SRAM's Flattop drivetrains use a chain profile that regular 12-speed chains won't fit, and if you're running Red, Force, Rival, or Eagle AXS Transmission, you need a chain built specifically for that flat-top link shape. The XSL Flat from KMC is the super-light version of the brand's Flattop offering, and it arrives pre-waxed from the factory so you can install it and ride without stripping factory grease or setting up a hot-wax rig at home.

What separates the XSL from the standard X-Flat is weight reduction. The inner and outer plates use strategic cut-outs and the pins are hollow, shaving grams across all 126 links without giving up strength. If you're chasing a lighter drivetrain on a SRAM AXS build and the standard Flattop chain feels like leftover weight, this is where the savings come from. The plates still carry KMC's Double X-Bridge chamfering, which is the same shaping that keeps shifts crisp when the derailleur is moving the chain across a wide-range cassette under load.

Compatibility is the detail to get right before you buy. The XSL Flat works only with SRAM 12- and 13-speed AXS or Transmission T-Type drivetrains. It is not compatible with other 12-speed systems, older mechanical SRAM groups, Shimano, or Campagnolo. The flat-top link profile is the reason it drops into SRAM's newer groups and the reason it won't work anywhere else, so match it to a Flattop cassette and chainring only.... Read More