Combining Parts From Vivo, SRAM, & Shimano to Create the Ultimate Mechanical Drivetrain

By MTBSA contributor

As SRAM and Shimano push for a battery-filled future, several smaller companies have appeared on the scene to fill in the gap for riders seeking higher end, cable-actuated derailleurs. It’s something of a throwback to the 1990s, when there were all sorts of smaller operations producing anodized derailleurs. After all, if baggy jeans and goofy sunglasses are back in style, might as well bring back the boutique derailleur, right?

The Vivo XC Air derailleur is a prime example, produced by a small New York-based company. Yes, it's very expensive, and I'll get to that in a bit, but it's certainly eye-catching. I'm all for function over fashion (we're mountain biking, after all) but this shiny aluminium creation also happens to be a thing of beauty.

Vivo XC Air Details

• 9-45 and 10-52 12-speed cassette compatible

• 7075 aluminium body & pulley

• Ceramic bearings, titanium hardware

• Works with Vivo FS3, LS1, or SRAM shifters

• Weight: 277 grams

• Price: $450 USD

• vivoartisan.com

As the name implies, the XC Air weighs less than the Enduro derailleur that I reviewed back in 2024, and there are ceramic pulley bearings, titanium hardware, and a noticeable lack of plastic parts to help justify the $450 price tag. There’s also a new shifter to go along with it, the $290 XC Linear Stealth. The derailleur will also work with Vivo's FS3 shifter, or a SRAM shifter.

On my scale the XC Air weighed in at 277 grams. It's not the absolute lightest derailleur out there - Shimano's XTR 12-speed derailleur weighs 245 grams, for example, but the weight is impressive considering the lack of plastic - all of the pulleys, even the one that guides the cable, are machined from aluminium, and there are two cartridge bearings at every linkage point.

INSTALLATION

Getting the XC Air up and running doesn’t require any special tricks. If anything, it was kind of nice to go back to a traditional derailleur setup procedure, where there’s B-tension and high- and low-limit screws to adjust versus the steps required to get a SRAM Transmission derailleur going. That’s more a matter of muscle memory than anything else - I can set up a “normal” derailleur in my sleep, while with Transmission I need to at least be half awake to remember the right order of operations.

XC LINEAR STEALTH SHIFTER

I started off running the XC Linear Stealth shifter with the Air derailleur, but after a few rides came to the conclusion that the shifter wasn’t for me. There’s a decent amount of free play before the lever engages, and the response didn’t feel as immediate as something like SRAM’s X0 12-speed shifter.

By free play I mean the lever needs to move a certain amount before it feels like it’s pulling on the cable; if that play was taken up it’d be a much more positive feeling lever. Vivo does offer a wide range of shift paddle options, and not everyone will mind the amount of throw, but for me there are better options available, and at a lower cost, including Vivo's own F3 shifter.

I decided to bring a SRAM X0 12-speed shifter back into action, in my mind the best mechanical shifter SRAM’s made due in part to the adjustable thumb lever position, which makes it easy to dial in exactly the right positioning.

VIVO + SRAM + SHIMANO = EXCELLENCE

The setup that I arrived at is as follows: Vivo XC Air derailleur, SRAM X0 12-speed shifter, a Shimano XTR 10-51 cassette, and an XTR chain. Now, mixing and matching parts from different manufacturers doesn’t always yield the best results, but that wasn’t the case here at all. In fact, this recipe creates one of the best shifting mechanical drivetrains I’ve been on in recent memory. The shifter feel is as good as ever, and the derailleur moves the chain perfectly from cog to cog without any fuss.

Looks aside, for me it’s the clutch that’s the standout feature of this derailleur. It provides enough resistance to keep the chain from flailing wildly without affecting the feel at the shifter, but it’s the way that the cage returns to its starting position that’s especially noteworthy. Rather than slapping back with an audible “ka-thwunk”, the way that Shimano’s new DI2 derailleurs do, the cage of the Vivo XC Air barely makes any noise as it settles back into place. I’m a big fan of quiet bikes, and this derailleur helps accomplish that goal.

DURABILITY

The XC Air may have been designed with weight savings in mind, and Vivo does offer the $370 Enduro derailleur for riders who are a little harder on their equipment, but there isn't really one specific trait that makes this model only suited to cross-country riding. To ensure that it saw a good mix of rough terrain I’ve been running it on my Santa Cruz Bronson for the last few months.

I've managed to avoid any full-on rock smashing with the XC Air, but it's shrugged off a solid number of glancing blows, and still looks almost as good as new, with zero change in performance. The overall construction is very solid, and even with a traditional derailleur hanger it's quite sturdy and robust. Plus, if anything does happen it's fully rebuildable with standard tools - this isn't a cheap, disposable item.

PRICE AND WEIGHT COMPARISON

We have reviews of the Madrone and the Ratio in the works, but in the meantime, here’s how those options compare to what Vivo is producing. This isn’t the place to look for riders who are trying to save - you can get a complete Shimano Deore drivetrain (derailleur, shifter, chain, and cassette) for $250; that’s the route I’d take if I was trying get the most bang for my buck. Still, there's something to be said for supporting the smaller companies if you can, and these are three of the top contenders at the moment:

Vivo XC Air: 277 grams, manufactured in the US and China, assembled in New York. $450 USD

Madrone Jab: 308 - 326 grams, manufactured in China, assembled in Oregon. $298 - $327 USD

Ratio Mech: 372 grams, manufactured in the UK, $338 USD (approx).

Pros

+ Excellent performance, very quiet operation

+ Looks amazing

+ Good blend of light weight and durability

Cons

- Very expensive.

- Linear Air shifter wasn't as impressive

MTBSA's Take

| I had very good luck with the Vivo Enduro derailleur I reviewed previously, and the XC Air keeps that trend going. It’s lighter and more expensive (those two traits tend to go hand in hand) than the Vivo Enduro, but for gram counters on the hunt for a high-end derailleur that stands out from the crowd it’s certainly an appealing option. — MTBSA contributor

For South African readers

Overseas prices in this report are not confirmed South African retail prices. Check local availability, warranty support and the complete rand price with your retailer. No MTBSA test score has been assigned.