SRAM GX Eagle: A Wallet Friendly 12-Speed Drivetrain - First Ride
When SRAM launched their 12-speed XX1 and XO1 Eagle drivetrains last year, it didn't take long for riders to start asking “When does the cheaper version come out?” We're all familiar with how the trickle-down process typically works — a company starts by releasing the highest end, most technologically advanced model of a component, and then gradually rolls out different versions, each one with fewer features and a lower price tag than the previous iteration.
SRAM GX Eagle Details
• 1x, 12-speed drivetrain
• 500% gear range
• 10-50 tooth cassette
• XD driver required
• Weight: 1847 grams
• Price: $495 USD
• www.sram.com
• 1x, 12-speed drivetrain
• 500% gear range
• 10-50 tooth cassette
• XD driver required
• Weight: 1847 grams
• Price: $495 USD
• www.sram.com
Well, SRAM's taking a different tactic this time around, cracking the floodgates wide open with the launch of GX Eagle, a 12-speed drivetrain that's half the cost of XX1 Eagle, but with almost identical performance. Yes, there is a weight penalty due to the different materials and manufacturing methods used to bring the price down, but the basics of the drivetrain remain the same — it's a single ring system, based around a 10-50 tooth cassette, which creates a 500% gear range.
The complete GX Eagle group retails for $495 USD, which includes cranks — you can knock a hundred dollars or so off that price if you already have a crankset that can accept an Eagle-compatible chainring.
Except for the slightly different shape around the b-knuckle area, the GX derailleur looks nearly identical to the more expensive X01 version.
Derailleur
The GX Eagle derailleur's uses the same basic design as its more expensive sibling, and from a distance you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart. It does use a stamped rather than forged cage, and the profile of the b-knuckle area is slightly different, but those changes only add up to a miniscule 9 gram weight penalty. Like the XX1 Eagle derailleur, GX Eagle uses SRAM's Type 3 roller bearing clutch, and a Cage Lock button that sits behind the clutch mechanism, allowing the tension to be removed from the chain for easy wheel removal.
The 50-tooth cog is aluminum, but the other 11 cassette cogs are stamped steel. The entire unit is held together with more than 100 stainless steel pins.
Cassette
The heart of the Eagle drivetrain is the massive 10-50 tooth cassette. When it first came out, it looked comically oversized, and there was plenty of scoffing from riders who swore there was no need for such a massive gear range. Those outcries aren't quite as loud anymore — it turns out that being able to spin rather than strain and struggle up a long, steep climb is a good thing, and if that easy gear is too easy, well, you can always run a larger chainring up front, and benefit from the increased top-end speed.
The GX Eagle cassette uses SRAM's Full Pin design, where the stamped steel cogs are held together with stainless steel pins, rather than being machined out of one piece of steel billet, à la the XX1 Eagle casette. Total weight for the cassette is 448 grams, and it retails for $195 USD.
The pins may not be hollow, but the same manufacturing process that's used on the XX1 and X01 chains is used to create the GX Eagle chain.
Chain
The GX Eagle chain uses the same geometry found on its more expensive sibling, but a different finish (similar to what's used on SRAM's 11-speed X1 chain) and the use of solid pins allow for a substantial cost savings — at $30 it's nearly a third of the price of XX1.
The aluminum cranks use a direct mount chainring, and have a new arm profile that saves 80 grams over the prior version.
Cranks
The GX crankarms are 2D forged from 7000 series aluminum, and have a new shape that allows them to come in at 80 grams lighter than the previous GX cranks. SRAM's direct mount Eagle chainrings are backwards compatible with 11-speed drivetrains, which could make this solid replacement option for riders who need new cranks but don't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. Available in 165, 170, and 175mm option, the cranks are $120 USD.
Shifter
The position of the pull lever on the GX shifter can't be adjusted, and the finish is a little less smooth and shiny, but once again, the function is the same, with a crisp, distinct click each time the lever is pushed. Grip Shift fans haven't been left out either, and a GX-level twist shifter has been added to the mix.
Initial Impressions
I only have a handful of rides in on the GX Eagle group so far, but one thing is certain: the shifting performance feels almost the same as the pricier X01 group I had been running previously. Sure, the shift paddle lever might not be quite as smooth and shiny, but other than that tiny detail, I'd be hard pressed to tell the two groups apart in a blind test.
The transition between gears is quick and distinct, and although the jump to the 50-tooth cog is a touch slower than the shifting on the rest of the cassette, the chain still makes that eight-tooth jump with minimal hesitation. I haven't dropped a chain yet, and those inaugural rides included been plenty of rough and jarring trails — we'll see if that changes once some mud and grit is added to the mix, but given how well X01 Eagle performed, I don't expect GX to be any different. The long term performance and durability of GX Eagle is the only question that remains unanswered, which is why I'll be putting plenty of miles in on it over the course of the summer to find out.
 | The fact that a more affordable Eagle drivetrain came sooner than expected will be welcome news for anyone who was on the fence about purchasing a new drivetrain. It also means that we'll be seeing more 12-speed, single ring setups on relatively affordable bikes, pushing the front derailleur another step closer to extinction. |
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The only problem now is my 94 mm BCD crank and the lack of X-Sync 2 chainrings for this standard :/
Why would you want the biggest one to be steel? Its the heaviest one already, and it would have the least amount of torque on it...
I feel like the real thing that stuck out to me was the part where it said, "The entire unit is held together with more than 100 stainless steel pins."
What could possibly go wrong??
That said - I do get a fair bit of creaking under load. I thought that was my BB - but I just got that replaced, and the creaking is still there. So that might have been the cassette all along?
Sunrace MS3 11-42 £21
Shimano XT Chain £19
Works Oval Ring £10 (second but looks pretty damn good to me)
Uberbike Pulleys £20
NEW 10 SPEED DRIVE TRAIN FOR £70
(TBH the 50T being steel, this cassette would weigh 600 g).
I don't really see the point in a 44T, if i could get a quality 42T replacement for say 50 €, I might go for it.
I don't see a reason why the 11spd stuff wouldn't work (apart from it doing the shark fin stuff on the teeth when they wear out), since the internal width of te chain didn't change.
I was thinking about going 34T with Eagle, but i'll more than likely stick with 32T, to just get an additional easier gear for really steep section or if i'm really tired. Otherwise the 42T will be used the most in the rear.
EDIT: the main reason not to go with steel on the 50T is ofcourse the weight, like i said. TBH if i was a part of the design team, i think i'd maybe look into the old Shimano system, where a 4-arm aluminium carrier was used to pin the sprockets to it. So that would make it possible to use a steel 50T ring, but only the outer, teeth portion, with the main torque transfer construction still made out of aluminium. But that would still probably mean at least 500 g for the cassette...
Are we calling it Beagle?
Or "chicken", since you can actually buy it and still have money to eat?
What supprises me about the sram block here is the alu 50t. It actually shocks me. I smash through those xpander rings for a past time. No thanks sram. Not for that money, even the crc version of that money.
I got an used X7 type 2 etc.. works but I want to buy new.. just not $200+
I however, am just average. Sunrace 11/40 with a 32T chainring, 650B. And it works great.
@tremeer023 no shame, but also no point when the technology enables you to ride. Which is a lot more ergonomic. On climbs, where there is no chance in riding, i tend to carry the bike on my shoulders, since' it's easier for me.
11 speed GX cassettes were $150, but you can buy them online for $90.
Guess what- that $200 price tag is probably going to be $110-120 in street prices.
It will drop further.
$100
For example, bike24 is selling the XX! eagle cassette for 360 €, the MSRP is 458 €. The X01 cassette is sold for 310 €, the MSRP is 392 €. So the street price tends to be 20 % under the MSRP in this small sample size for the 'bleeding edge' technology.
Sadly there is no MSRP listed for the 11spd GX cassette (not even for the retail option XG-1150, bike24 says 140 €, but compared to other cassettes, their MSRPs are lower than Sram's), but the X1 cassette has an MSRP of 321 €, yet is sold by bike24 at 180 €. The numbers for the 11spd X01 are 385 € and 250 €.
See where i'm aiming at?
A subset of MTB riders that don't live in France apparently...
Maybe some people live in places with much steeper, much longer climbs than you?
There are plenty of places where you need to pedal on the road to get to/from your local trail.
If I run a 30x 11-42 it wears out super fast no matter what brand. More teeth is more teeth. In theory more teeth means spreading the wear out better.
Eagle with a 34t chainring makes sense to me on paper. Crushing $500 cassettes not so much. But now there's this cheaper option.
I wonder if you could take the 50t off the eagle cassette and run an 11x sram rd? That seems like the best of both worlds to me.
Indeed. At 30t I look like a pansy
Nice clearance. Paired with a HammerSchmidt gives a range of slow 22/40 fast 36/11 ....
Yeah, it is heavy .. and the overdrive makes sure I have to barely have to use the 11, not that I ever dropped a chain.
I've never had backpedaling issues on 11 speed or 12 speed 1x drivetrains on my Marin Attack Trail, but my girlfriend has issues on her Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 650 1x11 backpedaling and dropping chains in the highest gears because it was a 2x conversion. Even with the chainring spaced in you can tell it's less than ideal just by looking at the chain angle. But it shifts fine so she hasn't bothered to buy a dedicated 1x crank.
I just aim for the straightest chain in the middle gears. That being said, whenever I've bought a complete drivetrain designed to work together and set it up proper for my bike, I've never had an issue. Most of the issues I've seen are with 1x conversions or hacked together setups.
Huh? What are you talking about? I don't see the point and importance of pedaling backward? I mean I've done like half rotation back pedal to get to a good foot position, but i don't understand why pedaling backwards and mtb have to do with each other? Lol.i only pedal forwards bud, my freewheel works one way. My next ride I'm going to backpedal every downhill to see what the fuss is about.
Evidently we need a hub with a reverse gear inside so these people can get off on backpedaling and get somewhere
I think I took that too literal lol
I do that too sometimes, I guess I haven't had a bike that doesn't backpedal, and my drivetrain is always in tune. People are focusing on it like backwards pedaling is what makes it go. I suppose if you did the half rotation backpedal before a log and your chain got all caddywhompus that would suck
That squares with my experience - a bit of ratcheting is fine. It also explains why people with 12sp 50T Eagle cassettes report fewer issues backpedaling - there are a few more teeth there to engage the chain. Yep, a little more wear on the chain and the cassette if you're powering up stuff with so few teeth engaged - but then you also don't do that all the time, most of your time on the granny cog would be spent in steady grinding mode. It also, however, squares with what I'm experiencing if I have to go back more than 1/2 crank rotation - then, things get a little awkward and sound a bit awful.
It's all about chainline, though - if your frame allows you to run a crank/ring setup that brings the ring further in, you can very much fix that sort of thing. If it does't (like with my Process), you just have to live with it. Not killing me, just a bit annoying.
I heard of the problem before, but I didn't know it was such a common problem. I run a race face inset 30t n/w with a 10 speed one up converted cassette 42-10(11?) with a xt 11speed derailleur. No problems at all. When it wears out I can bump up to 11 speed completely. At the same time, id almost rather have a 10 with big jumps between gears but that's not happening lol.
Shit? I'll take that poo bath anyday.
Equally, I have always found sram to be very sharp and shimano to be softer
ritzelrechner.de/?GR=DERS&KB=22,34&RZ=11,13,15,17,20,23,26,30,34&UF=2240&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&GR2=DERS&KB2=32&RZ2=10,12,14,16,18,21,24,28,32,36,42,50&UF2=2240
SRAM is milking Eagle for all it's worth before the gearbox shoots it out of the sky. Unsprung weight is a real issue, and it's totally noticeable by your average joe rider
SRAM by a long shot
I think it it funny when guys compare XT that is being blown on special to full SRAM retail. Real world / street pricing is comperable.
Agree that SRAM is hit and miss with some of their products. Sometimes that is a byproduct of an innovative company.
Shimano is behind the times....just look at their "new" dropper post.
"I've got a press fit BB and so hopefully the creak from that will be directly inverse to the creak from the cassette and so cancel it out."
Having a 50T at the back makes perfect sense to me because I can then run a 34 chain ring up front without having to walk on steep climbs which are part of the everyday riding routine.
Going from 30 to 32 is 6.7% difference.
30/42 to 34/50 is 5% I think,
So a bigger oval ring helps cheat quit a bit
So in this case you are saying a lesser groupset is $90 MORE. Now it is 10-50t and XT is 11-46t, but you can always throw the OneUp Shark kit on XT and have the same range as GX Eagle, better materials (being it's a higher-level groupset) and be in the same price range.
The OneUp kit adds $125 to XT (not to mention voiding Shimano's warranty). It's still less compelling than GX Eagle.
I disagree with you, and I have all kinds of opinions on this that i'm not even addressing. I personally use the Shark Kit on an XTR setup and I can't possibly see how anyone could honestly find GX remotely comparable, let alone better. It's absolute insanity if you ask me. But again, that's not what I was addressing.
This is an opinion. I, and the rest of us voting with our wallets, think otherwise. It doesn't matter how they're positioned in the marketplace. "GX is marketed as an SLX competitor" might be a fact. (I don't know or care.)
Drivetrains narrow to four factors to me: weight, shifting quality in varying conditions, durability, and cost, in that order. Relative to XT, GX wins the first two, ties the third, and the cost difference is insignificant relative to the rest of the bike.
And I already said this but I disagree with you. I have to go to XX1 to find better quality and durability than XT in SRAM's line. X1 and below does not hold a candle. Now that's an opinion.
Now, as mentioned perhaps SRAM is trying to position GX to compete with XT in the 12-speed generation. Fine. But we can't really see that until Shimano's new lines are released.
There is alot more to a drivetrain than price and weight. I can't speak for you but I can say that for me, reliability and quality are far more important than weight and price. That's where heirarchy matters.
If SRAM and Shimano both produces groupset that are of a similar price and weight, that is by definition its competitor. Now, you may think XT is superior (reliability, quality of assembly), while some others might think GX is superior (range, weight, innovation), but those would be a question of preference.
It's like saying a VW Golf is not a competitor to a Subaru Impreza. One might say the VW has a more premium feel, while other might think the Subaru is more reliable, but clearly, as both are comparable in price and format, they are direct competitors.
The simple reality is that the majority of you will subconsciously judge a bike as lower level for having this or slx. You know it will be a solid rig but a more budget concious one.
Its that age old senario where bikes come with deore/slx / x5/x7 drivetrains then XT / X9 rear mechs to make them look better.
You will buy this as the 'sensible shoes' option rather than the dream build. Like a pair of crocs. Comfy and practical if not a bit pricy but not quite Nikes!
Equally stuff is so good, its not about xt v GX v what ever, its about what your own preferences for shifting feel are. Your either a shimano rider or a sram one. You either like that smooth slight vaugness or srams click smash. Thats what matters, not the groupset levels.
We're just wasting time at this point. If you like GX better than XT, great. That's what matters. I'm simply pointing out that both companies have a heirachy of drivetrains. Different levels for different budgets, and XT is Shimano's attempt to offer a higher-level drivetrain to those who can only afford GX.
We are literally arguing over facts. Facts that aren't even that important. None of this is going to change your mind or my mind.
Cadillac has been an old persons trash can for years now. I mean the new ones like the cts-v and all that are really good, but still you have to say you drive a Cadillac. If you're young and not ghetto, you just knocked 5 points off your out of ten attractiveness scale. The best thing gm churned out lately is the corvette(whose styling looks to boy racer for me now) and the upper end camaros. I think bugattis aren't too great either(what does my opinion matter though, il never afford one) they're fat, ugly, and meh. If I had that money I'd go koenigsegg. Still too flashy.i want raw, light, thrilling.Why am I telling you any of this? I don't know. You had a good comparison going and I just like cars and wanted to say something. Discard this useless information.
I might keep my cranks but change to a GX Eagle chainring, GX Eagle cassette, X01 Eagle Derailleur, and X01 Eagle trigger!!
The Titanic had 3 million, and it sank,
irrelevant comment , sorry .
Literally no objective statement you made is in any way correct. Nothing. EVERY SINGLE Shimano groupset is significantly cheaper than SRAM's equivalent. Shimano wins on value in every single case.
About shift feel, you are definitely in the minority on that one. But that is your opinion so I can't fault you there.
Quick review:
XX1/XO1 = XTR
X1 = XT
GX = SLX
NX = Deore
xx1 eagle/x01 eagle=xtr
Gx eagle =xt
Nx= slx
XX1/XO1 =
X1 = XTR
GX = XT
NX= SLX
Deore
@everyoneelse: If you're building a new drivetrain, its a no brainer GX Eagle over anything Shimano has to offer.
I strongly prefer the ergonomics of Shimano. Once you leave the parking lot and get some mud in your system, Shimano does shift better. The derailleur hangs further inward, so its more protected. The Clutch system works better. They integrate better with Shimano brakes, which are worlds better than Guides. I just switched from a full XT to X1+guides, and the guides don't feel as good at the lever, they use a stupid torx instead of Allen, and don't get me started on mineral oil vs DOT.
Desipte all this, GX is lighter at the same price, has much greater range, and is forward looking while Shimano is using technology of the past.
If you already have an 11 speed setup, then you could just get this for the same price as the GX cassette:
www.amaincycling.com/ethirteen-trs-plus-11-speed-cassette-black-944t-fw1tpa-101/p543543?v=475329&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6-PJBRCO_br1qoOB4LABEiQAEkqcVWNBbOcEEhZEvSpqV7OrzVhLv9ArC1gApxWdktiJbLsaAotL8P8HAQ
But I do have to call you out on one thing - how exactly is Shimano using "technology of the past"?
Yes this is subjective stuff. But then that's why guys do. We talk tech.
"11 speed is OLD TECH. People still using it. Sad!"
lol, people are out of control, man.
To put it another way, if we graphed the sales of shimano drivers vs XD drivers, what would that graph look like?
Whether you are on a car forum, bike forum, stereo forum, computer forum, whatever...there are always the guys who claim that whatever offers the best power/performance for the dollar is the best and everyone should use it. But when we are talking about big ticket items, there are so many more things that come into play. Quality, reliability, style, image, brand recognition...all of those things are prioritized differently by different people. 15 years ago I would have bought XTR over ANYTHING if I had the money to do so. It had nothing to do with performance, quality, reliability, or weight. I just wanted to be able to have that logo on my bike. These days (ironically now that I can afford XTR) the top of my list is quality and reliability. Price and weight are actually near the bottom. I just want something that works, all the time, without fail. If it can look great while doing it that's a huge plus.
The what now? I've been wrenching on bikes just short of 20 years now, and i've been working with mineral oil brakes almost that entire time, and I have never heard of this term before.
and it still has less range than a dual can have, and it costs twice as much as one ...
I could say sorry but its my experience but why should i,its the experience i made(+a few ohters)and i dont think i have to be sorry for my experience.
AND you seriously posted this article without a direct weight comparison to XX1 and X01 options? That would have been your one chance at providing useful information in this review.
if i upgrade my wheels and drivetrain one then this group should be considered.
for now i stick to my 2x11 group, (yea 2x11 you read that right, #insert itaintdeadcomment)
But a 50T on a little wheel like that sure would look dumb. I'll stick with my 1x11.
To be clear, I was not focusing on the 12 speeds themselves. I'm focusing on the fact that I don't need an extended gear range.
As for your interpretation, SRAM released XX1, then X01 and now GX, I don't understand how that is jumping something?
You are jumping to alot of conclusions here, do you have any facts to back your hypothesis? For example this evidence might suggest that Shimano is experiencing trouble selling their drive trains:
SRAMs newest drive trains can not be easily found at any discount (I cant find them anywhere less than MSRP). Shimanos newest drive trains can easily be found at 30%-40% off. That would tell me that Shimano is not selling as many drive trains as they would like and are selling their inventory to online retailers like Jenson at a fraction of the cost to off load inventory. In conclusion Shimano is selling off inventory because sales have been a disappointment/less than expected.
I don't follow every bike manufacture but the ones that I do offer SRAM Eagle drive trains on their high end builds and Shimano on the cheaper ones. This evidence would suggest that manufactures know that their high end customer prefers SRAM over Shimano. In conclusion when money is not an issue riders are choosing SRAM.
I think 1x11 and x12 is adding gears in a weight-inefficient way to a bad place on the bike, and for 1x12, to achieve gear ratios I don't want. Shimano was pushing the 2x system which alleviates most of the concerns of the previous sentence, popularity of 2x systems be damned. But they have to sell what the market demands, which these days is 11 speed.
As for the reduced count, it is reduced by one at the moment. They offer an XX1, X01and now the GX in the eagle 12 speed lineup. Not sure why they have not released an X1 version.
Why cant that table just have two more XO1 columns?!?
...and then there's what WhatToBuy pointed out. That's no small detail.
X01 is B-eagle
GX is C-eagle.
D-eagle when???
www.tweekscycles.com/components/groupsets/sram-gx-eagle-groupset
sorry i couldn't resist.
That's what happens, you know. As you get more fit and better at riding you continue to tackle more advanced terrain. So that's why things like this drivetrain are very popular.
A bigger range and even and easier gear allows you to ride longer and harder relative to your current fitness level. Getting strong is a narrow thought because it doesn't matter how strong I am. This uses energy more efficiently allowing you to allocate an energy surplus (v. 1x11 or 1x10 etc) as you see fit. Climb longer, yes. Have more energy to descend after a long climb, yes. Ride longer because you're not as blown out from climbing in a smaller gear, yes. It doesn't matter if you're fat or a factory pro, with this range you'll be able to do more.