SRAM NX Eagle Rear Derailleur [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.

When SRAM released the NX Eagle drivetrain, we were all excited because it allowed bikes that didn't have XD drivers to be able to run SRAM's 12 speed system. Our friend, Adam, has been running the NX derailleur. See what they think! 

Overview

I have been riding mountain bikes for about 2 years now. The best decision of my life hands down. After about a year I was ready to upgrade from my cheap XC bike to a Trek Remedy 8. This bike came stock with a SRAM GX Eagle drive train. The drive train felt so much better than the low-end drive trains I was used to. Having a large range twelve speed took my riding to a whole new level.

The new bike inspired new confidence. Before I knew it, I was going so much faster and hitting bigger features than I ever would have imagined. This led to smashing derailleurs on a nearly regular occasion. Sure I could go slower, be more careful with what line I took through rock gardens, but where is the fun in that? It also does not help I ride in an area with nothing but ridiculous rocky trails.

However, The extra cash I was spending on derailleurs was not so fun because I am just not that rich. I was looking for any way to save a few extra bucks. The next derailleur I had to order I decided to try out the SRAM NX Eagle derailleur. While I was only saving about twenty bucks, I figured I would give it a try and decide if the step from GX to NX was any different or worse. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was no noticeable difference when it comes to reliability and feel. It was also nice to save a little extra money for basically the same product. The GX derailleur is supposed to be built to be slightly more robust but I do not believe it will hold up to a rock strike better than the NX. In my experience derailleurs or their hangars are going to warp from rock strikes regardless of the material used. Therefore it just makes sense for me to buy the cheaper derailleur that works for my bike.

In my early days of riding, tuning drive trains was a nightmare. Over a period of time, I was replacing derailleurs on the regular, I was forced to learn. Initial set up and tuning for the NX Eagle derailleur was quite simple and easy to do. That being because I have replaced so many. The included b tension gauge made measuring distance between the cassette and derailleur effortless. Getting the cable tension right is not hard either if you have experience tuning drive trains. If not, there are plenty of YouTube videos with guidance.

Final Thoughts

I have been running the NX Eagle derailleur for over a month now and I am very pleased with it. Some people want to spend loads of money on the latest and greatest bike parts. There is definitely nothing wrong with that but, to me, I just want something to be affordable and reliable. The NX Eagle derailleur fits the bill. I have pushed it just as hard as my previous GX derailleurs and it’s held up just as well