And, when gravel riding gained popularity, I never even considered running a 2x setup on my gravel bikes, convinced that less was more—especially in the muddy and wet conditions I typically ride in.

As part of the trip to Spring Valley, MN, I joined other journalists in racing the Almanzo 100 gravel race on an Allied Alfa All-Road bike equipped with the new Di2 Ultegra RX805 rear derailleur. By ...