tag
Microshift Sword Black sounds expensive, but it’s actually a more affordable version of the original Sword gravel group. Microshift’s intent with Sword Black is to fill its product line and reach more riders by offering an even more attainable price point. Let’s check it out below…
When modern wide-range cassettes first hit the market, it was the giant 50-tooth (and now 52-tooth) cogs that grabbed all the headlines. But 1X drivetrains arguably wouldn’t have taken over if it weren’t for the 10-tooth cog down at the other end of the stack. That’s how brands can claim their 500, 510 and 520-percent gear ranges. Still, it wasn’t enough for e*thirteen. They introduced a lineup of cassettes with 9-tooth cogs, allowing for lighter, more compact setups with as much as 556-percent range.
And then, earlier this year, they introduced a 12-speed cassette that spanned from 9 teeth to 52 teeth, netting a 578-percent range. Travis Engel had to get his hands on one, but not for his mountain bike. He wanted it for his multi-headed beast of a gravel, touring and bikepacking bike. Range is king if you can’t (or won’t) run a front derailleur. But is one less tooth worth bowing down to?
MicroSHIFT’s new Sword group came into Travis Engel’s life at the perfect moment. He had been noticing that his Ratio-12-speed-converted SRAM Force shift quality would degrade quickly, as the cable housing wore and friction increased. It’s a sad side-effect of the Ratio conversion’s decreased cable pull per-shift. Also, the hydraulic brakes had too much dead stroke for Travis’ discerning index fingers. He was looking for something new. That’s when, like the sexy stranger disrupting a rom-com protagonist’s unhappy European vacation, microSHIFT Sword bumped into Travis with a very timely meet-cute.
Ingrid Components, makers of made in Italy components, just announced their complete 1x drivetrain system. It’s one of the most stunning kits we’ve seen and it comes at a premium pricepoint, but based on our hands-on experience with the brand’s components, it’s gonna be good. Check out the breakdown below and ordering information at Biciclista USA.
It’s inundating to keep up with cycling’s technological advancements yet if one development has shifted the paradigm for drivetrains in the past few years, it’s SRAM’s AXS system. While the kit is a dreamy riding experience, the price can be daunting, and that alone is a major reason why many people haven’t had the chance to ride it. Yet, as with all cycling tech, it tends to trickle down like alluvium in the desert.
The new GX Eagle AXS rolled downhill and right into my lap recently, so I decided to put it on the Sklar touring bike because why not? Check out the unveiling below with some initial thoughts on the system and a component breakdown with pricing/availability…
Rene Herse knows many people enjoy the simplicity of a 1x setup and they also know that square taper bottom brackets allow for fine chainline adjustment, something modern 1x cranks do not offer. These are the reasons for their new 1x cranks. A 113mm BB will give you the same chainline as modern road cranks. If you need extra room because your bike has very wide chainstays, go to a 116 mm spindle, or even wider, all the way to 126 mm. These options will keep your chainline happy and minimize wear and tear on your components.
It doesn’t stop there. These cranks come in a dedicated 1x setup or cranks that can run a 2x or 3x rings as well.
See all the info at René Herse.
Hydraulic shifting? 13 speeds? What in tarnation?
That’s what was going through my head when I first saw Rotor’s 13-speed drivetrain kit at Sea Otter last year. The 1×13 kit is a follow up to Rotor’s Uno 2x groupset from four years ago. Like the Uno, the 1×13 uses hydraulically-actuated shifting for a groundbreaking industry first. As you might imagine, this tech is pricey, and probably not for everyone, myself included, but over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed riding it on this beautiful titanium chassis by none other than Merlin Bikes. Check out a full review of Rotor’s 1×13 and the Merlin Sandstone Gravel bike below.
To up the ante on their consumer-direct OB1 all road bike, Thesis is now offering two AXS build options. You can now order an OB1 with the “mullet” configuration, an Eagle rear mech and cassette mated with road shifters, or with AXS 2x setup. These bikes ship 90% built and ready to ride, with a variety of build options, direct to your door.
Pricing on the new AXS builds comes in at $4,999 for the AXS 1x or $5,199 for AXS 2x.
See more details at Thesis.
