I’m considering a new bike and the 2 I’m looking at only seem to offer 12-speed SRAM.

I’m not sold on 12, I really like my 11-speed setup. I’m sure the dinner plate cassette would help but I seem to manage with what 11-speed provides. 12 seems to add weight and a gear I’d prefer not to use. I’m not strong so it isn’t like I wouldn’t get benefit from a 50-tooth monster – but I don’t want to as I’d prefer to spend more time on the bike and get stronger/fitter.

I like the longevity of the sram cassette so would be happy to use again, but I can’t seem to find 11-speed full drivetrain on a bike. So I’m not so tempted by Shimano.

So is it available or is it going to be bought in bits and built up?

Gx 11 is still available , yes….the mech on gx 12 will cope with 11spd cassettes if you swap the shifter…

and a gear I’d prefer not to use.

Use a bigger front chainring, same lowest gear, more harder ones. If you can feel the difference in weight of two otherwise identical bikes whilst riding it, I’ll eat the heavier one.

I’d just get the bike you like an ride it after a week you’ll not notice the extra gear.

Don’t have to use the 50 but never know could be handy if you encounter a hard hill.

Nah, I’ll never notice the weight difference…my easiest gear is already very easy – it is the rider that fails. As I said, I’m just not sold on 12-speed as the 50 tooth seems to be done as the rest of the gearing hasn’t been thought out for the full range on a 1x. All other gears seems fine, the easiest seems to be getting oversized due to not having the ability elsewhere (double or triple ring at front).
Saying all that, I prefer my 1x setup…so 11-speed is ideal for me, 12 just seems to be over engineering a fix as the solution means not 1x.

The 12 speed cassette will last longer than the 11 speed, as you’ll use the biggest sprocket less, and that’s the only aluminium one, the rest are steel.

You seem to be searching for a problem with 12s tbh. It’s 1 more gear, very little extra engineering went into 12 over 11 speed (way less than there was going from 10 to 11)

https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/family/x0
They are still doing a full range of 11sp there.

As for the range it’s just expanding it so that all the people complaining there was not enough range now have enough range 😉 Sizing the front to make the 50t what you want as a low gear means you have a better top end.

But yeah just get the 11sp too if that is what you want 😉

Dont forget the massive expensive smashable rear mech.I’m with you OP, 11 speed FTW

Plenty of people not complaining but they seem to be left behind…progress is good but not just to sell kit. 11-speed cassette is all steel and lasts, so an alloy ring for a daft size doesn’t seem to make sense to me, but then as I’ve said, I’m not sold on 12-speed, so probably not seeing the benefit.

Lots of people I know have issues with GX and NX 12 speed – things breaking and the whole system needing much more time spent adjusting.

The steepest hills I ride (like the push up at Wind Hill) can all be done on my 32/42 combo. I could do with a slightly lower gear, just to make things a bit easier sometimes, but the 11-46 XT cassette is all I’ll need; 50 seems overkill, especially as it adds unsprung weight (and additional cost).

JP

but the 11-46 XT cassette is all I’ll need;

You would be better off dropping to a 30t as the 10-42 is a wider range overall.

I know what u mean about 12 speed my friends have had rear mechs perish, need further adjustments etc, I’m running shimano xtr/xt and sram x1/ Gx (shifter/derailleur) with sunrace 11-46 cassettes plenty of gearing with either a 32 or 34t chainring, including top end and granny gear.

Can’t you buy the bike and strip off the 12 speed and sell it on

I took my 12 speed GX Eagle off my new bike after 45 miles and changed to 11 speed GX.

The mech is way closer to the ground than 11 speed and seemed to collect lots of twigs etc.
Chain also came off and dragged mech into back wheel.

You would be better off dropping to a 30t as the 10-42 is a wider range overall

On full suss, chainring size affects antisquat so changes may have unexpected consequences besides gearing range. Obviously no equivalent effect on hardtails.

Well we don’t want the unforeseen consequences 😉

Though with a lot of assumption that you are on the right chain ring to start with for the bike, that a +/-2t change is going to be significant etc. Realistically that sort of change is at the same level as 10mm on stem length or 20mm on the bars of personal tweaking. If the bike is that sensitive to a change like that you would hope it was well identified!!

Stripping a new bike to put a different groupset on kind of defeats the purpose, however, it does allow a frame option and buy the bits.

as others have said – 12 speed isn’t so much about having a lower gear imo – more to do with a bigger one. I changed from 30 to 32 front chain-ring when I went 11 to 12 speed

Dr Hutch: Who cares how many sprockets you’ve got

Go back 5ish years and I’m sure you’ll find threads with people making the same complaints when 11 speed came out. It’s just gears. Having 1 more cog will make bugger all difference to you.

@DickBarton agree but it depends on what bike you want, discounts available and whether sram have taken to supplying the brand with all the parts cheap,
last bike I bought came with NX 11 speed I took it all off and got pretty decent prices on eBay and so the upgrade came fairly cheap.

As others have said going up to 12 speed for me would be to stick a 36t chainring on front, that said I can buy an 11-50t sunrace 11 speed cassette which would allow it