Review: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Wireless Drivetrain
SRAM's wireless electronic shifting technology trickled down to the GX level earlier this year, opening up the door for more riders to ditch their cables and make robotic 'zzzt' noises ever time they shift.
The design of the new GX AXS Eagle derailleur and shifter are nearly identical to to the more expensive X01 and XX1 level AXS components. The ergonomics of the shifter are exactly the same, and on the derailleur the only real difference is the pulley wheel cage material – it's steel on the GX derailleur, aluminum on X01, and carbon on the XX1 derailleur.
The design of the new GX AXS Eagle derailleur and shifter are nearly identical to to the more expensive X01 and XX1 level AXS components. The ergonomics of the shifter are exactly the same, and on the derailleur the only real difference is the pulley wheel cage material – it's steel on the GX derailleur, aluminum on X01, and carbon on the XX1 derailleur.
GX Eagle AXS Details
• Compatible with all Eagle drivetrains, 10-52 tooth cassette compatible
• Overload clutch system
• IPX7 waterproof
• Derailleur weight: 454 grams (w/ battery)
• Shifter weight: 68 grams
• Price: $600 USD (shifter, derailleur, battery, charger)
• sram.com
• Compatible with all Eagle drivetrains, 10-52 tooth cassette compatible
• Overload clutch system
• IPX7 waterproof
• Derailleur weight: 454 grams (w/ battery)
• Shifter weight: 68 grams
• Price: $600 USD (shifter, derailleur, battery, charger)
• sram.com
The shifter and derailleur are compatible with any of SRAM's Eagle 12-speed drivetrain components; all levels, from SX to XX1 will play nicely with these parts, and the derailleur can accommodate up to a 10-52 tooth cassette. The $600 USD price tag includes a shifter, derailleur, battery, and charger, or those parts can be purchased separately at $370 for the derailleur without the $55 battery, and $150 for the shifter.
The high- and low-limit screws are tucked away on the underside of the derailleur body.
This little plastic tool comes in handy when setting the B-tension, a crucial step to ensuring good shifting performance.
Installation
One of the biggest benefit of SRAM's AXS drivetrains is the ease of setup. Granted, running cable and housing isn't exactly the hardest task, but removing that step from the equation makes for an extremely quick installation process.
Once the derailleur and shifter are mounted, all that's left to do is pair them, which only requires pushing and holding two buttons, one on the derailleur and one on the underside of the shifter. Next, it's time to adjust the derailleur's limit screws and B-tension (you'll need SRAM's easy-to-lose plastic tool to make this step easier), and then fine tune the shifting at the shifter. It's like the electronic equivalent of a barrel adjuster – holding the button on the underside of the shifter and then actuating the shift paddle to move the derailleur in the desired direction is the last step for dialing in the drivetrain.
If you're upgrading an existing drivetrain and only need to install the new derailleur and shifter the entire process can easily be accomplished in well under 30 minutes. Along with the ease of setup, AXS also eliminates the potential for contaminated cables and housing, removing a factor that can lead to a decline in shifting performance.
The shifter's action can be customized using the AXS app.
Performance
SHIFTING
Zzzt. Zzzt. Zzzt. That's the sound of the derailleur moving the chain up or down the cassette, a task it does quickly and smoothly every single time. I've been going back and forth between a bike with an XX1 AXS drivetrain and one with a GX AXS drivetrain, and the shifting performance is identical - I can't distinguish any difference between the amount of time it takes a shift to occur on one versus the other.
Compared to the cable-actuated GX Eagle shifter / derailleur combo, the wireless components take the win when it comes to the speed and ease with which the shifts occur. Now, neither option is going to have a detrimental effect on your ride experience – or at least it shouldn't – but there's no denying that it takes less time and effort to shift with the GX AXS components.
Shifting under load is possible, although the smoothness of those shifts isn't quite at the same level as Shimano's Hyperglide+ drivetrains. Years of not shifting under full power meant that I didn't typically shift while mashing on the pedals all that often, but I did do some experimenting to see what happened if I shifted at less-than-ideal moments. In those instances, shifting to an easier gear under power felt smoother than shifting to a harder gear, which is good news, since that's when panic shifts typically happen – at those moments when the trail suddenly steepens and you find yourself hunting for one easier gear.
Over time I've grown accustomed to the shape of the AXS shift paddle, and now I don't have to give shifting a second thought. I have it set up to shift up the cassette when I push the top of the paddle, and down when I push the bottom of the paddle, something that can be customized using the SRAM app. It's also possible to adjust how many gears the derailleur will move through when the paddle is held down.
A different rocker paddle shape is available for $20 that comes a little closer to mimicking a traditional shifter shape, but I still think there's still potential for other designs – Zirbel's 'Twister' concept is very intriguing, as are the custom setups that World Cup XC riders are running with SRAM's Blip buttons. After all, when the constraints of needing to pull a cable in a certain direction are removed all sorts of doors open up.
DURABILITY
As you can see from the pictures, this derailleur hasn't had an easy life so far, and yet it's shifting as consistently as the first day I installed it. Those scrapes are from close encounters from rocks, and more than once I've heard the secondary Overload clutch feature do its job when the derailleur took a hard hit. It's obviously still possible to damage the derailler in certain scenarios, but the fact that it can partially swing out of the way during a side impact will certainly help with longevity.
On the topic of clutches, I do think the main clutch tension could be increased a little. I never dropped a chain, but I did notice a fair amount of chain slap noise when riding through rough terrain, or after a larger impact. An adjustable clutch is still on my wishlist for all of SRAM's derailleurs – that's one area where I prefer the design of Shimano's derailleurs.
The battery's small enough that it's easy to carry a spare.
Green means go - one push of the AXS button on the derailleur shows the battery level.
BATTERY LIFE
The AXS battery's life is said to be 20 hours, so you'd need to be out on an extra-mega mission to run out of juice. A quick push of the button on the derailleur is all it takes to check the battery level – green means go, red means there's 50% or less battery life left, and blinking red means you better hope there's an outlet and a charger nearby.
So far I've been able to remember to charge the battery, and haven't had to singlespeed my way home...yet. Carrying a spare's still not a bad idea if you're planning an epic adventure, just in case. The battery is smaller than a pack of Tic-Tacs and only 25 grams, so it's not exactly a burden.
WHO'S IT FOR?
Who's the ideal candidate for GX AXS? Well, I see it being well suited to a rider who's not technology (or battery) averse, someone who wants to give wireless shifting a go without shelling out the $800 required for the X01 AXS components. There's something novel about not having any cable or housing to deal with, and there's no denying that it makes for an extra-clean looking cockpit. For the rider that's already planning to make a drivetrain upgrade, GX AXS is the least-expensive fully wireless option currently on the market, and it matches SRAM's X01 and XX1 AXS components when it comes to shifting performance.
However, GX AXS is a harder sell when you bring pesky things like weight and price into the equation. The GX AXS derailleur and shifter weigh a combined 522 grams and retail for $600, while the regular GX shifter and derailleur weighs 462 grams, even with cable and housing factored in. You'll also save over $400 by going the wired route, a cost savings that shouldn't be overlooked.
Pros
+ No cables and housing to deal with
+ Precise, effortless shifting
+ Customizable shifting options
Cons
- Going wireless still isn't cheap
- Heavier than 'regular' GX Eagle
- Charging batteries is one more thing to remember
Pinkbike's Take
 | GX AXS is currently the least expensive fully wireless mountain bike drivetrain on the market, and the good news is that its performance is indistinguishable from that of its pricier siblings. It's not the way to go if you're looking for the absolute best price to weight ratio - cable-actuated drivetrains still reign supreme in that department - but it is a compelling option for anyone looking to make the jump into the wireless world. |
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Don't you mean HE had to drive back while you started your ride?!?!
No matter the part, no matter the precautions you take, stuff can happen. Nothing is catastrophe proof, and this AXS stuff doesn’t seem to be any more or less prone to catastrophe based on this review. So I’m not sure what the fear is. I get cost being a barrier, but I’m not understanding the old-codger, mechanical purist stance from some people here. It seems like a rationalization for fear of the unknown or most likely not being able to afford it. (Or not wanting to pay for it). Hell, I’d respect it a hell of a lot more of a dude were to say, “You know what? I can’t afford it and it’s not worth the money for me,” rather than read all this absurd “mechanical or die” stuff. They’re jus lt spitting into the wind. I’m telling you, in a few years, it’s going to be standard.
Moral of the story: shame on me for not having a spare. If you go out with an electronic shifter without having it charged, shame on you. Net result is the same, yes? Stuff happens. I don’t think one is more or less likely to happen than the other. Just be prepared — any lack of preparation can’t be blamed on the system.
And also... couldn’t you just have spare batteries in your pack as easily as you have a spare hanger? Takes up less space than a spare cable. Or is the battery part of the shifter unit, and you use a cord to plug straight into the wall?
I think I found your problem.
Not sure whats wrong with a bit of cable.
Seems to me its solving a problem that doesn’t exist.
@adespotoskyli: You’re making up hypothetical problems that based on the evidence in this review don’t exist. This thing seems to work just fine. Sure, something could go wrong, as with any other component you have on your bike, but all these electronic glitches you’re talking about don’t seem to happen as routinely as you imagine. You’re a technophobe. Nothing wrong with that. I’m not buying one either, at least not for now. I’m a cheapskate.
I'm afraid that if that's your idea of a mechanic-feeling car, you haven't felt a very mechanical car. I suggest you drive something like a Caterham 7, you'll see what a mechanical car actually feels like. Or, if you can't find one, an older-gen Miata which has been gutted for track use.
Cable tension on a 1x system is incredibly easy. One barrel adjuster. Move it one way, the indexing moves one way. Move it the other way, the indexing moves the other way. Literally no more complicated than adjusting indexing on AXS, which I've had to do just as often.
Offers no advantage whatsoever. It's just complicated for it's own sake.
Tell me you prefer the mechanical simplicity of a cable actuated system, or you don't like batteries because it's ecologically worse than cables, yeah I'll respect that.
AXS has been so reliable, smooth, consistent shifting and it keeps my stress levels low. I love enhancements such as these and I don't think its actually even complicated. Setup is a couple of button presses (app is a bonus) and i charge the battery every couple months, where it usually is 50% or so (it lasts ages based on my riding up to 50 xc miles a week!)
Now all the maintenance I do on my bike is just replacing fluids on suspension and brakes with proprietary tools and liquids
As for your comment about breaking derailleurs, I think you’re right. All kinds of rocks out here where I ride. I might bend or break the hanger every so often, but I’ve never destroyed a mech.
However, I just don't want it. Nothing against people that do, but those people are never going to understand simply not wanting it for reasons unrelated to cost, durability, or performance.
This ethos of minimalism and experience needs to be voiced as much as possible to combat the consumerism and social-media-edit culture that currently prevails in our sport. Kudos for the comment and stoked it got so many upvotes.
If you are a REAL pinkbiker however, and think everything is too expensive, you can opt for the 'Core' plan, which is unlimited shifts but SRAM sells your riding and shifting data to China, and you have to listen to an advertisement if you need the 52t.
I’m not saying I can’t do it just that it sucks and in those situations I’d love an effortless electronic shifter. I also can’t un do my shoelaces at the end of the ride with cold hands.
www.amazon.com/Microshift-RD-M619M-Advent-Clutch-Derailleur/dp/B08615ZG9Z/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2IRQQJ2BZHHZW&dchild=1&keywords=microshift+advent+9+speed+derailleur&qid=1622494859&sprefix=microshift+advent+9+speed%2Caps%2C243&sr=8-3
www.microshift.com/models/rd-m6195m
This is what the photo on the Amazon listing shows, but all the rest of the listing indicates the clutchless version - model number and the description.
The clutched version does appear to be only $55 anyway
www.modernbike.com/microshift-advent-rear-derailleur---9-speed-medium-cage-black-with-clutch
I will try one for sure once I can find a European seller with them in stock, thanks again.
I'm not a luddite. I love my progressive geometry, carbon frame, dropper post, 29" wheels. Always have. I'm just able to differentiate actual benefits from useless gimmicks that require more work and add no value.
I admit it doesn’t happen often, but cables have snapped on me on several occasions. And as I said, shame on me for not having a spare on hand. Shame on you for not having an extra battery. The point is, regardless of the tech, you should be prepared on the trail by bringing a spare whatever. I contend it’s easier to pop open a battery compartment than it is to break out the cables and run through that whole procedure, but whatever floats your boat.
The other point is, things can go wrong no matter what you’re using, so the argument that a specific thing can go wrong with a certain piece of technology doesn’t really justify the technophobia I’m seeing here, especially when that problem is so easily remedied with a simple spare battery.
things can go wrong but what goes wrong without a warning? electronics. Why increase the failure rate by making it more complex without any gains in performance? It's useless and needless. It's still the same exposed primitive rear mech. Not a new tech, it's a new whole lot more issues for no reason
I liken it to carburetor vs fuel injection. Sure the carburetor works fine, but the fuel injection is a little more refined and efficient. The fuel injection system will likely be difficult to diagnose and fix diy when it does eventually fail, but it beats adjusting and fine tuning the carburetor on a regular basis.
-does the technology offer a compelling advantage?
-does the advantage justify the costs?
For the vast majority of mountain bike tech (prog geometry, dropper posts, big wheels, tubeless tires, wider tires, wider bars, 1x, etc.) I have been an early adopter and a proponent.
In my view, electronic shifting does not meet this standard. I can imagine that someday it will: automatic indexing, shifting, adjustment, trim, etc), but right now it just emulates the previous technology. I don't think that cuts it. I resent being forced into a buying a thing because it's what the industry wants to push, while simultaneously being gaslit about my criticisms.
www.sram.com/en/life/stories/getting-started-with-axs
I ignored this for awhile also, but now the choice is either remove or charge after every other ride, because otherwise I'll just get stranded in the woods.
I do feel I'm qualified to offer my opinion of both systems. Without a doubt the AXS experience is superior. Ease of setup, shift quality and consistency, shift response time, tactile feel, shifter throw distance, shift configuration capability, unbelievable battery life, etc. The only negative is the cost difference.
The efficiency is in its precise shifting, and precise fine adjustment capability. How can this be measured... IDK chain/cassette wear perhaps.
C'mon I'm french and trying to make jokes here
Stack the climbing gears that people spend most of their riding time in and add a bit more gap on the other end, it’s not like these are getting used for optimum cadence in a road race and needing a tight shift into the 10 tooth...
The shifter is also weird. Like the two levers or not quite aligned right for your fingers.
As for the cranks. Jesus. I have never had cranks flex that much. Maybe 5+ mm of inward flex. They rubbed my frame. Swapped out those pronto.
I hate it. But nothing else was available.
I wont be buying Sram again. Huge disappointment.
They must be terrible.
...and as if by magic, spotted this evening, both my GX 5 month old jockey wheels have seized up.
Absolute crap.
E thirteen is still a 42-50 spread (same as sram 10-50) which sucks marginally less than the 10-52. Personally, if I’m gonna spend money to replace my stupid expensive xo1 cassette due to a lazy engineer and an aggressive marketing dept I’m going micro spline free hub and shimano or a garbaruk 10-48. For what this stuff costs and the near monopoly they have on OEM parts SRAM needs to try a little harder.
With tighter spacing in the easiest few gears you can fine tune with front ring size and dial it right in.
Still better than my SLX derailleur where the clutch crapped out, and then seized less than a month after service and was so rusted out inside that I had to replace it (With GX, since the only derailleurs available are XTR and cost more than GX shifter and derailleur). I could blame myself for not sealing it back up properly, but I was careful and if it didn't hold up to that level of care, it ain't for me.
If you look at a gear chart, that even 6 tooth jump on a Shimano isn’t such an even jump based on gear ratios. As you get to the larger cogs, big jumps in tooth count aren’t as as big as on the smaller cogs. So, that jump from 39 to 45 is bigger than the jump from 45 to 51.
Here’s Sheldon Brown’s calculator:
www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html
If you use it, you’ll see the jump from 42 to 50 is only 3.5 gear inches, versus the jump from 10 to 12 is about 15 gear inches. If you plot out a SRAM eagle cassette 10-50, there’s about an even 3-3.5 gear inch change in the larger few cogs. It’s like they actually looked at gear charts when designing their cassette instead of just counting teeth.
In comparison that Shimano 10-51, it jumps a difference of 5 gear inches, to 4.4, to 3.1, to 2.4 (all difference in gear inches between gears) for the shifts in the largest cogs.
Buy IXF HT2 cranks if you're going to cheap out, then you don't have to deal with square taper.
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I love how they replaced 'Fox' with another obscure carnivorous mammal. LOL.
/s
So my take: -1 for simplicity, -1 for price, +1 for performance and +1 ease of maintenance.
->more rap lyrics pls
If you f.ex. bend the derailleur cage you're screwed.
For Shimano M8000 it's a 20€ fix on the other hand...
Once I had to take the X01 apart out on the trail because I had a major mechanical. bent rear axle and everything that comes with it. made a little mistake reassembling it. instead of getting the stupid plastic housing for a few quit I had to buy a new one for 560 €. (sold the broken derailleur for 240 € lol so it wasn‘t that bad)
But the worst is the Force eTap front derailleur just completely dead. first three times I was able to pair it again and get going for a few hours. but when this didnt work any more I had to upload new firmware 25 k into my ride. two weeks after tho, just dead. not even LED flash when you press the button on the derailleur. after riding on 46T ring only for 4 months it suddenly started working again. totally weird.
Sounds like your pockets are lighter and your shifts are slower. My condolences for your losses.
I love riding; 2,000+ miles a year.
However, I got a wife, 2 kids in dance, and a mortgage.
I work to have no financial constraints; get to spend whatever I want with impunity on my hobbies.
However, I have executive responsibility and put in 12+ hour days at the office."
I would not recommend AXS to anyone. It's expensive, heavy, offers no advantages over mechanical, and adds a whole bunch of new logistics (charging, remembering the battery, taking it off the bike and using covers for transport). It's just straightforwardly worse than the mechanical equivalent.
The cost vs performance benefit just gets lower as you go up in groupset levels. The 2.5x price difference between XT and XTR is not worth the weight savings IMO.
So yeah spending $ does get you actual increases performance and longevity.
Also, how the F is a MTB a childs toy but a motorcycle isn't? They make children's motorcycles, ya know?
Sounds like the Fred Beckey Axiom... "If you carry it, you will need it!"
It’s the cassette and mech that makes the most difference because they’re the parts that actually do the work. Like an x01 mech is structurally stiffer than any other mech so it’s more precise as it doesn’t flex as much when pulling the chain from gear to gear same with the cassette, xx1 / x01 cassettes are machined out of high quality steel that lasts forever and the tolerances are so much higher so everything fits together better which means your chain finds an easier route to the next sprocket and a high quality chain will keep your cassette running smoothly for longer.
Has anyone noticed the derailleur arm move forward slightly while first applying load to the pedals? While holding both brakes, I feel the cranks slightly rotate (maybe 5-10 degrees) and the chain under my chainstay move slightly. This is the derailleur arm moving under load. An odd sensation when first putting power to the pedals starting from a stop.
CABLE AND LINERS are worth almost 450usd, but they cost like....... 15USD?
After nearly 3 decades of running Shimano shifters, I got used to the AXS shifter quickly. Thumb to downshift, index finger to upshift.
My 3rd bike runs 12 spd XTR and don't find the shifting any better or worse. I do like the zero-effort required to shift or use an Reverb AXS (if going wireless, may as well go all the way...).
Can you run a Shimano cassette/chain with a SRAM crank/chainring?
Might sound silly, but is the shifter close enough to the grip that you might be bumping it without realizing it?
The thing about AXS that got me was for traveling with a bike. With AXS I don't have to worry about a cable getting messed up while in the bike bag AND can take derailleur completely off, store it in a separate (safer) spot during travel and then reassmeble much faster once I get to my destination. The AXS has worked fantastically for this.
I love it the only bike I don't have it on is my DH bike, because yea its expense!
In the case of the deraullier, it still doesnt make sense, its heavier, worse looking, Bulky. Sets off the balance of weights on the bike.... it basically is a piece of shit... i dont know why ive been on the verge of buying it just because of the addiction to have the next "new " thing... But in this case its just donwright incoherent.. Hope only millionares get this, since its shit and not worth it IMO
But $150 for a remote with 2 buttons and no other moving parts? Y'all getting robbed.
I bet it does.
On the flip, it is expensive to replace if you crash, there is the possibility of forgetting your batteries and so on. But, cables can snap at any time, mid ride, you better have a cable handy and the knowledge to run it and adjust it. Also, if a cable snaps, it could tweak your derailleur/chain pretty bad.
I still run mechanical, but I think I will soon make the switch to see how it is. I do love riding customers bikes around the parking lot that have electronic shifting.
Thanks for the review!
I also agree on the paddle shifter (controller). Not having to puuuuuush to drop 3 gears is amazing. Just press and hold, BOOM, 3 gears down. Its made approaching uphill obstacles that much easier. You don't realize how much strength you use in your thumb until you don't have to.
Buy an extra derailleur battery for $55, carry additional 2032 battery for controller, additional $2, keep both in your pack on every ride. Never be stuck!
As well, if you do not properly set up chain length (frame under full compression if full suspension) and hi/lo limits, it will shift like crap, like any other cable actuated system.
The knots people tie themselves in to justify a thing that adds literally no functionality... My mechanical XX1 shifted under torque just as well as the AXS version. And if you were struggling to press the beautifully tactile mechanical shifters in late-generation SRAM, you have some seriously emaciated hands.