![]() ![]() Gears were set once, and have remained slick as anything from day one, some three months in. The one thing I haven’t missed is having to adjust cables after they’ve stretched in use. I popped the battery on a battery pack, got myself into an easy gear with little charge, popped the battery off and by the time I was at the top of the trails, the battery was charged enough to do a full day and more of riding. I ran this battery from 9th March to 23rd April with near daily rides before it finally gave up. It might be an odd place to start, but the extra spring tension in the mech should have caused the AXS battery to run out quicker. Let’s ignore the price tag for a moment and focus on performance, as one is often lost in the near constant complaint about pricing these days. Having run the XO transmission since early March, in all manner of weathers and on every trail type imaginable, I have been suitably impressed. Shifter pods, like the cranks, are backwards compatible, but the new design is lighter and more adjustable than the outgoing offering, meaning you can get the buttons exactly where you need them. Alloy cranks replace the carbon XO1 offerings, with an 8-bolt, 32 tooth design with integrated bash guards. The chain is claimed to be SRAM’s strongest and has an anti-corrosion coating too. Smaller jumps between cogs means shifting feels smoother and the X-Sync ramps keep the chain planted until it’s ready to ride up the ramps. On top of that, you have the new T-type chain that fits the new ramped cassette, aimed at dealing with shifting under power far better. The new mech also lines up better with the front chain ring to keep the chain line better throughout the gear range. As it also lines up with the axle, the shifting is more positive and has less chance of being thrown out of line. The most obvious differences is the direct mount rear mech that deals with impacts better, firstly by sitting neater to the bike and therefore being further out of harm’s way, but also, thanks to a handy overload clutch, will disengage when struck. ![]() The real question is, is it any good? Perhaps more importantly, is it worth the extra cash? Sporting a host of features that sets it apart from the XO1 AXS Eagle drivetrain fitted to my Santa Cruz Hightower test bike, the SRAM XO transmission has been fitted to said bike for a few months now. ![]() Pete checks in to see just how good the new base level direct-mount transmission is from SRAM. It crashed the internet when it was launched and had more people standing on their mechs than required but is the SRAM XO transmission any good?ĭespite a hefty asking price, the SRAM XO T-type transmission performed admirably after a few weeks of late Scottish winter. ![]()
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