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Think I'll need a new drivetrain in the not too distant future (non Boost frame), especially if this blinking weather keeps up!
CRC doing X01 1x11 bundles for £326 (inc narrow-wide ring but no cranks) and GX Eagle for £382 (with cranks but no front ring)
I run Shimano currently but having seen a load of 1x11 Shimano mechs implode in recent weeks I'm happy to buy a XD Driver and go SRAM. Also impressed with the longevity of X01 on a few friends bikes, whereas GX Eagle is obviously newer.
I currently run 34 oval and 11-36 cassette so absolute lowest gear not crucial. Have SLX m675 cranks (104bcd) which I'm happy to keep. Will I be able to find a 12sp compatible front ring (pref oval) to fit 104bcd cranks?
Any thoughts?
I had the choice with my current bike to build it up fresh with Eagle XX1, or use my existing kit (essentially XX1 11spd).
I looked at gearing etc and it was fairly apparent I wasn't using the 42T much anyway, so having an even bigger cassette seemed pointless.
2 friends have run Eagle XX1 for most of the race season & have had no end of annoying issues with it too. So, for me, if the range works, it's lighter, more reliable & cheaper. All round win.
Thanks - that fits with other comments I've found, although Eagle users seem to find the chains last much longer
Possibly, but I tend to only use the cheaper SRAM 11spd chains as I find they last a lot longer than the fancy XX1 hollow pin/etc.
11 speed gives you cheaper options if/when replacing conmponents
If it has any bearing you can get the group with cranks and front ring for just under £380 on bike-discount, think CRC were similar but don't have stock.
I'm currently mulling the same thing over, kind of building 2 bikes from 1 so I've got to buy one new group and a few other bits.
The way I see it is gx is very good for the money but x01 is better if you don't want the range. For me the decider is the front ring, the only reason I'd move to eagle would be to improve the range and you can't get the group with anything other than a 32t front ring, and the ring is £90 nigh on on its own. Currently on 34t front with x01 and I want more top rather than bottom so I'd want a 36t if I went eagle.
If a 32t front suits then id go eagle. I bet the overall weight of a gx eagle group is a good few hundred g more than x01 too.
superstar seem to do their eagle compatible raptor chainrings in larger sizes than 32T. @ £29.99
The way I see it is gx is very good for the money but x01 is better if you don't want the range.
That's a pretty good summary tbh
Was chatting to someone 'in the know' who told me X01 and above is made in one factory and GX/NX/below a different factory and this results in a noticeable difference in quality between GX and X01. No evidence to back this up myself.
I looked at gearing etc. and it was fairly apparent I wasn't using the 42T
Sounds like your chainring was too small then, you could fit a larger chainring and widen your gear range by expanding the higher end.
I went from 1x10 with 11 - 36 and a 28 up front to a 1x11 10 - 42 with a 32 up front. Lowest gear was near as a gnat's todger the same as before (didn't need any lower gearing) but was able to access higher gearing as a result of the change so I was no longer spinning out so early on the downs and even on the flat.
Thanks - that fits with other comments I've found, although Eagle users seem to find the chains last much longer
It's actually quite surprising just how much longer the chains (and cassettes!) are lasting! It's not something I expected at all. Never got more than 400 miles out of an 11spd chain (that was a KMC X11.93, cheap SRAM PC1110 lasted about 250!), currently got more than 800 off road miles (through all conditions) on my X01 Eagle setup and it's still not close to 0.75% wear yet.
11 speed gives you cheaper options if/when replacing conmponents
12spd does that too now with GX...
I looked at gearing etc and it was fairly apparent I wasn't using the 42T much anyway, so having an even bigger cassette seemed pointless.
A fair comment, if you're not using all the range with 11spd anyway, then 12spd might be not bring any benefits other than wear rate. Having the dilemma on my XC HT right now, which needs new chain/cassette/chainring and is running X01 11spd. On that bike, 10-42 is more than enough range with a 30T ring, it weighs 24lb and I can get up any climb in the 42T just fine. On my full sus that weighs 32lb, I'm going slower up the climbs so really appreciate the 50T, and I'm going a bit faster on the descents too so appreciate the ability to run a 32T ring instead of the 30T on my HT for a bit more top end speed on the odd occasion. Of course 11spd is lighter than 12 like for like, but I'd be replacing X01 11spd with GX 12spd, which would add more like 350-400g to the bike just for another gear that I don't really need!
Sounds like your chainring was too small then, you could fit a larger chainring and widen your gear range by expanding the higher end.
34T on a 29" - I actually can't even run a bigger ring on this particular bike 🙂
managed an 11sp GX shifter, mech, cassette, crank and ring from CRC for just under 240...not sure if that deal is still on though
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-gx-1000-11-speed-chainset-gxp/rp-prod135838 ]crank / ring[/url]
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-gx-2x11-rear-mech/rp-prod156783 ]mech[/url]
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-gx-11-speed-rear-trigger-shifter/rp-prod135895 ]shifter[/url]
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-xg-1150-11sp-cassette/rp-prod135801 ]cassette[/url]
still around £255