“SRAM muck” …pffft!
There’s probably a touch of Flann O’Brien in all us bikers - ‘part man, part bicycle’ - and as we all know, a mountain bike, like many things in life, is far greater than the sum of its parts.
My Focus Sam2 Pro is kitted out with some top spec - buttery smooth Fox Factory suspension and Transfer dropper, Raceface hubs with Turbine R rims, not to mention the 4 pot Code RSCs all pushed along smoothly by the whisper quiet Shimano Steps E8000 motor - however I’ve always felt there was one component that let the side down badly - and that was the SRAM EX1 cassette.
“SRAM muck!” Richie would say before spitting on the ground.
Google ‘EX1’ and you’ll find a YouTube vid of its German designer explaining exactly how precise the mech is in his equally precise but clipped Teutonic tones.
Although built specifically for the eBikes, the EX1 is a near perfect example of over engineering. A wider chain is built to cope with the increased combined torque of both rider and motor - great, except that a wider chain at the front end makes for less room at the back. So, there’s only space for an eight-sprocket cassette - and it’s a very long time since mountain bikers rode 8 speeds.
The ratios were just wrong - no matter what the gradient, the gearing never seemed quite right – slightly too high, slightly too low – with all that constant shifting, the bike was never happy. So, after more than two years of abuse, the cassette starts to show signs of wear. But I soon learn that replacing the cassette. alone will cost an eye-watering €400 or near as damn it - fuck that!
Time for a change and I’m going back to the old reliable. In to Expert Cycles and Alfie fits me up with a tried and trusted XT 1x10, the same as I had on the Yeti for years and the bike before that and the bike before that.
First ride out and the difference is phenomenal - I feel happier and now that all its parts are finally working in harmony, the bike too feels much happier too.
Part man, part bicycle. Thanks Flann.