Local cyclist Aaron Stites review on his Sram xx1 drivetrain
XX1
500 Mile Review
I built up my Giant Anthem 27.5 with full sram XX1
in November of this year. Since then I’ve put on over 500 miles on the groupo
riding in all weather conditions and all trail conditions. I built it up with
the XX1 rear derailleur, XX1 cassette, XX1 175 crank with 36 tooth front chain
ring and then the XX1 grip shift. I have ridden XTR 2 x 9, sram XX 2 x 9, and
self made 1 x 9 setups and can say that the XX1 has not disappointed. The highlights
of the XX1 group are the reliability, lightness, and how responsive it has
been. I opted for the grip shift because a thumb injury and it has been buttery
smooth. I like that I can shift several gears in one simple twist. One of the
concerns I had was the front chain dropping, yet in all the rides I’ve done in
dust, snow, rain, mud, and tumble weeds I haven’t dropped the chain once. The
XX1 rear derailleur also has a clutch feature to minimize chain slap but I
haven’t needed to use it yet.
With the 10-42 gearing on the rear cassette I’ve
been happy with the gear ratios. I’m running a 36 tooth front chain ring which
has worked well, but on long very steep climbs it can be a little big. Most
riders I’ve talked with go with a 32 or 34 for long climbs. The great thing
with the XX1 crank is that with 4 simple bolts you can change the chain ring
out without needing to take off the crank. The bolts thread right into the
chain ring so you don’t have to worry about the 2 piece bolt setup
Ride quality: It has been a lot of fun to ride. I
don’t have to think about a front derailleur, I just twist and go. In rough
terrain I don’t have to worry about chain drop or miss-shifts. It has worked
seamless thus far. They even put scuff guards on the crank arms and race face
makes impact guards that go over the end on the crank arms to help protect
against rock dings. I haven’t missed the second chain ring and don’t see going
back to the double setup anytime soon.
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