X1 DELIVERS ALL the wide range single-ring simplicity, bad weather durability (compared to SRAM 2x10), decreased bike clutter and weight advantages of SRAM's 1x11 system in its most affordable - though still expensive - form.
The super-wide range
10-42t Mini Cluster cassette uses individual cogs that are pinned together
rather than being machined from a single block of metal like XX1 and X01's
X-Dome cassettes. That makes it 50g heavier but 145$ cheaper than X01 and
functionally identical on the trail.
While the jumps
between gears are slightly bigger than with 11-speed XTR, the 10t and 42t ends
give a ratio edge at high- or low-speed extremes. You'll need an XD freehub
though, which potentially adds cost.
The metal-caged X-Horizon
rear mech is robust and gives super-accurate and very positive shifts right
across the block. You can't adjust tension or switch off the clutch like with
Shimano but you can immobilise it for easy wheel removal/fitting with the Cage
Lock feature. You don't get the adjustable-angle thumb trigger of XX1 and X01
either but the internals are identical to X01 and it syncs with all other SRAM
handlebar hardware.
While it's cheap for
SRAM 1x11, comparison with Shimano's new XTR makes X1 look very expensive.
WEIGHT 973g
FORMAT 1x11
PRICE 755$
