SRAM X01 Eagle Rear Derailleur [Rider Review]

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It is currently a great time to be into mountain biking. It is fair to say that there are very few compromises when it comes to modern drivetrain components. Our friend Matthew shares his experience with the SRAM X01 Eagle Rear Derailleur. Check it out!

Overview

To be honest, I never thought I'd be on my third derailleur since buying my bike in 2018 but I suppose that's a testament to my progression in the sport. As the trails become more technical and the rider abandons caution, the wear and tear on all components will inevitably increase. This brings me to my newest upgrade, The SRAM X01 Eagle Rear Derailleur - 12 Speed, Lunar Max 52T 520% Range. Originally, the bike had a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain and I was very happy with it. The original drivetrain worked great, suffering through repeated mech hanger bending impacts and still shifting like a champ. Going into the second season with the bike, the GX Eagle became untunable even with the mech hanger in perfect alignment. I paid homage to the service of the GX eagle and gave it a proper burial in my box of spare parts. I promptly replaced it with another GX eagle while assuming all responsibility for the short life of its predecessor. Then came another season of riding, followed by The Andes Pacifico, a five-day blind enduro Race in the Andes mountains of Chile on the infamous anti-grip...

 

Day one after slapping this bad boy on the shred sled I was immediately thunderstruck by what appeared to be faster and more precise shifts. I honestly wasn't expecting that at all.

 

My second GX eagle was never the same again. Finally, I decided I was going to upgrade to the SRAM X01 Eagle derailleur because, after some extensive research, it plays nice with all of the other GX eagle components while the derailleur itself is made of stronger and more precise material. The icing on the cake: it now works with the new SRAM Eagle 520% 10-52 tooth cassette. I was instantly sold on it because I had just upgraded my front chainring to an AbsoluteBlack 32-tooth oval chainring (increasing in size from my SRAM 30-tooth round). This recent change made the 500% 10-50 tooth cassette seem inadequate to lighten the burden on super steep, never-ending climbs.

I admittedly wasn't expecting any difference in feel between the SRAM GX Eagle derailleur and the SRAM X01 derailleur. I was only expecting it to last a little longer than my previous GX Eagle derailleurs and to handle a 52-tooth cassette.

Final Thoughts

I've now been riding with the new X01 derailleur for about a month and the performance and feel haven't changed. The shifts are still perfectly precise and lightning-fast despite multiple loose rock impacts.
For the money, the SRAM X01 is the best bang for your buck as far as I can tell. Would I buy it again? Absolutely, but I hope I don't have to.