SRAM GX Eagle XG-1275 Cassette [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

SRAM's GX Eagle line is perfect for riders getting into the sport and riders looking to upgrade an old drivetrain without selling their kidney to afford it. The GX Eagle line offers the same gear range as the higher end models, its just not as lightweight or flashy as the others. Our buddy Dan recently got a GX Cassette from us. Lets see what he thought:

Dan's Review

I’ll start this review by letting everyone know I’m not a very bike techy person. My intimidation level exceeds my skill level by far, But I recently installed the Eagle GX drivetrain group set, which I purchased from Worldwide Cyclery on my 2016 Specialized Carbon Stump Jumper. I replaced the e-thirteen 9-46 (11 speed) cassette with this incredible 10-52 Eagle GX cassette. I’m a big-time Amazon shopper and I could have purchased all the same components from Amazon, but what Amazon couldn’t offer was live and prompt technical support. I knew I wanted the GX groupset but I didn’t know the nitty-gritty details about freehubs, XD drivers, # of pawls, size of the chainring, etc,. And this is where Worldwide Cyclery won my business. I called their support line and someone actually picked up the phone immediately and spoke to me. I nearly hung up out of fear of talking to a live person. I told the tech support person that I didn’t know a lot about this conversion and he said “It's not a problem, we’ll work our way through it. So he talked me through the entire conversion, creating a parts list and checking their stock of each component as we progressed through the parts list.

Unlike most bike parts suppliers online during this pandemic, these guys actually had the parts in stock!

Since I was installing a new drivetrain including a new chain, why not change out the chainring at the same time. So I ordered the Absolute Black 30t red oval chainring. I also needed to replace my XD driver that had some bearing wear. In fact, the bearings were worn to the point that was struggling to remove the driver from the axle. So the tech support person talked me through this removal as well………did I mention I know very little about bike repairs?

The purchase and delivery:

At the end of our conversation about all the components, removal process and parts in stock, he sent me an email with a link for the entire order. All I had to do was click the link, review the list, and place the order online. it was so easy and seamless. I placed the order, went on pandemic (stay-cation) and the parts arrived about 4 days later. I couldn’t wait to get them installed.

The Installation:

After watching numerous YouTube videos, the installation was methodical and easy even for me. I didn’t have a cassette removal/install tool and of course, you need this special tool so I ordered that with the parts. I found the greatest challenge to be the adjustment of the rear derailleur for smooth shifting through all 12 cogs and getting the “B-stop” adjusted correctly. A plastic alignment tool is included with the cassette and a few YouTube videos showed me the proper adjustment. And eventually, after some persistence and a few beers, I succeeded!

Conclusion:

"I failed to mention I’m a 59 yr old gent with only a few years of mountain biking under my belt but I can tell you that changing to this new Eagle GX 12 speed (10-52) powertrain has definitely upped my hill climbing game. I can now climb long inclines and steeper short runs that I used to walk up with my 11 speed 9-46t cassette. The oval chainring may be a factor in this but my jury is still out on that. But for sure, that big dinner plate 52t cog is allowing me to spin my way up to some pretty tough climbs. And in the process of all of this, my level of intimidation is pretty much gone and I know what adjustments I need to make to have a smooth-shifting powertrain." - Dan