French drivetrain specialists CyclingCeramic have a few new off-road OSPW upgrades for SRAM derailleurs, developed to make your XPLR gravel & T-Type mountain bike transmissions and even previous-generation S-type MTB drivetrains more efficient. Over-Sized Pulley Wheel cage upgrades spinning on ceramic bearings have long been accepted as a simple way to eke out a few extra watts from your current drivetrain. And now that CyclingCeramic adds XPLR 13, T-type & S-type cages in addition to separate drop-in replacement pulleys for the same upgrading to a made-in-Europe ceramic OSPW setup just got a lot more affordable for anyone with a modern SRAM drivetrainCyclingCeramic EU-made ceramic bearing OSPW at more reasonable prices(Photos/Cory Benson)Weve been impressed with the value CyclingCeramic offers with their derailleur upgrades for years. Sure, weve been told for more than a decade that you can reduce drivetrain drag by both upgrading with larger diameter (oversized) derailleur pulleys AND by swapping in ceramic bearings. Plus, OSPW cages on derailleurs arguably look pretty cool too, right?But frankly, the cost of an OSPW upgrade from the big names in the industry can be eye-watering. Starting around 400 for the most affordable, the majority are around 500-600, and there are literally some that sell for upwards of 1800. And yes, you still need to buy a derailleur to upgrade with that thing!CyclingCeramic is a bit different. Their cages, oversized pulleys, and ceramic bearings are all still entirely made in Europe, with final quality control and assembly in France. But outside of their special aero cages (which cost about 25% more), they offer OSPW cage setups to fit almost every current derailleur for between 250-300.Sure, thats still not cheap. But even SRAMs own latest replacement cages retail between 100-225. So, upgrading to a CyclingCeramic solution for a bit more to hunt for some incremental gains, all of a sudden, doesnt sound so unreasonable.CyclingCeramic OSPW cages for SRAM off-road derailleursWhats new here are three new off-road OSPW fits, using CyclingCeramics latest cage design and solid pulleys, spinning on ceramic bearings. That means you get a CNC-machined aluminum outer cage, a machined carbon plate inner cage, connected with stainless and alloy hardware. Three different cage shapes/layouts now bring bolt-on compatibility to virtually all 12- & 13-speed SRAM off-road derailleurs.As for the pulleys, they feature an all-new narrow-wide tooth profile for CyclingCeramic what appears to be a single design that is compatible both with conventional Eagle and Flattop T-type chains. Of note, the teeth are incrementally shorter than those on stock SRAM pulleys, in a move presumed to reduce friction. Like other recent CyclingCeramic OSPW Pro cages for SRAM XPLR Red/Force/Rival, Red/Force AXS, Shimano Ultegra/Dura-Ace, 105, and GRX 11sp (none of which feature narrow-wide teeth), these new pulleys feature a solid disc design, as opposed to conventional spoked pulleys. This style was first adopted for tiny aerodynamic improvements, but off-road also means fewer edges to accumulate mud and debris.And of course, they all spin on ultra-low friction hybrid ceramic bearings hand-assembled in France.OSPW Tech detailsmachined 7075 aluminum reinforced outer cagelaminated carbon inner cageoversized 14-tooth & 20-tooth pulley setssolid machined 7075 aluminum pulley wheels with narrow-wide tooth profilesealed hybrid ceramic bearings all components manufactured in Europe, with final assembly and QC in Franceclaimed weights (without clutch spring): 138g XPLR, 139g T-Type, 131g S-Typeactual weights:139g T-Type, 143g S-TypeSRAM off-road derailleur model compatibility:XPLR: SRAM Rival, Force, Red XPLR 13 SpeedT-Type: SRAM EAGLE XXSL, XX, X0, GX, 90, 70S-Type: SRAM AXS S-series (S1500, S200, S100) XX1, X01, GX, NX, SX Eagle AXS (non-UDH, 12s, 10-52)How does a CyclingCeramic OSPW compare to a stock SRAM cage?There are several key differences between these new CyclingCeramic OSPW cages and those that come stock on a SRAM off-road derailleur.Most obvious are the extra teeth that give them the over-sized name. These 3 new off-road upgrade cages each feature a 14/20T pair vs. 14/16T on XPLR & T-type, or 12/14T on S-type. And they spin on low-friction, larger-diameter hybrid ceramic bearings vs. standard sealed stainless bearings.Pulley spacing is also slightly shorter on the CyclingCeramic OSPW so the overall cage length and required chain length are unchanged, at least for the XPLR & T-Type cages. The S-type cage is also shorter to maintain the same overall length and ground clearance, but the bigger step up in pulley sizes does mean you will most likely need to add an extra couple of links to your chain length.More durable cage design?One other big difference is that the CyclingCeramic OSPW off-road cages are much thicker and more robust than stock SRAM MTB cages. The outer machined aluminum plate on our T-type & S-type cages measures 4.6mm thick vs. 3.0mm for GX & Eagle 90, or just 2.6mm for XX SL. Plus, the legs of the lower extension of the outer cage measure 12mm deep vs. just 8mm for XX SL/GX/90.Combining that 53-77% increase in plate thickness with a 50% deeper profile of the outer cage is sure to make this CyclingCeramic OSPW significantly more impact-resistant than stock SRAM MTB cages. That could be a pretty big deal for me personally. As Ive noticed a lot more impact damage from our extremely rocky home trails to modern MTB derailleurs ever since moving to massive 52T cassettes. Im pretty sure at least half of my SRAM T-type derailleurs have bent their cage enough to need re-straightening. And Ive had to replace one cracked Shimano a& two SRAM cages broken by rock strikes in the last few years.Sure, that means its about 13g heavier than the basic GX/90-level cage. But that seems like a reasonable weight penalty with all the other gains, right?enduro racing tests (Photo by Tomas Vychlopen/Blinduro)So far, Ive ridden the CyclingCeramic OSPW T-type cage for a month on trails and in one regional enduro race where I heard a major impact with a rock, hard enough that I checked it after the race stage. And so far, the visible damage is minor and cosmetic only.But maybe reduced chain retention?The only real potential downside that I see comes from the alloy pulleys themselves. The solid design is much easier to keep clean in our muddy riding a nice bonus for me, since I struggle to keep SRAM pulleys clean, even with a waxed drivetrain. Alloy pulleys are invariably a bit louder running than plastic-toothed ones, and making them solid is even a bit louder. But frankly, a little extra drivetrain noise hasnt bothered me.My real concern would be the shorter teeth on the pulleys. Standard SRAM MTB narrow-wide pulleys these days feature tall teeth to positively engage the chain for maximum retention. I measure SRAM teeth at 8mm (wide)/6mm (narrow) for the lower pulley and 7mm/5mm for the upper pulley. Compare that to 7mm/5mm and 6.5mm/4.5mm for the CyclingCeramic OSPW off-road cage.The differences are small, just 0.5mm shorter for the upper pulley teeth and 1mm shorter for the lower pulley teeth. Yet, I worry a bit about reduced chain retention in the search for reduced drivetrain drag. Surely, gravel riders will be fine. Maybe XC riders, too. But for more technically demanding trail conditions, I worry that any reduction in chain retention could be an unwise compromise. A dropped, or worse jammed, chain will lose you much more time than any low-friction could hope to compensate, especially for someone looking to an OSPW upgrade for race-day gains.CyclingCeramic OSPW off-road upgrades Pricing, options & availabilityNew for CyclingCeramic are three SRAM Off-Road OSPW cage upgrades with narrow-wide pulleys and ceramic bearings. Each sells for the same 299 price: S-Type, T-Type, and XPLR 13. If you dont want to replace your entire cage just yet, CyclingCeramic also offers narrow-wide pulley pairs in the same 14/16T size as your current Eagle 12 or XPLR 13 derailleur for 119 per pair. There are also a couple of other off-road cages selling for 289, to fit GRX & XPLR 12-speed, although they do not feature narrow-wide pulleys.Get them all now, directly from CyclingCeramic or through dealer bike shops.CyclingCeramic.com