SRAM GX Eagle Groupset: Rider Review

Here’s my product review for the SRAM GX Eagle upgrade I recently installed on my mountain bike. My Specialized Fuse originally arrived with SRAM 11 speed which has always worked very well with little adjustment required. I’ve owned bikes with triple chainrings, double chainrings, and I’ve converted a few setups to 1X10 in the past. Most of the riding in my area is single track with short climbs, there’s also quite a bit of long smooth trails and fire roads that can connect you to lots of miles and other trail systems. I’ve been riding for almost 25 years, these days it’s only for fun with a couple races here and there each year.

The bike originally came with a 28T chainring which was far too small for the relatively flat terrain here in lower Michigan and I would routinely find myself needing more top speed. After changing that out to a 32T Raceface Cinch (also from Worldwide) I wanted to make the move to 12 speed. Originally I attempted to install the eThirteen TRS 12 Speed upgrade kit. The particular kit I received had a manufacturing flaw and wouldn’t shift properly.

Worldwide Cyclery was great about the return and even credited my account instantly so I could purchase the Eagle components immediately. Ultimately I found the switch to the 32T chainring and the addition of the large 50T cassette cog that the Eagle kit includes made for the perfect amount of low end for climbing any of the hills around here and gave me the top speed I wanted for long flat areas and fire roads. The GX components made sense since all the excess weight in my setup is in my body and the few extra grams that the GX has over the higher end components really wasn’t worth the extra expense for me.

The whole thing installed easily using the SRAM tech videos to guide me along. The only difficulty was getting the B screw adjustment dialed in using the included gauge. Paying very close attention to the B screw adjustment portion of the installation videos pays off, it’s almost shocking how the much a small amount of change here can affect the performance of the system. If you’re planning to make this upgrade it’s important to know the GX 12 speed derailleur comes with the B screw adjustment gauge. I didn’t see that noted anywhere so I purchased one separately and now I have two.

I’m blown away how well it shifts. Some of the shifts in the middle of the cassette are almost undetectable they are so smooth. I raced the bike in some muddy conditions and the whole setup is unbelievably engineered. No mud build up and the sand I added to the mixture also had no noticeable effect beyond some drivetrain noise. I Have about 500 miles on it at this point and have not experienced any dropped chains or other problems. The whole thing is generally quiet and works perfectly!

I did spend the extra money for XX1 chain merely for the bling factor so don’t judge. I used a video from Park Tool regarding getting the chain length correct and that portion of the install also went without incident. I’d highly recommend the Eagle drivetrain to anyone wanting to upgrade their bike.