used the 31 a LOT more than I thought I would - it’s seriously a low enough gear to ride on some of your favorite super-steep singletrack, but because they’ve optimised it to work across the whole cassette I never felt like I was over or under-geared. And, of course, I got to use a derailleur with a clutch for the first time...I wouldn’t call it life-changing, but on a super long, extra bumpy ride like maybe Dirty Kanza I can certainly see why it’s beneficial.

So, the big question i kept asking myself was where the road vs. gravel inflection point would be...what I mean is...when should TRULY consider GRX. Well, I say whether you’re building a full-bore gravel eater or a one-bike quiver killer I think GRX is a solid choice. And, if I were to try to identify an inflection point between GRX and say Ultegra, It might be as low as spending more than 30-40% of your time riding that bike in the dirt. It’ll definitely enhance your handling off road, and it won’t slow you down ON the road.

Now, before I go I just want to say that Shimano had nothing to do with this review - this was all me. I simply felt so moved by the quality of the group that I had to put something together and share it. Also, If you’re thinking about picking one up or you want to take a closer look at the specs, do me a favor and click the link in the description - it’ll direct you to a familiar place - I’m happy to say I just signed up for the Competitive Cyclist Afilliate program, and I think you’ll agree it’s a great place to research (and make) your next purchase. And who knows - if I drive enough traffic their way, maybe they’ll send us a promo code!