SRAM GX Eagle AXS £818
GX Eagle AXS’s mech and shifter (or ‘controller’) are SRAM’s newest and most affordable wireless components, and compatible with all levels of Eagle kit. The derailleur has a rechargeable and removable battery, a clutch for chain security and an ‘overload clutch’ to disengage the gearbox in case of an impact. In place of paddles, the Matchmakercompatible AXS controller has two user-programmable shift buttons. Pairing the mech and shifter using the onboard AXS buttons is simple, and both mech and controller connect to the AXS smartphone app for customisation options and battery life indicators.
Shifts were instantaneous, consistent and predictable, with precise mech movements and no lag between shifter and mech. Changing gears under power posed no problems – the motor didn’t bog down or overload when used unsympathetically, and there were no crunches when hammering through the sprockets. Chain control was good, whether freewheeling or pedalling over rough terrain, but there was a tad more chain slap than with the mechanical GX Eagle. We found GX AXS to be very robust, and battery life met SRAM’s 20-hour claim. Despite the controller’s factoryset buttons being backwards – with the top one selecting higher gears and the bottom one lower gears – we ended up preferring it to the standard configuration of mechanical shifters. Also, while its clicks were light and positive, we occasionally changed gear accidentally over bumpy ground. Overall, though, the GX Eagle AXS system is as good as its more expensive electronic stablemates, with virtually faultless performance at a much more palatable cost. www.zyrofisher.co.uk