SRAM NX Eagle £282
NX Eagle is SRAM’s second-cheapest 12-speed drivetrain but features the same tech as their more expensive offerings, albeit at an increased weight. The mech uses a clutch with a cage lock to aid fitting or removing the wheel, while the lower jockey wheel’s teeth have narrow-wide profiling to mesh better with the chain. Add one of SRAM’s X-SYNC 2 chainrings, and we didn’t drop the chain at all during testing. A bonus is that NX Eagle’s 11-50t cassette uses a standard HG freehub body, not an XD driver, so you don’t have to upgrade older wheels.
Installation was easy, but getting things working efficiently required accurate B-tension and chain length. Once tightened as per SRAM’s instructions, the mech’s main hanger bolt had a considerable amount of play; something we’ve experienced on many NX-level mechs. Thankfully, this didn’t interfere with performance. Shifting felt good and was noise-free, even under power. The Matchmaker-compatible [SRAM’s integrated clamp system] shifter can move five gears with one push and, although not crisp-feeling, was light to actuate and remained so throughout testing. Compared to SRAM’s 10-52t cassettes, the step up from the 42t to 50t sprocket required a less drastic change in cadence, but we did miss the extra teeth on steep climbs. We’ve had problems with SRAM’s DUB cranksets before and this one was the same – the fragile plastic bottom bracket preload ring frequently came loose (we’d prefer a metal one). Also, some testers’ ankles rubbed the crank arms. Overall, NX Eagle feels like a considerable step down in quality from GX, and isn’t as good as Shimano SLX, which costs roughly the same. www.zyrofisher.co.uk