XPLR

In my last post about switching to SRAM Force E1, I compared the setups I’m considering using range percentages — 494% for the 2x, 460% for XPLR, and so on. Range is the number every manufacturer prints on the box, and it’s also the least useful number for deciding what to actually ride. Two drivetrains with identical range can feel completely different, because range tells you nothing about where the gears sit between the extremes. ...

If you’ve been watching professional racing over the last few years, you’ve probably noticed more riders lining up to flat stages with a single chainring up front. Jonas Vingegaard has made it almost a signature — swapping to a 1x setup on stages where the terrain doesn’t demand the range of a full 2x drivetrain. The question worth asking is what those setups actually look like, why pros can get away with them, and whether any of that translates to the rest of us. ...