Michael Broderick:
USA
When you rode XX for the first time, what were your first impressions?
I went into my first ride on XX in south africa directly out of the stand and onto a world cup race course that I had been pre riding for the week prior with my bike built up with an eclectic mix of 2008 Sram family and other components. I had literally just come off a lap with my old build and was heading out a couple of hours later with the fresh XX group. The first impression was that the group was smooth and simple with incredibly responsive shifting in the front especially. The most lasting impression came from the overall compatale relationship and willingness of each individual component in the the groupo to work together quickly, fluidly and right.
After having XX on your bike for both training and racing, what advantages do you feel the XX 2×10 gearing offers you?
A feeling that I am able to produce and maintain a more steady power in part due to the larger spread in the rear cassette and part due to the the faster shift times in the front driveline. The XX groupo allows me to ramp up the speed before the hills in a tall gear and efficiently tick through the industry leading wide ratio rear cassette while keeping a steady power on the pedals. In the event I get in trouble and an under (pedaling) pressure drop to the small ring is inevitable the front shift is smoother and faster than the competition resulting in less shift induced power loss.
Before XX, how much experience did you have riding 2×9?
I had been riding 2×9 almost exclusively for the previous 4 seasons and off and on in several years prior to that. enough to know that the system offers some significant advantages by design alone. enough of an advantage to consider it even in the typical case that the components are not 100 percent happy working together. I have experienced several incarnations of the 2×9 attempts with a wide range of cranks rings and shifters from several different manufacturers. I still mostly felt compelled to keep a 3×9 system in my kit since the gear ratios were a bit off for some of the steeper courses as I has a max of a 27x 34.
What chainrings did you typically use – 26/39 or 28/42? How did you decide to use these gears?
At the outset we ran the 28/42 and liked it quite a bit but as soon as we got a hold of the 26/39 we were in love. Of course the 26×39 is the smart choice for the 29″ bikes but I also like it better for 99% of the xc race courses and riding conditions that I cam across throughout the season. The 39 x 11 has proven to be enough gear at the top end for even the fastest XC courses and allows me to stay in the big ring for more of the race and eliminate any extra shifting. The 26 is also a blessing when things get really long steep or hard for any other reason.
If you had to choose one single favorite aspect of XX, what would it be?
The 2 x 10 drivetrain with the ultra wide ratio rear cassette. I could come up with at least 5 aspects of the XX that are superior over other systems I have used.
Mary McConneloug:
USA
KENDA/Seven/NoTubes
When you rode XX for the first time, what were your first impressions?
I immediately felt the efficient chain line when I pedaled. The lightening quick shifting and precise braking was very apparent. I loved how adjustable and easy to use everything was!
After having XX on your bike for both training and racing, what advantages do you feel the XX 2×10 gearing offers you?
The 2×10 gives me the performance advantage because I dont have to think about shifting as much. I can go faster with a more streamline set up.
Before XX, how much experience did you have riding 2×9?
I rode a 2×9 set up in the past, but it was a combination of a few companies’ products pieced together. To have a dedicated system created by one (amazing) company makes a huge difference – so smooth! and obviously created and developed to work together.
What chainrings did you typically use – 26/39 or 28/42? How did you decide to use these gears?
I originally tried the 28/42 (as that was only available gearing at first). it was great, but I found I needed a little more gearing on the super steeps… I now prefer the 26/39 cuz I like to spin high rpms.
If you had to choose one single favorite aspect of XX, what would it be?
XX is user friendly for high performance. I can put more energy into pedaling because all the other functions like shifting, braking, and controlling the bike have been streamlined, making me more efficient.
Ross Schnell:
USA
Team Kenda/Seven Cycles
My first impressions of XX were very positive. The first thing I noticed was the gear ratios. I found that with the 11-36t range in the rear I didn’t need to shift out of the big ring as much. I also noticed how crisp and precise it felt. As an athlete I’m always looking for an edge or advantage over the competition. The added bonus of the XX group is that its substantially lighter than anything else with no compromise in performance.
2×10 gearing offers so much better range and ridability than a standard 9 speed drivetrain. I don’t have to think about what gear I’m in or ever worry about cross-chaining. The chain line is so good that I can stay in the big ring (42t) most of the time and the drivetrain is smooth and quiet. It gets even better with the 11-36t cassette. The wider gear range of the XX cassette allows me to roll the big ring most of the time, even up big climbs. I’m also amazed at how dependable the XX drivetrain has been for me. I’ve been racing and training on it for some time now and its been very reliable on my entire quiver of bikes, from XC to All-Mountain/Trail.
Before XX I experimented with a 2×9 drivetrain quite a bit. The problem was that chainring and cassette options were quite limited and the chainline was never that great. In order for the front chainrings to shift properly they need to be engineered and designed to perform together. Seemed like the only way to do it was a franken-bike setup that didn’t shift that well. For a while I ran a 30-40t front chainring combo but it just didn’t have a sufficient high/low range with the rear cassette options available at the time. For many years I’ve experimented and searched for a better option, now I have it.
My single favorite aspect of the XX group is the gear ratios. Its a bonus that the XX group is so light, but I would choose to ride it regardless of its weight because it performs so well.
