Customer Review: Sram GX Eagle Drivetrain

Here we have an in depth review on the Sram GX Eagle drivetrain put together by one of our customers. Coming from a Shimano 2x system, the Sram GX Eagle drivetrain meets you with simplicity, efficiency, and ergonomics. Here we go!

This review is of the SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain. The components that I’m reviewing are the cassette, derailleur, shifter, and chain. About me – I’m not the most experienced rider, but I wouldn’t call myself a beginner either. I’ve been riding for about 5 years now while living in Denver, CO, Flagstaff, AZ, and Dallas, TX. I don’t always get as many miles in as I’d like to (being an adult sometimes gets in the way), but I always enjoy myself when I’m on the trail. I hope you find this review helpful as I put a decent amount of time into deciding if GX Eagle was the right choice for me.

SRAM GX Eagle! What can I say about this awesome drivetrain? When I bought my bike, it came with a Shimano XTR 2x10 drivetrain (38/26 rings up front and an 11-34 cassette in the back). Initially, upgrading my drivetrain was one of the last things on my mind. I was happy with the shifting performance of the XTR components but I found myself not utilizing both rings up front and wondering if I could shed some weight and simplify to a 1x system. So, I started looking into my options. When looking at the 1x drivetrains from Shimano, it didn’t seem like much of an upgrade going from my XTR 2x10 to an XT 1x11 or even an XTR 1x11. There are definitely trade offs with both drivetrains. The XTR 1x11 while significantly lighter than my XTR 2x10, doesn’t offer nearly the same range of gears because the cassette is limited to a 40t cog. The XT 1x11 offers a wider and more comparable gear range, with options for a 40t, 42t, or 46t cog on the cassette, but would have been nearly the same weight as my XTR 2x10 setup. Not being satisfied with what I found in the Shimano lineup I started looking at other drivetrain options. SRAM Eagle seemed like the answer to all my problems, however, I couldn’t justify the cost of the XX1 or X01 Eagle setup. This is where GX Eagle comes in. I was able to shed a few grams compared to my old 2x10, maintain effectively the same gear range as my 2x10, and simplify my bike for nearly the same cost as the Shimano 1x11 drivetrains and a fraction of the cost of the higher end SRAM XX1 and X01 Eagle drivetrains.

When I decided to pull the trigger on the GX Eagle drivetrain, the guys at Worldwide Cyclery hooked me up with an awesome discount and had everything shipped to me in no time. Installation and setup was a breeze with the easy to follow video on Sram's website and the easy to use b-gap adjustment tool that’s included with the derailleur. It’s not much different from setting up any other drivetrain and doesn’t require any odd or uncommon tools. The only thing that the Eagle system requires is an XD driver for your rear hub. Most hub manufactures make both the XD and the standard driver and its not hard to swap them out. One nice thing about the Eagle system is that you don’t need to use an Eagle chainring or crankset. I was able to save some cash (and weight) and keep my XTR cranks and put an Absolute Black oval 32 tooth ring up front. The next day I was on the trail in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas to put the new drivetrain to the test.

So far, I’ve got about 100 miles on the GX Eagle system and have no regrets making the switch. Its responsive and shifts as expected without any issues. I find myself using the whole range of gears now that I don’t have to shift between rings up front in order to realize the full potential of my drivetrain. I can’t compare the shifting performance to the XX1 or X01 Eagle systems but other reviews have claimed little to no difference in shifting performance. I certainly have no complaints, even coming from Shimano’s high end, albeit several years old and seemingly outdated 2x10 XTR components. Initially, I thought it would take a while to get used to shifting with just my thumb on the Sram shifter compared to thumb and pointer finger on my old Shimano shifter. This was not the case as the GX Eagle shifter is ergonomic and easy to use and only took a few shifts to become second nature. Overall, I’m very impressed with the way the GX Eagle drivetrain has performed so far.

I haven’t ridden the GX Eagle drivetrain long enough to test the durability of the components, however, they seem to be well made and they certainly don’t look or feel cheap. GX Eagle solved all the problems with my old 2x10 system while other drivetrains addressed only 1 or 2 of the issues. I was able to shed a little weight, not sacrifice my gear range, and simplify my drivetrain, all while not spending a ton of cash! I’m 100% converted to SRAM Eagle and won’t be going back to a 2x system on any of my bikes in the future.