{"id":147595,"date":"2016-12-13T00:11:09","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T23:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/?p=147595"},"modified":"2016-12-13T07:00:06","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T06:00:06","slug":"tested-sram-eagle-x01-drivetrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/en\/tested-sram-eagle-x01-drivetrain\/","title":{"rendered":"[Tested] SRAM Eagle X01 Drivetrain"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We first spent\u00a0some time aboard Eagle, SRAM’s 12 speed drivetrain in Squamish, BC during Trek’s Remedy launch. Always seeking to expand and improve the drivetrain experience for mountain bikers, SRAM pushed the envelope with a massive 10-50 tooth cassette and twelve speeds in both Eagle XX1 and Eagle X01 which are aimed at XC\/Trail and All Mountain\/Enduro respectively. \u00a0Boasting a 500% range SRAM was confident that this would be the nail in the coffin for the front derailleur…To anyone who is in the market for a new drivetrain and doesn’t have an aversion\u00a0spending some money, it most certainly is exactly that. \u00a0Read on to see what we’ve learned after 6 months aboard the new drivetrain.\"_IMC0771\"<\/p>\n

Details<\/h3>\n

\u2022 1X specific
\n\u2022 12 speeds – 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 36, 42, 50
\n\u2022 $1157 USD
\n\u2022 ~1500 grams
\n\u2022 XD driver body only
\n\u2022 Grip or Trigger shifter options
\n\u2022 500% range
\n<\/a> \"_IMC0779\"<\/a>On first glance the massive 50 tooth gear jumps out more than anything, visually speaking. \u00a0It simply dwarfs the \u00a042 tooth top gear on the XX1 of old, which 3 years ago dwarfed the 36 tooth top gear that die hard 1X drivetrain riders were accustomed to. \u00a0Under closer inspection you’ll notice subtle changes to the tooth profile on the direct mount X-Sync chainring. \u00a0The teeth have taken on a hooked shape and they’ve gotten quieter when pedaling at the far ends on the gear range; particularly on bikes with less than ideal chainlines. The X01 crankset is still\u00a0featherweight and made of carbon fiber with a foam core, yet strong enough that it’s rated to handle the rigors of Enduro racing. \u00a0The crankset available in both 170mm and 175mm lengths and is available to fit\u00a0just about any current MTB frame’s BB width\/style.\"_IMC0773\"The X01 shifter is relatively unchanged aside from the extra click required to move across the range. \u00a0It executes up to 5 shifts at a time moving up but just one shift at a time moving\u00a0down. \u00a0The X01 shifter has the same comfortable, familiar ergonmics at both the paddle and trigger that we’ve grown fond of over the years. \u00a0The option to integrate clamping real estate with SRAM brakes is still there\u00a0and you have two different settings for inboard\/outboard placement. \u00a0Lastly, one of our favorite features is the\u00a0adjustable angle\u00a0of the thumb paddle via a 3mm allen key.\"_IMC0759\"<\/a>Out back the rear derailleur has seen some significant changes.\u00a0 The B-knuckle forging which houses the derailleur attachment bolt has seen a big improvement. \u00a0On older derailleur models the mounting bolt had a tendency to back out and unthread, particularly in rowdy terrain. \u00a0This has been updated and\u00a0re-engineered to stay put. \u00a0The lower pulley has gotten larger by two teeth and the upper pulley no longer features a narrow\/wide design. Because\u00a0the upper pulley is placed inside of a cage and sandwiched between the cassette and the lower pulley, the narrow\/wide profile on past upper pulleys\u00a0likely wasn’t all that necessary in assisting with\u00a0chain retention. \u00a0\u00a0We assume that\u00a0going back to a standard tooth profile may have helped make the shifting more seamless and possibly quieter.\"_IMC0777\"The derailleur has lost some ground clearance due to its cage which now has to take up a significantly larger amount of chain wrap. \u00a0Fortunately it is at its longest when you’re be climbing, not when you’re bombing through obstacle strewn trails. \u00a0As far as profile goes, SRAM have done an excellent job at ensuring the derailleur is as sleek and tucked away as possible. \u00a0One final note is that although slightly narrower, the chain physically looks nearly the same as its 11 speed counterpart but now features an easy to spot, irridescent quick link(shown above) that has taken on a rather interesting curved shape.<\/p>\n

Setup & First Impressions<\/h3>\n

As far as installation and adjustments\u00a0go, Eagle isn’t dramatically different from XX1, or any other drivetrain for that matter. \u00a0With the massive range however, it does become increasingly important to set all of the adjustments within the correct parameters. \u00a0Particularly the B-gap, by way of the adjusting the B-Tension screw using the\u00a0Eagle chain gap tool<\/a>\u00a0as a guide. Below is a quick video of Sean “Wizard” Cruickshanks giving us a quick\u00a0run down on\u00a0accomplishing the correct setup.
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