Major attack in the cross-country sector

The US accessory label E-Thirteen is one of the big names when it comes to wheels, tyres, chain guides, cassettes and cranks for trail and downhill bikes. For several years now, the wheels with the distinctive loud hub sound have also been spreading among German mail order companies - YT, Radon and others already equip their bikes with E-Thirteen parts ex works. The accessories company landed the biggest hit in 2016 with the new eleven-speed cassettes. With their lower weight and wider range, they made life difficult for Sram's single-speed drivetrains. At YT, their cassettes are currently being fitted as standard almost everywhere.

XCXr: Cranks for Gravel and XC

Only in the cross-country sector have the Americans not really been able to score so far. This is now set to change, as the new XCX line-up is aimed specifically at cross-country fans and gravel bikers. E-Thirteen is pursuing a two-pronged strategy: the cranks and chainrings of the XCX series have been uncompromisingly optimised for minimum weight. The XCXr mountain bike crank weighs just 392 grams including the 32 mm chainring, a record value. Lighter than the Raceface Next SL and the Sram Eagle SL cranks, albeit only by around 30 grams. The E-Thirteen also scores highly in terms of value for money and comes in at an RRP of around 100 euros less than the products from Sram and Raceface.

11-speed cassette 9-42: Finer gear gradation for racers

For the cassettes, on the other hand, durability was at the top of the list alongside value for money. New in the MTB sector is the 9-42 cassette in particular, which, compared to the of the previous 9-46 cassette is around 50 grams heavier, but is also around 100 euros cheaper and offers a finer gear gradation. In a direct comparison with the Sram Eagle, the E-Thirteen has to admit defeat in terms of gear range, but the decision is quite close due to the small 9th sprocket (467 per cent versus 500 per cent).

In terms of value for money, however, E-Thirteen again has a clear advantage, as the 9-42 cassette costs 269 euros in the RRP, but also weighs only 330 grams (for comparison: GX Eagle cassette: 200 euros - 450 grams, XO1 Eagle cassette: 392 euros - 359 grams). So in future, gram-hungry riders and hobby racers will probably think twice about whether investing in a Sram Eagle is really worth it.

556 per cent gear ratio: E-Thirteen attack in the twelve-speed segment

But E-Thirteen doesn't want to leave fans of twelve-speed drivetrains out in the cold either. In addition to the original cassettes from Sram or Shimano, the customer now also has the option of screwing an E-Thirteen cassette into the rear. As is typical of the brand, E-Thirteen once again relies on a small 9-tooth sprocket in combination with a large 50-tooth chainring in order to stay one step ahead in terms of bandwidth, even with a twelve-speed drivetrain. In terms of price and weight, the E-Thirteen cassette is positioned between the GX and the XO1 Eagle, costs 299 euros and weighs 398 grams (for comparison: GX Eagle cassette: 200 euros - 450 grams, XO1 Eagle cassette: 392 euros - 359 grams).

The 9-46 cassette for the 11-speed drivetrain introduced in 2016 has also been updated and is now significantly heavier at 390 grams (previously 287 grams), but at 255 euros it is also significantly cheaper than the old model (369 euros RRP - although the street price is only around 210 euros).

You can also find everything about the new cranks and cassettes on the Website of E-Thirteen.