First Ride: SRAM X01 - A More Affordable 1x11 Drivetrain

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<b>At roughly $200 less than the XX1 group, SRAM's new X01 drivetrain saves you a bit of coin. Does it work just as well, though?</b>
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<b>We headed up to Whistler to find out. This X01 equipped Lapierre Zesty was our test rig.</b>
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<b>No chainguide? Believe it. It works thanks to the alternating thick-thin X-Sync chainring teeth and Type 2 clutch derailleur.</b>
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<b>SRAM hopes to bring 1X to the masses with the X01 group.</b>
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<b>So what's different between XX1 and X01? Duncan Riffle fills us in.</b>
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<b>The massive 10-42 tooth cassette gets a stealthy black finish, which comes from a surface treatment.</b>
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<b>The cassette manufacturing process is identical, but the black finish is less costly than the coating used on XX1.</b>
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<b>A slight 11 gram weight increase yields a more affordable cassette that's reportedly every bit as durable.</b>
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<b>X01 cranks move from a 76mm to 94mm bolt circle diameter (BCD).</b>
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<b>The increased BCD size allows the use of a bash guard, but chainrings start at 30 tooth, not 28 like XX1. Unless they come on a complete bike, X01 crank arms are still carbon.</b>
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<b>Curious how the new system performs on the trail, Vital test pilot Dave Trumpore joined Jerome Clementz and crew at the Top of the World.</b>
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<b>"There's no loss in performance," says Dave. No drops. No troubles. It's as clear as that.</b>
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<b>X01 is smooth, crisp, clean and quiet. Just the way we like it. There's also plenty of range for nearly every rider.</b>
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<b>Riffle rallyin'.</b>
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<b>The bottom line? You're not giving up anything. All the critical technologies carry over.</b>
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<b>So where does SRAM go from here? Will the trickle down continue? Will the tech move to other types of riding?</b>
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<b>Of course SRAM is on the case.</b>
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<b>Visit <u><a href="http://www.sram.com" target="_blank">www.SRAM.com</a></u> for full X01 details. Prices start at $1,139 for the complete group.</b>
SRAM's 11-speed X01 drivetrain is the first group to benefit from the trickle down effect from XX1. How does it compare? We hit met up with SRAM in Whistler, British Columbia for a Top of the World hot lap to find out.











For complete specs, visit www.SRAM.com.



Photos by Dave Trumpore and Adrian Marcoux
4 comments

View replies to: First Ride: SRAM X01 - A More Affordable 1x11 Drivetrain

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s.sheline
13 years ago
still suuuper expensive. let's see an X9-11
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GotShovel
12 years ago
This is the group going on my next build. Awesome stuff.
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mbl77
12 years ago
Its a shame the X01 still has the alloy 42T, which has a crappy lifespan vs the rest of the cassette. No good for those of us that have to climb very steep hills to reach our descents.