XO DH: Relentless

Aug 4, 2011
by SRAM  
The story of SRAM X0 DH starts, as that of many new SRAM products, under the BlackBox program. At the beginning of the 2009 racing season Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar of the Santa Cruz Syndicate start testing an X0 rear derailleur modified to be used with a 10 speed cassette.




Photo by Victor Lucas
At the La Bresse World Cup Steve Peat takes the win and is within sight of the all time record of 17 World Cup victories, while running a prototype X0 10 speed drivetrain. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
The following week in Andorra Steve Peat makes history, breaking the record with his 17th career World Cup win. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
Peaty's monumental season is far from over: he puts on a stormer of a run at the World Championships in Canberra...(Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
...taking the win by 0.05 seconds. On his World Champs winning bike Steve was once again running a modified X0 rear derailleur with a 10 speed SRAM RED road cassette. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
With the release of the 10 speed SRAM X0 product family at Sea Otter Classic, in the 2010 season Peaty, Minnaar and many more switched to the production short cage X0 10 speed rear derailleurs. Greg Minnaar enjoys an amazingly consistent season, never finishing further than 3rd place in a World Cup or World Championship, with multiple wins. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
At the end of the season, the final piece of the X0 DH puzzle falls into place: selected BlackBox athletes receive the first prototypes of a revolutionary carbon DH crank. Sam Hill races the cranks at the Windham World Cup and is so confident to run them at the World Championships in Mont Saint Anne. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
Photo by Victor Lucas
The confidence pays off: Hill wins his third rainbow jersey in the elites, after an amazing comeback from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him most of the season. (Photo by Victor Lucas)
during the SRAM XO experience Les Gets France.
Fast forward to June 2011. X0 DH is finally released to the world. Steve Peat and the X0 DH rear derailleur. Nothing but the best for the king. (Photo by Sven Martin)
during the SRAM XO experience Les Gets France.
Brendan Fairclough with a production sample of the X0 DH cranks, the first DH racing carbon cranks from SRAM. (Photo by Sven Martin)
during the SRAM XO experience Les Gets France.
Brendog shredding the trails in Les Gets, France, during the X0 DH launch. (Photo by Sven Martin)
X0 DH in Les Gets France
The legacy continues... (Photo by Sven Martin)

More information on SRAM X0 products can be read here:

-SRAM X0 DH First Look

-SRAM X0 in the field

Posted In:
Press Releases


Author Info:
SramMedia avatar

Member since Apr 1, 2011
178 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
62441 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
61411 views
First Ride: The Sub-$600 RockShox Domain and Psylo Forks
45565 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
39763 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37629 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
36365 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
35909 views
Spotted: Frameworks Racing DH Bike with Electronic Fox Shock & Unreleased Enve Rims
35352 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

65 Comments
  • 33 3
 Hahahaha SRAM Pub ! I always liked the overpriced X0... NOT ! 250$ for a derailleur that can die as easy as a 75$ X9... Ohh true 12 grams lighter. So 175$ for 12 grams and the bling factor.
  • 14 1
 I agree they are totally overpriced for the little extra offered!
  • 19 0
 But think of how many people will buy it purely to say to their mates "check out my sram XO dh, its more expensive than your x9 and therefore going to make me faster"
  • 3 1
 Anyone else notice Peaty wearing a Leatt Brace in the vid? or am i seeing things?
  • 9 6
 xetal... I'm not trying to pick a fight but the XO shifts much crisper than the X9, if you ever get a chance to ride an XO kit you will understand why it costs so much!
  • 11 0
 yeah the X0 feels alot nicer than the x9, but i realy dont think that its worth all that much more then the x9, and iambike4lyf you legend, thats pretty much what everybody does nowadays lol!
  • 6 0
 K DUB711 - yeah i saw that, exactly on 12 seconds hes wearing a leatt Razz
  • 8 0
 Deeds you are so right I bought a second hand bike that had an X0 rear mech already on it and I can honestly say that an X0 upshift feels like you are punching a Transformer in the face.. a very satisfying CLUNK as you shift, just empowering..
  • 1 1
 ^^ ya my moms XC bike has XO and compared to my X9 its like jesus, even though that would make since because her's is brand new and mine is 4 years old but...
  • 18 0
 I'm a Shimano forever type person...however I've gotta hand it to SRAM, they do make solid kit that looks really good. And you just can't question the race pedigree.
I think it's cool to have two equally impressive groupset manufacturers, more choice for us lot and they seem to drive each other forward positively Smile
  • 7 0
 shimano for me on my XC and road bike. sram for my FR and DH.
  • 11 0
 yes and how much? deraillers are so easy to beat up, who apart from racers can afford £170 each time you have an unlucky accident. In every single industry these days everything is outdated every two minutes, yes its good to have progression but some progression should be to make bikes and parts cheaper for the average non-loaded rider...
  • 8 0
 3 deraillers in as many months, I'm over them! I think they are by far the weakest link on a D.H rig, I personally think people are not thinking outside the square enough, there has to be a way to shift gears without having one of these vulnerable mechanisms hanging from the ass end of your bike (other than the speed hub and honda gear box) I like all the riders featured in this advert but if I buy the X0 should I expect to win world cups? They are all amazing riders. I'm rolling chainless till payday, then it's single speed for me.
  • 1 0
 There is and sram could very easily make one but,why would they when people are going to pay 170 quid a pop for a breakable device.
  • 4 0
 The XO stuff probs is amazing, but, if like me you dont have sponcors or disposable income is it worth it?
Iv always found the cheaper sram stuff to be a bit shit.
in my oppinion shimano is a better comapny for 'the privateer' just coz all their stuff is good quality and well priced.
  • 1 0
 Im suprised that theses guys are running 10 spd. Ithought the new deal was 9 spd. To bad I cant run either 9 or 10 spd. Does black box have 8 spd? Ive heard that old balck box stuff was 8 spd? Ive never ran Sram, always shimmano, and shimmano really doesnt have good 8 spd dh drivetrains.
  • 1 0
 I love Sram but I got tired of waiting for them to do something more DH related I went Saint 2011 in 11 and 11/23 Ultegra rear KMC ti X9 chain 35t e13t up front and its been incredible, no regrets, I was going to stick with XO on the AM bike but now seriously considering I hate to say it Shimano rear XTR with there selectable pivot for the pulley cage that can use a heavier spring and increased pivot friction to counteract the forces of up and down chain momentum in rough terrain., Just saying and also like that its more inboard of the chain stay, never thought I'd say love my Saint but I do..Tough decision on the next bike, i only run single rings up front 11/36 for AM/trail umm.
  • 1 0
 I ran XTR yeeears ago, switched to X-9, then on my new 951 went to Saint. Let's just say I'm going back to SRAM. Been there, done that...SRAM for me was less tuning and more reliable.
  • 2 0
 i went from multiple x9s to saint back to x9 and back to saint and will never run sram again. guess each person has their preferences
  • 2 0
 What a load of marketing bollox. I hope this video was done tongue in cheek but sadly I think that was not the case. It was embarassing to watch.
  • 1 0
 i only buy sram ,, they are the best , and give best customer service, racing the bds they bleed my breaks when they need doing and fex my stuff if it needs tweeking or is broke.. they are the best !
  • 4 1
 Restless? Are you sure it's not Relentless?
  • 2 0
 Sorry I ment to give positive props.
  • 1 0
 haha still in the URL too Razz
  • 2 0
 they must be getting restless because everyone says they wont buy them....
  • 1 0
 Yeah this is all nice and stuff but some of us don't have the income when you break one of these high end parts. So i stick to sram x7-x9 line. Smile
  • 1 1
 I'm sorry but this whole history lesson seams like a big advertisement for SRAM, IMO. The stuff does look nice but so does the competitions offerings. To each his own I guess.
  • 5 0
 What do you mean it seems like a sram ad? Of course it is! Isn't that blindingly obvious?
  • 2 0
 Titled "X0 DH" by Sram. hmmm...
  • 2 0
 like x0 but disslike the price. that is the only thing that puts me off the x0 range.
  • 3 0
 Awesome.
  • 3 1
 This is sweet. Such great products!
  • 1 0
 Is that a KMC chain on the M9? Or a 1091R. Hard to tell with the color in the photo.
  • 1 0
 I'm wondering whether they'll provide a fully XO DH set, because I'll surely grab one!! Drool
  • 1 0
 what are the prices for these things?
cranks, 10speed casset, and 10 speed derailler?
  • 2 1
 SRAM is really stepping it up this year!!
  • 1 0
 The saying £5000 bike and 50p legs come into mind Big Grin
  • 1 0
 never broke an x-0 derrailleuir and had it for 3 years now
  • 1 0
 I'm guessing my back yard doesn't look much like yours
  • 1 0
 oh yeah because i run a dh bike on the sidewalk and do bunny hops, fuck you are retarded. i beat the shit out of it. you gotta take care of your things and nothing will break
  • 1 0
 Looks pretty sweet...whats the price tag like?
  • 1 0
 Have fun with the SRAM lottery...
  • 1 0
 I thought it said "XO DH Brakeless"
Darn you crazy hill riders.
  • 1 0
 peatys using a XO leatt brace...
  • 1 0
 Sign me up !! Been on their stuff since day one and always will be !!
  • 1 0
 Cant w8 for shimano responce Big Grin !!!
  • 1 0
 anyone notice the tree branch at 5:29
and cool stuff
  • 1 0
 Muy bueno!
  • 1 1
 HAHAHAHA. STEVE PEAT IS A WANKER!!! HOPE HE GETS HIT BY A TRUCK
  • 1 1
 Damn sexy. I think it's time to convert my bike to a 10 speed Big Grin
  • 1 1
 GWIN, SHIMANO, GWIN, SHIMANO, GWIN SHADOW PLUS!!!! GO GWIN !!!
  • 9 10
 This is why Sram will always beat Shimano!!
  • 15 18
 Lies. Shimano FTW
  • 4 1
 Question of taste too i guess... Smile
  • 14 0
 They're both excellent manufacturers with race proven equipment, they both deserve props in my opinion guys. Cheers Smile
  • 5 5
 Yeah but sram should get more Wink
  • 3 1
 i think sram's shifters are generally better thought out, because you can upshift while braking easier, but both companies are worthy of my appraisal.
  • 7 0
 i like shimano saint
  • 5 0
 Sram need to redesign how you change the cable on their shifters.
  • 1 0
 They have.. you no longer take the cap off.
  • 1 0
 Pretty sure it's the riders that win pal thanks to a lot of training and prep from their mechanics.
  • 1 0
 Even so, there are some of us who fix (or at least try to fix) our own bikes, and yes, i agree that its a huge pain to switch cables.

and doesnt the new 2012 XT have a two-way trigger that you can pull or push?
  • 1 0
 2008 xtr was push and pull.
  • 1 0
 everything down to like the 4 series stuff if push pull now.
  • 1 0
 well, im gonna have to try this push-pull stuff! Smile







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.053237
Mobile Version of Website