Fresh Goods XTR Video Special Part 3: Drivetrain and Wheels

Well, here’s the final instalment of our XTR exposé. This time, we’re taking a look at the chainset, chain and cassette, and the wheels. Let’s get cracking!

XTR Chainset

This is the race chainset in a 2x configuration. 36T outer, 26T inner. It’s a little bit lighter than the trail one, and it has an extra-narrow Q-factor (essentially the horizontal distance between your feet). A narrow Q-factor is supposed to be more efficient – and if you’re working hard at beating Barry from accounts (him again) you’ll need all the micro-wattage you can get. The outer ring is carbon with titanium teeth. The inner ring is aluminium. If you go for the race chainset you’re stuck with 1x or 2x; only the trail chainset goes up to 3x (if you have a pressing need for 33 gears). Lots of aluminium, lots of carbon, a splash of Ti, and lots and lots and lots of bling.

Price: £369.99

Weight (inc threaded BB): 689g

Cassette

The cassette is a lovely looking thing. An aluminium outer sprocket is mated to a titanium one using a carbon fibre spider. This spider is slightly concave, to fit onto a regular 9 or 10 speed freehub body. The next few sprockets are Ti on either carbon or aluminium spiders, and the last three are steel for longevity. The range is 40 – 11T in total. It won’t fit on a road wheel apparently, though – the dish isn’t enough.

Price: £189.99

Weight: 328g

Chain

This is the same chain that Shimano uses for Dura Ace. It’s got a lovely Sil-Tec coating for silky smoothness, and I’m told it’s no longer one-directional (so you can flip it should you need to to eke out a little more wear).

Weight: 259g

Price: £36.99

Wheels

These have 28 butted spokes apiece, and offset carbon-laminated aluminium rims. Which makes them stronger, apparently. And if there’s one thing Shimano knows about, it’s making metal stronger (note it has no carbon cranks). These are the race wheels, so they’re a bit narrower and hence lighter than the trail ones. They’re still not the very lightest, mind, weighing in at 1,770g (including a rear QR), but they’re not the most expensive either – and they’re very sweet wheels nonetheless…

Weight: 1770g

Price: £799.98 per pair

Well all that preamble must have left you slavering for a bit of hot Chipps on XTR action in NEW and IMPROVED wobblycam, so without further ado here’s our Beloved Leader talking about the drivetrain – let ‘er rip!

https://vimeo.com/111124176

Barney Marsh

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.

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