Interbike Vendor Spotlight: SRAM XX
SRAM’s new mountain bike group is a huge lead forward in technology and integration for the cross country crowd
If sweeping the podium at the recent MTB World Championships is any indication, SRAM’s XX mountain bike group is an unqualified success. The XX group represents the first complete mountain bike that the company has ever produced and includes components from SRAM, Rock Shox, Truvativ and Avid all working in concert to create a revolution in mountain biking.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, SRAM’s XX group is a 2×10 gear format group for cross country. SRAM took a close look at competitive cross country courses and the gear ranges that their pros were using and saw an opportunity to do something new. Over two years and across eight countries, they pulled together a team of over 80 people to work on the development of this group.
Let’s start with the gearing. The 2×10 gear format offers a better range of gears than a 2×9 setup and is as good as a 3×9 format. Obviously, there are weight savings from losing a chainring, but using two rings also facilitates the creation of additional shift points that lead to speedier shifts and fewer chances for the chain to jump.
The XX crank weighs in at a light 694 grams in BB30 format, but that does mean that it is wimpy. It utilizes some of the world’s most advanced material science for strength and the chainrings are machined out of blanks that are 2mm thicker than most rings. An increased bolt center diameter and carbon composite construction also contribute to the stiffness. Finally, SRAM modified the crankarm shape to reduce the Q factor to 156mm, bringing it much closer to what you’d find on a road bike.
The group also features the XX Cassette. This cassette is made with the same revolutionary machining process that is used on SRAM’s RED Powerdome road cassette. For mountain bikers, the result is an incredibly lightweight, precise and strong cassette that aids in mud clearance.
The rear derailleur borrows some technology from RED as well, featuring a carbon fiber cage and Exact Actuation shifting for crisp and immediate shifts. The cage length of the unit is also optimized to work with the 2×10 drivetrain.
Up in the rider cockpit, SRAM also worked hard to optimize human/machine interaction. The Matchmaker X clamping system allows you to combine the shifter, brake lever and fork lockout switch in one area, taking up about a third of the space that other systems require. the shifter itself is one of the lightest and most compact ever created, featuring a fully adjustable carbon fiber lever. The XX brake lever also features a carbon fiber lever blade along with a magnesium body.
Additionally, only SRAM can integrate their Rockshox line of forks into a complete group. The advantage here is that the group completely integrates the XLOC remote suspension control right into the Matchmaker clamp.
Finally, showing some real “system” thinking, the entire group can be installed and adjusted with one tool – a TORX T25 driver.
The group is available now. Retail price should be right around $2400, not including the fork.
Tags: Interbike, mountain bike, mountain biking, SRAM, sram matchmaker, sram xx cassette, sram xx crank, technology, World ChampionshipsRelated Posts:
For the latest in cycling news be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed .
Comments, questions, suggestions? Use our contact page to let us know.
Tags: Interbike·mountain bike·mountain biking·SRAM·sram matchmaker·sram xx cassette·sram xx crank·technology·World Championships
Leave your response!
You must be logged in to post a comment.