SRAM GX Eagle Drivetrain: Customer Review

In this review, our customer Zack Henderson doesn't see any reason to run anything different than Sram's GX Eagle drivetrain. GX Eagle offers the same 500% range as XO1 and XX1 Eagle at a fraction of the cost. Read how Zack likes his new drivetrain setup below.

Overview

Over the past month, I've had an opportunity to put some muddy PNW miles on a GX Eagle shifter and derailleur that I picked up from Worldwide Cyclery.

I just built up a new Transition Sentinel, which came stock with an X01 derailleur and shifter (but a GX-level cassette). As someone who rides in pretty unforgiving winter and summer conditions as a part-time mountain bike instructor, my drivetrain takes a beating. Because of this, it has become difficult to justify buying the top-end offerings from Sram. While the exotic materials are appealing (and lighter), watching a $250 derailleur degrade just as quickly as a $90 derailleur makes me scratch my head and wonder what made me spring for the bling. So, this time around I decided to sell the X01 bling and replace it with GX to save some money and also see just how effective Sram's trickle down tech has become.

Performance

First impressions were very good. While the fit and finish are more "plasticky" and less refined than the X01, it's clear that Sram was very thoughtful on how they could preserve performance while saving money on manufacturing costs. I appreciate the all-black colorway that doesn't draw attention to itself, and it all comes across as refreshingly utilitarian.

While you can notice a slight difference in shifting crispness in a bike stand, it's entirely unnoticeable once you get the tires on dirt. Having run different combinations of X01 (non-Eagle) shifters with cheaper derailleurs, I can say that the more expensive shifters do feel a little more direct, but the GX shifter is easily the best "budget" shifter I've used. It is leaps and bounds better than the older, less expensive Sram shifter options. While the bushing pivot (rather than X01's bearing pivot) may wear faster, it feels damn close out of the box. As far as derailleur function goes, I honestly can't notice any performance difference on the trail.

Final Thoughts

This is also my first bike with Eagle, and I must say that while I don't feel like I needed the additional gear range that the big cog offers, it is impressive how Sram was able to add range while also improving function of the whole system. Gone is the old issue of the chain creeping down the cassette if backpedaling in the big cog. Additionally, the clutch system seems more refined and able to control drivetrain bounce in rough terrain.

While the big miles are yet to come, so far I am really pleased with GX Eagle. It's always refreshing to see a company putting real thought into continuous product improvement, and in the case of GX Eagle, Sram was able to not only improve on the on-trail functionality of 11 speed systems, but also create a more economical option that performs damn close to their "super groups" that cost many times more.

Maybe I'm too utilitarian, but with a product like GX Eagle, I don't understand why anyone selecting a drivetrain would spring for X01.