CHICAGO (BRAIN) — SRAM is taking a swipe at the many companies offering "narrow-wide" chainrings for single-chainring mountain bike drivetrains. The company is now offering a steel X-Sync chainring that will retail for $19.95.
"The SRAM X-Sync Steel 1x chainrings are the perfect replacement ring for the cost-conscious with added durability of steel. The same SRAM X-Sync technology at a price well below competitors' imitation 'narrow wide' rings," the company said.
Chainrings with alternating wide-narrow teeth have been popular since SRAM introduced its patented X-Sync chainrings for its single-ring XX1 mountain group in 2012. The company has since brought the feature to cyclocross and single-chainring road groups. SRAM has licensed the X-Sync design to several third-party chainring makers, and several other brands have decided to go it alone with similar, unlicensed designs. Most of the competing designs are aluminum and retail from $35 to $90.
The new 11-speed rings are available for direct-mount cranks in 28-tooth for 6mm offset DM cranks, and in 30- and 32-tooth versions for 94mm BCD cranks. The rings are steel with a black finish.
The 28-tooth ring is not compatible with 30mm cranks that require a 0mm offset ring. The rings must be used with a SRAM chain to maintain the warranty.
