It may well be RockShox’s answer to Fox’s Kashima Coat fork stanchion coating – a slick mirrored black finish, which was spotted on Ross Schnell’s Lyrik fork at last weekend’s Downieville Classic. (more…)

All new, all mountain assassin

Words by Connor Macleod. Photos by Derek Dix.
Date: 2010-07-07

When a Handjob won’t do and picking up a STD is out of the question, it’s time to take another look at the G-Spot. For 2010, Cove completely redesigned the venerable G-Spot from the loam up.

The biggest change for the G-Spot is the suspension design. Gone is the rocker arm linkage with pivots on the seat stays and around the bottom bracket, in favour of the same floating pivot point suspension design as its big brother, the Shocker. So, how does this new version of a Shore classic ride? Good question… (more…)

SRAM’s 2011 X9 and X0 components are bookended by their already unveiled X7 and XX 10-speed components, so naturally you’ve assumed they will also be 10-speed. You’re right, they will be.

All four levels of components achieve the same end: providing 2×10 transmissions, TaperBore brake systems and integrated suspension, if only by colour. That’s pretty much the whole story, aside from the parts being differentiated by key technologies and materials.

We should tell you that SRAM want to call their component groupings ‘families’. There are two reasons for this. The first is that they’re more than just groupsets because they include suspension forks.

Secondly, while the XX and X0 components – cassettes, cranks, brakes, derailleurs and shifters – are all branded as either XX or X0, the X9 and X7 parts keep the names of their manufacturers: Avid, SRAM and Truvativ.

“We don’t want to be groups, we want to be families,” Tyler Morland, PR manager for Avid and RockShox, told BikeRadar. “We’re going this way, especially with X7 and X9, because we have an Elixir brake but it’s colour matched; this is why it’s not a group, per se. The suspension comes into play too, and it’s what sets us apart from our competitors.”

All of the components are meant to match. X9 is available in three colours, while X0 offers four. The first thing you will notice is that the stuff looks really good. It builds upon SRAM’s Design Your Ride colour choice and serves to usher in the second coming of colour to the mountain bike world; the first being the age of anodisation.

Furthermore, SRAM have trickled down their most impressive technologies so they’re attainable for all. X7 is 10-speed and has TaperBore brakes, X9 has a BB30 and PressFit 30 option, and X0 is 90 percent of the way to a XX group. “It’s weight and materials, that’s the big story [between the groups],” said Morland.

We don’t have pricing information at this time, but the parts should be available late in the year. Both new groups use currently available 10-speed chains from SRAM. Here’s a quick rundown:

X0

SRAM X0 10-speed rear derailleur: Features a new chassis with option of three cage lengths and four colours. Its carbon cage houses sealed pulleys that accommodate the 36-tooth cassette cog. Claimed weight is 190g.

SRAM’s New X0 10-speed rear derailleur, which is available with three cage lengths (medium pictured).

SRAM X0 10-speed front derailleur: The front derailleur uses X-Glide shifting and accommodates wide range 2×10 and 3×10 gearing. SRAM will offer both high and low direct mount options.

SRAM X0 10-speed trigger shifters: The shifters are offered for SRAM’s 2×10 and 3×10 systems with Exact Actuation technology, They’re MatchMakerX and Matchmaker compatible and available in four colours: black, red, gold and blue. Claimed weight is 232g.

Truvativ X0 2X10 crank: The X0 cranks feature X-Glide 2X10 and 3X10 shifting technology, with 26/39 or 28/42 machined 7mm alloy chainrings. The lightweight carbon crank has been built to be strong enough for trail riding and is available in four colours: black, red, gold and blue.

Truvativ Giga X Pipe (GXP) bottom bracket: The X0 group is paired with Truvativ’s GXP Team bottom bracket. The unit features a lower profile design with Gutter Seal technology and a tungsten anodised finish.

Avid X0 brakes: The new X0 brakes are similar to this year’s Elixir CR Mag, but without the magnesium master cylinder. They feature detented, tool-free contact adjustment, tooled reach adjustment and an aluminium master and calliper. They are MatchMakerX compatible and a front post mount brake with 160mm rotor is claimed to weigh 333g.

The X0 brake replaces the 2010 Elixir CR Mag model. It features an alloy master cylinder and caliper.

SRAM XG-1099 cassette: Like XX, the cassette is the jewel of the X0 family. It features X-Glide technology and the X-Dome billet steel cut design in which eight of its cogs are CNC-machined from one block of steel. It is available in 11-36 and 11-32-tooth configurations. SRAM claim weights of 208g and 186g, respectively.

X9

SRAM X9 10-speed rear derailleur: The X9 derailleur is offered in three cage lengths – long, medium and short – and three colours: red, grey and white. It is compatible with 2×10 and 3×10 Exact Actuation systems. The medium cage model has a claimed weight of 204g.

SRAM’s new X9 rear derailleur in red.

SRAM X9 10-speed front derailleur: The X9 derailleur is designed for a wide range 2×10 system with X-Glide front shifting technology. SRAM will offer both high and low direct mount options.

SRAM X9 10-speed trigger shifters: The X9 shifters use SRAM’s new 10-Speed Exact Actuation technology and are Matchmaker upgradeable. They feature a new top cap cable change port, new internal mechanism and new forged alloy thumb lever. To match the whole of the X9 family, three colours – red, grey and white – will be available.

Truvativ X9 2×10 crank: The X9 crank features hollow forged arms with GXP and BB30 spindle options. The chainrings are available in 26/39 and 28/42 configurations with X-Glide timed shifting technology. The spider is forged aluminium and the crank is available in the family’s three colour options of red, grey and white.

Truvativ’s hollow forged X9 2×10 crank.

Truvativ Giga X Pipe (GXP) bottom bracket: SRAM offer three bottom bracket models to complement their GXP cranks. All feature their Gutter Seal technology. The options are: Ceramic (ceramic bearings, red anodised finish), Team (custom steel bearings, tungsten finish) or XR (custom steel bearings, black finish). X9 is best matched with the Team or XR models.

Avid Elixir CR brakes: X9’s brakes aren’t branded with the SRAM family name; instead they retain the Elixir CR model name. They feature TaperBore technology with tool-free adjustment of both lever reach and pad contact adjustment. The pads now top load into the two-piece calliper. The brake offers a carbon lever option and is Matchmaker compatible. Though it’s not marked X9 it shares the family’s colour options of red, grey and white. Claimed weight for a front, post mount unit with 160mm rotor is 385g.

Avid’s Elixir CR with optional carbon lever.

SRAM PG-1070 cassette: The X9 PG-1070 cassette features a new semi-spidered design that uses PowerGlide shifting ramp technology. It comes in a 12-36-tooth configuration.

SRAM X9 hubset: SRAM finish their X9 group with a 32-hole, six-bolt disc hubset. The hubs have claimed weights of 165g for the front and 385g for the rear. They come with a variety of axle options including, at the front, 9mm quick-release, 20×110 through-axle or 15×100 through-axle, and at the rear, 135mm spaced quick-release or 142×12 through-axle.

SRAM just released details of their 2011 X7 10-speed mountain bike group — yes, it’s a whole group — which is aimed squarely at mid-level cross-country and entry-level downhillers, but looks downright desirable to any mountain rider on a budget.

The new X7 group leaves little doubt that the company’s other higher-end kit (X.9 and X.0) will soon follow suit with 2×10 drivetrains.

By launching a 2×10 budget group, SRAM reveals more about it’s commitment to the design than it ever could with a top-tier group like XX. SRAM says new group is lighter and has better shifting performance than anything previously offered at the X7 level.

“The response to XX was so positive and across the board, even from a trail rider’s standpoint,” said Tyler Moreland, RockShox and Avid press manager told BikeRadar. “2×10 is easier to shift, it’s more efficient and I think that it’s totally exciting for this level of component.”

In the ultimate trickledown of technology, SRAM brings top-level features including: X-Glide timed front shifting, Exact Actuation shifter technology, wide range PowerGlide cassettes, carbon rear derailleur cages and Elixir R Taper Bore brakes to price just about every rider can afford.

The X7 breakdown

Rear derailleur: In a departure from the single cage length of the 10-speed XX derailleur, X7 offers three choices: Long, medium and short. The mech operates via SRAM’s Exact Actuation cable pull ratio. It has a 3K-carbon pulley cage and the ability to accommodate a 36-tooth cassette. The long cage derailleur has a claimed weight of 239 grams.

Carbon fibre trickles down to X7′s rear derailleur for 2011.

Front derailleur: The new front derailleur is designed specifically for the X-Glide two-ring timed front shifting system. The X-Glide X7 design is the same as XX and SRAM subsequently touts X7’s front shifting, as ‘the fastest shift ever,’ just like XX. The mech is available with high and low clamps, plus the option of direct mounting that’s compatible with most major frame manufacturers using direct-mount technology. The low clamp model has a claimed weight of 137g

10-speed shifters: SRAM combines an Exact Actuation 10-speed rear shifter with a dedicated two-speed front shifter, for a streamlined 2×10 shifting system. The new X7 shifters have a removable clamp that’s MatchMaker compatible and feature a new cable change access point on the topside of the shifters. The shifters are also available in a 9-speed version that accommodates a triple crankset. The 10-speed shifter set has a claimed weight of 232g.

S1400 2×10 crankset: The 7075 alloy OCT hollow forged crankarms use the same 64mm/104mm bolt pattern design and timed, 1:1.5 small to large chainring ratio to recreate the fast shifting of the XX group’s X-Glide design. The XR GXP bottom bracket has a new ‘Gutter Seal’ design, which is claimed to reduce seal drag and increase resistance to bearing contamination. Like XX, the S1400 chainrings come in 42/28-tooth or 39/26-tooth combinations. The arms are available in 170mm and 175mm lengths. The 175mm crankset weighs a claimed 871g with the XR GXP bottom bracket.

SRAM’s OCT S1400 double mountain bike crankset will also be available in black.

PG-1050 PowerGlide 10-speed cassette: The PG-1050 features a semi-spidered construction, heat-treated steel cogs and lock ring. It’s available in 11-32- and 12-36-tooth ratios. Weight is claimed at 302g for the 11-32-tooth model. This will cassette undoubtedly be as useful to XX owners, for their training wheels, as it is an integral part of the new X7 component group.

Elixir R brakes: The Elixir R Taper Bore brakes feature new, larger pistons and top loading pads, as well as the new storm grey finish to match the X7 group. Rotor options are 160mm, 185mm and 203mm. Avid also offers a carbon lever blade option, which knocks 10g off the 160mm rotor option’s claimed 375g weight.

The optional carbon fibre lever blade, shown here, knocks an additional 10g off the Elixir R’s 375g claimed weight.

PC-1051 10-speed chain: The entry-level 10-speed chain in SRAM’s line features solid pins and the PowerLock connector link. Its weight is claimed at 277g for 114 links.

X7 hub set: SRAM will offer a disc compatible, 32-hole, cartridge bearing hubset with standard quick-releases as a complement to the new group. The front hub is claimed at 108g and the 3-pawl rear hub weighs 425g.

The group will be available first on new 2011 model bikes expected in late August, then aftermarket. Stay tuned for pricing and more detailed availability information.

In the meantime, use the comments section below to let us know whether you think 2×10 is a good direction for X.7 to take.

“My new Tetris Boxxer is here and eff-in sweet. Thanks Sram Corp…”

The most successful downhill fork of all time is now all new for the first time in its storied history. The new Boxxer is lighter, stiffer and ultimately faster. Incorporating a new Mission Control DH damper that features Dual Flow Adjust compression and rebound.

Lighter to make the ultimate DH fork:

-with 35mm stanctions carrying the forces, the steerer can be made lighter
-optimizing material placement on the new lowers
-maximizing the material properties of the upper tubes allows the tubes to be thin and strong
-new forged crowns use less material on the arms, while maintaining strength and stiffness by incorporating trussing
-new MaxleTM Lite DH pulls out 28g while being more robust than its predecessor
-a new spring and damper featuring aluminum shafting

200mm Red – Boxxer Mount
ID#: 118503
Due In Stock 29/05/2009
£1169.99 inc VAT

See the website HERE