One single perfectly machined piece of the drivetrain puzzle
Introduced in February, the RED-2012 roadgroupset hosts countless new technologies, including all those inherent the SRAM XG 1090 cassette. With five proprietary patents, the XG 1090 convincingly continues SRAM’s innovative cassette lineage.
While the “X” in the name is borrowed from MTB, where the powerdome cassette technology has been advanced even further, the “G” stands for glide. The numeric 1090 symbolizes SRAM’s highest level of road componentry.
From one 10lb (4536 grams) piece of high quality forged steel the complex process begins. Derived from the basic structure of the original Powerdome road cassette, the XG 1090 also shares much of its engineering with MTB’s XX cassette. Every cassette goes through ten critical steps, starting with forging. While already the lightest cassette, the high-grade steel SRAM uses is 35% harder than titanium, making it arguably the most durable.
The cassette features an open structure. Engineers determined the cutouts actually improve stiffness and significantly reduce noise. Another added feature is the StealthRing elastomers, and along with with its optimized tooth shape, damping the impact of the chain rollers reduces vibration and noise even further. The result is quiet, smooth, and precise shifting in an incredibly stiff and lightweight package.
Throughout the process, each individual cassette’s tolerances and accuracy are constantly measured. Hundreds of tests are conducted; quality verification throughout the entire process is uncompromising.
Steps to creating the world’s lightest production SRAM XG cassette:
1) Forging- forge raw part from high-grade steel.
2) Lathing – which gives it its general shape.
3) Machining – three steps – from the front, the back, which punches out the tooth shapes.
4) CMM – coordinate measuring machine. This major inspection covers hundreds of different data points, checking for accuracy for perfect consistency and quality.
5) Deburring – this smooths and removes excess material.
6) Tumbling – polishes.
7) Heat treatment – hardens the material all the way through.
8) Plating – treatment fordurability, rust.
9) Assembling – largest aluminum cog is pressfit, elastomer bands placed, smallest cog and lock ring assembled.
10) Boxed and shipped.
SRAM XG 1090 11-23T cassette used by Alistair Brownlee in London