So I’m currently roasting in Tuscany on the Sram XX launch, but the opportunity of shade and internet access is too good to turn down. So here’s the speil and my first thoughts on Sram’s new offering.
So Sram XX is Sram’s first groupset consisting of Gears, Brakes and suspension. Fast shifting and saving weight are obviously the aim of a race orientated groupset and XX see’s the introduction of 2×10 to loose overlapping gears.
A nice touch is the use of Torx T25 bolts throughout making trailside adjustments simple.
Weights are:
Trigger shifter – 183g
Rear Derailleur – 181g
Cassette 208g
Cranks – 694g
Brakes – 291.5g
Cranks are available in either Pressfit 30 or GXP, with a Q factor of 165mm, and you can choose from 26-39/ 28-42 or 30-45 chainring combinations. The XX cassette has the option of 11-32 or 11-36. All that can be matched to a choice of Sid XX, Reba XX or Revelation XX with the addition of X-Loc hydraulic lockout that integrates into the lever using Sram’s MatchMaker X adapters.
At least there’s only a short walk to the Tech truck..
Rotor is six bolt with a DTSwiss XX adapter
So how does it ride?
Well we’ve just been out for a two and a half hour ride with plenty of ups and down in both fireroad and singletrack flavours. On rollercoaster sections and rocky climbs the gears have been flawless and I have to say that even for the non racer semi-reformed singlespeeder the spread of gears and ease of shifting make a lot of sense. There’s much less need to be cross shifiting front and back to maintain cadence on climbs and the shifting under pressure seems very good.
Obviously the conditions here aren’t to Britiain’s special standard and it’ll be interesting to see how the cutaway cassette copes and lasts in typical claggy conditions, but for now I’m in the convert camp. It makes sense.
i already know i cant afford it and i work in a bike shop 🙁
Grocer’s apostrophe’s.
xx integrated – didn’t work for shimano (sti), why should it work for sram ???
Its not like the shimano integrated where the shifter and lever is one piece. All it is is a single clamp for the shifter and the brake lever…and the fork controls.
SRAM already make a clamp that you can attach all the bits (X9 & X0)
I quite like it.
10 speed!
just a step closer to waving total farewell to good old relaible 7spd 🙁
10 speed. NO! Too many bad things. Not enough good!
I don’t see what issues people have with 9 speed. 10 speed should be fine- I already runa closer ratio block so the difference between gears at the back is tighter and less of a crude jump so a 10 speed with smaller jumps and more accurate gearing over a normal range can only be a good thing.
Pity it’s sram and is made up of lots of ideas stolen from XTR when it got it’s big overhaul in 2003.
I’ve run ten speed on my cross bikes for three seasons in far muddier conditions than I’d ‘want’ to ride my MTB in and can honestly say I’ve never missed a gear.
silly, silly, whats the point?
[i]silly, silly, whats the point?[/i]
Marketing, progress, evolution.. a cynic would say it’s just to sell groupsets, and that’s a fair point.. but I remember a similar “what’s the point” fuss from 7 to 8 speed and from 8 to 9.
It’s pretty kit, it’s bling, it’s expensive, it gets the brand known and lusted after and I really, really like the look of those cranks 🙂
Evolution seems on the money.
I’m liking the ease of climbs with 2×10, seems like an obvious choice that loses a lot of front/back shifting to maintain pace/rhythm.
If anyone’s got any questions they want asking, fire away. I’ll be checking again before dinner tonight.
Is the chain narrower, or the freehub wider?
T25 to make trailside adjustments simple?
Sounds like an extra tool to carry to me.
Many multitools these days have a T25 on them.
Dave, is that a push-button Pop Loc then?
Put me down for a gruppo please. 🙂
It’s a hydraulic lockout, there’s photos floating around of forks with one fitted.
The00: the freehub’s the same, it’s closer spaced cassettes, like on the road.
As most multi-tools come with allen keys (not all come with T25 adapter) – it doesn’t really make trailside repairs easy…in fact I don’t use a T25 on any bits on my bike so I’d be stuffed (although I’m not convinced of 10-spd in use – the idea is great, but an even wider spread of gears at the back (unless it takes up the same space as an 8- or 9-speed block is still going to rely on serious chain bending in the extremes). Like the idea just not sold on the practical aspects of it.
Oh just read njee20’s reply…so it is the same spread, which means a narrower/thinner chain and even more ease of bending/snapping…unless it was bone dry I’m really not convinced about 10-spd for MTBing…
Right, I’m off back to my rock…