Best MTB drivetrain ever? SRAM's new XX SL Eagle Transmission review
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- SRAM's radical new Eagle Transmission is the best MTB drivetrain I've ever used but does it make your bike into a dinosaur? Here's a quick tech chat and then the all important ride impressions from the trail but let me know what you think in the comments.
Thanks to SRAM for the kit , Trek for the host bike,Giro Cycling UK, Peaty’s Products, Crud XL Fenders, Torq Nutrition and Hebtroco for supporting the channel, and to my Patreon supporters for their monthly pledges. If you like what I'm doing and want early, extended and exclusive edits, personal buying and tech advice and other Patreon perks click on the link here: www.patreon.com/GuyKesTV?fan_...
Cheers
Guy - Sport
Great review. But this innovation creates a new problem - bike manufacturers need to make frame dropouts perfect and by perfect I mean the rear dropouts must be faced so the surface is perfectly flat and parallel to the vertical plane, otherwise, shifting will never be perfect, kinda like how a bent hanger would yield poor shifting.
I'm just worried that overtime, all that friction and rock strikes will wear down carbon frame dropouts quicker.
Time will tell, for now I'll stick with traditional hanger drivetrain systems. I love the XO aluminum cranks. They're extremely sexy. I need to see the controller pods in person and try out. That could be a possible upgrade for my current AXS, since that's the only backwards compatible component.
I absolutely love this new SRAM Transmission system. Will save up to get a new bike with this!
Great review of this fascinating group!
I am about to buy my next gravel bike with a Force and Transmission mix (SRAM Force / X0 T-Type AXS 10-52). Really excited about moving from mechanical Rival (with TRP spyre breaks) to this beast of a groupset.
"Beautiful, iconic way to drag your cog around."~ i thought you said something else at first haha.
Great video, Guy!
🤣🤣🤣
I hope to have saved enough in a couple of months and get this.
I believe SRAM has really upped the ante with their new Transmission...it really is next level.
Great video 👍
慎重选择，我买的是XO，灵敏度比上一代差，在尤其是连续变档时，延迟比上一代慢
@@user-yw2jv9xg6g thanks for the advice. Yes, I'm aware of the delay when shifting gears. Anyways, I'm not getting the XO but I'll be getting the more affordable GX version.
Want it!! Just need a new bike 1st with a compatible rear end 😂
I hope third party manufacturers will make ISPEC-EV adaptors for the control pods. I love the wider range of configuration of the new controller pods.
Isn’t this the geezer from The Fast Show? ”Sram is brrrilliant isn’t it… fantaaaaastiiiic!”
“Peaty’s nob tastes great, it’s a game changer, revolutionary, it’s super smooth and isn’t even salty…..”
Not in the market (still running xtr 10sp and perfectly happy with it) but I wonder how it stacks up to the latest xtr group as both claim smooth shifting under load. Sounds like it is a bit slower than xtr but I could be wrong.
I also wonder to what extent it places a responsibility at the frame makers for shifting quality as there’s no more mech hanger than can be bent to make up for a crooked frame.
Wow! That shift quality really seems to beat Hyperglide Plus now. Can’t eait for it to trickle down to GX level. But. I’m sure I’m not the only one interested: when are you posting the review of that carbon Top Fuel? 😉
Coming soon Ferenc I promise!
What is the difference between the X0 chain and XX chain besides the color? Can we put the X0 chain to XX cassette with no problem? It can still shift smoothly well in overload power with that combination?
I would like to mention that the new cranks are all offered in MTB WIDE spindle length, which puts the chainline at 55mm. Non-boost and boost frames have 49mm and 52mm chainlines respectively. SRAM purposely made these new cassettes set outboard more to line up with the increased chainline, so technically these new cranks are not backwards compatible unless your bike frame inherently has a 55mm chainline to begin with. I mean you can install it but the chainline of the new cranks and the chainline of the older Eagle cassettes won't be optimal.
I have a question, I bought a SW EPIC EVO frame that has 52 chain lines and I bought the whole XX SL groupset with a power meter crank that is on a 55 chain line and the crank is 34T and 3mm offset. It is also possible to buy a 34T with 0mm offset. I'm not a mechanic, but I'm wondering what can I do in this situation? Please help!
@@przytulowcekurdezesz It’ll work but not optimal.
@@GokkunGuru Thank you very much for your answer! And in this situation is it better to change from 3mm offset to 0mm?
@@przytulowcekurdezesz Since you bought the entire XX SL groupset, all the components (cassette, bottom bracket, derailleur, cranks, chainring) are optimized for the 55mm chainline. Your frame's 52mm won't matter cuz the additional 3mm spacers on each side of the bottom bracket will force the frame to work with the 55mm chainline. So stick with the 3mm offset chainring.
@@GokkunGuru THANKS XXL SL!!! :)
So how well does it work if it gets wet? How about after the chain is coated in thick red clay and the gear cluster is totally caked into a solid block of mud? Those are my winter conditions here in the Pacific northwest of Washington state in the USA.
That derailleur in your video is the XX SL and the cassette as well. The Crank is XX.
Yes sorry, I got confused by the lack of the SL tag on the rear mech. Seems weird they’ve just put XX on both versions 🤷♂️
Sana magkaroon ako niyan👍
Does it affect the ABP Pivot on the Trek Top Fuel being sandwiched between the derailleur ?
No it’s totally fine. The system effectively clamps onto itself around the axle not the frame so there’s zero ABP interference. That’s the reason I chose the Top Fuel for the install just to double check.
So here's a thought. If SRAM own the udh standard, and then shimano come up with their own direct mount system, there will come a point where a frame is effectively a sram frame or a shimano frame...
Ey up Jim, hope you're well. I've not dug into the Full Mount patents properly yet but from what I understand UDH is open source so I think Shimano could use it. Whether they would I don't know. Might be like RockShox 20mm versus Fox 15mm for front axles again but I hope not.
Can the cassette still need used with the older axs derailer? I have a trej checkpoint gravel bike with a mullet setup (mtb gearset & cassette) on back but with the new derailer being udh it won't fit my frame
Unfortunately not www.bikeperfect.com/features/bespoken-word-all-your-sram-eagle-transmission-questions-answered
What a ripping drive train. I want Eagle Transmission. So rad. Hey Guy where can I get those cleaning brushes that are hanging on your bike stand? Are they soft and fluffy so they don't scratch my bike?
Hey Jordan, they're these ones. Really good recycled bristle and wood set with various stiffness for different bits of the bike. peatys.co.uk/collections/cleaning-equipment/products/peatys-bicycle-brush-set
Hello. I got a question. I i would use narrow wide chainring not from SRAM, would t-type transmision thing still function well?
Thank you for the insight… Does the mech hang loose from the bike when the rear wheel is removed?
No it's bolted in super tight (35nm to be precise) so it's locked in place with wheel in or not. You still get the cage lock for keeping the chain out of the way too. I did a bunch of FAQ's here www.bikeperfect.com/features/bespoken-word-all-your-sram-eagle-transmission-questions-answered
Grant, thanks for asking this question. Guy, thanks for link to document. Subscribing…
I have a question, I bought a SW EPIC EVO frame that has 52 chain lines and I bought the whole XX SL groupset with a power meter crank that is on a 55 chain line and the crank is 34T and 3mm offset. It is also possible to buy a 34T with 0mm offset. I'm not a mechanic, but I'm wondering what can I do in this situation? Please help!
Can you use the new shifter pods with the old axs system?
Yes
Can I jut get a shifter please to use with my gxaxs? Love the look of it .
Yes the shifters work with current AXS
@@GuyKesTV thankyou Guy 👍
Does it drop off the largest sprocket when pedalling backwards on the stand ?
Nope it’s all good as long as it’s adjusted right
How much lighter is this XX SL AXS compared to the older XX1 AXS groups
6:27, is that the only protection offered, is there no break point? The over load thing is great and all but it isnt going to work in a really bad impact, what happens if your strike somthing hard in the direction of travel?
It can swing round the axle if you really smash it hard but I don’t know whether that impact would explode the rear mech or your frame first. Only time will tell I guess.
@@GuyKesTV in Fanatik’s testing it broke a replaceable part of the mech first. I’m sure SRAM have done exhaustive testing on this, they won’t risk their rep by causing frame breakages.
If you take a hit big enough to destroy it, the bike is the least of your worries. You will probably be in ICU or dead.
@@paul--b Thanks for the tip off, just watched that.
Doctors and Dentists are gonna love this. If sram sent me one for free... well, it wouldn't be compatible with my bike so I'd have to just look at it. Hopefully the tech (if it is actually revolutionary) will be around in 5 years and trickled down to what us normies can buy.
This has got to be the most monstrously gravelly thing I've seen in years... Is this just for MTB or are these Eagle 10-52 cassettes and derailliers compatible with the Force AXS XPLR 1x drop levers?
Works fine with any sort of AXS shifter but you'll need a frame with a UDH dropout and they're still pretty rare
So does the frame/dropout area have to be specifically designed for this setup?
Yes it has to be UDH standard
@GuyKesTV how common is it at the moment? Will it require brands to introduce new moulds given the slight increase in the stance of the rear stays at the dropout? ... had a quick look on the Sram and it seems pretty common though slightly more common on Trail bikes. Do wonder without the key element of a standard hanger where the force will go - rear pivots? And if so how much greater force will go there from a similar knock that would brake a hanger?
@@morrisizing there are about 260 bikes using that standard already. Check out the video on Fanatik bike for some interesting impact testing but short answer is mech goes before frame
I'm glad I moved to a Rohloff .
So wait, this will work on the new Top Fuel??? I will be taking delivery of a 2023 Top Fuel 9.7 next month. It’s compatible?
Yes, don't worry Kirk that's a Top Fuel 9.8 it's mounted onto so you'll be fine to upgrade further down the line.
@@GuyKesTV Great to know! Thank you. Yes, I'll most likely upgrade in a year or two. Great review. I liked and subscribed, haha.
I'm not sure if he mentioned the very slow shifting which is a dealbreaker for me. XT it will always be for me it appears.
Slower, but pretty much perfect every time regardless of skill and experience. Like you say a skilled rider will always shift faster with conventional wired gears though.
Want 😊
Is it available in a wired version?
No, not yet anyway
Is that a new Maxxis tyre with the name covered by tape??
Couldn’t possibly say. Not for a few weeks anyway 🤫
I went to the Sram dealer training at crankworx this morning. Well impressed. P.S. the video seemed slightly out of sync with your lips moving. A bit like an old dubbed Kung fu movie.
ah sorry Phil, my GoPro has a really annoying lag and I try and sync it back up as best I can but there were a lot of segments and editing on that one.
I’ve always wanted a mech that falls off every time I take the back wheel out.
Don't worry once set up it's sandwich clamped to the frame so it stays put.
@@GuyKesTV thanks for your reply, that something that wasn't obvious.
@@focusphotonsfrugally6644 Yeah sorry there's so much to talk about with this set up there were bound to be some missed bits
@@focusphotonsfrugally6644 No problem chief, hope you don't mind but I added your question to this round up: www.bikeperfect.com/features/bespoken-word-all-your-sram-eagle-transmission-questions-answered
@@GuyKesTV no I don’t mind especially if it helps other people out.
Throw hanger alignment tool in the bin and replace it with a big rock. 😅
X0 Bosch E bike groupset is £1400 and X0 bike groupset is £1715. Only difference that I can see is the £315 cheaper E bike kit doesnt have a crank spindle or a hole cut out in middle of crankarms so not sure why it's £315 more for non ebike X0 groupset or could it just be that sram are charging more because they can. I'm also wondering why the flat top mtb chain is nearly 2x the price of the rd flat top chain... £800 for X0 upgrade kit without crankset and Ill buy one, BUT there is no way in hell I'd pay £1715 for x0 groupset, even if it came with carbon cranks. XX/XXSL is only for reviewers or sponsored riders who get them for free or dentists with too much money so can afford to waste it on the XX/XXSL kits.
They have customer data showing that moped riders are more gullible.
Sram have been pushing (almost) all the innovative designs on mtb for a while now, so kudos to them. I don't have a UDH frame though, so I'm out.
4:38, "much lower profile" yet still looks to stick out an inch more than shimano.
It’s a similar projection to Shimano now but a cm less than before
“These rubber brake cables are great, they’re amazing, they don’t actually work but I got a few quid for saying they’re great,
They’re great….”
Ironically the only money I get from this comes from you watching it. So thanks for the fraction of a pence you contributed
you got a bird in your pocket or you just happy to see me? is that your bottom bracket, mate?
Mechanical cable 1x12 drivetrains work so well I just can't see the point of wireless electronic drivetrains. What's next? Nuclear fusion drivetrains? Hydrogen powered drivetrains. It's all just seems like an obsession with technology for only miniscule improvements on performance. In my mind, an improved drivetrain would be a mechanical 1x with a 9-54 cassette with a 600% range. I don't want more electronics, I want more range!
I know 11 speed Shimano works really well, I assmue 12 does as well but have not tried it yet, but I know from when I last had 12s Sram it definitely had lots of room for improvment.
Have both. Will gladly switch everything to AXS. Enjoy your dinosaur!!! If you need a 600% range too you might as well walk up the climbs, it will be faster.
I have 11 speed ultegra on my dropbar and axs on my MTB and the shifting and accuracy in the MTB is infinitely better. Love my skinny wheeled bike and it's perfectly functional but isn't a patch on the repeatability and consistency of AXS.
Old Guy, he’s been around for years, he’ll say anything is great if you send him one for free,
Just reads from the corporate script,
LOL, wish you’d been on some of the calls I’ve had from SRAM this week. Let’s just say my life - and my editors life - would certainly be a lot easier if I just read from the script. The ‘Peatys nob’ comment made me laugh a lot though ✊🏻
is this a fast show sketch?
Haha, you should have seen the early ones! "In't bikes brilliant!"
No matter how hard Sram is trying to re-invent the wheel, it will never be Shimano
They went passed Shimano ages ago. I was also once a Shitmano fanboy.
@@playmoreguitar5393 It's funny when SRAM fanboys think shifting under power is new when Shimano has had it for years already. Also I could make an omelette in the time the Transmission takes to shift a few gears.
No idea what SRAM is doing with this. Eagle worked so well and was completely interoperable. Now it isn't. B and Limit screws were a bit annoying but I'll take over being completely locked into a single technology and having to have a bike built specifically for it.
The nice answer is that they are getting better shifting from this system. Cynics would say it's also to their advantage to do it from a proprietary mount system. Most new bikes over the past 3 years have been fitted with the UDH hanger standard anyway so looks like they're getting their way.
@@GuyKesTV Its to SRAMs advantage but it's anti- consumer to effectively lock a bike frame into a new standard that SRAM could one day just ditch.
@@bill8791: but UDH appears to be better than old-fashioned hangars anyway, irrespective of the new derailleur. Even if the frame is UDH, you can use whatever derailleur you want on it.
For 2699 dollars during economic turmoil oil? Ummm hell no!
Removing the sacrificial hanger from the mech was an insanely dumb design decision. Now you lose your carbon dropout instead of a cheap aluminum part in the catastrophic failure mode
You seriously think they didn’t consider that?
And how many frames and hangars have you destroyed in your life? In 15 years ive bent 2... So what is all this BS talk about hangars saving frame? Just internet BS speak?
The price of the cassette tho... FML 😬 $600.... Thats gonna cost $1000 once the distributors in my country get hold of it. Pretty much makes it obsolete for me sadly.
GX will be out soon and it's actually cheaper overall than current XX1. I totally see your point though. Deore is totally fine for most people and I love my SLX long termer.
@@GuyKesTV awesome im already on GX AXS and just sold my GX mechanical bike 🥹 GREAT to hear a GX version is coming out! For 99% of us. Just hope that Crank looks like the Xo. Stunning. Do you know if this can be paired with current Force AXS shifters for a mullet setup???
That rear hanger is beyond a joke! All the load of hitting anything goes straight into the frame. Let's not forget the clamping force on a carbon frame, meaning the washer that is designed to help keep the rear derailleur in place will eat into the frame. Aluminum frames will last longer But still all the hits/crash force now is absorbed by the rear.
WOW, what a way to destroy your frame in less time.
Yes, that's what exactly Peak Torque said on his channel. But I wonder if this is a case only when rear mech removed few times? While it stays there there should not be a problem? I am not sure.... does not sound good anyway
Are they having a laugh at that price ? that will be no thanks .
Same MSRP as the first AXS group
Too much money though....!
Overprized bull$hit