Shimano’s new GRX range is a whole new adventure ecosystem

Words - James Raison

Straight out of left field comes a completely new groupset and component ecosystem from Shimano aimed at the exploding gravel and adventure market. This isn’t just one groupset, it’s three: RX800, RX600, and RX400 - all with different options within each groupset. OH MY FLIPPIN HECK there’s so much to cover so let’s dive in!

Here’s the very simple overview of what Shimano has announced here:

RX800 Electronic and RX600 mechanical 11 speed groupsets in 1x and 2x
RX400 2x10 mechanical groupset
Multiple rear derailleur options that can take up to 42t
New chainring sizes aimed at adventure riding
Very talented shifters with ergonomics designed for better grip and brake modulation
No new freehub or bottom bracket standards (hell yeahhhhh!)
New tubeless wheels

CRANKS

Top left: FC-RX810-1 comes in 40 or 42t options
Top right: FC-RX810-2 comes with 48-31t rings
Bottom left: FC-RX600-1 comes in 40t only
Bottom right: FC-RX600-2 comes with 46-30 chainrings
The 2x10 groupset uses the RX600 cranks
All cranks come with 165, 170, 172.5, and 175mm options.

11 SPEED REAR DERAILLEURS

Top left: RD-RX817 - 1x11 Di2 for 11-40 to 11-42 cassettes
Top right: RD-RX815 - 2x11 Di2 for 11-30 to 11-34 cassettes
Bottom left: RD-RX812 - 1x11 mechanical for 11-40 to 11-42 cassettes
Bottom right: RD-RX810 - can be used as 1x11 and 2x11 mechanical for 11-30 to 11-34 cassettes

11 SPEED FRONT DERAILLEURS

FD-RX815 Di2
FD-RX810 mechanical

The new GRX front derailleurs have been been designed to give extra clearance to wider tyres. They’re 2.5 mm further outboard than other Shimano derailleurs meaning they’ll only work with GRX cranks. It also means other Shimano front derailleurs can’t be used with GRX.

2x11 SHIFTERS

ST-RX815 Di2 and ST-RX810 mechanical levers above are the double drivetrain shifters. There wasn’t a right handed ST-RX810 in the provided media resources but for 2x setups it’ll likely resemble the left pictured above. They’ve been designed for greater grip and brake modulation. Interestingly, the ST-RX815 does not come with a 1x option. Instead the left lever buttons can be re-programmed for different shifting commands or to operate bike computers. Given the option, I’d likely program both left buttons to down-shift and both right buttons to up-shift so you can flail madly and guarantee the shift you want.

1X LEFT SHIFTER OPTIONS

BL-RX810 (left) and BL-RX600 (right) - dedicated brake levers with no shift internals. There will be some left play in the lever to prevent damage when crashing.
ST-RX810-LA (middle) - now this is interesting! This lever is designed to control externally routed dropper posts. To make it work, the shift cable head must be located at the shifter and the dropper post must be able to clamp the cable.

10 SPEED DERAILLEURS

RD-RX400 - for 11-32 up to 11-36 cassetttes
FD-RX400 - for 46-30 chainrings on the RX600 10 speed crank

BRAKES

Left: BR-RX810
Right: BR-RX400

COMPATIBILITY

Curious how this all fits together? Well Shimano have put together some handy dandy charts.

2X GROUPSETS

1X11 GROUPSETS

WHEELS - WH-RX570

Shimano’s GRX wheelset will be offered in both 700c and 650b sizes. It looks like they have a bog-standard Shimano 11-speed freehub which is great news in the current climate of new proprietary standards for everything (shakes fist at SRAM).

They’re also 21.6 mm internally, tubeless ready, centrelock disc, andasymmetrical to shed dirt and crub.