With the Guide brake, Sram ushered in a new era with its disc brakes, but then the Americans doubled down with the "Level" model for cross-country and trail use. We grabbed the top-of-the-range "Ultimate" version and tested whether it is also suitable for alpine cross-country use.

Are there alternatives to Shimano or Sram? Yes, there are, for example with Rohloff or Pinion. But when it comes to shifting systems with cassettes, the two "Big S" stand alone. But not for much longer: BMX specialist Box Components has brought its mountain bike gear system to series maturity and the components look like they could compete with Shimano and Sram.

After a quarter of a century, mountain bike legend Greg Herbold is retiring from the Sram Group. Herbold was not only the figurehead for iconic products such as the first Rock Shox fork and the first Grip Shift shifter. The 1990 UCI Downhill World Champion also worked behind the scenes as a tester and developer at Sram.

Rebound, compression, air pressure or negative suspension travel: a modern suspension element offers numerous adjustment options. Adjusting these forks and dampers correctly is not quantum physics, but it still requires a practiced hand. Sram soon wants to make it easier to optimally adjust the suspension with clever acquisition.

SRAM recently presented the first component group developed purely for E-MTBs. We were able to put the shifting and braking unit to the test on a ride. With fewer gears and a more powerful braking unit, it should meet the requirements of an E-MTB groupset exactly.

Until now, Sram's shifting combo for rough terrain has also been rough for the Portemmonaie, as the Gravity drivetrain was previously only available at XO level. But that's changing: Sram is launching the GX DH groupset, which is packed with features from its expensive counterparts.

Until now, e-mountainbikes have had to make do with conventional drives. However, the parts are not able to cope with the additional weight and drive power in the long term. Sram is now the first manufacturer to respond and is presenting the world's first shifting group and brake for e-mountainbikes - the EX1, the result of a different approach and developed from scratch.

As part of the Bike Festival in Riva, we had the opportunity to complete our first test ride with the recently announced Sram Eagle drivetrain. The Specialized Enduro provided was equipped with numerous new and revised Sram products, which we were also able to get an impression of.

Metric Shock Sizing: It sounds like an earthquake warning system - but it's not and has a lot to do with mountain bikes rather than plate tectonics. Six manufacturers come to an agreement and publish a new system with the aim of standardizing shock installation lengths.

1x12 and 10-50: According to Sram, these numbers are the future of mountain bike gearing. With a cassette that is almost the size of a pizza plate, the US component manufacturers want to definitely put an end to the front derailleur and the double crankset.

Joking about dying is a tricky thing to do - but Sram has launched a eulogy for the front derailleur. According to Sram, the hour of the 2x or even 3x chainring set has definitely come. Is the YouTube farewell to the front derailleur the announcement of a shifting innovation from Sram?

"Wide is fast" is Sram's motto, and it immediately translates this message into a brand new wheelset. The "Roam 60" rolling stock is designed with an inner rim width of 30 millimetres to ensure plenty of traction and grip. It goes without saying that the new wheels feature Boost dimensions and 27.5 inches, in line with the latest trends.

For modern cross-country use, Sram has come up with the new "Level" brake model. In this model, the same proven braking technology with which Loic Bruni became downhill world champion is packed into a new and lighter package. The lightest model weighs 318 grams. The brake comes in five versions.

Only one chainring: This is what a mountain bike looks like today and Sram is increasingly democratizing the technology. While the first 1x11 groupset was introduced in 2012 as an expensive innovation, Sram recently presented the GX groupset for smaller budgets. With the brand new NX combo, Sram continues to write the 1x11 history for MTB beginners.

It all started with Grip Shift - and today Sram is a component giant that is not only innovative when it comes to shifting systems. Many Sram customers are unaware that global development for shifting components is based in Schweinfurt, Germany. Sram has recently expanded at this location.

For mountain bikers and road cyclists who rely on products from the Sram portfolio, there is a change in the background. The US component giant is reallocating distribution rights between two Swiss providers.

Every ounce of motivation counts in the battle for the world title - and Sram wants to give its athletes that with a world championship edition of the cassette and chain. The sprockets are resplendent in gold on the rear wheel - but according to the US component manufacturer, the parts have to come off the bike again after the race.

Practically every user of a 1x11 shifting system knows the problem of wear and tear. If the X-Sync chainring is worn, replacements are relatively expensive. Sram now offers a cheaper and more durable alternative made of steel. These are available with 28, 30 and 32 teeth and all cost the same.

The new Sram XO-DH hubs are primarily designed for stability and durability. Despite their robustness, the relatively lightweight hubs rotate on smooth-running precision bearings, come in two widths and are available with two freehub options.

The Rail 40 are Sram's new all-mountain wheels designed for stiffness and stability. These are available in 27.5-inch and 29-inch with aluminum rims and offer the option of adapting the hub width to the corresponding rear triangle width using different end caps.

The mountain bike is proving to be a driver of innovation: single-chainring technology will soon also be used on road bikes. And the disc brake on road bikes will probably soon receive the blessing of the highest authority.

Sram's 1x11 drivetrains used to be rather expensive, as they had even less material. Now Sram is launching the GX, which is also available as a 1x11 as well as a 2x11 and costs far less than the next higher X1. The X7 and X9 models will also be replaced by the new 2x10 GX groupset.

The Ultimate joins Sram's Guide brake series and replaces the RSC version as the top model. This is around 20 grams lighter with a carbon brake lever and titanium hardware. It should also have better heat dissipation and therefore more consistent braking performance.

Stiffer wheels, space for plus-size tires, more space and stiffness at the rear end with shorter chainstays - these are the advantages that Sram cites for the brand new Boost system. As the technology is not backwards compatible, a whole bunch of new parts are required - and Sram is supplying bike manufacturers with them, with a new generation of bikes rolling out for the 2016 model year.

Trek has done something with Boost 148: The bike industry is jumping on the bandwagon of new hub width standards. At the Taipei Cycle Show, Sram is showcasing parts that will be found on numerous new bikes in the 2016 model year at the latest. Ride explains the features and consequences of the Boost 110 and Boost 148 systems

Last year, Sram introduced the new XX1 - lighter, simpler and more durable than before. For fans of a sleek appearance, the US derailleur specialist is now launching the complete shifting group in black. Sram is also adding two small parts for detail-loving bikers.

The US component giant SRAM is launching an update for its popular single cranks. The chainring and spider arm are now one piece, which has a positive effect in terms of weight and simplicity. SRAM is also focusing on a wider range of 26 to 40 teeth.

More and more mountain bikers are riding with wattage measurement systems to better control their training. Sram is responding to this demand and is launching the XX1 crank with its own Quarq watt measurement system. With a system weight of 689 grams, the crank remains lightweight.

Recently, Shimano presented a solution to couple the gear hubs of the Alfine and Nexus series with the Bosch system. Now Sram is following suit and offering a variant of the Dual Drive hub gear that is system-integrated and adapted to Bosch e-bikes.

Since its introduction, the XX1 drivetrain has enjoyed great success. However, this has also increased the demand for a more affordable 1x11 version. Based on the conviction that 1x11 drivetrains are suitable for everyone, Sram is now meeting this demand with the X1.

Sram has unleashed a firework display of new products: it started with the new Boxxer fork, followed by new wheels and now it's all about the fork. With the RS 1, Rock Shox is presenting a 29er fork that promises not only an unusual look, but also stiffness and light weight thanks to its upside-down design.

With the "Rise", Sram pulls a light and stiff cross-country wheelset out of the innovation pot. These are 29-inch wheels with carbon rims for tubular tires. The "Rise" is also matched to the new RS-1 upside-down fork from Rock Shox.

Sram is throwing everything overboard for the all-mountain and enduro sector - at least as far as brakes are concerned. With the brand-new "Guide" stoppers, braking devices are coming to the bike that retire the in-house Elixir and XO Trail brakes.

Take the XX1 mountain bike groupset from Sram and the Force road bike combo like Red and what do you get? A component set-up for the Quervelo that manages with just one chainring on the crank and still offers optimum gear selection.

Sram's engineers have already taken up the cause of less is more with the 11-speed drivetrain for cross-country to enduro bikes. Sram is now transferring this concept to the gravity bike.

The recall of Sram disc brakes for road bikes made a lot of headlines before Christmas. Sram is now offering affected customers an accommodating solution to get new stoppers on their bikes.

The Whistler bike manufacturer Chromag and the Dutch Accell Group receive licenses from Sram for the "X-Sync" technology. These manufacturers can build their own versions of the chainring that keeps the chain in check.

"Hello, my name is Stan Day" - the President of Sram addresses customers directly via video message due to the unsuccessful market launch of hydraulic racing brakes.

There was one good reason not to ride Sram's single chainring drivetrain: The price. Now the Americans are officially presenting the X01: around 100 grams heavier than the top group, but equipped with the same 11-speed DNA and at a more moderate price.

At the "Urban Days" in Schweinfurt, representatives from the bicycle industry, the bicycle lobby, the automotive industry and product design discussed where the bicycle is heading as a means of urban mobility. Not only are the discussions interesting, but Sram has also gone to great lengths to illustrate the topics.

For mountain bikers it is unimaginable, but for road cyclists it is reality: braking is done mechanically with a rim brake. But now mechanical deceleration on thin tires is a thing of the past: Sram is the first major component manufacturer to launch disc brakes for road bikes. Mountain bike technology is also involved in the details in order to better decelerate the road bike.

In 2006, after three years of development, Sram gave the go-ahead for road bike components. This year, following some rumors, the manufacturer is taking a further development step: the Red and Force groupsets will receive an 11-speed cassette, bringing the US component manufacturer into line with the Japanese and Italians.

The US component specialist has come up with three new wheel lines: the Roam 60 wheelset features carbon and is intended for a wide range of applications. The Roam 50 wheelset has to make do with less carbon fiber, but the customer doesn't have to dig as deep into their wallet. With the third wheelset - the Rail 50 wheels - things can get really rough. The three new lines include 26, 27.5 and 29-inch formats.

The "fat bikes", which feel really comfortable on snowy or sandy ground with monstrously wide tires, are rolling into the focus of a major component manufacturer. The wide tires far beyond the 3.5 inch mark not only require their own forks or rims, the drive unit also needs to be carefully selected. The US component specialist Sram is now building its own cranks, which should put an end to the problems of tire clearance with fat rollers.

The US component manufacturer is uncomplicated: With a simple adapter for the handlebars, Sram brings the GPS device from Garmin into the rider's field of vision. "Quick View" should also do its job on mountain bikes.