The once XX1-only AXS technology trickles down to their GX Eagle groupset, with GX AXS upgrade kits for mechanical groupsets available too.
SRAM’s venerable GX Eagle gets the AXS treatment, bringing a de-cluttered cockpit and wireless shifting with a less eye-watering price tag. Don’t expect it to be a bargain though…
Far from a full range update, the SRAM GX Eagle AXS, the new wireless shifting option for GX Eagle comprises of a wireless shifter and mech, and an upgrade kit for existing mechanical GX Eagle groupsets. GX Eagle AXS offers a more affordable wireless option from the SRAM stable. The new GX options, unsurprisingly, are compatible with all other AXS products.
The obvious selling point of any AXS groupset is the wireless shifting. With cables gone, you get a cockpit devoid of gear cables and the usual maintenance or degradation in performance that traditional cables exhibit. Anyone who’s had to curse the gods when threading gear cables through a frame’s internal routing. All you’ve do with the GX Eagle AXS shifting is attach the mech and shifter, connect them, make sure the battery has charge, index the gears and away you go.
New for the GX Eagle AXS group, and no doubt something that will be available across the range, is the Overload Clutch on the rear mech. At £342, ripping the mech off on a rock will make you weep, so SRAM have added the Overload Clutch, that moves out of the way of an impact to protect the mech and the motor.
With the lack of cables, shifting promises to remain crisper for longer. As long as your limit screws are set right, the wireless shifting should see far less deteriation in performance over time. Shift under load should be far better improved than a traditional cable system too.
The AXS app allows you to programme what buttons do what on the button shifter, and how many gears you change if you hold your chosen button down. If you want to know how many gear shifts you make, the AXS app can help you with that too.
From the required one hour charge, SRAM claim twenty hours of ride time. Light indicators on the mech will help you find out if you’re good to go or not, but you can access this through the app as well. To help you not rip the mech battery off, it now comes complete with a protective cover to stop you losing it in the undergrowth.
As we said, cheaper doesn’t mean cheap. The GX Eagle AXS shifter will set you back £139, the mech £342. If you want the upgrade kit, that’ll be £554 please. The upgrade kit comes with rear mech, wireless shifter, and a battery and charger for the rear mech.
