SRAM X-Sync 2 Eagle Steel Chainring: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Mountain bikes can be expensive and replacing parts isn't always easy on your wallet. Luckily for us, SRAM offers a variety of price points for their Eagle drivetrain. A Forged Steel option means a low cost and a strong platform for riders looking for a reliable product on a budget. Our buddy Rigo recently bought one and we asked him for his thoughts on the SRAM X-Sync 2 Eagle Steel Chainring:

Rigo's Review:

Chainring size isn't something most folks I know think about. They will just run whatever comes stock until it basically explodes. Most of my friends are running 28 and 30 tooth setups with their 12 or 11-speed drive trains and think nothing of it. The usual response I get is “I don’t need to pedal when I’m going fast, I just pump.” Fair enough.

I recently purchased a Giant Fathom hardtail with an eagle drive train. I am coming off of the old 3x9 system, so having this 1x12 is so sweet to me. It came stock with a 30 tooth chainring and one thing I noticed when I rode, was that I was most often riding in the smallest cogs. Just under normal pedaling, I was in the 10th cog a lot. It was at this point where I actually missed my 3x9 because, on the downhill, I just shift into the big ring and let’er rip! Since bigger is always better, I decided to move up to the biggest chainring NX offers, a 34 tooth (I wish they made a 36!)

Of course, the customer service at WWC was excellent. I received the product on time and came in nice packaging. I also had to order a new chain to go with it. Installing this thing was a piece of cake - just pull out the cranks, undo the three bolts and take the old ring out, throw in the new ring. Cut the chain to the right length and there you have it!

I am impressed with the quality of the eagle components, even the lower-end NX stuff. I know the folks on the MTB forums regard NX as hot garbage but that is certainly not true. The narrow-wide teeth make sure you don't lose your chain, even when I ride with no regard for my personal safety, and the X-Sync 2 design keeps everything quiet. I also quite like the minimalist look of it, even more so than the more expensive eagle chainrings. I absolutely love the feel of the bigger chainring and now my chain line is more optimized - my sprinting gears are now closer to the center of the cassette. This means that I have a more usable gear range instead of 3 grannies. I live in southern Indiana with 350 feet of elevation change, so there is nothing crazy to climb. And to spin out a 34-11, you have go 37mph. The bigger ring also makes the ride quieter by pushing your chain further away from the chainstays.

Conclusion:

"I am really happy running this thing and was a cheap upgrade that made a huge difference!" - Rigo