With the proliferation of gravel and adventure road cycling, it was only natural that the company known for durability, long wear and stable precision would release the first component series dedicated to the physical requirements of rough terrain, but built with road concepts. Shimano's GRX 800 series 11-speed group offers both single and double chainring cranksets to couple with various rear derailleur options depending the gearing you require. The Shimano GRX FC-RX810-1 Crankset features the asymmetric 4-arm spider design found on Shimano's road groups, with stouter, more mountain bike inspired Hollowtech crankarms. The spider was built stronger as well, making the 4-bolt chainring options simpler and more cost effective.

Typical of Shimano, the bottom bracket spindle is the plated steel 24mm diameter Hollowtech II model, so it uses the same external threaded and PressFit bottom bracket options. This single ring model has a 49.7mm chainline and a Q-factor of 151mm. Shimano is offering the GRX FC-RX810-1 Crankset with either a 40 or 42 tooth chainring, in the normative 170, 172.5, 175 mm crank lengths. The ring itself is the forged and machined aluminum design, with hard anodizing on the teeth for greater durability and corrosion protection. The body of the ring is painted in the gray GRX scheme to match the crank arms. The ring tooth profile is the single ring specific Dynamic Chain Engagement, which ensures chain retention and protects the chain from damage. It is compatible with HG-EV 11-speed and HG-X11 Shimano chains.