Sram XX1 Eagle Drivetrain [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. 

Here in this review, one of our customers Jean Paul says he can't ride without his Eagle drivetrain. After being hesitant to even using the 50 tooth cog at first, Jean Paul can now see all the benefits to having a 500% gear range on your cassette. Check out this review below.

Overview

I bought the Sram Eagle XX1 gold shifter, rear derailleur, cassette and chain as an upgrade and replacement of my “old” Sram XX1 1x11 drivetrain for my 2016 Cannondale Jekyll Carbon Team.

I have been using the Eagle XX1 Drivetrain for a year and after such a long time, I have nothing but good words for this excellent Sram drivetrain. The system is still in great condition, almost doesn’t show any signs of wear, and it’s by far the more durable Sram or any brand drivetrain I have used so far! (I have been riding mountain bikes for the last 27 of my 32 years of life).

On the user experience side of things, I can tell you that at the beginning I couldn’t find a “real” use to this new Eagle drivetrain, as I really never needed the 50T plate. I was perfectly content pedaling with a 34 or 36T chainring on my old Sram XX1 1x11. At first, I never used the extra big 50T gear (this was actually for many many months) and I kept thinking to my self if it was worth the extra money I paid and the extra weight I added to my bike. I made myself start using the 50T gear and after a while I can see all it benefits; letting me rest more and save my legs from ride to ride! Now I couldn’t ride without Eagle. I’m so used to it and all its benefits!

Final Thoughts

The SRAM eagle ended up being much more handy than I expected. The extra gears allowed me to recover more which then allowed me to ride longer. I know I don't need the 50t but it definitely makes the ride more enjoyable.