Customer Review: SRAM NX Drivetrain

For those looking for a budget friendly 1x drivetrain system, the Sram NX may just do the trick. In this review, our customer Calvin Harvey weighs in on why he decided to go with the NX shifter, derailleur, cassette, and chain. How do you think the Sram NX groupset compares to its competition?

About two weeks ago, I was out for a ride on my local trails in Athens, Ohio with some friends.  Halfway through the ride, on a steep and rocky climb, my Shimano SLX rear derailleur decided it had had enough of working properly and that the rest of its life would be better spent mangled into two pieces of aluminum. My best guess as to what happened to it is a small rock got jammed into it and when I tried to shift, it snapped.  I spent the rest of that ride with a jerry rigged single speed, which as you probably know is pretty brutal on your legs and lungs. Now, with this disaster of a ride over, my number one priority was to find a new rear derailleur and shifter combo. I decided to upgrade my cassette as well, because pushing a 11-36 cassette with a 34 tooth front chain ring is fairly difficult for me being not the strongest peddler.

I decided on the SRAM budget oriented NX drivetrain for a few reasons. First of all, I plan on upgrading my 2013 Cannondale Trigger this winter and I didn’t want to go spending the big bucks on a new drivetrain for a bike that won't be with me much longer.  I’ve also ridden my friend’s bike which has a SRAM NX derailleur and shifter and I honestly could not find anything that would deter me buying it for myself.  After making my purchase from Worldwide Cyclery, the cassette, derailleur, shifter and chain arrived. Installing the NX on my bike was an absolute breeze, as long as you have the correct tools for the job.

The NX has been on my bike for a few weeks now and it is everything I expected and more.  The shifting is crispy and precise, although I did notice the feel of downshifts was a little sloppy compared to the GX Eagle I had ridden on a demo bike. This is to be expected at this price point, and I would not let this deter you from this purchase. The gear range fits the type of trails I ride and my strength very well. This is a nice surprise because my main fear when converting to a 1x drivetrain from a 2x was not being able to push the NX up the steeper and more prolonged climbs. Overall my experience upgrading to the SRAM NX has been a smooth experience thanks to Worldwide Cyclery. I would recommend anybody still running 2 or more chain rings and skeptical about 1x’s to look into the SRAM NX.