SRAM

X0 Silver 3x10 Grip Shifters

Having thirty gears to choose from has its advantages; namely, the perfect ratio for any situation. Getting to that gear, however, can take awhile with trigger shifters -- it takes multiple pushes of a selector to find the right gear. The SRAM XO Silver Grip Shifters quickly gets you to the right gear with a twist of the wrist, and its highly polished alloy finish complements the rest of SRAM's XO Silver components.

Early Grip Shift blindsided the mountain bike market in the early 90's because it offered a much simpler, faster, and lighter weight way of changing gears. Grip Shift got the job done with a few moving parts vs. trigger shifters, which used as many as thirty individual components. Racers were quick to take advantage of the faster gear changes and lower weight. Soon Grip Shift was enjoying both downhill and cross country podiums under notable racers like Greg Herbold and Ned Overend.

Jump ahead to today, and the new X0 Silver 3x10 Grip Shifter Set has already proven its advantages on the race circuit with a 2011 XC World Championship under its belt. Developed for use in the BlackBox racing program, the first 10-Speed Grip Shifter were successfully campaigned under Jaroslav Kulhavy. What SRAM learned racing those prototypes has directly enhanced the production versions.

The XO foregoes carbon in favor of aluminum to keep its price point lower than the higher-end XX Twisters. It still rolls on ball bearings -- a first for SRAM twist shifters. This provides longer life than bushings, and reduces the effort need to change gears. Speaking of action, these shifters use SRAM's 1:1 Actuation ratio. For every unit of cable pulled, the derailleur moves the same amount. Wide tolerances ensure consistency in every condition from dry and dusty, to sloppy mud, to frozen fat-bike adventures. 1:1 Actuation also eases setup, with simple adjustment from the shifters barrel adjuster. Another key upgrade is integrated lock on grips to prevent dreaded throttle grip, something that cursed small rubber grips of early Grip Shift. The integrated lock on grips hides the clamp to provide a seamless ergonomic transition from grip to shifter.

The X0 Silver 3x10 Grip Shifters are compatible with SRAM's 10-Speed mountain and road front and rear derailleur's, opening up possibilities for touring or commuting applications. The shifter set comes with a sealed Gore Ride-on low-friction cable system to provide long lasting performance.