SRAM NX Eagle Crankset - 175mm: 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.

Looking to finally make that jump to a 1x12 drivetrain? The SRAM NX Eagle crankset is a great place to start. Beleive us, once you make the upgrade you will not regret it Our customer James was ready to upgrade and has been stoked on the performance of his NX Eagle cranks so far. Check out what he had to say!

Overview

I recently bought a set of SRAM NX Eagle cranks to do a 1x conversion on my 2019 Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29. I was having some grinding and squeaking from my factory cartridge bottom bracket after just a few months of riding. I was pretty annoyed at the fact that a bike at this price point would even come with a cartridge bottom bracket so I knew I wanted to do something different when I realized that action needed to be taken. I got to looking into all the different options that were available, and all that would work with my current set up, and could not decide on what exactly I needed or wanted.

So, I gave the guys a call at the wonderful world of Worldwide Cyclery and even in the midst of all the craziness of Covid-19, they picked up the phone to help. I told the gentleman that I was having some issues already with my bottom bracket and asked him what I should do as far as certain parts. He recommended that I go with the SRAM NX cranks and a Dub bottom bracket, and I have been so happy with his recommendation.

On Trail Performance

I have now put around 100 miles on the cranks and they have been nothing but buttery smooth all the time. They are a lot stiffer than the Stout cranks that came stock on the bike. Also, with replacing the cartridge bottom bracket, the cranks, and the two chain rings with the new SRAM NX Eagle set reduced my total weight 1.8 pounds. That may not be a lot to some and I’m definitely not a weight weenie, but to be a larger sized rider, every pound count.

That leads me to my next point. I feel that a lot of people who are on the plus size of life do not get enough reviews of products from bigger riders, and I include myself in that. When I bought my bike I was 295 pounds and I thought was getting a good beefy beginner bike, but to my own ignorance I went with a bike that was built with lower quality parts and they paid the price after a few months of hard riding. Now coming in at 255-265 the parts have not gotten the exact same amount of pressure each ride, but my riding has gotten a lot harder and faster with experience.

Final Thoughts

To me something as simple as a set of cranks has changed my riding for the better and the difference is night and day. I go into the more techy stuff with more confidence and I can blast downhill with the mind that I know my bottom bracket or cranks aren’t going to explode under the pressure. Only time will tell on how well they last under a heavy load, but so far this big fella sure loves them, and I’m very thankful for the guys at WC and all they have done to help me as I began this passion.