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Room For One Less: An e*thirteen Helix Race 9-52 12-Speed Cassette Review

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Room For One Less: An e*thirteen Helix Race 9-52 12-Speed Cassette Review

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?

The Hero We Need: A microSHIFT Sword 1x Drivetrain Review

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The Hero We Need: A microSHIFT Sword 1x Drivetrain Review

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.

Technological Alluvium: SRAM Wireless Tech Rolls Downhill into GX Eagle AXS

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Technological Alluvium: SRAM Wireless Tech Rolls Downhill into GX Eagle AXS

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…

René Herse 1x Cranks

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René Herse 1x Cranks

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.

1×13 Shifting with Rotor on the Merlin Bikes Sandstone Gravel Bike

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1×13 Shifting with Rotor on the Merlin Bikes Sandstone Gravel Bike

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.

Thesis Updates the OB1 with SRAM AXS 1x and 2x Kits

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Thesis Updates the OB1 with SRAM AXS 1x and 2x Kits

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.