CHICAGO, IL (BRAIN) Thursday March 29 2012 9:10 AM MT—SRAM on Thursday publicly released details of its 10-speed GripShift mountain bike shifters, which will be available the end of next month.
It's the first time SRAM has offered twist shifters for its 10-speed group and the company is continuing to offer trigger shifters, as well. However the new twist shifters are lighter than the triggers and most sponsored pros will be using the twisters.
While externally and in user function the shifters resemble the mostly-plastic shifters that put SRAM on the map in the 1990s, the internals are a considerable upgrade, and the price reflects that. The top-of-the-line XX shifters with lock-on stationary grips and Gore sealed cables will retail for $295. XO models will retail for $225 and have regular cables.
Inside, the new shifters feature three rows of ball bearings each and metal-on-metal indexing. The "Jaws" lock-on grip feature securely attaches the stationary grip to the shifter mechanism.
The XX shifters weight 207 grams with cables, plus 80 grams for the stationary grips. The XX models are only available for 2x10 drivetrains.
The XO shifters are available for 2x10 or 3x10 drivetrains.
