SRAM X01 Eagle Cassette [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. 

Cassette technology seemed to recently hit a plateau, then SRAM came out with their new XX1 and X01 cassettes that are one whole piece to achieve amazing shifting while remaining incredibly lightweight. Our friend, Brent, has been running the X01 Cassette. See what they think about the performance!

Overview

I recently purchased the SRAM XO1 Eagle AXS XG-1295 Cassette - 12 Speed, 10-50t, Polar Grey, for XD driver body for my Yeti SB115 large bike. I had previously been riding with the SRAM GX Eagle XG-1275 Cassette - 12 Speed, 10-50t, Black, on both my Yeti SB115 and my Yeti ARC, but was interested in decreasing grams to offset the extra weight from my GX AXS derailleur.

I had also read some reviews that the shifting is smoother and crisper because the cassette is stamped out of one piece of metal. I had debated for several weeks before purchasing because the XO1 cassette is almost twice the price of the GX cassette. When Worldwide Cyclery offered 15% off anything in stock, I went ahead and ordered. On a side note, the 15% off any product offer is a really great offer! Typically, percentage off sales never include SRAM products, so I hope they keep this around.

Getting back to the review, the cassette arrived a few days later and I installed it on my Yeti SB115.On my next ride, I could feel the weight difference, which was expected, as the GX cassette weighs 451 grams compared to the XO1, which weighs 372 grams. Being able to lower this weight helps offset the 163-gram difference between GX AXS and cable-operated GX derailleur.

I am not typically a weight weenie, but in my opinion, this is one area of the bike where weight is very noticeable. I know that I could replace the derailleur with the cable version and achieve the same benefit, but I really do like the AXS shifting. So besides the weight difference, I was surprised with how much better the shifting has been. In fact, the XO1 cassette combined with the XO1 chain has been so much crisper and smoother than the GX, that I can honestly say I would make the switch for this reason alone.

As far as the durability of the cassette, only time will tell, as I have only been riding it for about 6 weeks. At the time of this review, the cassette has just some paint missing from the biggest cog. The teeth appear to be all intact and the cassette is still shifting as crisp as it was when it was new. I will say when I installed the cassette, I did put on a brand new XO1 chain, which I would highly recommend if replacing a GX cassette, As far as the GX chain versus the XO1 chain, this is also definitely worth the upgrade in my opinion. I have read several reviews on the XO1 chains and almost all of them say that it is worth the extra money. I would have to agree and feel this contributes to the shift quality of the XO1 cassette.

Final Thoughts

So who is this setup for and would I purchase it again? I would recommend this to anyone looking to reduce weight and increase shifting quality. As for me, I will eventually upgrade my GX cassette on my Yeti ARC, as well. I may consider purchasing the XX1 for some added bling, but from everything I've read, that would be the only benefit between the two.