Bought a bike earlier this year with SRAM SX 12 speed. Really not impressed with the gears, they are forever needing adjustment and often get stuck on the largest gears when I want to shift to the smaller end. I've replaced cables and no real improvement.
I've always got on well with Shimano, previous bike had 10 speed Zee shifter and rear mech, was ace.
I'm looking at an 11 speed SLX upgrade kit and hoping it will shift nicely and stay that way as I've had previoulsy with Shimano but would welcome any real world experiece with 11 speed SLX before I take the plunge.....
Watching this thread, as I’ve got SLX 11sp on my trail bike, but currently hooked up to a horrible 11-46 Suntour cassette though and I have to say I think the cassette really lets it down.
The 10sp Deore on my other bike shifts much better, but not sure if that’s down to the Shimano cassette, or that it’s 10sp 11-42, so less range for the mech to contend with.
So, but of a thread hijack there, but what I can say is that I’m not sold on Sram’s cheaper 12sp stuff. It’s always felt a bit plastic-ey and shifting nowhere near as good as the Shimano equivalent at price-point, and I gather the SX cassette is a bit of an anchor. That said, If you’re planning on riding through the winter I’d probably hold off a bit until replacing drivetrain components unless it’s absolutely hateful to use.
You'll have a SRAM XD drive hub, not sure how simple or expensive it is to convert it to run Shimano. Guess it depends on your current hub.
I thought sx uses a shimano rather than an xd hub.
Just replace the rear mech with an slx 12spd instead.. It'll work just fine with your shifter but will give you back that decent shifting you're looking for. I did this exact same process albeit with nx shifter and mech.
People report that Shimano 12 speed works ok with SRAM so why not get Shim 12sp shifter/mech? Can't imagine that the SX cassette is at fault as the tooth profiles are presumably similar to the more expensive ones, which are OK in my experience.
As everyone else says- get a 12 speed SLX shifter and rear derailleur and it will make all the difference.
Thanks for the advice. Would a Shimano rear mech need a Shimano shifter? Or could I just get the rear mech?
You could just get the rear mech and give that a go - apparently it works for some people. Alternatively just get a GX Eagle rear mech - the SX one is junk and the NX isn’t better enough.
Ah great, will try that. Saw advice further up the thread to do just the rear mech. On order now!
Slx mech works fine with an nx shifter.
My GX Eagle RD exploded, replaced with Shimano and thumb shifter and just better / less fussy all round, works perfectly with GX Cassette. I’ll replace the Eagle on other bikes as stuff wears out.
Slx 11 speed is absolutely brilliant. I have it on my shan and its better than the super fancy xo Eagle on the hope.