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Not sure if this is old news but I've just noticed that Sram has brought/is bringing out a new greoupset with a single ring at the front and 11 at the back. What are your thought and opinions on this? It looks pretty cool but would it be practical for cross country riding if you not a pro?

So I recently put XX1 on my hard tail. I'm running a 32 front ring. I've been getting pain in my left knee after about 50km of riding and one of my buddies thinks its because the ratio is so large. He figures its causing me to grind up the climbs with too much for my knee to handle. I've been cycling for a while, mostly road, and have some good power. Riding elite this year. Thoughts? Could it be that the granny gear in my XX1 is too large and causing my knee pain? Would swapping to a standard 2x10 be the answer?

So I'm toying with the idea of converting my 29'er from 2x10 to 1x10 mainly because my crank is a bit hammered but quite like the idea of a 1x10 and don't often drop into the small ring anyway. I like the SRAM XX1 crankset, question is will it work OK with Shimano 10 speed cassette and RD? Cant see a reason why it wont but thought I'd put it out the the clever hubbers for some advise. I'd probably also need the XX1 chain? Any suggestions on other cranks I should look at?

Frans Grotepass, riding his BOOTH 650b raced to the podium in the half marathon at the SA Champs today at Hazyview. Frans races an all carbon BOOTH 650b with SRAM XX1 groupset, XX brakes, SID XX fork, ZTR Medallist wheels with Rocket Ron TL ready tyres. Bike weighs in at 8.31kg in race trim. Well done Frans!

http://www.bikeradar...es-to-11-34098/ SRAM XX1 prototype spotted - this one goes to 11 http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2012/05/24/1337856740662-1i2n16yr7v5y7-280-75.jpg We’d long heard rumblings of a new 11-speed mountain bike group coming from SRAM. We expected it to be an updated XX with a wider range that more closely replicated a conventional triple. Instead, SRAM have developed a progressive, dedicated, single-ring 11-speed group called XX1. The company hope it will change mainstream thinking in terms of mountain bike drivetrains. We happened to score an in-depth look at the prototype during our recent visit to SRAM’s European headquarters, where we got a lengthy sit-down with drivetrain product manager Chris Hilton. We also got to pedal the bits around a little, too. What is the XX1? SRAM aren’t pitching XX1 as having 11 speeds. Instead, they’re describing it as a 1x drivetrain that just happens to have 11 cogs out back. The heart of the XX1 concept is its ultra-wide, 10-42T cassette, which provides a generous 420 percent range. That still falls short of the XX’s rough 470 percent but it’s a big improvement over current 1x10 drivetrains that many riders already run. In essence, the XX1 cassette adds a gear on either end of a current XX cassette while retaining reasonable jumps in between. “We’re not trying to start an 11-speed war,” Hilton says. “A 1x11 war? Fine, but a 2x11 war isn’t beneficial to anybody.” SRAM also don’t intend for the XX1 to replace current 2x10 groups. Instead, they’re aiming it at trail and enduro riders who are often already strong enough to power a single-ring drivetrain. The target group often also place a major emphasis on chain retention and impact protection with dedicated guides and bashguards. Nonetheless, SRAM are fully expecting a smaller faction of forward-thinking cross-country riders to jump on board as well. As well as being simpler and more secure than the XX, the XX1 is also lighter. Target production groups are 200-300g relative to the ultra-light XX. “Almost all of that is from omission, not from anything getting lighter,” Hilton tells BikeRadar. So there shouldn’t be any drop in overall durability, either. Final pricing is still to be determined but SRAM plan to launch the XX1 later this summer. New cassette, new freehub body The XX1 cassette construction is very similar to that of XX, mostly machined from a single block of steel to form a hollow, domed structure. That dome is then capped with an aluminum innermost cog – in this case, one that’s much more dished than the one on XX. This also transfers all the drive torque to the splined freehub body. Instead of having the smallest cog as a separate bit, XX1’s 10-tooth cog is now integrated into the rest of the steel structure. Squeezing on a 10-tooth cog required some doing, as it’s too small in diameter to fit on a conventional freehub body. So, SRAM created a new ‘XD’ driver body that’s essentially a slight modification of what’s currently in use. The end where a conventional lockring would normally thread into is lopped off. And almost all the splines on the outside of the body are shaved smooth to leave a mostly bare cylinder. A Delrin-lined aluminum locking ‘tube’ replaces the conventional lockring. The ‘tube’ snaps into the inside of the 10-tooth cog but is otherwise free to rotate. Threads at the inner edge then match up to new threads added just outboard of the remaining freehub body splines. The Delrin lining is sized to provide a light press-fit on the freehub cylinder. When it’s all secured, the locking tube keeps everything firmly concentric on the freehub body, with no chance of cogs digging into its surface. It’s not very different to how a non-driveside SRAM GXP crank arm attaches to a bottom bracket spindle. Because all the freehub body modifications are restricted to the exterior, an XD body can be adapted to current hub designs with no changes to things like axles, bearings and spoke flange spacings. http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2012/05/24/1337856667749-wodp4wp08it2-670-70.jpg The XX1 cassette fits onto a modified XD cassette body For now, wheels will be available from SRAM and DT Swiss only. Hub spacing will remain unchanged at 135mm or 142mm. Licenses to other makes are under discussion, but given the prevalence of DT Swiss drivers in other companies’ wheels that should open things up to the likes of Specialized, Reynolds, Enve Composites right away. XX1’s 11-speed cog spacing will be unique to the group, however, and isn’t shared with 11-speed offerings from Shimano (more on that soon) or Campagnolo. Of course, there’s a dedicated 11-speed chain as well, with a slightly narrower external width. Inner plate spacing and roller width are unchanged from SRAM’s 10-speed chains, though. So wear supposedly isn’t adversely affected. Straight P derailleurs The XX1’s rear derailleur will signal a radical departure from current designs. With a conventional slant parallelogram the derailleur body simultaneously moves the cage in and out as well as up and down. But the XX1 will use a so-called “straight P” layout where the body only moves along the horizontal plane. It’s an idea Hilton admits has been floating around within SRAM for the past eight years but is only now seeing the light of day with the rise of 1x drivetrains. Hilton acknowledges that a straight parallelogram is counterintuitive. One would assume that the derailleur body should follow the contours of the cassette, but the XX1 cassette’s extreme gear range and tighter cog spacing necessitated a change in thinking. “Originally, the first prototype of this was built for a downhill bike,” Hilton says. “We built it because when bikes hit bumps, the derailleur absorbs the shock of that chain. So you hit a bump today and you’ve got your chain mass and your derailleur mass. It can actually activate the parallelogram and cause ghost shifting. If you add a clutch to that and you’ve really significantly stopped that force, you’ve actually added to the potential for ghost shifting. We’ve compensated for that [in current Type 2 rear derailleurs] by not decreasing our spring tension in derailleurs.” Because XX1 doesn’t rely on a slant parallelogram to control chain gap, the upper pulley is now hugely offset from the lower derailleur body knuckle. As the chain shifts across the range, more or less chain is wrapped around the cassette, pulling the cage fore and aft and the upper pulley up and down. XX1 will only be offered with a single 10-42T cassette ratio, so that upper pulley pivot offset could be precisely calculated to keep chain gap consistent across the entire range. “The chain gap is exactly the same in every single cog no matter what cog you’re in, even if you were to change the cassette, because it’s driven by the amount of free chain length,” explains Hilton. The XX1’s “straight P” design also means it will only work with a single-ring crank. Likewise, suspension designs with lots of chainstay growth could be problematic. Other details include an integrated cable pulley at the rear of the derailleur, just like on Avid’s long-defunct Rollamajig. This decreases cable friction. We expect production units to be built with cold-forged parallelogram plates and a carbon-fiber pulley cage. The 1x11 concept doesn’t require a huge re-engineering of shifters. Therefore, XX1 models will essentially be the same as current trigger and Grip Shift offerings, albeit with different badging, an extra click and specific internal spacing. No chainguide? XX1 was conceived as a single-ring drivetrain, allowing engineers to rethink the chainrings as well. Conventional 2x or 3x chainrings are designed with elaborately shaped teeth to improve shift performance. But this also affects ability to retain the chain on bumpy terrain. “As we make chainrings shift faster and smoother, we’re taking material away, making them more expensive, limiting their lifespan and potentially affecting chain retention capability,” says Hilton. “There's no question that making a chain shift makes a chain fall off.” As a result, XX1’s chainring teeth are unusually tall and quite squared-off, similar to those found on dedicated singlespeed rings. However, they’re also built with alternating tooth thicknesses that are syncronized with the gaps in the chain – slightly narrower to fit between inner chain plates, and wider to take advantage of the extra space between outer chain plates. Combined with XX1’s improved chainline, Hilton claims this improves chain retention to the point that you won’t need any sort of guide in most applications, while also slowing down wear and reducing drivetrain noise. Hilton admits that aggressive trail and enduro riders might still choose to run some sort of minimal upper guide, if only for peace of mind. “I like to say that chain retention is sort of like birth control – there are various levels of safety,” he quipped. “You could choose to use a full-on X0 DH guide with bash protection and a lower roller in addition to this whole system. But that would be like abstinence. http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2012/05/24/1337856740674-xgv9mcuxqwbt-670-70.jpg The XX1 drivetrain fits in well with the 'new school' of trail bike kit, which includes wide bars and short stems The synchronized design of the chainring teeth will limit the XX1’s chainring choices to even numbers. But the overall range is admirably broad – all the way from 28-38T. That variation will require a dedicated bolt circle diameter, but the spider will be shaped so that users won’t have to remove the cranks to swap rings. The production crank will feature hollow carbon-fiber arms and be offered in both narrow and wide stance widths (we’re guessing 156mm and 166mm, as for current XX cranks). 1x11 drivetrains: the bonuses Why go to all this trouble just to eliminate a chainring, though? Don’t current 2x10 systems already work well enough? That all depends on who you ask. It’s true that modern two-ring drivetrains work well. But they still can’t match the security of single-ring setups, which are increasingly finding favor in the mainstream marketplace, especially with more aggressive riders. If you need proof of that, just note the explosion of two-ring chainguide models in recent years. Moreover, single-ring drivetrains are simpler and lighter, as well as less confusing to newer riders. Hilton doesn’t refute the idea of eventually bringing the 1x11 concept to much lower price points. And XX1’s gearing range sounds generous enough to be useful for a wide swathe of riders. “As long as you choose your range properly, this type of system is applicable to a majority of people,” Hilton says. “It’s not intended to replace 2x10. Some people need a bigger range, and that’s fine – we still have 2x10. But if you’re Ross Schnell or various other people, this is a radically improved 1x10.” Hilton also points to the difficulties an OEM company can face in terms of getting front derailleurs to play nicely with the huge range of rear suspension designs. “Front derailleurs are limiting because there are so many choices,” Hilton says. “It’s limiting because of where you can move the wheel to, where the suspension pivots are placed, where the cable routing comes from – all those things are limitations to a drivetrain. Front derailleurs are one of the most expensive engineering and tooling costs on a bicycle, yet it’s the first place manufacturers go to cut money.” So why not use a 2x11 setup? Combined with that 10-42T cassette, such a drivetrain could easily replicate the full range of a traditional triple but with the advantages of a double. “2x11 is certainly feasible – it’s not impossible,” Hilton says, though he also adds that the cassette’s added width presents problems with chainline if more than one chainring is used. “11-speed is a by-product of wanting to make a wider-range cassette without funky steps in there. We want to sell it as a 1x drivetrain solution that just happens to have 11 gears. The eleventh gear becomes problematic because the overall spacing is now wider.” Could the XX1 concept be further expanded with a revamped HammerSchmidt or high-performance, internally geared setup, though? Hilton doesn’t rule out that possibility but says it’s not imminent. Either way, XX1 sounds awfully appealing on paper. And after a brief test ride inside SRAM’s Schweinfurt facility, in Germany, it certainly seems to work. We’ve been promised parts for testing in the near future so we’ll know for sure soon. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”…Edmund Burke

anybody got the XX1 groupset on their bike.if so, pro and cons please

An interesting read: Shimano’s Shifting Philosophy We were given a fresh explanation of Shimano’s drivetrain philosophy at the launch, which actually made sense. Shimano divides all available gear ratios into two groups: “Driving gears” and “Challenge gears.” Driving gears, in the case of a two-by or three-by transmission, are in the middle range of the cassette when the rider is in the big chainring. Challenge gears are for the steepest climbs, when the rider is forced to select the smaller chainrings and to use the larger three cogs of the cassette. In the case of a one-by drivetrain, Driving gears are the first eight cogs on the right-side of the cassette. Shimano professes that the smooth, 10-RPM jumps between shifts generated by its Rhythm Step, 11 by 40-tooth cassette, optimize the efficiency of the driving gears that we use most often for both climbing and pedaling on the flats. While the closer gear ratios of Shimano’s XTR cassette provide smaller steps between most of the gearing range, they cannot attain the higher top and bottom gears of SRAM’s XX1 10 by 42 cassette. To achieve a competitive spread, Shimano “strongly suggests” that XTR customers choose its two-chainring option. Before you whip out your calculators, the closest comparison that a Shimano XTR M9000 two-by drivetrain has to SRAM’s one-by is: Shimano 28 x 38-tooth chainrings, two-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 28/40 = 1.42:1 ratio. Highest gear 38/11 = 1:3.45 ratio. (22 gear selections) SRAM 30-tooth chainring, one-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 30/42 = 1.4:1 ratio. Highest gear 30/10 = 1:3 ratio. (11 gear selections) What the above chart demonstrates is how Shimano’s close-ratio two-by option provides a nearly identical gearing spread when compared to a SRAM XX1 one-by drivetrain. By switching to a 28-tooth chainring, the SRAM one-by drivetrain can also match Shimano’s 26 by 36 option, but Shimano also offers a third, 26 by 36 option for its two-by crankset that provides XTR customers a lower granny gear than SRAM can match (Shimano: Lowest gear 24/40 = 1.66:1 vs SRAM: Lowest gear 28/42 – 1.5:1). The bottom line is that Shimano’s choice for trail gearing is a two-by transmission, and it competes directly with SRAM’s one-by offerings. The customer’s choice is: “Do I want 22 shifts and a front derailleur, or do I want 11 shifts and no front derailleur?” What about Shimano’s One-By XTR Option? One-by customers can choose XTR chainrings between 30 and 36 teeth, but the narrower gearing spread of the 11 x 40, eleven-speed cassette means that riders may need to keep a couple of chainrings in their toolbox to match their gearing to the task at hand. Calculating out Shimano XTR’s lowest-available, 30-tooth-chainring option fetches a low gear of 1.33:1 and a high of 1: 2.73. Compare those figures with the options from SRAM and Shimano that we covered earlier in this segment, and they indicate that hills will be harder to climb, or you will probably be spun out on the flats. Shimano’s one-by gearing options are clearly intended for racers and stronger riders who will probably choose the biggest chainring that they can comfortably push and then suffer with whatever low gear is left when the big climbs arrive. What this says, and its from Shimano themselves, is that their "One-By XTR " option is not anywhere near what SRAM can offer. The 10 x 42 option with SRAM makes more sense vs 11 x 40 from Shimano....unless you like suffering!! this tells me that SRAM is the only option for a single chainring as their spread is better. Shimano still needs two up front or you buy extra Chain rings to swop out if the ride is challenging

An interesting read: Shimano’s Shifting Philosophy We were given a fresh explanation of Shimano’s drivetrain philosophy at the launch, which actually made sense. Shimano divides all available gear ratios into two groups: “Driving gears” and “Challenge gears.” Driving gears, in the case of a two-by or three-by transmission, are in the middle range of the cassette when the rider is in the big chainring. Challenge gears are for the steepest climbs, when the rider is forced to select the smaller chainrings and to use the larger three cogs of the cassette. In the case of a one-by drivetrain, Driving gears are the first eight cogs on the right-side of the cassette. Shimano professes that the smooth, 10-RPM jumps between shifts generated by its Rhythm Step, 11 by 40-tooth cassette, optimize the efficiency of the driving gears that we use most often for both climbing and pedaling on the flats. While the closer gear ratios of Shimano’s XTR cassette provide smaller steps between most of the gearing range, they cannot attain the higher top and bottom gears of SRAM’s XX1 10 by 42 cassette. To achieve a competitive spread, Shimano “strongly suggests” that XTR customers choose its two-chainring option. Before you whip out your calculators, the closest comparison that a Shimano XTR M9000 two-by drivetrain has to SRAM’s one-by is: Shimano 28 x 38-tooth chainrings, two-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 28/40 = 1.42:1 ratio. Highest gear 38/11 = 1:3.45 ratio. (22 gear selections) SRAM 30-tooth chainring, one-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 30/42 = 1.4:1 ratio. Highest gear 30/10 = 1:3 ratio. (11 gear selections) What the above chart demonstrates is how Shimano’s close-ratio two-by option provides a nearly identical gearing spread when compared to a SRAM XX1 one-by drivetrain. By switching to a 28-tooth chainring, the SRAM one-by drivetrain can also match Shimano’s 26 by 36 option, but Shimano also offers a third, 26 by 36 option for its two-by crankset that provides XTR customers a lower granny gear than SRAM can match (Shimano: Lowest gear 24/40 = 1.66:1 vs SRAM: Lowest gear 28/42 – 1.5:1). The bottom line is that Shimano’s choice for trail gearing is a two-by transmission, and it competes directly with SRAM’s one-by offerings. The customer’s choice is: “Do I want 22 shifts and a front derailleur, or do I want 11 shifts and no front derailleur?” What about Shimano’s One-By XTR Option? One-by customers can choose XTR chainrings between 30 and 36 teeth, but the narrower gearing spread of the 11 x 40, eleven-speed cassette means that riders may need to keep a couple of chainrings in their toolbox to match their gearing to the task at hand. Calculating out Shimano XTR’s lowest-available, 30-tooth-chainring option fetches a low gear of 1.33:1 and a high of 1: 2.73. Compare those figures with the options from SRAM and Shimano that we covered earlier in this segment, and they indicate that hills will be harder to climb, or you will probably be spun out on the flats. Shimano’s one-by gearing options are clearly intended for racers and stronger riders who will probably choose the biggest chainring that they can comfortably push and then suffer with whatever low gear is left when the big climbs arrive. What this says, and its from Shimano themselves, is that their "One-By XTR " option is not anywhere near what SRAM can offer. The 10 x 42 option with SRAM makes more sense vs 11 x 40 from Shimano....unless you like suffering!! this tells me that SRAM is the only option for a single chainring as their spread is better. Shimano still needs two up front or you buy extra Chain rings to swop out if the ride is challenging

An interesting read: Shimano’s Shifting Philosophy We were given a fresh explanation of Shimano’s drivetrain philosophy at the launch, which actually made sense. Shimano divides all available gear ratios into two groups: “Driving gears” and “Challenge gears.” Driving gears, in the case of a two-by or three-by transmission, are in the middle range of the cassette when the rider is in the big chainring. Challenge gears are for the steepest climbs, when the rider is forced to select the smaller chainrings and to use the larger three cogs of the cassette. In the case of a one-by drivetrain, Driving gears are the first eight cogs on the right-side of the cassette. Shimano professes that the smooth, 10-RPM jumps between shifts generated by its Rhythm Step, 11 by 40-tooth cassette, optimize the efficiency of the driving gears that we use most often for both climbing and pedaling on the flats. While the closer gear ratios of Shimano’s XTR cassette provide smaller steps between most of the gearing range, they cannot attain the higher top and bottom gears of SRAM’s XX1 10 by 42 cassette. To achieve a competitive spread, Shimano “strongly suggests” that XTR customers choose its two-chainring option. Before you whip out your calculators, the closest comparison that a Shimano XTR M9000 two-by drivetrain has to SRAM’s one-by is: Shimano 28 x 38-tooth chainrings, two-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 28/40 = 1.42:1 ratio. Highest gear 38/11 = 1:3.45 ratio. (22 gear selections) SRAM 30-tooth chainring, one-by drivetrain: Lowest gear 30/42 = 1.4:1 ratio. Highest gear 30/10 = 1:3 ratio. (11 gear selections) What the above chart demonstrates is how Shimano’s close-ratio two-by option provides a nearly identical gearing spread when compared to a SRAM XX1 one-by drivetrain. By switching to a 28-tooth chainring, the SRAM one-by drivetrain can also match Shimano’s 26 by 36 option, but Shimano also offers a third, 26 by 36 option for its two-by crankset that provides XTR customers a lower granny gear than SRAM can match (Shimano: Lowest gear 24/40 = 1.66:1 vs SRAM: Lowest gear 28/42 – 1.5:1). The bottom line is that Shimano’s choice for trail gearing is a two-by transmission, and it competes directly with SRAM’s one-by offerings. The customer’s choice is: “Do I want 22 shifts and a front derailleur, or do I want 11 shifts and no front derailleur?” What about Shimano’s One-By XTR Option? One-by customers can choose XTR chainrings between 30 and 36 teeth, but the narrower gearing spread of the 11 x 40, eleven-speed cassette means that riders may need to keep a couple of chainrings in their toolbox to match their gearing to the task at hand. Calculating out Shimano XTR’s lowest-available, 30-tooth-chainring option fetches a low gear of 1.33:1 and a high of 1: 2.73. Compare those figures with the options from SRAM and Shimano that we covered earlier in this segment, and they indicate that hills will be harder to climb, or you will probably be spun out on the flats. Shimano’s one-by gearing options are clearly intended for racers and stronger riders who will probably choose the biggest chainring that they can comfortably push and then suffer with whatever low gear is left when the big climbs arrive. What this says, and its from Shimano themselves, is that their "One-By XTR " option is not anywhere near what SRAM can offer. The 10 x 42 option with SRAM makes more sense vs 11 x 40 from Shimano....unless you like suffering!! this tells me that SRAM is the only option for a single chainring as their spread is better. Shimano still needs two up front or you buy extra Chain rings to swop out if the ride is challenging

http://www.ninerbikes.com/Carbon_CX_Wheelset http://www.ninerbikes.com/Carbon_MTB_Wheelset_XX1 http://www.ninerbikes.com/Carbon_MTB_Wheelset and they solve the wheelsize debate http://www.ninerbikes.com/wheelsize

Good day MTB enthusiasts I have noticed an increase in interest among MTBers wanting to go the 1x9/10 route. Myself and a mate have taken the iniative to do some research into manufacturing our own Narrow Wide chain rings locally to try bring the price down and make a little money in the process. Initially, we will only manufacture 104BCD 32T chain rings. These seem to be the most popular. They will be annodized to increase the hardness. The chain rings will be cut out of 7075-T6 Al which is the same aircraft grade alu used for SRAM xx1 chainrings. If all goes well we will start to introduce more variations to the market. (30T, 34T, 36T and so on...). Hopefully some SRAM versions later on as well. If sufficient interest is shown, we will go ahead with an initial order. We are trying our best to get the chain rings onto the market at under R500. Please leave a comment on this thread if you have any questions or send me a PM if you are interested.

A mate of mines bike was stolen please keep a look out!! See below mail from him! Can you please put the word out. I had a high end mtb that was stolen on Saturday (see details below) and I’m desperately trying to get it back. It’s a very unique bike and you won’t find many of them. Please can you help by forwarding to everyone you know. On Saturday 26th April someone stole my mtb off the back of a Thule bike rack that it was locked on to. It happened in the mall in Glena Marais shopping centre where Finish Line Cycles is and security miraculously never saw anything despite being less than 20 meters away. The bike is a Scott Scale SL 900. The entire bike is matt black with an XX1 groupset, Rockshox fork, carbon Syncross wheels and finishing kit. Non standard items are black ESI grips and Geax Sagaro tubeless tyres. It has a small white tipex marking on the seat pin where it goes into the frame and also on the saddle rails from when the bike was fitted for me. There are small scratches on the inside of the rear triangle caused by a piece of wire that got stuck in the wheel a while ago. Bike is a medium and 2013 model in excellent nick. Please look out for it cos it's very rare and worth about R80k and I’m not insured. Happy to pay a reward. Richard 0768133326

Hi Hubbers Just unpacked some 32T and 34T WOLF Direct Mount Chainrings for the Specialized FACT Cranksets... Only R895 each! Order here: http://www.evobikes.co.za/wolf-chain-ring-direct-for-s-works-cranksets-lightning-chainrings-34.html

Hi guys, Since some time I am looking into the options for a 1x10 conversion and settled for going for the ONEUP 42t on my XT cassette. I would need to buy a new clutch deraillor as well. I think I read most of the XX1 and 1x10 pages and one issue seems to be either accepted or left unresolved: the non-XX1 deraillors are not meant to work with the 42t sprockets. When adjusted to clear the 42t sprocket the offset of the jockey wheel to the other sprockets is quite large and not ideal, leading to a drop in shifting performance. I know that the X01 or XX1 deraillors are supposingly not compatible to any 10spd system but: (if this has been answered elsewhere I missed it. Please forgive me I this case and throw in your experience/knowledge anyway). 1) is a 11spd cassette not the same total width as a 10spd cassette? With a smaller incremental spacing between the sprockets? 2) are the 10spd and 11spd shifters and grip shifters not very similar, just with a different increment on the shifting ratchet mechanism? But actuating the same length of cable over the full range? 3) if 1 and 2 is true then the X01 deraillor should work with a 10spd shifter on a 10spd cassette? 4) Since some of you are already riding 1x10 with various adaptations of 41t or 42t conversions how does the XT Shadow Plus deraillor perform? Now I wouldn't trust any SRAM documentation on the answer to these questions. The only way to find out would be to try it out. Anybody out there tried this? I know that there is the option to just stick to combinations like 34t/36t front with the 36t at the back and toughen up, but this topic should more focus on the technical issue than rider strength. Cheers S

I am keen to fit SRAM XX1 to my bike, Which outlet would be the cheapest place to source this from?? Putting a list together on Chain Reaction using a twistgrip and a XO1 cassette I get a figure of £719.44 = +-R12806. This obviously excludes freight and SARS share.

Ok, thankfully prices have come down despite the ZAR weakness (albeit more of late). However, there appear to be a few alternatives to the rather expensive SRAM XX1/X01 that r not being advertised. Is an XT groupo at R8k reasonable? There are now Shim clutch options that put a 1x11in reasonable reach. So are the other existing groupo options reasonable?

Hi Guys, Anyone bought from here before, wanted to get your input on if you think this is legit or not? S-Works Stumpjumper with top spec selling for way below what it normally sells as a brand new bike??? 28K for a TOP spec bike with XX1..... http://collectiblesbicycles.wozaonline.co.za/products Looking forward to your feedback. Kind Regards, Tim

I am looking to upgrade my Santa Cruz LTc to 1x11. I do mostly ride marathon and and stage racing. Epic again this year. What size chainring would you recommend? I am thinking 32 or 34. Any suggestions?

HI Guys! Please give me your opinion on the following. At this stage it is for interest sake but it might help change my mind I am in the process of converting to 1x10. The costs for this will be as follows: 32T woolf chainring: R895 General Lee converter: R1950 XT cassette: R795 (currently have xtr but converter don't fit on xtr) XT chain: R395 Would you guys go for the above or just upgrade to 1x11. I will keep my crank and the woolf chainring I already have and get the following X01 cluster from CRC: R3166 X01 rear derailer from CRC R3166 With dhl shipping and tax the above 2 items will be R6085 Add XX1 gripshift: R1690 XX1 chain R590 In total it will be R4035 for the convertion and about R8365 for the upgrade What's your opinion?

Thinking of building up a run-around road bike with single blade front and 6,7 or 8 gear cassette. Anyone who has done this? Do you need to use a track crank or are there alternatives?

When SRAM first introduced the XX1 it was met with scepticism. But what was first looked at as weird has turned out to work, so well that SRAM has decided to expand on that idea and offer the 1x11 drivetrain in cheaper X0 form. Click here to view the article

Hey guys, quick question, I found a web site called cycle part shop, they selling XX1 for 6000 rand, I have a suspicion that it is a fraud, anyone heard from that shop before, or bought from them??? Thanks Lars

Meet our brand new, genuine 27.5” dual suss. 9.3kg (ex pedals), XX1 drive and dual lock out means that climbing and flat-out performance will easily be up there alongside the best XC duals - and dare we say, even the top hard tails. But what's gonna set this beaut ahead of them all is a more relaxed head tube angle combined with a 120mm travel Rockshox Reba RLT fork makes for true “enduro” downhill capability enhances descending and all-terrain capability significantly. Best, unlike all the "650Bs" popping up that are actually tweaked 26ers with 27.5” wheels squeezed to fit, our new honey is engineered from the bottom up as a dedicated mid-wheeler and the geometry and performance are, in our experience, perfect for getting the most out of this exciting new wheel size. This is our prototype and the production models are about to be shipped bearing our awesome new “Mercurial” paint job (hint: think metallic grey shades and awesome graphics).

holycow, how long did it take them? but boy, all those 'limitations' aka 'other stuff you must buy'...*facepalm* http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10662325/p5pb10662325.jpg A shorter cage and modified low-limit stop geometry are some of the differences between the X01 DH derailleur and a standard unit. http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10662310/p5pb10662310.jpg The 7 speed cassette sports an integrated spoke guard, and it mounts on a standard XD driver body. Pinksauce

So, after having been riding (and enjoying riding) a fairly "mass-market" Scott Scale since the beginning of 2013, I decided it was time for something special again. The Scale's an amazing climber, and because of it's sub-70deg HA, it actually handles a bit of tech quite respectably, but I've been missing railing into berms flat out and then bouncing off the gnarly stuff on the way out. So, I grabbed the opportunity to buy a well-cared-for Pyga OneTen29 last week and proceeded to rebuild it with a mixture of new and used parts. The spec list: Frame: Pyga OneTen29 2012, serial number "Cliff", Shock: Rockshox Monarch RT3 Fork: Mongrel Rockshox Relevation (2012 lowers, 2014 RCT3 upper assembly with FastBlack stanchions) Wheelset: Novatec Flowtrail 29 Tyres: Rocket Ron 2.25 rear, Hans Dampf 2.35 front Cranks: XX1 156q GXP Derailleur: X9 type 2 short-cage Shifter: X0 black Brakes: XT 785 Rotors: XT RT76, 180mm front, 160mmm rear Pedals: XT 785 Trail Stem: FSA SL-K Bar: Truvativ Noir T40 Seatpost: Easton EA70 Saddle: Fizik Tundra 2 Mg The raw finish of the frame was looking a bit dull and scratched in places, so I took everything apart and applied some TLC with steel wool and a scourier sponge in places. Cliff from Pyga was very helpful in supplying a new decal kit, which pimped things out again afterwards. I spent a few nights last week and some time over the weekend building stuff up (thanks to Marc at Crown Cycles for helping with a few bits and bobs during Argus mania). The end result since last night is this: I have yet to ride it any further than the road in front of the house, so will report back as soon as the first ride is over. So far, I've been mighty impressed with the build quality and overall feel of the beast. Hot damn!