SRAM XX Grip Shifter
2.5
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REVIEWS
2.5
QIKRATE
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WEB
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DESCRIPTION
The XX designation is reserved for SRAM's top-line offerings and the XX Grip Shifters stays true to that. Using carbon fiber in place of the aluminum found on the X0 twisters, these 10-speed shifters are insanely light and pack the performance demanded by top riders. In fact, the XX Grip Shifters already have a World Championship under their belt. Developed for use in the BlackBox racing program, the first XX 10-Speed Grip Shifters were successfully campaigned under Jaroslav Kulhavy to a 2011 World Championship win. But, twist shifters aren?t new to the podium. Early Grip Shift blindsided the mountain bike market in the early 90's because it offered a much simpler, faster, and lighter weight way of changing gears. The original Grip Shift got the job done with few moving parts, compared to trigger shifters, which used as many as thirty individual components. Racers were quick to take advantage of the faster gear changes and lower weight. Soon Grip Shift was enjoying both downhill and cross country podiums under notable racers like Greg Herbold and Ned Overend.Famous for their low weight, ability to shift multiple gears at once, and dependability, SRAM's twist shifters created a stir when first introduced, and were essential to the company's early success. Those positive traits and vibrant history continue with the introduction of the XX Grip Shifter Set, and are helped along by a large dose of BlackBox tweaking.What SRAM learned from putting prototypes under Jaroslav Kulhavy has directly enhanced the production versions. The shifting mechanism rolls on ball bearings ? a first for SRAM twist shifters. This provides longer life than bushings, smooth operation, and reduces the effort needed to change gears. Speaking of action, these shifters use SRAM's 1:1 Actuation ratio.For every unit of cable pulled, the derailleur moves the same amount. Wide tolerances ensure consistency in every condition from dry and dusty, to sloppy mud, to frozen fat-bike adventures. 1:1 Actuation also eases setup, with simple adjustment from the shifters' barrel adjusters. Another key upgrade are the integrated lock on grips, which help prevent dreaded throttle grip, something that cursed the small rubber grips of early Grip Shift. The integrated lock on grips hide the clamp to provide a seamless ergonomic transition from grip to shifter.The XX Grip Shifters is only available as 2x10 and is compatible with SRAM's 10-Speed mountain and road rear derailleurs, opening up possibilities for touring or commuting applications. However, it's only compatible with dedicated SRAM 2x10 front derailleurs. The shifter set comes with a sealed Gore Ride-on low-friction cable system to provide long lasting performance.
USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
2 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
1 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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simple, less things to break wear out, light.
Weaker detents, super flexy body/neck, resulting in missed down shifts
Very disappointed. I have been a grip shift lifer since my first mtn bike in 1996. Over the winter finally upgraded from a 9 speed triple drivetrain to a 2 * 10. Using XX grip shifters with a XO type 2 rear derailleur. I have a lot of trouble with missed down shifts. It seemed like I needed to over shift to each lower gear or hold it a split second longer until the chain finally landed and locked. New XX cassette and Sram chain. Dumping a lot of gears was even worse, the chain more often than not would land one gear short of were it was supposed to be. Kept re-trimming r.der. but nothing seemed to fix the problem.
Then I saw it. When you twist to an down shift, especially to the bigger cogs, the entire "neck" of the shifter flexes like a spring. It moves, a lot. There is only one clamp holding the shells of the body together and they are in contact on a diagonal almost in line with the torque of the shifter. The shells slide across each other and the neck twists and then falls back into place.
I removed some of the flex by zip tying the neck at various angles with multiple ties to the handlebar and the shifting has improved but it still moves. I actually have the older triple grip shifter on the left operating the front derailleur(XTR sideswing- XX not compatible). This older and much cheaper technology does not budge flex or twist. Perfect shifts everytime. is anyone else having this issue?
Similar Products Used:
Grip shift everything
OVERALL RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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~One of the lightest, fastest shifts you'll ever get
~Crisp ball bearing twist action, in three rows of bearings
~Lock-on 100mm grips included
~All metal detents, greatly reduces wear and vague shift engagement, often found on SRAM X0 9-speed twisters
~Simplistic design
~Expensive as HELL
~Flat spring "clicker" detent is fastened very poorly, to shifter body. Twist too fast and hard, often results in spring coming loose and jamming shifter up = BAD race finish results
~Carbon body cover is secured by only ONE ring - requiring precise installation and mounting
Yes, this is the world's first grip shifter to win a World Cup Championship/Olympic Gold Medal(Beijing 2008), under Specialized XC Pro, Jaroslav Kulhavy. Obviously, SRAM capitalized on those victories, to grossly OVERPRICE such a simple piece of machinery. Think about it - not much R&D is required to engineer three rows of tiny ball bearings and add one indexed shift detent, is there? As much as I love twisters I cannot fathom how SRAM can get away with such robbery. Ok, enough of the personal attacks...
The Achilles Heel of the XX twister, lies within the shifter body itself. There is a flat spring that has curved tabs which engage the ten metal detents. All this is regulated by a thin, long coil spring. The problem is when you are in a race situation and has to shift hard and fast - that flat piece of metal can come loose inside the shifter body and jam the entire shifter....or lodge itself where you can only get 3-4 useful gears. This is totally unacceptable for a $300 MSRP shift system. And, don't EVER try to take it apart yourself! Go straight to your LBS with purchase receipt in-hand(critical!) to have SRAM warranty this ASAP.
Treat this delicate part with caution and you will be rewarded with incredibly rapid shifts, in each direction. Where else can you dump all 10 gears on one twist? Nowhere, that's where!
Similar Products Used:
SRAM X0 9-speed