SRAM Eagle might be the hot new group, but there are a lot more riders out there who are still running 11 speed SRAM groups. That also means there are likely to be a lot of riders looking for a lower “bail out” gear to get up that punchy climb when your legs just don’t have it. If you fall into that category, Wolf Tooth Components has yet another product that may be worth a look. It might not be quite as big as the blue 49t GC for Shimano cassettes above, but the red GCX 46t needs less to make it work and makes for a massive 10-46t spread…
Similar in design to the GC cassette adapters, the SRAM specific GCX cogs can be identified by the lack of the inner ring on the GCs. By removing the last aluminum 42t cog on XX1, X01, XG1195, or XG1199 cassettes, you can add the 46t GCX for a little help up those climbs. If 46 seems too extreme, WTC still offers the same adapter in 44t, as well as a standard 42t replacement. The GCX 46 is said to weigh 95g, and is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum in Minneapolis. WTC claims that no additional modifications to the drivetrain are needed to make the adapter work with the exception of some B-tension adjustment. And since you’re not removing any of the cogs in the middle of the cassette, the rest of the shifting and spread remains the same. Sold for $89.95, GCX 46 adapters are available now in 8 colors.
Over in the GnarWolf department, WTC now has an option for road, gravel, and cross bikes who could use a little extra chain retention. Their new Braze-On GnarWolf will mount to any standard braze-on mount including braze-on clamp adapters.
With three mounting positions built in, plus the possibility of raising and lowering the clamp adapters, WTC says the guide should cover 34-52t chainrings in both round and oval in most circumstances. The guide also keeps their slick adjustment system which allows you to adjust the chainline with one bolt as well as one bolt to flip the guide up to remove the chainring – and it’s all done with a single 4mm hex key. Coming in at 44g, the guide sells for $69.95 and is available now.
WTC was also showing a prototype high direct mount GnarWolf guide which uses the same guide piece, but is adapted for mountain bikes with the HDM standard. We’re told it should be ready in a few weeks – just in time for this coming season!
