SRAM X01 Eagle AXS Upgrade Kit: 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 changed mountain biking with the release of their wireless AXS drivetrain. Riders of all skill levels swarmed to get it, even with the cost being so much more than a standard mechanical drivetrain. There are plenty of advantages and plenty of disadvantages to running a wireless set up. Let's see what an actual customer thought of the upgrade:

X01 Eagle AXS Review

1. Background story

I was riding on the 11speed XTR with an e13 cassette. It had quite a lot of miles on it and it started showing. Shifting got less reliable and frustrating. While I was dealing with it, a friend was already riding AXS, and he loved it. At some point, I could not stand the noisy unreliable shifting anymore and decided to upgrade to Eagle AXS.

2. Purchase

Here is what I got:
- AXS X01 upgrade kit (controller, derailleur, charger, battery, and Bgap tool)
- GX Eagle cassette
- GX Eagle chain

Since all of the eagle parts are interchangeable, and really the only major difference is weight, I don't see a reason to pay more for higher-end cassettes. I do not care about the weight as much as durability and performance. This is why I got the GX parts. Also, my crank and chainring were already 12-speed compatible, which allowed me to get the cheaper upgrade kit, instead of a full AXS combo set.

There was another thing I had in mind while shopping. The world was turned upside down by the pandemic! WWC is a small business, they always ship quickly, keep making cool videos on their YouTube, and every time I called them I got someone knowledgeable on the phone that was able to answer my questions. I wanted to support WWC with my business! It's so much better to talk to another mountain biker, instead of some businessmen or customer service rep that's reading responses from the script.

3. Installation

Installation was very easy. Cassette installs just like any other SRAM cassette. Important thing is to clean the freehub body very well and use good quality grease (I used marine grease) to avoid any noises, and to allow the cassette to be torqued properly (40 nM or 30 ft-lbs)

It was super easy to install the derailleur. Just bolt it on, torque, and done.
Next was a chain and wireless controller. One thing to keep in mind, the controller comes with a regular bar clamp only. I purchased a SRAM Matchmaker adapter separately. I like the clean look without the extra clamp. And one less cable going from the bar to the back makes it even cleaner.

After that, I installed the battery and followed the included instructions to pair the controller to the derailleur. Next, I adjusted the B limit, and this was pretty much it. Shifting was almost perfect right away. It didn't even require messing with the limit screws (it is a servo motor, so electronics decide how far will the derailleur move each direction) Despite that I tightened the limit screws so they almost touch when in extreme positions, that's just in case, and per-user manual :)

4. Ride impressions

SRAM engineers got a hold of some alien technology here!! 1.5 months and 500 miles, and not a single missed shift or waiting for gear to change, or noise, or ANYTHING! AXS is always spot on! One thing to keep in mind, it's a mechanical interface between a chain and cassette, so it still needs the correct cadence to shift properly. But besides that, press the button, it shifts! Every time, no hesitation. No guessing how hard to press, Or trying to shift just a tiny bit further to make it go into the gear faster. Sometimes It's even hard to hear that it shifted.

Holding the button shifts multiple gears at the time, either up or down, which is super convenient too.

The Remote controller is shaped little differently than classic shifters, and it took me a few rides to get used to it. I also reversed the shifting direction from stock configuration (using the app), since that made more sense to me.

In case if some "barrel adjustment" is needed, this is done by holding the pairing button on the controller and pressing shift buttons in the direction that needs to be adjusted.

One great thing about not having a steel cable is consistency. There is no cable to expand and contract while the temperature changes, so there's no need for constant adjustments.

5. Durability/ Battery life

The remote battery is rated for up to 12 months. The Derailleur battery is rated up to 25 hrs. I set myself a calendar reminder to charge the battery every 2 weeks. I actually just charged it last night, and it was also the first time when a derailleur flashed red at me (all my rides in the last 2 weeks added up to 25 hrs). Usually, it flashes green, indicating it has plenty of battery life left, this time it flashed red (this means 1.5-5hrs left). I went to ride anyway and charged it afterward. The battery takes around an hour to fully charge, and all it needs is a USB A power supply (phone charger) which is not included in the box.
Also, the cage looks pretty beefy so it should be durable.

6. App

There is also an app available for AXS. It guides you on how to connect to your derailleur, and it allows you to check the battery life, adjust the shifting direction, and pattern (shifting while holding the buttons), and to upgrade the firmware.
Final word: AXS is the best upgrade I've ever done!"

Conclusion

"When AXS came out last year, I thought it was a gimmick. Another overpriced accessory that is not really needed, and probably not as good as the media makes it sound. Who needs another battery to worry about charging and a fragile electronic derailleur down by the rear wheel where it can get banged, wet, etc... All my concerns are now gone."