1477 words of pure stoke.
Read time: 5 min 44 seconds.

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A Sappy Moment To Say - Thank You!

Before we roll into the weekend, we just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who read The Send It Daily, share it with friends, and send us notes of encouragement.

This community has grown beyond anything we imagined, and it’s all because of you.

Now… we never send email on Saturday. So if you see something from us in your inbox tomorrow, you’ll know it’s something special.

Stay tuned. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.

Sendy vibes,
The Send It Daily Team

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Photo of the Day

Jackson Goldstone turning Mt. Prevost into his personal bike park.

The legend Mr. Lorence snagged this shot during the filming of Jackson’s unreleased ANYTIME segment that we shared yesterday.

📷 Sterling Lorence behind the lens.

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Video of the Day

We think this may be the shortest VOD we’ve shared yet.

But don’t worry. Every second is worth it!

Can someone get us Eliott Lapotre’s camera settings?

This POV footage is next level.

⏰ Watch time - 00 min 35 sec

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Bonus: Turns out, a moose encounter and 6,000 feet of climbing make for great content, and even better humility.

What happens when you tackle your first bikepacking trip with zero experience, a fishing net strapped to your bike, and a camera crew watching your every move?

Paddy found out and thankfully had veteran bikepacker Ryan Van Duzer along for the ride when things got sketchy.

⏰ Watch time - 22 min 30 sec

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Send of the Day

Rear shock’s in emotional recovery.

Watch here

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Poll Results - Night Riding Is In!

We were blown away by how many of you ride at night.

You’ve officially motivated us to order headlamps… and maybe night-vision goggles, just in case things get spicy out there.

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The History of SRAM: Built on Spite, Twists, and Really Fast Bikes

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SRAM began the way all great engineering breakthroughs do: with a guy on a bike yelling, “THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.”

In 1987, Stan Day got fed up with reaching for his downtube shifter mid-triathlon and thought, what if you could just twist the handlebar like you’re revving a moped and boom, gears?

Most would’ve left that thought on the road. Stan did not.

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Enter Sam Patterson, an engineer whose garage likely contained equal parts bike parts and forbidden wizardry.

Stan pitched the idea to Sam on a ski trip.

Sam then disappeared into the “lab”, and soon after, Grip Shift was born: the first shifter inspired by a wrist flick and pure spite.

They rented a Chicago warehouse that was part office, part snow globe, and all chaos.

No seriously, the building was so porous it snowed inside.

At the Long Beach bike show, the company debuted... as SRAM, thanks to a catalog typo.

Instead of fixing it, they just rolled with it, which tells you everything about SRAM’s vibe from day one.

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Winning the First Battle: Shimano and the Lawsuit That Changed Everything

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Grip Shift hit the road bike market in 1988, then quickly jumped over to mountain bikes in 1991, right as the MTB boom hit full send.

But SRAM wasn’t done shaking the table.

In 1990, they sued Shimano for unfair business practices that were locking out competing drivetrain makers.

SRAM won an out-of-court settlement in 1991 that changed the entire landscape of the OEM market.

The result? Shimano’s grip loosened, and SRAM secured a seat at the table, along with every other drivetrain competitor who followed.

SRAM didn’t just invent twist shifting. They helped invent modern drivetrain competition.

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The Age of Building: From Derailleurs to a Full Ecosystem

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SRAM was never going to be content with shifters alone.

In 1995, they launched their first derailleur, the ESP, using a 1:1 cable actuation system that was less fussy and more tolerant of cable gunk.

Riders and mechanics noticed.

By 1997, they bought Sachs, gaining not just chains and internally geared hubs, but also an engineering team with serious metallurgy chops.

The days of twist-only were over. SRAM was building a complete ecosystem.

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X.O and the First Shot in the Drivetrain Wars

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2001’s X.O derailleur marked a new era, sleek, light, and still using SRAM’s signature 1:1 actuation. It also brought trigger shifters to the mix.

Riders could finally choose: twist it or click it. Either way, the competition was on notice.

When RockShox stumbled in 2002, SRAM bought them outright after a defaulted loan. Suspension? Now in-house.

Next came Avid brakes and Truvativ cranks in 2004.

SRAM could now deliver a full drivetrain, brakes, and suspension package.

By the mid-2000s, they had evolved from underdog to full-line powerhouse.

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Back to Road Bikes, With a Bar Napkin Plan

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SRAM’s story came full circle when they re-entered road cycling with Force and Rival groupsets in 2006.

The key innovation? DoubleTap shifting, designed for a single lever to handle both shifts.

The design was literally sketched on a bar napkin.

Force debuted at the Tour de France in 2007. SRAM wasn’t just back in road, they were winning on the biggest stage.

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Buying Speed and Deleting Front Derailleurs

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In 2007, SRAM bought Zipp, because why not add some of the fastest carbon wheels on the planet?

By 2008, they launched RED, their no-compromise road group that helped redefine what high-end road groupsets looked like.

But SRAM’s signature move was about to drop: deleting the front derailleur.

In 2012, they released XX1 1x11, the first truly rideable wide-range single-ring MTB drivetrain.

Riders everywhere quietly rejoiced. Mechanics danced in the streets.

In 2015, SRAM launched RED eTap: the first fully wireless electronic road group.

No cables. No wires. Just shifting by magic (okay, radio signals).

Then came Eagle 1x12 in 2016, bringing a massive 500% gear range to mountain bikes.

SRAM had shifted the entire MTB market yet again.

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The AXS Era: Your Bike Talks to Your Phone Now

In 2019, SRAM unveiled the fully wireless, app-connected AXS ecosystem, spanning road and mountain bikes.

Now your derailleur could talk to your phone, your dropper post could talk to your shifters, and everything could be customized via Bluetooth.

SRAM wasn’t done adding to the portfolio: they acquired TIME Sport pedals in 2021, Hammerhead cycling computers later that year, and Velocio premium cycling apparel in 2022.

The SRAM ecosystem now runs from crank to computer to clothing.

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SRAM Today: The Full Arsenal

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Today, SRAM is a one-stop shop:

• Drivetrains: From budget to WorldTour-ready, for MTB, gravel, and road.
• Suspension: RockShox still leads the charge.
• Brakes: Avid tech lives on.
• Wheels: Zipp remains at the aero cutting edge.
• Power meters: Quarq runs deep inside SRAM’s top road and MTB groups.
• Pedals: TIME Sport now part of the fold.
• Tech: Hammerhead cycling computers.
• Apparel: Velocio kit.

Today, SRAM remains privately owned and headquartered in Chicago.

They manufacture components in the U.S., Portugal, China, and Taiwan, supplying both OEM and aftermarket markets.

They back racing across the entire spectrum, Tour de France, Crankworx, Ironman, triathlon, America’s Cup sailing, and also invest in advocacy through the SRAM Cycling Fund.

If it makes riding better, faster, or more fun, they want in.

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Dream Rides ❤️

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The Orbea Rallon DH: Because sometimes the trail deserves to feel hunted.

Here to chomp through descents with teeth, style, and a ridiculous appetite for speed.

And can we talk about the color?

We wanna see your bike in The Send It Daily? Shoot us an email at editorial@thesenditdaily.com, and maybe your ride will be the next superstar.

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Trail of the Day

Comet Mountain Biking Trail - Skyforest, California

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Comet takes you on a journey through Skypark’s wild side with its untamed terrain and relentless features.

You’ll navigate wooden skinnies, root-filled drops, and a step-up jump that dares you to take it on.

It’s the longest trail in the network, but it’s no free ride.

Expect punchy climbs that zap your legs before you even hit the fun stuff.

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That’s all for this week folks. We hope everyone gets some saddle time out there. See you all next week! 🤙

For the ❤️ of two wheels.

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We write The Send It Daily Monday - Friday (we’re out riding on the weekends). We do not proofread our material before sending and did not get A’s in English.

Our mission is simple: To advocate and bring awareness to the athletes that Send It and the media teams that capture it.

If you’re looking to feature content on The Send It Daily, reach out to editorial@thesenditdaily.com.

For more information, visit us at thesenditdaily.com

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