After owning the mid-range mountain bike drivetrain market in 2018 with the release of GX Eagle, American company SRAM has its sights on the entry-level market, releasing its most affordable single-ring-specific 12-speed drivetrain to date – NX Eagle.
NX Eagle plays host to a whole bunch of trickledown tech from its pricier Eagle brethren as well as some new features at an impressive budget-friendly pricepoint, read on for six things to know about the all-new SRAM NX Eagle 1x mountain bike groupset.
1. The Entry-Level Eagle Has Landed
With NX Eagle, SRAM aims to bring its revolutionary Eagle 12-speed transmission technology to more mountain bike riders than ever. This includes an enormous 11-50T cassette, giving little reason to pine after a front derailleur.
Priced at USD$375, it’s clearly aimed at the entry-level and we expect to see NX Eagle drivetrains adorning a wide-range of 2019 model year bikes in the coming months.
2. Full Range Cross-Compatibility
All SRAM Eagle drivetrains are designed, engineered and manufactured to work with each other and to provide a groupset that’s as scalable, durable and lightweight as your wallet allows. As with all other Eagle transmissions, NX was engineered in Germany and allows riders the ability to upgrade individual components to save some weight or increase efficiency down the track.
3. Trickledown Tech Galore
SRAM’s Eagle was originally built to provide riders with a lightweight, strong and intuitive drivetrain that didn’t sacrifice on range compared to setups with a front derailleur.
Eagle specific features such as the direct-mount chainring, DUB oversized crank spindle, clutch rear derailleur or immediate action (Zero Loss) shifting all find their way down to NX Eagle from pricier options in the SRAM groupset hierarchy.
4. Component Specifications
NX Eagle is comprised of five components, including a series-specific crankset, rear derailleur, trigger shifter, cassette and chain. The components use varying levels of aluminium, steel and durable plastics to ensure the groupset is as durable as it is budget friendly.
The aluminium crank features SRAM’s new DUB spindle, designed to work with all common bottom bracket shell types. While a new NX-level cassette, comprised of steel cogs, offers 11-50T gearing that fits on a regular 8-10 speed freehub body.
5. Weight
Given the impressive technology and staggeringly low price, the scales reveal the most obvious downside the NX Eagle. With a claimed weight in excess of two kilograms for the five components that make up the NX groupset, it’s clear that this is one group that will not appease the weight weenies. For those seeking a lighter ride, certainly, SRAM’s more expensive Eagle options remain the better pick.
6. Pricing and Availability
NX Eagle carries suggested retail prices of AUD$580, USD$375, EUR€419 and GBP£365. Yep, that's for a full groupset including shifter, crankset (bottom bracket not included), cassette, chain and rear derailleur. SRAM says we can expect to see NX Eagle groupset become available from September 2018 onwards.
Looking for more information on mountain bike groupsets? Our ultimate guide has all you need to know
