CHICAGO (BRAIN)—SRAM has taken its 2x10 mountain bike drivetrain on the road to show retailers firsthand the benefits of the 20-speed system.
The 2x10 Experience kicked off last month at DealerCamp in Park City, Utah, and will stop at regional demo events and local trailheads through the end of the year.
It’s facilitated by Todd Downs and Justin Koch who are crisscrossing the West in Sprinter vans loaded with two-dozen X7, X9, X0 and XX-equipped 26 and 29-inch hardtail and full suspension XC, trail and all mountain bikes.
By getting retailers on the bikes, they can see that the benefits of 2x10 like faster shifting and increased efficiency ring true in a wide range of riding styles and environments, said Morgan Meredith SRAM’s mountain bike PR manager.
“This 2X10 Experience is built around retailers understanding of what’s possible with 2X10 gearing so they can explain it better to consumers and ultimately understand what they are selling better,” Meredith said. “Riding these 2X10 equipped bikes on their hometown trails tells that technology story better than any brochure we send out ever could.”
Meredith said that XX, released last year by SRAM, was developed and marketed as the ultimate mountain bike race group, which may have led to the misconception that 2x10 is not accessible to all riders.
Clearing up any incorrect assumptions is particularly important now because SRAM has trickled down the technology developed for the race-ready XX drivetrain to the more affordable X0, X9 and X7 systems for 2011.
The 2x10 Experience runs through mid-December and will stop at Interbike’s Outdoor Demo in Boulder City and Outerbike in Moab. In all, the tour will hit 20 states, mostly in the West. The schedule isn’t firm and dealers who are interested in experiencing 2x10 should contact their SRAM rep.
—Nicole Formosa
nformosa@bicycleretailer.com
