Have done some service on my bike. First my Bosch CX-motor which I got a new from factory. While waiting for that one I "fixed" my rear derailleur once and for all with a SRAM EX1 upgrade kit. Derailleur/shifter/cassette/chain. Previously was a Shimano SLX 11-36T, stock 16T front sprocket remaining.
First I have to say some words of background here. On my bikes except the road bike I tend to use a wide range cassette with no front derailleur. Like the concept. Less things to bother with and since I live in quite hilly area it is good to have the range. So when I first read about this EX1-system I found that very interesting, the range and the less gears which I believe is good on an ebike where you don't have the same need for optimum cadence.
So now was the time then. Have never tried Sram so that was also a little fun with this all, to try a completely new system. The stuff came in plastic bags and not in some fancy box which I thought they should do
It was quite easy to upgrade, the instructions was great with good hints for getting all adjustables as they should. The shifter didn't fit on my stock brake handles which the SLX-shifter did. I had to use the included bracket and put it on the bar. Not a bad thing really, easier to adjust the position.
Have tried it a little yesterday and today and thought to write just a little about it.
First I have to say it felt quite natural from the beginning. I thought it would be very strange running the higher gears but it was ok. The shifter was the only thing I had to be careful with, shifting both up and down with the thumb was a new thing and sometimes I mixed up the buttons, which one was down now again? but it took just a little time to get used to.
So how was the gear range then!? 436% gear range! It was great having such a high gear as the 48T. Easy to climb a steep hill in low assist. Not like before where I used to increase the assist mode just to get up now I can just slowly pedal uphill. I used "Tour" on last ride, only that mode. Going up a steep hill in slow pace using only half the power from the motor (looking at the assist bar on the Intuvia display). I imagine the battery will last much longer when using it like that. And, as before, the lowest gear 11T is enough.
And what about the large 30% (average) steps between the gears, only 8 gears. Well, of course it's a compromise. I would never dream of having it on an unassisted road bike where you want an optimum cadence in all situations. You would never be satisfied there. But here, on an assisted mountainbike which you ride offroad with fast changing terrain and situations. It is very nice to quick go to a much higher or lower gear. Here you can only shift one gear at a time but even so you quick find the gear you need if you suddenly come to steep hill or a downhill trail.
Sometimes I found the step to be a little big and you had got too far on the gear range that you normally would have used. But that is to be expected and nothing that normally bothers you, instead you feel relieved all other times when you don't have too much gears to fiddle with. Here you get what you want, faster. Less is more. I like it. I didn't miss the double shift or even triple shift, that was good in steep uphills usually. This is more reliable, one shift and it's done.
Shifting performance then. Looking at the commercials they seem to have made a big thing about this. I thought it worked good but I am not that excited about it. A new drivetrain of some other good manufacturer would have performed good enough here also. But it was good, it shifts smooth and nice most of the times. The two lowest cogs, 11T/13T was an exception, here the chain doesn't roll on smooth, it kind of jumps into place.
The rear dearailleur was a high tech thing. It has some very overdesigned cable routing where it goes quarter past a roller wheel and then into a canal for getting to the end screw. It's nice looking at though but i wonder how it will perform after some rides in mud and dirt. Seems to be covered good though so that might not be a problem. It was very light considering it was a heftier piece of thing comparing to the stock SLX one. Some parts are made of plastic to save wheight. The lower jockey wheel is bigger than the upper. I had big problems with those jockey wheels on the stock one, they weared out fast, hope this system works better.
Speaking of wear. That is also one thing they speak themselfs warm off. How sturdy this EX1 system is and that it will last longer on an eMTB which driveline takes more abuse than on a regular MTB. That the manufacturers normally use standard components not made for eMTB's and that it should wear out fast. But this system is made for eMTB and thus better in this aspect. Well, time will see. They have a point, but I feel it might be a little marketing talk also. The chain is also a new extra sturdy one made for this system (it says on the cassette "Only use SRAM 10s chain" btw). Of course it's a difference between things and things. Let's just hope that these really are of the high quality kind.
Interesting also to see if the front sprocket will wear out faster now or if it eventually will last longer!? They also wear out "quite" fast I think, I am on my third extra expensive Haibike steel sprocket now.
Summary then. For me, the thing was wide gear range and fewer gears. I love that concept. The extra features like the shifter/perfomance and the eventual longer lasting time is only bonus. If I wouldn't have needed to replace some things I could just have bought a SunRace 11-46T cassette instead, have it on another ebike. But here you get a new system developed for this special purpose on an eMTB and also fewer gears to fiddle with. It costs a little, not very expensive as a whole package but when you need a new cassette you will cry. But hopefully it will last a while until the price has come down a little
First I have to say some words of background here. On my bikes except the road bike I tend to use a wide range cassette with no front derailleur. Like the concept. Less things to bother with and since I live in quite hilly area it is good to have the range. So when I first read about this EX1-system I found that very interesting, the range and the less gears which I believe is good on an ebike where you don't have the same need for optimum cadence.
So now was the time then. Have never tried Sram so that was also a little fun with this all, to try a completely new system. The stuff came in plastic bags and not in some fancy box which I thought they should do
It was quite easy to upgrade, the instructions was great with good hints for getting all adjustables as they should. The shifter didn't fit on my stock brake handles which the SLX-shifter did. I had to use the included bracket and put it on the bar. Not a bad thing really, easier to adjust the position.
Have tried it a little yesterday and today and thought to write just a little about it.
First I have to say it felt quite natural from the beginning. I thought it would be very strange running the higher gears but it was ok. The shifter was the only thing I had to be careful with, shifting both up and down with the thumb was a new thing and sometimes I mixed up the buttons, which one was down now again?
but it took just a little time to get used to.So how was the gear range then!? 436% gear range! It was great having such a high gear as the 48T. Easy to climb a steep hill in low assist. Not like before where I used to increase the assist mode just to get up
now I can just slowly pedal uphill. I used "Tour" on last ride, only that mode. Going up a steep hill in slow pace using only half the power from the motor (looking at the assist bar on the Intuvia display). I imagine the battery will last much longer when using it like that. And, as before, the lowest gear 11T is enough. And what about the large 30% (average) steps between the gears, only 8 gears. Well, of course it's a compromise. I would never dream of having it on an unassisted road bike where you want an optimum cadence in all situations. You would never be satisfied there. But here, on an assisted mountainbike which you ride offroad with fast changing terrain and situations. It is very nice to quick go to a much higher or lower gear. Here you can only shift one gear at a time but even so you quick find the gear you need if you suddenly come to steep hill or a downhill trail.
Sometimes I found the step to be a little big and you had got too far on the gear range that you normally would have used. But that is to be expected and nothing that normally bothers you, instead you feel relieved all other times when you don't have too much gears to fiddle with. Here you get what you want, faster. Less is more. I like it. I didn't miss the double shift or even triple shift, that was good in steep uphills usually. This is more reliable, one shift and it's done.
Shifting performance then. Looking at the commercials they seem to have made a big thing about this. I thought it worked good but I am not that excited about it. A new drivetrain of some other good manufacturer would have performed good enough here also. But it was good, it shifts smooth and nice most of the times. The two lowest cogs, 11T/13T was an exception, here the chain doesn't roll on smooth, it kind of jumps into place.
The rear dearailleur was a high tech thing. It has some very overdesigned cable routing where it goes quarter past a roller wheel and then into a canal for getting to the end screw. It's nice looking at though but i wonder how it will perform after some rides in mud and dirt. Seems to be covered good though so that might not be a problem. It was very light considering it was a heftier piece of thing comparing to the stock SLX one. Some parts are made of plastic to save wheight. The lower jockey wheel is bigger than the upper. I had big problems with those jockey wheels on the stock one, they weared out fast, hope this system works better.
Speaking of wear. That is also one thing they speak themselfs warm off. How sturdy this EX1 system is and that it will last longer on an eMTB which driveline takes more abuse than on a regular MTB. That the manufacturers normally use standard components not made for eMTB's and that it should wear out fast. But this system is made for eMTB and thus better in this aspect. Well, time will see. They have a point, but I feel it might be a little marketing talk also. The chain is also a new extra sturdy one made for this system (it says on the cassette "Only use SRAM 10s chain" btw). Of course it's a difference between things and things. Let's just hope that these really are of the high quality kind.
Interesting also to see if the front sprocket will wear out faster now or if it eventually will last longer!? They also wear out "quite" fast I think, I am on my third extra expensive Haibike steel sprocket now.
Summary then. For me, the thing was wide gear range and fewer gears. I love that concept. The extra features like the shifter/perfomance and the eventual longer lasting time is only bonus. If I wouldn't have needed to replace some things I could just have bought a SunRace 11-46T cassette instead, have it on another ebike. But here you get a new system developed for this special purpose on an eMTB and also fewer gears to fiddle with. It costs a little, not very expensive as a whole package but when you need a new cassette you will cry. But hopefully it will last a while until the price has come down a little
