SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS XG-1299 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.

 SRAM Offers some of the lightest cassette on the market, while having INSANE Range. Our buddy, Darryl, just slapped on a gold SRAM XX1 cassette on their custom build. Check it out and see what they think!

Overview

I got a call from Leo at Revel that my Revel Ranger frame in Johnny Green Jeans was finally ready for shipment after waiting six months! I’d been thinking about the build for several months but now it was time to start planning the build. I knew It would be difficult to find the parts I would need.

There was no question it was going to be SRAM AXS drive train build but there were still things to decide. With the extremely limited availability of bike parts, it wasn’t easy to find exactly what I wanted. I was hoping my lack of patience wouldn’t push me to make sacrifices. I own a Pivot Trail 429 that I converted to SRAM AXS but wanted something lighter and a bit more XC. I was definitely going full weight weenie and going build the bike as light as possible so I knew I wanted to go with an XX1 build. Deciding what cassette to buy was actually the only part of the drive train with options outside of crank and chainring. With some really cool options with colors, I knew that gold was going to look amazing with the green paint job.

The XX1 cassette was the lightest option I had. I decided to go with the 10-50t option because I wanted the smaller jump into the biggest ring and don’t really have a lot of need for the 52t where I ride. I wasn’t going to go extreme weight weenie like Jeff and cut the 50 off but I hate to admit it did come to mind. Going 50t may be why I was able to find the gold option in stock at Worldwide Cyclery, I think more people are probably going with the 10-52t.

Worldwide Cyclery had a great price and got it out the door quickly. The minute I opened the box I knew it was going to look great.

The gold looks amazing especially when you pair it with the gold chain and cranks.

I couldn’t find the gold derailleur but it’s still sweet. I finished off the gold theme with a gold i9 stem, gold wolf tooth seat collar, and gold Rockshox decals. There was nothing unique or challenging about installing it on the Revel RW27 with i9 torch hubs. It was super easy getting the drive train dialed in and shifting perfectly. I did cheat and watch Liam’s video on how to install an AXS drive train. I finished the bike off with an Enve carbon bar, PNW Loam dropper, and Shimano XTR brakes. About a week after my order I received an email from Worldwide thanking me for my order and asking if I want them to send me some free stuff… uh of course I want some free stuff

Final Thoughts

The 10-50t is perfect for the trials that I ride in Arizona where I live and ride. I’m super happy with how my build turned out and the performance of the SRAM AXS drive train and really happy with the gold XX1 cassette. I only have about 10 rides on it but I’m hoping the color will hold up over the long hall. I have the rainbow finish cassette on my Evil Calling and it has a lot more miles and seems to be holding up really well.