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Rivalries between component manufacturers are ongoing. When SRAM introduced XX1 a few years back, they made quite the stir yet die hard Shimano loyalists were still uninterested. For people like Kris at 44 Bikes, riding as many different setups as possible helps him better understand his client’s needs, which is why he took a look at XX1 versus XTR on his site. Head over to 44 Bikes to check it out.
Yes. $19.99 narrow-wide MTB rings from SRAM. 1x setups just got a lot more affordable for 28t, 30t and 32t applications.
They are compatible with all SRAM 1x cranks (DM and 94BCD cranks) although the
DM 28-tooth ring is not compatible with 30mm cranks that require a 0mm offset ring and you must use SRAM chain to keep warranty.
That’s it. Plain and simple…
Oh my god. I don’t know what is my favorite part of this video, the riding or the sounds coming from Connor’s tires as they hook up. So good.
I love the direct mount chainring interface and I love SRAM’s cranks, so when Wolf Tooth offers up a tasty 38t option, with a 40t and 42t on the way, It’s hard to say no. I raced all last cross season on a 40t Wolf Tooth ring but would gladly take a direct mount for this season… Check out more at Wolf Tooth.
SRAM ups the flow ante with Troy Brosnan as he blasts through some wicked steep trails with ease and style.
It’s not a cross bike, it’s a road bike with clearances for bigger tires. Sure it uses an ENVE disc cross fork, but the bottom bracket drop, chainstay length and angles are more in line with what many would categorize as a road bike. A road bike that likes to gobble up rugged and rutted roads.
The Bruce Gordon Rock n Road tires were the starting point for Ian at Icarus Frames to build Tyler his new all-road machine. He wanted hydro disc brakes and road gearing, which he may or may not swap out in the forthcoming months for a clutch and a wider range cassette. With a burnt orange paint and subtle Icarus branding on the downtube, Tyler’s bike has a confident stance without being overly gaudy. Keep it clean with the paint and get it nice and dirty…
Truth told, I’ve been wanting a bike like this for some time now and it was a pleasure being able to document it both for Icarus Frames and Tyler.
Thanks to Jonathan from Mellow Johnny’s for the build!
Luca Shaw is fresh out of highschool and yet he nailed a top 10 finish at the DH World Cup #2 in Fort William, Scotland. Stoked to see our friend Sven Martin with a cameo to boot.
The juxtaposition of classical music and long travel ripping isn’t common practice in the mountain bike world. Here, SRAM and the Coastal Crew pull it off really, really well.
If you’ve ever wanted more versatility in your cross bike, touring bike or all-road bike on a 1x platform, SRAM’s latest product venture might pique your interest. XX1’s original success has since trickled down on the mountain side to the ever affordable GX plaform and now, both Force and Rival offer 1x drivetrains to accompany CX1.
You can now run up to a 42t cassette on SRAM’s 1x road levers, provided your wheels are 135mm spaced with XD driver compatibility. Or, opt for the standard 11-speed 11-36 cassette. With a range of X-Sync chainrings, you can achieve a wide range on your road bike as well.
Personally, I’m pretty stoked to see this versatility now offered from SRAM and can’t wait to see what else is to come from 1x road offerings. For some reason, I can’t help but gravitate towards the idea of a 48t Chainring with a 11-42t setup…
Check out a few more photos below and see more at SRAM.
Back during cross nats, the guys from SRAM were in Austin, filming a video spot for their new GX mountain group. I pointed them to a bunch of my favorite trails to ride, with the caveat that it’s all pretty unnavigable. They took off, scouring the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Pace Bend and other trails for a ripping good time and here’s the final product. Locals will recognize a lot in here (like the top of Quarry) and it’s rad to see my favorite spots gets shredded.
Morgan, let’s go skid leaves, baby…
Also, as a bonus, read on below for some words by Morgan Meredith and photos by Adrin Marcoux from the trip.
SRAM’s revolutionary X-Sync technology has trickled down to a more affordable group. GX is their newest MTB group and it spans everything from a 1×11 with X-Sync ($564 USD trigger, $573 grip) to a 2×10 ($511 USD trigger) or 2×11 ($661 USD trigger, $677 grip). It’s an all-encompassing platform, for everyone, everywhere.
The 1×11 system will hit retail shops in July, with the 2×10 in June and 2×11 in August. Check out specs for the GX 1×11 with X-Sync below and see more details for the other offerings at SRAM.
SRAM has been making moves in their Guide brake lineup and have just introduced a new tier. As the pinnacle in SRAM’s brake technology, the Guide Ultimate has a completely new, 4-piston S4 caliper, SwingLink lever cam, and carbon lever blade, resulting in a 360-gram system. If you end up having to bleed the brakes, that task is easier with the Bleeding Edge system.
I’ve been riding the Guide RSC on my Black Cat hardtail for a few weeks and absolutely love them. More on that to come. For now, see more specs on the Guide Ultimate at SRAM and holler at your local dealer for pricing. The Guide Ultimate launches in May.
Contrary to popular belief, you can shred a 29r – even a XC race-ready 29r. Those big wheels have a bit of a stigma attached to them and while they may not be as flickable as popular opinion would suggest, there’s a lot to be said about a lightweight rig being just as happy on flat as it is with a bit of rubber side up action.
Santa Cruz has kind of neglected their Highball over the years, not intentionally, but with the popularity of their Nomad, Bronson and even the Tallboy, they’ve been busy working on their all-mountain and trail bikes, while leaving the Highball sitting in the corner – void of dunce hat at least.
While the main silhouette of this bike reads the same – hey, it’s a hardtail, how different can it really be? – the Highball got a revamp from the ground up, including a new 27.5 wheelsize – more on that to come. For now, let’s just look at the 29r…
Rival is one of the most affordable road groups on the market, without sacrificing performance or style. As we saw with the Saila titanium cross build, it doesn’t distract from the bike, yet with 11 speed control, you still get the same precision as the higher end groups. Check out this quick spot showcasing it on a disc road and see more on Rival at SRAM.
PR&D is essential in making some of the best products on the market and it’s something SRAM takes seriously. Check out the latest, entitled New Found Speed. Here’s the story:
“Jon Cancellier has managed the BlackBox Program for the past 7 seasons. This includes choosing the athletes, working with them on custom projects, as well as being at the races to make sure that they have everything they need. An athlete on the SRAM BlackBox Program has access to all the engineering horsepower that we have to offer and Jon is the link between racer and company. Earlier this year he travelled to Finale Ligure, Italy with 2013 Enduro World Series Champion Jerome Clementz to test wheels.
Today we are proud to give everyone a behind the scenes look at this unique and truly exclusive testing process for a BlackBox athlete.”
See more at SRAM.
Things are just better blackened. Case in point, the new SRAM XX1 black group. All that tonal range, minus the red and white accents. Sure to bring a reign of darkness to your most sinister steed, or something. Also as a new addition to the XX1 line, SRAM has a neat little plate that takes the place of your old front mechanism, as well as carbon crank boots to protect the ends of your crank arms.
See more in-depth specs and information at SRAM.
SRAM’s X-SYNC™ rings just got more versatile, with the announcement of the new Direct Mount option. With options from 26t all the way to 40t, these 1x rings will fit on any MTB bike in your stable.
Check out the full press-release below and more information at SRAM.
Yes, it’s true… CX1 is the best cross group I’ve ever used and yeah, it’ll save your life.
