SRAM GX Eagle Crankset [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 an extremely affordable version of their beloved 12-Speed Drivetrain that still holds the quality to last you a long time. It may be a tad heavier and not look as "high-end" but the performance and durability is almost the same as their higher end models. Our friend Zack recently made the upgrade on his bike. Let's see what he thought:

Zack's Review

First off, I just want to say thank you to the Worldwide Cyclery crew, they have been great to work with so far and I look forward to doing business with them again.

So I'm 35 years old, I live in Northern Utah and I just started riding a mountain bike about 2 months ago. I've got access to some of the best MTB riding around or at least that's what I'm told. The GT Sensor I bought is the first bike I've ridden since Jr. High. So needless to say I have had a ton of questions on parts compatibility, overall quality or function of parts, and just general bike stuff I don't know about. The staff has been great even with the all the COVID 19 BS that's been going on. It might have taken them a few more days than usual, but they still got back to me and answered all my questions. The staff has even made some good suggestions for other parts and upgrades in the future as well. When I first got my bike and took it out riding I instantly realized I wasn't in very good MTB shape.

My legs were starting to feel more like Jello then legs and lungs were just on FIRE.

So While I was pedaling my ASS off it dawned on me I could probably use a few more gears to make some of these climbs around here more do-able for me. The bike it had already been converted to a Shimano 1x10 setup but the rear only had 11-36 tooth cassette on the hub. After watching a bunch of World Wide Cyclery YouTube videos, product reviews, and different drivetrain conversion setups. I finally settled on the full SRAM GX Eagle Drivetrain with NX cassette, some new 170mm cranks, and the DUB BB. While I was ordering the parts I also picked up all the tools I needed for the job from Worldwide as well, it was really convenient for me. In one of my many emails to the crew, I told them the bike I was working on and the parts I was getting and they were able to tell me all the RIGHT tools for the job.

Once the order was placed it shipped out pretty fast and I had everything in just over a week. With boxes of new parts in my hands, I put the bike up on the stand and started stripping it down. I took the shock off, separated the rear triangle, and pulled suspension linkage apart. Got it all thoroughly cleaned, lubed, and put back together. The job went silky smooth, having all the proper tools. Once I got the new parts installed and the rear derailleur dialed in. The bike was shifting buttery smooth on the stand. Now its time for the actual trail test. I took the bike out the next day I put 16 miles on it with 2200ft of elevation for a test ride and I wasn't disappointed.

Conslusion:

"The added gear range made the climbs a lot more do-able and with the shorter cranks, I didn't have near as many pedal strikes while on those climbs. Since then, I've been out 8 more times and probably put close to 75-80 more miles. I haven't had any issues with the drivetrain. I'm stoked about how well it's working for me. I think the next upgrades on the bike will be some 4 piston brakes (G2 RSC) and a new 150MM air spring for the fork. Which I'm sure I'll be getting from Worldwide Cyclery as well. This new MTB hobby of mine is becoming an addiction and WWC is my dealer of choice to calm the craving. Thanks again, tell Jeff to keep making "ask Jeff anything" videos he's hilarious..."