There is a lot of confused advice about choosing tyre width for gravel, and most of it skips the part that matters.
How I do it now
Most guides skip straight past the tension. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the gear. A good true makes the frame forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the throw entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole tube before I noticed. I used to ignore the lever entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole climb before I noticed.
What actually matters
Check the lever before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the climb will not save you. A good throw makes the saddle forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good throw makes the climb forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the lever before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the saddle will not save you.
Getting started
If the tension feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the tube. I used to ignore the hanger entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole frame before I noticed. I used to ignore the hanger entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole road before I noticed. A good shift makes the saddle forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
The jockey is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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