Spy shots: Shimanos answer to XX1?

Most recently in the wide drivetrain news was the fact that SRAM had released X01, a trickle down group from their top tier elevel speed drive train. What was puzzling about this new groupset was the fact that it weighed just 40-60g more than XX1 and retained both similar features and the blindingly high pricetag! SRAMs argument was at the original equipment level X01 worked out far cheaper meaning complete bikes would be both eleven speed and fairly affordable. Where however does that leave the riders who, like me, buy a frame and either build it up with a custom specification or alternatively use many parts from their old bike to keep the cost down. The rumours are still circulating about XX9 and how soon we will see it being released however on Jared Graves' winning Yeti from the EWS at Crankworx Whistler something exciting was being tested. Although Graves appears to be using a standard 10 speed XTR mech (likely long cage) it's coupled up to what appears to be a 11-40/42 cassette (standard freehub compatible), providing similar ratios to XX1 but without having to replace the rest of the drivetrain! Even if cassette prices were similar to the prices SRAM are charging merely by making the system compatible with the existing shifting gear brings the price down massively. RRP for the existing XTR cassette is £209.99 (cheapest XX1 ~ £245 (Bike-discount.de) so even if it went up by another £50 it would still be undercutting SRAM massively! Some healthy competition can only be a good thing for the wide range cassette market although it'll be some time yet before we can purchase the Shimano offering. Although the lower 7 cogs appear to be of the standard XTR variety the upper 3 seem a very rough prototype - no doubt Shimano will wish to refine these further prior to releasing more information.

Graves' custom set up - credit GeeBeeBee Media

Avid Chasing Trail - Kenny Smith

Chasing Trail - Kenny Smith on Pinkbike

Kenny Smith shows us how it's done, ripping up Whistler Bike Park on his SRAM equipped carbon Demo 8! An incredible rider, with the ability to shred technical features just as easily as sending huge jumps and gaps!

Film Review: Where The Trail Ends (original version)

Original version of review

The latest mountain bike film from Freeride Entertainment and Red Bull Media has landed: Where The Trail Ends. Spread across a variety of locations across the globe ranging from Canada to China, this movie certainly has the locations, but does it meet the hype?

Kurt Sorge sending a huge superman, credit Where The Trail Ends

Where The Trail Ends is very well shot, with stunning cinematography at all times, featuring some incredible riding. There are breathtaking and bone crunching moments in equal measure throughout, keeping the viewer entertained and involved, however some of the features on the culture of the country being filmed in can disenchant the watcher, if these segments were cut down upon I don't feel it would detract from the film as a whole, though these scenes played a key  part in the atmosphere of the film and should by no means be cut out completely.

Darren Berrecloth smashing a huge road gap, credit Where The Trail Ends

Overall if you love stunning scenery and incredible riding then Where The Trail Ends is definitely a film you should be putting on your watch list, however if you prefer tricks and slopestyle then give this one a miss, as it's pure, unadulterated freeride through and through, an absolute cracker!

Film review: Where The Trail Ends (re-edit)

Edited version based upon feedback from readers

Where The Trail Ends; a stunning mountain bike flick from Freeride Entertainment has landed, with locations across the world, from Canada to China, featuring mind-boggling riding coupled with breathtaking cinematography. With riders such as Berrecloth, Doerfling and Lacondeguy this movie is going to go off with a bang!

Kurt Sorge sending a superman, credit Where The Trail Ends

The riding is both breathtaking and bone crunching, keeping the audience captivated throughout, as stomach-flipping head cam shots are coupled with cinematic vistas shot by helicopter of incredible lines. At times the background of the culture can intrude upon the flow of the footage, however it breaks up the non-stop freeriding, a big plus for the less fervent viewer, acting as both a positive and a negative factor.

Darren Berrecloth smashing a huge road gap, credit Where The Trail Ends