New Sram XX group...

[Rob]

New info just released...


http://www.velonews.com/article/92426/sram-launches-20-speed-mountain-bike-group
http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/05/shhh/

Check out the Cassette.  11-36 ten speed...



Here's the downside, lowest granny is a 26/39 combo.

Your thoughts?  
.  

I wonder if they'll make a 29er Reba Fork with 20mm maxle with the XX lockout...

[WillyK]

  Here's the downside, lowest granny is a 26/39 combo.

Your thoughts? 


 Rob....The way I read it, 26/39 is a double ring combo not a front/rear combo,  so the lowest gear available would be a 26/36. Maybe good for xc racing but  fairly useless for bikepacking considering multiple days in the saddle combined with some extra weight of camping gear and lots of water,  as many of us are already running 20/34 or lower, front/rear combos. (total herculean hammerheads excluded)

The paired gear sizes of the chainring combinations sounds like it would shift nicely, but you are totally limited to those specific sizes with no chance of personalization, and the 'tight chainline that doesn't work with all frames so there are multiple variations' sounds like yet another can of worms for mechanics in shops to try and have all the bases covered (a never ending battle in the bike industry anyway, so maybe a moot point).

The cassette is way lighter than the upcoming shimano 12-36 with presumed better mud/snow shedding capabilities, but unless you want to run a 10 speed chain and the shifter ( or a friction shifter ), not very useful for most of us here.

The replaceable large cog might be a good idea in that they are claiming you can run all cogs and chainring combinations, but I personally have never worn out my largest cog, (used with 2 of the 3 rings) I tend to wear out my 3rd and 4th cogs, the ones that I use with all three rings, and sometimes stay in for hours on end.

So my thoughts overall.....not real stoked.

[AZTtripper]

It would be great to be able to by a 36 tooth cassette but there is no good reason for 10 speed IMO.

[Rob]

  Here's the downside, lowest granny is a 26/39 combo.

Your thoughts?  


 Rob....The way I read it, 26/39 is a double ring combo not a front/rear combo,  so the lowest gear available would be a 26/36. Maybe good for xc racing but  fairly useless for bikepacking considering multiple days in the saddle combined with some extra weight of camping gear and lots of water,  as many of us are already running 20/34 or lower, front/rear combos. (total herculean hammerheads excluded)

The paired gear sizes of the chainring combinations sounds like it would shift nicely, but you are totally limited to those specific sizes with no chance of personalization, and the 'tight chainline that doesn't work with all frames so there are multiple variations' sounds like yet another can of worms for mechanics in shops to try and have all the bases covered (a never ending battle in the bike industry anyway, so maybe a moot point).

The cassette is way lighter than the upcoming shimano 12-36 with presumed better mud/snow shedding capabilities, but unless you want to run a 10 speed chain and the shifter ( or a friction shifter ), not very useful for most of us here.

The replaceable large cog might be a good idea in that they are claiming you can run all cogs and chainring combinations, but I personally have never worn out my largest cog, (used with 2 of the 3 rings) I tend to wear out my 3rd and 4th cogs, the ones that I use with all three rings, and sometimes stay in for hours on end.

So my thoughts overall.....not real stoked.

Yeah I know the 26/39 is for the front cranks.  I'm wondering if a 10 speed chain will work on a 9 speed crankset.  Never tried that one.  If it does work I'd use my SLX double crankset.  

The replaceable cog is the 11t, not the 36.

It would be great to be able to by a 36 tooth cassette but there is no good reason for 10 speed IMO.

It would be nice to have the 36T as well as the 11T like how the 10Spd cassette does.  The 9 spd 36T cassette coming out only goes down to 12T.  

I'm thinking if the cranks work with a 10spd chain then I can get lower gears, and a lighter bike at the same time.  

Here's another discussion.
http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/general-discussion/36077-sram-xx-20-sped-mountain-group-out-sweeeeet-2.html

[WillyK]

There are 2 replaceable cogs, the press-fit largest and the separate smallest.

Don't know what you meant by ''lowest granny is a 26/39 combo'', since the combination of two chainrings does not equate to a granny or any usable gear.

[Rob]

I was just saying the lowest granny in a crankset they offer is the 26-39 crankset.

[Slim]

Here's the downside, lowest granny is a 26/39 combo.
Rob....The way I read it, 26/39 is a double ring combo not a front/rear combo,  so the lowest gear available would be a 26/36. Maybe good for xc racing but  fairly useless for bikepacking considering multiple days in the saddle combined with some extra weight of camping gear and lots of water,  as many of us are already running 20/34 or lower, front/rear combos. (total herculean hammerheads excluded)

I just checked and that 26-36 ratio would be almost equivalent to 22-30 in a traditional set-up, that means the third cog from the biggest in a 11-34 cassette, quite a tall low gear indeed! (Not surprising as they are aiming at XC racing.)

[Rob]

OK so check it out.  The 2010 Specialized S Works bikes are coming equipped with the Sram XX Rear Der., XX Rear shifter, X0 front shifter, XTR front der., and Triple 22-32-44 chainrings.

So basically we can now shed weight off the bike, get lower gearing and not have to use the heavy and freehub body-marring deore level shimano 12-36 cassette.

http://bicycling.com/blogs/mbword/2009/06/28/2010-stumpjumper-launches-with-140mm-travel/?preview=true

[12wheels]

No offense but anyone who actually needs a 22/36 combo to climb using a 22.5 lb bike with 26in wheels should eat their Wheaties and train more.   

[AZTtripper]

No offense but anyone who actually needs a 22/36 combo to climb using a 22.5 lb bike with 26in wheels should eat their Wheaties and train more.   

No offense taken or implied but any one who can stay in balance at 22/36 on a 26in bike (sub 2-3 MPH) and cleanly ride steep challenging terrain (I assume this is the point) has some mad skills IMO.

[verve825]

No offense but anyone who actually needs a 22/36 combo to climb using a 22.5 lb bike with 26in wheels should eat their Wheaties and train more.   

No offense, but you've clearly never ridden in places where rocky singletrack climbs can average 800 feet/mile. (Santa Barbara area, Estes Park, CO, etc...)

Better to do your homework before casting aspersions.

jb

[12wheels]

I'm not looking for a fight so relax.  I live in Colorado and have quite a bit of experience climbing steep mountains on bike and foot.   If you need a 22/36 combo to climb and can actually stay balanced while using it, good for you.   

What trails in Estes would you use that combo on?