Tested

SRAM GX EAGLE GROUPSET

£495

SPECIFICATION Complete weight: 1,493g (alloy cranks) • Contact: zyrofisher.co.uk

Designed in Germany, GX Eagle is SRAM’s most popular MTB drivetrain and a fixture on scores of complete bikes. It’s been updated for 2021 with a new finish and a more sculpted design, but the headline change is increased range, thanks to a new cassette with a huge 52-tooth sprocket.

Climbing from a tiny 10t cog, the cassette uses a pinned cluster of steel sprockets up to 42 teeth with an aluminium big ring. It fits a standard XD driver body, but the rear mech design has changed in order to smoothly wrap the biggest gear. The mech also gets subtle but harder to spot improvements like a sturdier cage, better hardware materials and a stiffer main pivot. Plus, it’s also backwards-compatible with older 10-50t cassettes.

The snappy 12-speed GX shifter pulls a derailleur using a stabilising clutch that combines with the sophisticated front chainring for near flawless chain retention. SRAM’s X-Sync II chainring tooth profiles are superior to rivals, so, as well as a very fluid, friction-reducing, mesh with the internally rounded Eagle chain plates, I didn’t drop the chain once over months of testing that included full-on Alpine DH tracks. The brand’s cage lock mechanism keeps it out of the way when removing wheels and is something I really miss when switching back to a Shimano drivetrain.

In terms of set-up, B-Tension (distance between chain and cassette) is critical, but there’s a new (easy-to-use) widget for perfect alignment, and the shifting on my bike stayed rock solid throughout the