I’ve currently got an 11 Speed xtr setup with raceface next sl chainset and raceface narrow wide.

Can I just buy eagle cassette, shifter and mech or will I also need a new chainring and chain?

Thanks.

More money than sense IMO.

They reckon you need there chain ring to work with the eagle chain iirc.

A very fat wallet and a desire to be ‘first’ at any cost

Useful replies, thanks!

I gave my opinion, and then some info. Dont want to know, dont ask.

You’re welcome.

To be fair, you’re looking to upgrade or change 11spd XTR, they’ve got a point.

A remortgage?

Only joking, without early adopters there wouldn’t be any trickle down for the rest of us to benefit from in a few years. If you have the means why not? If I did I probably would.

Beyond that as said I believe you need the full set up, specific tooth profiles and stuff. Might work with other components but unlikely to work as well

Plus a new free hub

Which way does Eagle move the chainline? You can flip the ring on a cinch crank to move the chainline outwards. (tbh, I don’t think a few mms of chainline matters in the slightest…) Though I don’t know if there’s any ring/chain compatability issues.

Sponsorship in a factory race team.

You’ll need the bits you mention and a new chain. You’d be nuts to run the old one on an Eagle cassette. I will say though that one of the best bits of eagle is the chainring, although your Next will work, the SRAM one is just way better, but of course that would mean new cranks too.

I don’t think you’re nuts BTW. I run Eagle and I’m never going back, its brilliant.

Ok thanks all.

Looks like if I was going to make the move I’d have to do the whole lot including chainring so I’ll wait until there’s a raceface compatible ring, and the price has come down hopefully!

A raceface ring will work fine, its just not as good as an eagle one.

What I really want to know is if the XX1 11 speed derailleur I have will work with 12 speed shifter and cassette…

At current prices I’d expect perfection or pretty close to it, oh and a reach around. I’d also want a full set of matching components, too much money to piss about and have niggles!

If you can afford it go for it.

Psychiatric help.

Xx1 11 speed mech won’t work…

Hi.really just £800-£900 for a complete Eagle drive train.Also a sram 12speed free hub however much that costs,and £300+ a year for new cassette and chain.no point in trying to bitsa an eagle drive train.

It’s only a regular XD driver tbf, so the upgrade is slightly favourable to someone running SRAM already.

What’s different between the 11 and 12 speed XHorizon mechs, though?

I don’t doubt that Eagle 122 is good, I was skeptical about 11 until I bought a bike that had it (was moving away from many old standards at once so a full bike made sense). Unless I was using up parts I wouldn’t choose to use anything less now, but won’t be going 12 until I feel I’ve had my money’s worth of the 11 stuff… 🙂

For a work of art that it is I’d say a picture frame then you could frame it & stick it on a wall.

Silly silly money.

<slaps own face>

OP should definitely do this if he has the cash, early adopters weed out dodgy tech and help people like me pick up bargain bikes they couldn’t normally afford

What’s different between the 11 and 12 speed XHorizon mechs, though?

Bigger jockey wheels, longer cage, the angle at which the mech moves up and down the cassette.

That’s pretty comprehensive then. 🙂

Thanks, I’m the sort of person that likes to know why things won’t work …

What’s the reason for upgrade? Weight, range, xtr worn out or just because you can?
On your xtr you could add a one-up 10t with their mini driver if you have an existing DT star freehub and add a 45t sprocket. Change your front ring to suit the range required.
Or, stick with your current shifter and mech and swap your cassette and freehub for xd and run an e13 TRS race 9-46.
If money’s no object crack on with the above mech, shifter, cassette, chain and 3rd party 12spd compatible cinch ring. I have no doubt it will be spectacular.

It is true that the XD driver opens up a lot of upgrade cassette options, like the e13 mentioned.

Equally true is that these super-cassettes are in the same league as the original and oft-complained about x0/x1/xx units cost wise (general region of £200 a go) which skews things somewhat.

While running costs with ‘regular’ 10-42 can be brought on par with Shimano by using the still-lighter-than-xt base cassette, as soon as you start looking for all the advantages then you’re paying for it. That said, the weight conscious shouldn’t be too surprised that they’re being asked for a a couple of hundred quid for something less durable to save less than half a pound – but the gearing changes does mix it up a bit.

I see Superstar reckon their new chainrings are 12speed compatible. And they have a 20% off code for Feb.

Might save you a few quid? I find the 11sp ones excellent. And you can then stick with a Shimano crankset/BB.

No hate from me BTW, I’d buy Eagle if I was minted.

I see Superstar reckon their new chainrings are 12speed compatible. And they have a 20% off code for Feb.

Every Narrow/Wide on the market works fine with 12spd… They can’t of course advertise the fact until thoroughly tested, but the internal difference between 11 and 12 spd chains is less than a gnats chuff!

Been running Eagle a few months now, can only say I’m very impressed. Sure it’s bloody expensive, but so what. If you can’t justify spending £1k on a drivetrain, by all means there’s some very good alternatives at a fraction of the price for sure. But for those of us that want to have our cake and eat it, and are prepared to pay for the privilege, it really is a very good setup indeed.

Oh and like many, I didn’t bother with the crankset, which saved a lot of dosh. I’m sure the new SRAM rings probably are a tiny bit better, but I’m not bothered about paying for a new crank to find out…

£1k for a drivetrain, or a Calibre Bossnut. Hmmm.

TBF, it’s the sort of drivetrain that’s standard on something like a Whyte G160RS (only know this as the only person I personally know running Eagle had a ‘new bike day’ a few months ago and is over the moon with 1×12 after finally going 2×10 18odd months ago, having stayed 2×9 until then)

Yes, a full Eagle drivetrain is enough money that there’s a whole, capable MTB available for the same price, but that’s a bit like complaining that a sensible family car doesn’t come with all the spec of a model costing three times the price.

It’s always this way – full SRAM 11 speed drive trains were this sort of price at launch. First they launch, then split down to the XC-aimed ‘XX’ and trail/enduro ‘XO’ plus an OEM level, and then launch the cheaper versions once it’s been out a couple of years. Shimano are similar with their trickledown.

On current CRC groups builders, a 1×11 SRAM GX full non-brake group including the pricier x1400 crank is £360, with the cheaper crank it could be £300 – and it’s a good option for anyone wanting SRAM 1×11 on a budget. It’s not a heavy, poor performer – it’x XT weights or under and the cassette is all steel so should wear better than most 1×11 cassettes. A full, mechanical XTR M9000 non-brake group is £700, and whether it’s as good as Eagle is subjective. Enduro-MTB have a pretty good and balanced article on why you might/might not want Eagle that comes up easily on google.

Eagle isn’t really overpriced compared to the alternatives, it’s just a premium product that is a great thing to have for people that have the cash to spend on their bike and want it…

Eagle isn’t really overpriced compared to the alternatives, it’s just a premium product that is a great thing to have for people that have the cash to spend on their bike and want it…

Yeah, but, but, you could get something not as good for less money! Cassettes don’t cost more than £20!! I hate progress, everyone should too, that’s how things move on, right?

I agree that Eagle is silly money if you’re just buying it as a groupset but if the OP has the funds why not just answer the questions that he’s asking.

Is your race face next crank direct mount ? If so, you might be able to put a sram eagle chain ring on it. There are some after market options but the eagle chainrings are very good. That’s really your only saving though.

In terms of what it’s like ….. smooth, precise and seems to just work. It feels like you can apply power more consistently. There is a definite lack of chainsuck, even in extreme muck, which is something that really puts me off the shimano eleven speed stuff.

For the record, I got eagle on a full bike rather than buying as an upgrade but having ridden it for three months now, I’ve definitely consider upgrading other bikes when prices are more reasonable.

It’s also not the case that you need to replace the chain and cassette every year. My bike does plenty of climbing and miles and I’ve not had to change a cassette in two years. It has had a new chain, but I’m not even sure it needed it.

If the range of gears is so important as mentioned the e13 cassette provided a greater range than eagle for a fraction of the cost there 9-46 11spd is still silly expensive but even if you have to buy an xd driver it will come in at under £300, no need to change your shifter, mech or crank. or is the extra £700 really worth it for that one extra click with an eagle.

Just wait a bit. It’ll trickle down to cheaper setups. I’ve just upgraded to 1×11 GX and it was dirt cheap – relatively speaking. A couple of hundred quid for the complete drivetrain (not cranks obviously). It was lighter than the 1×10 stuff I took off and works great. In a couple of years the cost of 1×12 will come down to a GX version and in a few years when my current 1×11 is knackered then it’ll be a cheap replacement at that point. However i’ve got all the range I need with my current 1×11 setup.

£1k for a drivetrain, or a Calibre Bossnut. Hmmm.

I suspect the OP already has a (very nice) bike.

OP, assuming you have the means then go for it – but get the full drivetrain or nothing.

I had XX1 on my Bronson and have Eagle on my HighTower – noticeable improvement in gear range and the shifting is certainly smoother than 12 speed XX1 (which I never liked as much as XTR).

The OP wasn’t asking for financial advice and as above, I think if you’re going to do it, do it properly and change the lot.