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J-Pow Races SRAM CXX1 Prototype at Hendersonville NCCX, Keeps Hydro Disc Brakes

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Jeremy Powers SRAM CXX1 1x11 cyclocross drivetrain prototype

Jeremy Powers was spotted racing a prototype SRAM CXX1 (our name for now, not official) 1×11 drivetrain at the Hendersonville, NC, cyclocross race this Sunday. We first spotted it on Ryan Trebon’s bike at the Cincy3 CX Fest with an equally short cage rear derailleur but a more chiseled Cannondale chainring.

Power’s Focus Mares Cross Disc was equipped with the Hydro RD disc brakes despite last week’s recall. With temps above freezing for the North Carolina event, we’re guessing the stress and uncertainty of switching them out at the last minute, plus his experience with them, outweighed any concerns.

Poke past the break for closeup pics…

Jeremy Powers SRAM CXX1 1x11 cyclocross drivetrain prototype

Click to enlarge. The cable entry point is rearward facing for now, which means a big loop of cable housing coming around. We’re guessing/hoping that if (when) this makes it to production, they’ll incorporate the XX1 mountain bike derailleur’s pulley wheel to guide the cable into the mech with a more direct, top facing cable entry.

Jeremy Powers SRAM CXX1 1x11 cyclocross drivetrain prototype

The rest of the bike is team spec: Easton cockpit and carbon wheels (custom hoops with 2013 EC90 rims mated to mountain bike hubs, the rest of us have to “settle” for the EA90 XD alloy wheels for now), Dugast tubulars, Fizik bar tape and saddle.

Jeremy Powers SRAM CXX1 1x11 cyclocross drivetrain prototype

Who else wants 1×11 for their ‘cross bike? Sign us up.

Big thanks to Matt S. for the pics!

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19 Comments
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Loki
Loki
10 years ago

good stuff! i want one!
the cable entry point makes sense that way, think of compatibility with CX frames that are, without any exceptions that i know of, using road standard rear entry derailleur cable routing. for the XX0 or the like you need to route the cable along/ inside the drivetrain tubes. not very common on CX bikes… think of a specialized crux carbon frames for example. the routing is inside the chainstays but exits out of the seatstays above the dropouts. impossible to use a MTB-style rear derailleur…

mudrock
mudrock
10 years ago

All the mechanics had to do was replace the seals with something more flexible in the cold. Can’t believe that with Sram/Avid’s many years of experience with hydraulic brakes they couldn’t foresee this problem. Haven’t Avid brakes been on snow bikes for years?

Mike Hare
10 years ago

After reading a recent Lennard Zinn comment about hydraulic fluid requirements of SRAM vs. Shimano and the extremely small number of failures I’m wondering where mechanic error might enter into the seal failure issue?!

K11
K11
10 years ago

forget the 1×11 drivetrain for now. they should focus more time on getting their hydraulic brakes improved and redesign those hideous “frankenstein” reservoirs above the brake levers.

i want to build up my cx frame with sram and have been waiting for the next generation sram road hydraulics/mechanical setup.

Jeroen
Jeroen
10 years ago

Is it me, or does the upper structure seems to have an addition hole where the ‘mtb style’ cable entry could be, as if it will be an option at installing? Would make sense to offer that.

Micah
Micah
10 years ago

Can someone explain the benefits of this group? It seems like they aren’t really using a bigger cassette than a standard derailleur could handle.

Pete
Pete
10 years ago

Hey wait….are his hydro brakes recalled too?

filibuster cash
filibuster cash
10 years ago

Micah- the benefits are IT’S NEW BUY IT NOW I WANT!!!! You’re supposed to just take out your credit card and load up. Welcome to the bike industry.

Pancakes
Pancakes
10 years ago

@Micah

Less chance of chain drop, simplicity, lighter weight, and I’m sure the potential for bigger range cassettes for people who need them.

Adam
Adam
10 years ago

Benefit? NO dropped chains and NO Chain slap.

From Sram, These levers have a custom machined gearing to accept the proper pull for a xx1 type setup. The benefit of the XX1 is the Horizon clutch derailleur which moves laterally so vertical bumps don’t force the derailleur down into misshifts. The narrow/wide chainring so the chain won’t come off even without a chain guide in gnarly conditions would also be nice in cross.

I’ve been using the S700 10 spd hydro brakes/shifters (until the recall) with a x9 type 2 and its good but not as nice as the xx1

härbert
härbert
10 years ago

What exacly is placed under the saddle?
Perhaps some kind of “cx-remount-impact-damper”?
Or seat heating system with dropping option?

WV Cycling
WV Cycling
10 years ago

What happened to cross bikes being created from the spare parts bin in the garage?

Local Dutchman
Local Dutchman
10 years ago

@WV Cyling: guess J. Powers has a spare parts bin too. But his is filled with prototype parts. And there’s a mechanic next to said spare parts bin.

truerider
truerider
10 years ago

This setup worked well for him. I watched him race this weekend and he crushed it, the course was 60% muddy and he had at least a 1.5 min gap on 2nd place both days. Super nice guy as well:-)

Eric@505
Eric@505
10 years ago

Running my WolfTooth 42T (130 BCD) NW chainring with a standard Shimano DA 7800 RD and 11-27 cassette has been chain drop-free this season. Total investment $79. Superb quality. Wolftooth is located in MN, good ol’ USA, too. : )

gravity
gravity
10 years ago

@härbert – That’s just Easton’s giant, ugly seatpost.

John sterner
John sterner
10 years ago

Wow such a range of commentary. I have some experience this season w many of the issues mentioned so I thought I would weigh in.

I purchased a pro crux frame and built it up as a ten speed vs 11 to save a little cash and to be unique. First off u can use a mountain rear (clutch) Derailiur but because of the front cable entry of mt. Derailiurs I (shop) had to route cable outside of chain stay. They cut a small notch in bottom bracket panel to accommodate cable and zipp tied to chain stay and then covered w a lizard skin type chain stay protector. Sounds a bit cheesy I know but it actually looks very pro and shop was excited to be breaking new ground as this was prior to the sightings of 1/11 systems on pro bikes. I may be the only one with this type of setup on a ten speed version. I used a wolf tooth single chain ring up front with a SRAM chain keeper mounted to the braze on Derailiur clamp although I don’t really believe it is needed but it weighs almost nothing and looks cool. I have used this setup the second half of season here in Colorado and love the simplicity of single ring not to mention the reduction of weight and lack of front Derailiur mud and ice jam issues. I used an x9 Type two RD which shifts great. In short single ring rocks. At last weekends state championships we had plenty of mud and ice which caused zero drivetrain issues.

I have the ten speed (force?) version of SRAM hydro disk brakes and like many others continued to race despite the stop use/recall issue. Temps last weekend were upper thirties and I experienced no problems HOWEVER!!! About three weeks ago I did experience a complete failure of front brake as described in SRAM’s stop use notice while on an icy downhill section of course. Not fun. Temps at that event were more like upper 20’s. SRAM Warrantied my shifter and the new one worked fine last week. I like many others are standing by for a permanent fix.

I too get irritated with the constant influx of new tech and the u must have this mentality but when it comes to hydro for cross man it simply works great (recall issue aside) I am pretty new to cross but still able to pass season racers prior to turns due to the stopping power of disk brakes. I didn’t like the look of the hoods at first with the large cylinder underneath but it grows on u and is actually pretty comfortable especially on a steep bumpy downhill.

Hope this was helpfull..

bin judgin
bin judgin
10 years ago

why do people complain about new stuff? without new stuff, there wouldn’t be the ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE used market that we get graced with now. also rising numbers of people riding gives you EVEN MORE!

Nick
Nick
10 years ago

Those levers, though….ugh I just can’t get past Sram’s ugly product.

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