As Sram writes in a brief press release, the new groupset is tailored to cross-country athletes. The focus is on efficiency, light weight and precision, with completely new technologies being used. In addition to Sram, its subsidiary brands Rockshox, Avid and Truvativ are also involved in the development, which suggests that the XX also includes brakes, cranks and suspension elements in addition to the drivetrain. After Sram took over the racing bike wheel manufacturer Zipp last year and is already offering road wheels under its own name for 2009, there is also a possibility that the XX will also be launched with the group's own wheels. Unofficially, it is said that the XX will be the first mountain bike groupset with a ten-speed cassette, which will be shifted in combination with a two-speed crank.

Sram is still holding back completely with more details and has announced that it will not reveal any details until the official launch next summer.

Excerpt from the official Sram press release:

"Next summer, SRAM, RockShox, Avid and Truvativ will jointly launch an MTB group called XX™. The group will exceed the demands of the cross-country athlete through all-new technologies focused on precision, efficiency, and weight. Further details will not be released until a global launch during Summer 2009."

www.sram.com