SRAM GX Eagle 5" Fat Bike Drivetrain: Customer Review

In this review, our customer Ron Smith gets his first 1x drivetrain system with Sram's GX Eagle 12 speed 5" Fat bike groupset. Eagle's 500% range gives you all the gearing you need in a simplified platform. Check out what Ron has to say about his new setup!

Overview

As a former roadie with over 200,000 miles of riding, a great deal of which was loaded touring, a triple chainring was a must for hauling big loads over 11,000-foot mountain passes. So after a bad hit from a truck, it was time for me to give up the roads for the trails.

Before SRAM Eagle, the only way was a double chainring. This served me well as I went from a complete novice at mountain biking to my current state. I found I was constantly required to remember what gears needed to be changed to get to a lower or higher one. Did I need to shift chainrings or only cogs?

As my skill increased, so did my speed and the need for more instant action. My brain could not keep up. Clearly, I needed a one by drivetrain, with about a five to one range. The new Eagle was the answer except for the price. The recently released SRAM GX Eagle was the perfect answer.

Performance and Final Thoughts

As for performance, it is incredible! Always very quiet. Much of the time the only sound I hear is from the shifter. Riding in the Sonoran desert I am constantly going in and out of deep washes that frequently require an instant shift to a lower gear. The GX Eagle drivetrain will drop three cogs under full load instantly without complaint. The smooth shifts under any conditions are unbelievable. I installed it myself. SRAM has all the information you need online.