XX1 here i come :-)

I was thinking about going X01 in the new year on my 2011 Pitch. Reading some of the comments in this thread I’m wondering about the rear hub. My understanding was that the casette would sit on a standard 135mm hub.

Is that not the case?

Yes and no. Yes, in that it can go on a 135mm hub. No, in that you need a specific freehub body, called an XD driver.

Going to fit mine this weekend hopefully. I went for a 32t on the front OP. Reason being that I am currently a fat knacker and I will need every advantage going up hill!

I am going XX1 for a couple of reasons: –

1). My shifters and rear mech are 6 years old and will soon need replacing anyway
2). Long term I think it will likely be a similar cost to maintain as my current 2 ring setup

Yes and no. Yes, in that it can go on a 135mm hub. No, in that you need a specific freehub body, called an XD driver.

Nightmare, I was blissfully unaware of that, I’m glad I asked!

€800 for X01, €900 for XX1 (both drivetrain only), plus another €70 for the replacement Hope free hub.
Bargain 🙂

At those prices, is anyone going to save a tiny bit and get X01 instead of XX1?

Now to justify the expense…

I paid nearer €700 a couple of weeks ago.

Gone grip shift, have to see how it lasts. Always liked the 9 speed X.0 ones, and it’s lighter!

What’s the script with this bunch?

http://www.fibica.com/mountain/groupsets/sram/sram-x01-medium-groupset-11-speed-2014-version.html

Very-Very Cheap!!!

I take it I need to replace the rear hub rather than alter it with the XD Driver, sorry still learning the whole DIY maintenance shenanigans.

I’m under the impression this Fibica lot are OEM suppliers.

Never heard of them, and dont get a good feeling from the site (no contact details for one)

You can replace the hub if you want, but will be cheaper/easier to swap the freehub, if possible.

Valid point, it’s just an web-mail!

I have SuperStar AM490 rims and I think it was the EVO hub, but not 100%

Gone grip shift, have to see how it lasts. Always liked the 9 speed X.0 ones, and it’s lighter!

You can get a trigger within 10g with a matchmaker clamp (to XTR brakes at least) 😀 The stock trigger clamp is hideous 😀

Can I ask a noob question (still 3×9)? Is there a big difference between xo and xx1 Looking at new bike and both are options. Could I up grade bit by bit later as it wears out to xx1?

Pawsy_Bear – Member
Can I ask a noob question (still 3×9)? Is there a big difference between xo and xx1 Looking at new bike and both are options. Could I up grade bit by bit later as it wears out to xx1?

I wouldn’t think you would gain much by doing that. It certainly wouldn’t affect my selection of a bike. There was only about £70 in it when I ordered – that was my only reason. I bet the performance is identical!

I might be the wrong person to ask though, went from over 10 years of using various versions of XTR before moving to a couple of incarnations of SRAM X9 about 8 years ago, I never felt I had traded down…

Njee – did you go for the superfly?

Pawsy_Bear – Member
Can I ask a noob question (still 3×9)? Is there a big difference between xo and xx1 Looking at new bike and both are options. Could I up grade bit by bit later as it wears out to xx1?

No real difference, the only thing you will notice is in the price, mainly in OEM pre-built bikes. In retail side there is nowt between then (£50-£100), but in OEM, you should find the difference is more. I’d go for XO1 if it were me on a pre-build bike and the price was reasonably cheaper, and XX1 if getting it retail again. I have XX1, and very happy 🙂

Fibica do lots of stuff on eBay too and are usually pretty cheap and do free delivery iirc.

People. If you’re going to do anything with XX1 do this. **** replace your chain. Lots. Then you won’t have to bleat at me when your bonkers expensive cassette has worn out. FYI, I’m not as emotional about this as you are.

For anyone interested, the cheapest way to buy XX1 I could find at the moment is to get the shifters and chain off Merlin with their extra 10 % discount, and the rest from Starbike.de, though they’re pretty limited on chainset choice.

No major price saving if you go for X01. £672 vs £720. Cheapest way to get X01 was again from starbike that I could find.

Make sure you get the right gearing for you / where you ride though. I went for a 30T because I am weak 🙂 .

Merlin bits arrived yesterday, it’s all retail boxed.

As for paying another £50+ for the XD driver body, just look on it as an excuse for a new set of wheels. Cheapest hoops I found were from Wicked bikes.

I’ve not warmed to the gripshift. I find it too easy to grab one or two gears more than I mean too. I much prefer the more solid reliable feel of the trigger shifter despite having to stab at the buttons more often.

Thanks for that Messiah, i had made my mind up on the trigger shifter after a bit of thought. Just trying to source a matchmaker clamp for my Shamano brakes and im good to go 🙂

Right, wee update. Went with X01 in the end as my LBS could get the whole groupset for me now, instead of waiting for more stock as XX1 seems to be pretty much sold out.

Amazing, i just love the simplicity. Only had 1 ride but so far i am feeling the love, do miss the shimano double downshift but im sure i will lmanage 🙂

Looking forward to really testing the groupset out in the next few days 🙂

Njee – did you go for the superfly?

Sorry, very late replying! Yes I did. Nearly finished it, I’ll stick some pics up when it’s done!

Please make sure you, or whomever fits it applies a LOT of grease or anti-seize to the XD driver threads and inside the cassette collar. This was the advise direct from Fishers.

Mine, and it is not the only one, has failed completely trying to remove as the teeth on the cassette collar are fairly weak aluminium and will snap off if the collar is tight/seized.

Its an expensive cassette to replace otherwise, and mine went after about 100 miles….

Otherwise is excellent in the usual clunky SRAM way!!

my missus ended up with XO1 oem with the alloy cranks on her new bike – in the build kit with the wheels etc. skeptical at first she dropped the 34 to a 32 and hasn’t looked back. Not short of any gears despite some big climbing and not having the worry about big steps in the shifting from front chain rings has made life much smoother.

I’m currently costing it out…

You can use a raceface narrow/wide chainring on your existing cranks and then just xx1/x01 cassette/mech/shifter. All in less than £500….

Use the XX1 chain though.

My experience of it is its utter crap. Clutch failed after 3 rides, cassette creaked from new, shifting is awful after years on shimano with 2 way release and double up shift.
Gave it 5 rides and back to a faultless 1×10 shimano setup.
Also, it has the most ridiculous cable routing round the rear mech.
It’s all a good idea in theory, but narrow/wide rings and wide range 10 speed shimano setup is enough to get up anything.

That was my plan as I have SRAM cranks with changeable spider but then if some race face Next’s turn up like they have been recently I might have to…. though I can probably get the XO1 group for 650-700

I just fitted all my X01 stuff this morning. In the end I didnt bother with the cranks or the Sram chain, insted I am using RaceFace Turbine cranks with a Works Components 34 toothed narrow wide chainring and a KMC 11 speed chain. I got all the parts from CRC as they are offering an extra 10% off at the checkout.

First impressions are great, it shifts much nicer than the Shimano XTR/XT system that it replaced. Really looking forward to getting out on it this weekend.

Mightn’t that KMC chain wear your cassette out quicker? Just wondering if there are any compatibility issues as in material strengths say for example the SRAM chain being made of slightly less durable materials in order to prolong the life of the cassette.

I love the idea of this, but for the outlay it’s ridiculous…I’d quite happily stick with £37 for a cassette that I can afford to replace rather than worry about wearing down £250 worth of cnc’d metalwork over a summer.

daver27 – Member
My experience of it is its utter crap. Clutch failed after 3 rides, cassette creaked from new, shifting is awful after years on shimano with 2 way release and double up shift.
Gave it 5 rides and back to a faultless 1×10 shimano setup.

Did they warranty/refund you?

anyway seen enough working really well on all the ones I have seen so best get back to the quote that will pay for it…

PJM1974 – Member
I love the idea of this, but for the outlay it’s ridiculous…I’d quite happily stick with £37 for a cassette that I can afford to replace rather than worry about wearing down £250 worth of cnc’d metalwork over a summer.

Thats the beauty about having so many options, finding whatever kit suits your riding style and budget.

Thats the beauty about having so many options, finding whatever kit suits your riding style and budget.

Actually that’s a great point…even Deore is ten speed these days and it’s all any of us really need.

PJM1974 – Member
Actually that’s a great point…even Deore is ten speed these days and it’s all any of us really need.

or rather thats what you think that anyone else ever needs based on your experiences of being you, not of being anyone else 🙂

In the end I would much prefer a lighter drive train with simplicity and a decent range of gears outside of what 10sp can deliver.
Having just come back from a decent sized race my 2x setup ran flawlessly but the real issue was having to bail from the middle to the granny ring at the wrong moment when in a long line on a technical climb. being able to drop sequentially down the gears to the same point would have been great, along with being able to maintain my same top pedalling speed. Anyway what would I know the missus loved hers that week and so did nearly all (if not all) of the top riders who all seem to have 1×11 on, bye bye shimano from the pointy end of xc racing. Also in 205km and 3,800m of climbing there didn’t seem to be many drama’s with it. The guys doing the spanners (mates of mine) did seemed to spend a fair bit of time with front end chain drop etc.

Also living in a land of early adopters guys have been on XX1 since it was out here, not many cassettes getting chewed out really.

nearly all (if not all) of the top riders who all seem to have 1×11 on, bye bye shimano from the pointy end of xc racing.

Depends how pointy. At a pro level there are still loads of Shimano sponsored athletes, it’s common, but not exactly ubiquitous yet. Shimano will unveil 1×11 Di2 at Sea Otter anyway!

This was most of the top ozzies not explicitly Shimano or sram sponsored so more likely what they want. I doubt di2 xtr level 11sp will be cheap either.

Jared Graves and Dan McConnell are both running XTR still.

It certainly won’t be cheap, but it’ll be differently expensive – mechs and shifters, rather than cassettes. Don’t reckon they’ll use an XD body though.

Anyway, we’re turning this into another ‘what might Shimano be doing’ thread.

Jared’s on a Wolftooth ring

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gallery/article/pro-bike-jared-graves-29er-xc-race-bike-39587/5/

Mine got replaced under warranty, replacements were just as iffy, so got a refund.

I fail to see why its so expensive, I went to a 1×10 xtr setup with Raceface Turbine cranks with thick thin ring for half the price and its the same weight.

its like Honda v Porsche (not that i drive either, now.)

Honda, lots of great ideas, badly executed
Porsche Sticking with and refining something over a long time till it is nearly faultless.

Everything i’ve ever had from the SRAM group has been basically, plastic crap. 4 reverbs in a year, a full X01 groupset and Revelation RLTs have all failed me.

Don’t get me wrong here, SRAM innovate well, its just the execution that leaves me wanting. When they make something that lasts and ISN’T made of plastic, i might consider them again.. hang on, no i won’t, i am done with them.

Jared’s on a Wolftooth ring

Yeah, single ring setups are ubiquitous in XC racing now, just not entirely SRAM ones!

I fail to see why its so expensive, I went to a 1×10 xtr setup with Raceface Turbine cranks with thick thin ring for half the price and its the same weight.

The expense is largely in the cassette, which weighs less than a 10 speed XTR 11-36, whilst being entirely made of steel (with an alu top cog), rather than using an aluminium carrier and ti sprockets. The machining is rather intricate to say the least.

It’s no more expensive than XX has been for years (in fact it’s cheaper), and is on par with X.0.

SRAM have always been a little happier to allow their paying customers to beta test, stuff from Shimano tends to be 100% dependable for everyone when it’s released to market. See the XX1 ‘you don’t need a chainguide, but you might for some riding’ scenario – Shimano would just release something that worked, but would take longer over it and it would all be done in a more ‘safe’ way.

So what is so different with XX1 to my Deore 10 speed clutch mech, Race Face thick thin on an XT crank and a x9 shifter? That sure is some expensive retail therapy.