Shots of the SRAM Gripshift new X.0 shifters and rear mech have been around for a while, but with less than a month to it’s release date here’s some more technical info. While previous ESP derailleurs have been mostly composite plastics, the new rear mech is composed of forged and CNC machined aluminum, magnesium, titanium, stainless steel, and ‘Grilon’ composite, with a design emphasis on strength and durability. Weight is stated to be 200g for a short cage rear mech or 204g for a long cage mech, while XTR is listed at 207g.

The X.0 shifter is an upgraded version of the current ‘Shorty’ 9.0 with new grip ergonomics as a result of extensive race testing with top riders such as Thomas Frischknecht of team Ritchey Yahoo, Rune Hoydahl and Myles Rockwell of team Giant, Ned Overend from Specialized, John Tomac and Greg Herbold. It runs on the same ESP 1:1 cable pull ratio as usual with the patented SRS™ (Speed Release Spool) technology, for fast, accurate shifts.

US prices are listed as $90 for the shifters and $180 for the rear mech. but as yet we have no confirmed UK. I’ve been really impressed with the ESP system that I’ve been using lately, so am looking forward to getting my hands on a production set in February.

Watch this space to see if it rides as good as it looks.