Had NX on bike and I did not like it. Could never get it to index right. Went to GX and it was completely night and day. 1000% worth the money over NX.
The groupset weights are (grams): NX: 2049 GX: 1742 XO1: 1478 XX1: 1413 NX - GX = 307 NX - XO1 = 571 NX - XX1 = 636 Now look at cost: NX: $380 GX: $510 XO1: $1252 XX1: $1466 The difference in the NX and GX derailluer and cassette is 214grams. That is a lot of extra weight on the rear wheel of the bike. The total weight difference between NX and GX is 307grams for $130. Choosing GX over NX is probably the best cost vs performance you can do other than tires. Other upgrades are far more expensive. If you want to have a better riding bike, buy an aluminum frame and spec it better. The difference between entry level and mid level component quality across the board is very notable. The only problem is if your hub is not compatible with an XD driver as mentioned in the video.
@@callumyoung7785 kind of assumed droppers are a given. If you are riding trails without one, definitely buy one before almost anything upgrade related. No experience with brand x personally. Do you think they are pretty good?
You shouldn't worry about groupset prices. With Sram, you should be putting together drivetrains using low or high end parts where they're needed. Just sayin
Could you explain how much these saved grammes give you in terms of performance of the bike? It's nothing compared to the rider weight and also the body weight can vary by a bigger amount during the day.
I’ve had NX and GX. The NX was up to 42 and shifted smoother than my 10-50 gx. Zero issues on NX over 2 years. GX awesome but needs more fine tune adjustments than NX. Great value for anyone looking at a “lower” level model.
I had a chance to test out both and here is my take. The NX cassette is considerably heavier, but that's not a big problem. The main issues are quality of the sifter and the derailleur. The shifter lever is made of plastic which can break quite easily if you shift too hard by accident or if you crash, and the pivots on the NX seem to develop quite a bit of play quite quickly. The GX on the other hand offers practically the same quality as their X01 and XX1 counterparts except for being slightly heavier and slightly lower service life on the chain. I feel like the GX is the right balance between cost and quality in the long run.
I really like my new gx groupset but if I ever have to replace the cassette I will buy a Microspline hub and an slx cassette instead. The GX cassette is so much more expensive. GX cassette: ~140€ SLX Cassette: ~65€ Micro Spline Freehub: ~ 50€ Of course GX is lighter but at twice the price, that's not worth it to me
Get X01 Derailleur, the NX and GX cages like to twist as they are steel. X01 is alloy and much more rigid. Get GX shifter, its the same price as the NX. Get GX cassette if you have XD driver, otherwise get NX cassette Get NX crankset
@@uwu_demon5494 I work in an aluminum mill.. Actually the 6000series is harder to setup and treat after hardening process ..the 7000 series may have slightly more strength..but much easier to process..thats why I've always wondered why they charge more for the easier 7000 series?
@@aaronwaterman6982 Oh, thats interesting! I’ve always been under the impression that 7000 series aluminium is more difficult to machine. None the less, if you compare the GX to NX, you can see that the GX is more refined. Maybe the raw material is simply more expensive.
I agree with you on most points but in generall, steel is also always an alloy. Pure steel being iron and carbon would rust if not but into an alloy with other elements. That being said, alluminum alloys are roughly a third of the weight (or density) of steel but also only halfe as strong (lover yield strength). Therefore, I would doubt that the X01 is actually more robust than a steel GX.
I was riding an E*Thirteen TRS+ 9-46 and switched to GX 10-50 and was pretty surprise how "big" the difference between the 9 and 10 small tooth was while riding bike park and downhill. I can't even imagine riding an 11 on the small cog, not without upgrading from a 32 to 34 front gear. Great video!
SX is pretty trash, it works OK, but when something breaks, I wouldnt waste my money on SX, if I wanted something cheap, Id put Shimano deore 12s stuff on there instead. You can mix and match them, so I wouldnt be worried
@@DreamRust maybe yes that is all are preference. since most of my buddies using just very budget tourney drivetrain and coil fork but they can climb fast and descent fast on the trail.
Installed the NX system on my 2019 Trek Marlin 7. It took time to get it dialed in but now it works GREAT. Make sure you align the derailleur pulleys slightly outside of the smallest cog, and dead on for the largest gear. Also, the barrel adjuster: before clamping down on the cable at the derailleur, on the shifter make sure you tighten the barrel adjuster all the way down and THEN open it two full turns, then clamp the cable.
Just wanted to let you know that I just upgraded from the SX to the GX rear derailleur and holy crap what a difference. I almost went with the X01 but I the GX is so much crisper shifting than the SX that it is well worth the extra few bucks to upgrade. Thanks for your videos, I find them very informative.
God, I hate the nx derailleur, it's such a trash. It just causes troubles every ride. It can work perfectly for a short period, but a little too tension, or any stone that hits it, it just bends easily.
best thing about the nx cassette is clearly that you get replacment parts for 11-13-15 tooth sprockets. easily the first ones to wear out for me in the northern flatlands. In that case it did not matter whether i drove a xx1, gx or nx cassette. they were all done after 3000-4000km . however on the xx1 this means 400€ lost in scrap, gx around 130€ in scrap, on the nx it's just 25€ to replace the defect parts. the nx cassette combined with the gx groupset has by far the best value for me.
You refer to XX1 for the high end comparison but never mention X01, which is almost the same, but without the bling. It is quite a bit cheaper than XX1 though. On the rear derailleurs, did you notice that the GX had removable pins for servicing, but the NX was riveted together? Not everybody will keep their bike long enough to need to dismantle the derailleur, but personally I I have a problem with anything that can't be fixed. What about chain materials etc. are they the same? I do think you get what you pay for and I would prefer to save for GX. The different free hub compatibility is an interesting one though, that will influence decisions if upgrading, I'm sure.
I had to upgrade from OEM SX and GX in the long run, going up to GX and the DUB crankset makes more sense. The GX derailleur and shifter have been a dream. The crank is next.
I switched up the nx derailleur, shifter, and rear cassette with GX. The truvativ descendant crank is actually a gx crank just powder coated and labeled descendent. I have the nx crank and shifter as a back-up.
Well, I would. And not because of the weight. But because with 10 teeth on that smallest cog, you can put a 30 teeth front ring, and you have a 30 to 50 ratio for uphils. Preserving the same 3x ratio for the smallest cog leads you to a 33 to 50 (realistically, 34 to 50, since I haven't found a 33teeth ring)... which is less that 1.5 ratio for climbing. Now I have a complete GX line, with oval 34 front ring from Garbaruk, and it pays off. It's true, I'm riding a lot on long flat surfices, and that 34 to 10 helps a lot.
I really want the use of the 10 cog. I WAS going to go oval, but I went from a 30t chainring to a 32t Absoluteblack and now have no desire to try the oval. Now w/the 32t I get more out of my 10, WOULD like a 10-52t instead of the 10-50 I have--next cassette I'll do that. ~JSV
my bike came spec with NX, after just 9 months some of it's parts have started to disintegrate. ripped apart the derailleur and upgraded to GX, same goes for the shifter i snapped the lever and upgraded to GX for the metal lever. worth going GX for the longevity
Before NX Eagle was available I went GX with a Sunrace CSMZ90 11-50t. At the time it was $70 (US) and is actually 26G lighter than the NX cassette. Sunrace 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36-42-50 vs NX 11-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32-36-42-50 if anybody was interested.
Thank you for this very precise comparisons... You not just comparing what does the GX and NX has but also the price which i think give the user the an full overview of sram... Its all about enjoyment and nkt the price... Looking forward to have one of this someday. Thank you for the Video. Really love it
Try putting an X0 shifter in the mix w GX derailleur.... I rarely damage a shifter so I figured I'd go a step higher on the shifter and I'm glad I did. So smooth and snappy
I just put an xx1 chain on mine, made a huge difference! Here is a list of what stuff you will notice highest to lowest difference: 1 cassette 2 chain 3 shifter 4 derailleur
I use the NX 1X12 and it works great. It is robust and very precise but my use is moderate and I do not compete. The additional weight is not a problem, on the contrary since my practice of mountain biking is also to strengthen my muscles. I think the best system is the one that fits the use we make of it. Whoever absolutely wants to make time will move more towards a lighter system. As for my experience, I have used for years shimano and I prefer eagle but the most important is to have a diverse offer to find what corresponds to his expectations. The paradise of one can be hell for others ...
I like my NX eagle drivetrain but miss Shimano, although I absolutely hate Avid/SRAM brakes. The weight is such a beat up, unless you race and are rich or well off, I always refer people to the fact, how did bikes weigh 15 -20years
@@Jabba1625 you can mix SRAM and Shimano 12 speed components in any way you want. They are completely compatible as many tests have proven. So whenever something on my new GX drivetrain breaks, I'll probably replace it with an Shimano XT or SLX part. Most Shimano parts are also cheaper.
One thing I found with the NX vs GX is the NX rear derailleur was floppy and make the bike loud. I warrantied it but the new one had the same issue. GX never had that issue otherwise NX was fine and shifted nicely.
Hack we did on our shimano free hub wheelset. We bought Gx shifter Gx crank Gx RD Gx chain NX cassette Perfect upgrade for people who want to save some $
Jeffrey, My new Commensal Meta TR 29 is arriving in 2 weeks. When I bought it I asked about an upgrade from NX to GX, but they told me that it was simply sold as it was. To get upgraded to GX would have cost me about $1,000 more (extra stuff that I didn't care about upgrading). It comes with the GX Crank, I am upgrading to a SRAM twist/wrist shifter (thumb injury), and I am wondering if I would find upgrading from the stock NX to GX Derailleur for $125.00 would be worth it. I would be leaving the NX Cassette on it. What do you think? Is there any real difference between the NX and the GX Derailleurs? And is the GX Chain really any better than the NX. Maybe I'd just upgrade to GX and save NX Chain as spare. P.S. I know that upgrading to a full GX from NX would include new wheel/hub, etc - so I will only go that route if I really want 10-50, rather than 11-50.
I'm just going to say after riding on both these group sets and racing multiple enduro races one both I would rather pay the extra for GX I think it's all just more sturdy feeling
Fun fact I bought my bike in 2019 with sram nx groupset and the derailir started to move around and won’t tighten and this happend to my casset asweel but on gx this dosnt happen
One big difference between NX and GX cassette is Mud management, GX uses hollow structure which is similar to the higher level. NX uses traditional stack plate so that when mud goes on the cassette, the hollow structure will allow mud and dirt pushed inside the cassette by chain instead of stuck on the surface of the cassette.
I am using NX 11spd shifter and derailer but GX cassette on Mavic Crossmax Elite wheels. Imo it's a good compromise, you have a lighter and better cassette. And the cheap but still nice NX component, you can afford to damage. After all they are compatible.
A lot of OEM hubs can be converted over to XD pretty easily these days, so you can upgrade to GX when the NX wears out, or you get tired of spinning out at under 20mph.
I had an SX derailleur come apart after 300 miles. The 2022 replacement looked like an unlabeled NX, same pulley system and less plastic than the original SX derailleur. The new derailleur used M4 screws for the limit and B screw, the original's screws were basically sheet metal screws.
Can say from my experience, only one thing that is not worth it is a crank set, beside some weight saving there is no functional difference, but overall GX is way better (and it's not the weight). NX has more play in the deraulier and cassete that makes GX more snappier and precise. A few reason why there is more play in NX: * NX cassete is not a single piece * XD Freehub interface has no play as compared to ShimanoHD interface in NX cassete, especially over time. * Cable Anchor mount is better in GX and holds shifter cable better * More metal parts in GX as compared with more plastic in NX Also one upgrade that i highly recommend for GX is replacing deraulier B-bolt with the bolt kit from XX1/X01. It eliminates horizontal play between deraulier and the frame almost completely. in 2024 you can find GX components with huge discounts, up to 50%, there is almost no reason to buy NX, unless you're absolutely on a budget.
There is a spot I like to stop at on my ride and watch rookies on expensive bikes with XT and XX1 setups crunch through their gears cause they have no idea how to shift properly.. I have a feeling it's the same kind of rookie riders having shifting issues with NX.. LEARN TO SHIFT YOUR GEARS!
I know this video is old… But if you have the NX on your bike get a better chain! The NX chain is garbage. Have combined almost 7000km on NX/GX, the NX chain didn’t last 300km after that went to GX chain that went over 1400km now I’m on the XX1 chain with 2000km+ (I do clean and relube my chains after every ride). The Best combo (not to expensive) that I found is the GX derailer, NX or GX casset (depending on your hub), NX pedals/chainring (NX chainring is cheaper than the GX), X01 shifter and XX1 chain (expensive but more than double the lifetime than anything lower).
My NX chain lasted 7000km, but now I changed to X01 chain. Also i noted that the aluminium HG freehub body cannot take the force and was damaged. So I changed to XD and GX cassette. It was 40 Euro difference and is so much lighter. The NX derailler also has a lot of play. I stayed with it, but think GX is also better.
Let me remind something to all of these guys who say that NX is garbage. *NX IS AN ENTRY LEVEL TRANSMISSION KIT AND IT SHALL NOT BE USED FOR RACES/BIG AF JUMPS/FREERIDE/EXTREME DOWNHILL OR ENDURO.* The NX is a transmission kit for these guys who have an entry level xc bike (trek marlin etc) and they want an upgrade. Like SickBiker said in this video, NX is for having fun and enjoying your ride and *NOT* for racing or extreme stunts..
I love my 10t and use it a lot. I'd happily pay a bit more for 500% gear range. If I could get NX with XD driver and 10-50t I'd pay the extra, but then I way as well shave some more weight and go GX. My bike just came with GX so I wasn't buying just a groupset, but having come from a 618% range on my 11 year old bike I think any 1x with
I have the complete Nx setup on my Treck Roscoe 8 2019, you will be spinning your legs on down hill descents, I never had that problem with my old 3×8 setup back in the day, I'm not sure if it's all of sram groupsets, what you need is a much bigger chain ring than say a 30 or 32 tooth, but then like you said, that would ruin your up hill shifting, that is a excellent question!! In my opinion 1×12 is good for uphill, but horrible if you really want to crank down hill, because the tiny chain, just can't seem to keep up!🤔 I wish someone would answer your question!! And if any parts are worth upgrading from GX to XX1 or XO, besides the weight factor! I would really like to know also, because I'm about to get a Santacruz Carbon Chameleon S Plus with a Gx Groupset....
Beware about the NX cassette though; I retro fitted it on to my DT Swiss shimano spline and the 50t ring chewed up the spline - unfortunately I only noticed when the shifting into the bigger rings became poor and I realised they were rotating a few degrees (yes, I torqued it up when originally fitted). Luckily I was able to buy the XD freehub and single piece Eagle cassette which has worked perfectly since (which I now run with an XT mech and SLX shifter after crashing and wrecking NX mech).
Same here. This is a general problem. The alumiunium HG body is not strong enough. You should buy a steel HG hub for ebikes or better like you did with XD and GX cassette.
Nice review. All the Sram 1by systems work great. I’m still running a GX 1by 11. Love it. I do not agree about doubles what so ever. I don’t like them. Never have. But I am a old single speeder at heart, so I might be a little biased. 1by systems opened the door for bike designers to tweak rear suspension designs for the better, unobstructed by a stupid front derailer that always drops the chain, or jams, or chain-sucks in the mud, or... Uhg, ok, I’ll stop now. 1by systems also gives you a great place on the bars for a dropper post lever. Thanx for posting you video.
The biggest difference is the smallest cog being 10 instead of 11 teeth. If you are racing this is a big deal. Riding a 30 tooth on gx is equivalent to riding a 33 tooth on the front with nx. So your top speed is greatly affected by running nx. It really stinks to be running a 34 in the front and spinning under 30 mph with NX. If your all about fun NX is an amazing value and groupset especially if already have a shimano freehub.
I have to say nx is terrible I work in a bike shop and I've seen everything from worn out mech pivots after only a few 100 miles, cassette cogs folding with shifting under load and shifters just outright failing. They almost never work properly from the factory and when setup correctly with srams b tension tool and cable tension is correct it never wants to shift properly in gears 1 to 3. Srams gx is the sweet spot for price to performance and reliability and every re occurring issue we deal with on nx is pretty much just solved by swapping parts for gx and the updated gx this year is nicer also definitely worth the extra cost.
Danny. I live and work here in Poland, as an American defense contractor. I am in Miroslawiec, and bought a Trek Excalibur 8 with SRAM SX, 1x12...it never worked. Chain slipped under any tension, I could never stand out of the saddle, and I was constantly struggling to find the gear. I bought it in Pila. I bought the bike to use everyday for commuting and fitness, for about 50 KM per day. I bought SLX, then the cheap pedal broke at speed down hill, I crashed, and damaged my SLX deraillure. I am thinking of going back to SRAM...Should I get the NX in 1x12? Thank you and love your channel.
My entire drivetrain is GX except for cassette (11-50 NX). I have just over 3,000 miles on my 16 mo old 2019 TREK Fuel EX9.7 and haven't had a single drive train failure (drivetrain is 1 x 12). Made the first very slight adjustment on the rear derailleur about a month ago (I think due to cable stretch)... On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being easy paved commuting, 10 being balls to the wall DH and sending everything) I'm probably a 7 in ride style. Have replaced the OEM chain, a GX chain, and about to put on another GX chain when it comes in next week (so averaging one chain per 1k miles). I also have a back up rear wheel (same as OEM) with a 11-50 NX cassette that gets rotated in when I break a spoke. Bottom line, spend the little bit of extra for the GX components.
I bought a 2022 status 140 it came with a full nx group set. After using it as is for awhile I first upgraded the shifter to x01. Big improvement with shifting feel much more crisp. Then I wanted the 520 range of the gx cassette so I had to purchase a bontranger comp line 30 rear rim (cheapest option to get XD hub) and then a gx cassette, because the nx cassette uses the old style hg hub driver, which will be on the rim of your budget nx spec Mbike.. I also purchased a xx1 oil slick chain because the nx chain got rough after a couple months of riding out in Santa Cruz with regular cleaning and lubrication still..(could of got a Gx that preforms prob 95 prescient as good but the xx1 was 40 bucks more so what the heck). I just recently purchased a gx carbon crank set to save on some rotating mass climbing up them hills. long story short... If your not catching where I'm going, spend the extra thousand bucks and buy a Gx equipped bike. If I would have done this I would of saved time and money, in the long run. But on the positive side of things, you will learn how to work on your bike and install all of this cool stuff you upgrade eventually, through watching TH-cam videos and reading manuals. Because as you will learn fast after one trip to a bike shop they charge for everything and just having them work on your bike will add up in itself to hundreds of dollars. I still will go to a bike shop for wheel spoke straitening. But learning how to do 99% of the adjustments and work on your own will be priceless in the long run journey of fun shredding out on the trails. Buy GX period.
The absolute lightest weight Eagle combination is GX shifter, X01 Cassette, XX1 Chain (only 3 grams lighter), and XX1 derailleur. Considering you're most likely to damage the derailleur most guys who aren't sponsored actually ride GX derailleur. So the absolute best set up you can buy for the money is all GX with an X01 Cassette.
I came across it while contemplating whether to buy a bike with either the nx or the gx. I watched this video all without korean subtitles to my study English. I could clearly understanding all you explained. Thank you very much ^ ^
I am changing from NX to GX because the weight of the cassette. And by saying that, I am changing just the cassette. And that is because of the weight of the NX cassette. GX is like 25% lighter where it matters, on the wheel and also on the wheel and therefore unsprung weight ( riding FS bike). Yes I have to change the driver body of the hub, but that is like 60€.
Then it's best to buy Sunrace 11-50 cassette, becasue it's way cheaper than GX and NX, it's solid, and it weighs 524 grams which is 100g lighter than NX. And you don't need a XD driver then.
@@tduic It works but it's not best to buy the Sunrace. An Eagle cassette shifts much smoother. I'm not sure about anyone else but I wore a sunrace cassette out really quick too
Nice detailed video - I like it. I am running a NX Drivetrain on a Canyon Strive (Enduro) and I actually have some issues with the NX cassette. The fact that the casette is not one piece makes the individual gears come loose and cause rough shifts and annoying clicking sounds. Re-torquing the cassette with the specified torque is not helping. Using more torque may cause the freehub to slip through which is obviously bad(!!!). Only a complete dissasembly of the cassette, thorough cleaining and reassembly could get rid of the issue for a certain time. I had to do this twice over 1800km of riding so far. Since I do ride some rougher stuff and bike-park laps, this may explain why this happens that often. I would gladly upgrade to the 1-piece GX cassette but the additional obstacle of having to change my freehub body is annoying. Also this is where clearly NOT all eagle components are fully compatible / interchangable right away. This as far as I know is the one exception to the rule I guess. So my advice is: If you are into occasional bike park visits and riding some rougher stuff, consider going at least with the GX cassette right away. Also the 10-tooth gear helps in fast park sections and the entire cassette being one piece is just better overall. If I get a new bike, I will make sure it has at least a GX cassette right away.
I'm in UK and looked at the santa cruz bronson £5000 and it got a nx drive train on it want the bike but that has put me off don't want spend that much on a bike then start upgrading a drive train think wait till next year's model see if it changes surely they could of put at least gx on that bronson
@@Macca78 oh wow I would say you absolutely dodged a bullet there. For such a price I would expect it to come with a GX casette and hence XD drive body standard.. My bike was about 2200€ so it is somewhat understandable to have a low end drive train installed..
I bought the NX system and i love it! Have raced it. Ride it daily. And i didn't have to change my hub driver. No chain drops, shifts great. And in the 11 tooth gear i can hit 28mph on the road!!!
Recently I bought the sram eagle nx transmmission and after the first few pedals I agree with you that this transmission needs several kilometers to work perfectly. I also agree that the 10-tooth pinion is not necessary in XC and very rarely in a marathon; unless the marathon goes through many stretches of road.
All the weight difference is 200 gr, and 80% of it is in the cassette, which is rotating mass, and 160 gr difference on the wheel is quite noticeable, especially when you accelerate. I had a shimano deore hub, which weighted around 500 gr, then switched to nukeproof one that weights 320 gr. Huuuuge difference and almost zero maintenance, compared to shimano's cup-cone.
You wont feel a differnce in acceleration as the weicht is centered and not on the outside of your wheel. And the hub weight wont make a differnce at all as IT isnt rotated mass (or to even extremely Low extend) Youll feel it maybe when whipping etc.
I have sram nx 1x11, next derailleur im gonna buy GX, because its more robust. Same goes for shifter( or some XO stuff, if i can get them used and cheap). not planning to go 12spd, because 11 is still cheaper. And probably switch out those NX cranks for some shimano slx or XT, because of cheaper chainrings! :D Cheers.
I have only used GX Eagle, but would choose between GX and NX based on cost, weight and durability. I don't believe the performance in shifting is much different between the two; I'd even assume that the internals of the NX shifter is the same as the GX, but please prove me wrong. If the plastic lever on the NX is as stiff as the aluminium on the GX I'd even consider NX first because of warmer finger during the cold season and lower weight. The derailleurs looks very similar, except for the cage that is steel on NX instead of aluminium on the GX. The more open cage of the NX looks nice for cleaning, but less weight at the rear wheel is good on a full suspension bike. The cranckset in the video has the aluminium chainring from GX, which arguably are smoother and less prone to dirt sticking than the X01/XX1 one. The chainring shown on the Sram website with NX cranckset is a steel one, but it seems the cranckset is delivered with both. The steel chainring weighs approximately 142 grams while the aluminium one weighs approximately 79 grams. Durability for the steel one is obviously better, and the price lower. I believe all DUB cranksets have the axle connected to the non-drive side, which is much better (than GXP) for replacing or changing the chainring. The GX cassette is significantly lighter than the NX (450 vs. 615 grams), which is very good on a full suspension bike (X01/XX1 is again much lighter at 355 grams). Range is also higher on the GX with 10-50 (500%) compared NX's 11-50 (455%). The NX is the only one approved for e-bikes, and I assume durability thus is better and of course cost is lower. If the bike already has Shimano HG driver, the cost difference increases and I'd be very tempted to go for the NX cassette regardless of weight. Regarding drivetrain ratios and range; A 14-50 cassette with 32 tooth chainring would be very equal to a 10-36 cassette with a 23 tooth chainring or a 11-39 cassette with 25 tooth chainring, assuming you can get those, but at an increased weight (and probably increased durability). There are many online gear ratio calculators that can be used to verify this if you can't do the calculations yourself.
I bought an XC bike with NX components. When I upgraded the wheels, I went with an XD free hub and 10-50 X01 cassette. The weight savings is significant and the 10T sprocket is great on pavement. It’s a 10% jump, which is significant, and with a 34T ring, I no longer spin out when riding to and from my local trails. The NX shifter and derailleur work great. (And AXS is crazy expensive.) If I upgrade the crank, it would be with a Raceface carbon crank and an oval ring, rather than XX1 or X01.
One thing worth mentioning is that if you want to upgrade to X or above and have the NX cassette youll need to either buy a new wheel with a hub thats compatible with the XD drive or swap the shimano freehub out for the XD drive. I also understand that there are limits of upgrade compatibility due to cable pull differences between the shifters/rds
Nothing difference in performance GX 200g lighter than NX...GX looking good crank than NX...but like i said there's nothing different in performance in my own experience
This is an old post but I disagree with the conclusion. You cannot judge the systems just by visual comparison. First, a few hundred bucks to save 200g is worth it. In the mountain bike world, grams are expensive. Second, i've ridden NX and GX and I can tell you that GX shifts a LOT better than NX. It's a combination of small details i'm sure, but GX shifts require less effort and are crisper. So again for a few hundred bucks, no brainer get GX!! Teh jump from GX to X01 (enduro, all mountain, downhill) or XX1 (cross country) is a more difficult decision.
Gx is fantastic, I have however upgraded the chain and chain ring to x01. The combination of going from a 32t to a 34t chain ring and using a x01 chain has has massively increased the longevity of my drive train. Also upgraded the b bolt to x01 and that has also made a difference to shifting performance. When my derailleur and shifter fail, I will be upgrading to x01. I don't think I can justify the price of the cassette though unless anyone recommends it. Great video
Ok I still run a 2x drive train on my 29er hardtail, in long gravel or marathon kind. It still seems like there are gaps that would trash my legs on climbs. Am I crazy in not wanting to pay more money for less gears???
no, you're fine. I also had a 2x system until my brother in law's drivetrain died recently and I passed him my 2x drivetrain and bought a 1x to check it out. 1x works fine, it's easier to clean and easier to pedal standing without switching gears that much but man, at least a few times in our weekend rides I do miss the gear range of 2x, since we do 40-60km natural trail rides and we climb quite a bit, always between 1000 - 1500 meters of elevation gain and even a 2x9 with a wide range cassette has an easier gear to climb than 1x11 or 1x12 with 11-50T cassette, and installing a 30T chainring makes the whole system too slow.
Same, I miss the 2x drivetrain and if I'd not brought a trail/bush basher I would gut the 1x as soon as it died, then go back to the 2x. I think double chainrings still have a place on XC bikes, just a personal opinion, not forcing that Idealogy
I have recently bought a new bike switching from 3x9 to 1x12. Due to Chainline I never used more than 14-16 different gearing ratios on my 3x9 drivetrain so I don't really miss anything. You do need the 10T cog in the rear though. Otherwise the system would be to slow for me as I love in quite a flat area and have to ride 15km to get to any mountains or even hills. On a road/gravel bike I definitely prefer the close gearing range of 2x systems and I can definitely see why some want that on their MTB too. So I'm glad Shimano decided to still offer 2x with their new 12 speed drivetrains
I´m not sure you understand the Importance of the 10 tooth cog. It allows you to get a smaller frot chainring and still dont loose top speed. The nx 11-50 is actually much closer in gear range at 454% to the 11 speed 10-42 with 420% than the 500% of the gx eagle. But I aggree that for people that are upgrading, the nx is a very nice choice.
The whole point of Eagle is range. What you do with that range in terms of ratios, well you can decide for yourself. Or not. Many modern frames are limited to 32-34T chainrings.
Interesting video, I really appreciate it! I just bought a Ripmo, NX build. I'm wondering what do you think about the durability/reliability of the NX compared to other drivetrains? Thanks
I'm not SickBiker... but have a full NX drivetrain (with the exception of a GX chainring up front) and it lasted 3500km before I swapped out the chain and cassette (also did the front chainring to be thorough but I dont think this was absolutely needed). After all this distance I did get an issue with my NX rear derailleur, but according to my local bike shop this is due to a manufacturing error so it will be replaced under warranty. I decided to pay the delta and upgrade to a GX derailleur for a wee bit of weight savings and slightly (!) smoother shifting, and because I can afford said delta, and I am a bit of a nerd... but until the manufacturing error became apparent I never really had an issue with the derailleur's performance. I swapped the chain for a KMC X12 for the looks (black and chrome links) and the cassette for a SunRace CSMZ90 for the looks as well as the weight though.
Very nice explanation of the SRAM groupsets, I was looking for this, thanks for posting.. Are you going to post a video of the the NX groupset installation on your hardtail ?? Or is that a future project...?
@@TheJaxsonjack the NX cassette may be noticeably heavier but how can 100-150g matter so much when the rider alone weighs 60-90kg The most effective (and cheapest) way to loose weight on your bike is to loose weight yourself.
@@sebastianjost rotational mass is considerably more noticable than loaded mass especially when your legs are turning those 200g a few thousand times up a big climb
That also sounds like the typical lines from elitists complaining about 50t cassettes "just get better legs", which sounds exactly like when elitist roadies complain about compact chainrings on road bikes. To us more average riders, those 46t and 50t cassette is the difference between pedaling up a climb and walking a climb. Also remember, the current 50t gears, are only about equivalent to the climbing gears on good 2x and 3x setups, early 1x setups climb like crap.
The GX has 520% more range and also has a slightly better derailleur design. The shifter is significantly better as well. The cranks are also beefier. I'd say it's worth it especially if you are taking everything apart anyway
Great video, I'm undecided between the two systems. They are all compatible so I might get a GX cassette and the rest NX. One odd thing I did notice is that if you buy the GX groupset it costs £495, but if you buy the individual parts it only comes in at £375. Maybe I've made a mistake but it seems a bit of a rip off!
I think it is worth it to buy most of the things GX, exept the derraileur, which you can just use the NX, and the shifter where I think that buying the X01 shifter is nice, it is adjustable, and in my experience shifts better, or it atleast feels that way
I would definitely opt for GX! Anything below that always has problems or comes with outdated technology. Also XD freehub and DUB Standard cranks should be mandatory nowadays, it works so much better. Just like the dude above mentioned, I’d also opt for the X01 shifter, because I can set it up perfectly for my short thump! The price of the X01 shifter itself isn’t that much higher than GX. Also it feels amazing, so damn crisp and accurate!
if you dont ever use 10t, you may drop 2t or maybe 4t on your chainring, which way you may realize you dont need 50t anymore in the back, which will lead you to using a smaller range cassette w smaller jumps in between gears, resulting in better cadency. you see? thats the benefit of the ethirteen starting from 9=smaller cassette, smaller chainring. ofc that is still wide a range one.
I am thinking about it Martin... My set up so far was 32T crankset + 10-50T cassette. I don't need lower gears, than 32 / 50 and the 32T chainring feels slower on the flats. Strange, but with the larger front chainring I'm pedalling smoother.
NX cassete and HD freehub interface adding more play, since it's not a single pice, GX cassete if way better choice. Cranks have no functional difference beside some small weight.
I noted there is a difference in the lower pulley cover: it is bigger on NX. Maybe new GX will also come with it (as the new wifi group). This actually solves (or at least helps) the problem of the chain going out of the lower pulley and end up breaking the derailleur (many cases reported).
What’s your opinion about mixing the slx cassette (with micro spline of course), Shimano chain (I think sram is a little more wide) and shifter/derailleur Nx (o other sram). I change the rear hub of my brand new Cannondale Fsi carbon 5, because the quality of the rear hub (formula ain’t good), and take the opportunity to upgrade to a shimano slx cassette because the price of a gx cassette vs the slx. For me works just as good, maybe best of two worlds, but I’m sure you have more knowledge than me. Thanks!!!
i upgraded my nx to a xx1 barely felt the difference and my nx lasted me a year i broke the the derailleur cause i hit a rock i should’ve got the gx coudve saved me 1k
Ive got a 2018 Trek Remedy with the GX drivetrain, it’s great, when I wear it out I will upgrade to the X01 groupset. Just buy a bike with the GX and then upgrade when it wears out :)
Sort of agree - I've got the NX which has a great range and shifts well, but it's so damn heavy. I've just ordered a mix of SLX/XT parts to replace it.
Had NX on bike and I did not like it. Could never get it to index right. Went to GX and it was completely night and day. 1000% worth the money over NX.
The groupset weights are (grams):
NX: 2049
GX: 1742
XO1: 1478
XX1: 1413
NX - GX = 307
NX - XO1 = 571
NX - XX1 = 636
Now look at cost:
NX: $380
GX: $510
XO1: $1252
XX1: $1466
The difference in the NX and GX derailluer and cassette is 214grams. That is a lot of extra weight on the rear wheel of the bike.
The total weight difference between NX and GX is 307grams for $130. Choosing GX over NX is probably the best cost vs performance you can do other than tires. Other upgrades are far more expensive.
If you want to have a better riding bike, buy an aluminum frame and spec it better. The difference between entry level and mid level component quality across the board is very notable.
The only problem is if your hub is not compatible with an XD driver as mentioned in the video.
I disagree I think a 100 quid brand X dropper is the best cost Vs performance or maybe grips
@@callumyoung7785 kind of assumed droppers are a given. If you are riding trails without one, definitely buy one before almost anything upgrade related.
No experience with brand x personally. Do you think they are pretty good?
@@MrBjorntsc brand X are the cheapest droppers and they have good reviews
You shouldn't worry about groupset prices. With Sram, you should be putting together drivetrains using low or high end parts where they're needed. Just sayin
Could you explain how much these saved grammes give you in terms of performance of the bike? It's nothing compared to the rider weight and also the body weight can vary by a bigger amount during the day.
I’ve had NX and GX. The NX was up to 42 and shifted smoother than my 10-50 gx. Zero issues on NX over 2 years. GX awesome but needs more fine tune adjustments than NX. Great value for anyone looking at a “lower” level model.
I had a chance to test out both and here is my take. The NX cassette is considerably heavier, but that's not a big problem. The main issues are quality of the sifter and the derailleur. The shifter lever is made of plastic which can break quite easily if you shift too hard by accident or if you crash, and the pivots on the NX seem to develop quite a bit of play quite quickly. The GX on the other hand offers practically the same quality as their X01 and XX1 counterparts except for being slightly heavier and slightly lower service life on the chain. I feel like the GX is the right balance between cost and quality in the long run.
I really like my new gx groupset but if I ever have to replace the cassette I will buy a Microspline hub and an slx cassette instead.
The GX cassette is so much more expensive.
GX cassette: ~140€
SLX Cassette: ~65€
Micro Spline Freehub: ~ 50€
Of course GX is lighter but at twice the price, that's not worth it to me
Sebastian Jost Yeah shimmano seems to be a good alternative right now
Get X01 Derailleur, the NX and GX cages like to twist as they are steel. X01 is alloy and much more rigid.
Get GX shifter, its the same price as the NX.
Get GX cassette if you have XD driver, otherwise get NX cassette
Get NX crankset
Id change it to GX crankset because its made from 7000 series aluminium, while NX is 6000
@@uwu_demon5494 I work in an aluminum mill..
Actually the 6000series is harder to setup and treat after hardening process ..the 7000 series may have slightly more strength..but much easier to process..thats why I've always wondered why they charge more for the easier 7000 series?
@@aaronwaterman6982 Oh, thats interesting! I’ve always been under the impression that 7000 series aluminium is more difficult to machine. None the less, if you compare the GX to NX, you can see that the GX is more refined. Maybe the raw material is simply more expensive.
I agree with you on most points but in generall, steel is also always an alloy. Pure steel being iron and carbon would rust if not but into an alloy with other elements. That being said, alluminum alloys are roughly a third of the weight (or density) of steel but also only halfe as strong (lover yield strength). Therefore, I would doubt that the X01 is actually more robust than a steel GX.
@@flubbablubba123 as the alloy is a third the weight, would they not just use 3 times as much material to make up the same weight, and 1.5x as strong?
I was riding an E*Thirteen TRS+ 9-46 and switched to GX 10-50 and was pretty surprise how "big" the difference between the 9 and 10 small tooth was while riding bike park and downhill. I can't even imagine riding an 11 on the small cog, not without upgrading from a 32 to 34 front gear. Great video!
Would love to see a comparison between the SX and NX. The SX is being put on a lot of mid-level bikes this season so many would be interested.
Basically the same but a tad heavier
SX is pretty trash, it works OK, but when something breaks, I wouldnt waste my money on SX, if I wanted something cheap, Id put Shimano deore 12s stuff on there instead. You can mix and match them, so I wouldnt be worried
So you're telling me, like everything else in Mountain Biking these days, it is preference and the kind of terrain you ride.
That's crazy man
@@DreamRust
maybe yes
that is all are preference.
since most of my buddies
using just very budget tourney drivetrain and coil fork but they can climb fast and descent fast on the trail.
vincent cycle but when then ohlins does coil forks and I believe drivetrains are the only thing u can go cheap on and not lose any speed
@@connors3807
then buy one.
vincent cycle I have an ohlins coil fork
Installed the NX system on my 2019 Trek Marlin 7. It took time to get it dialed in but now it works GREAT. Make sure you align the derailleur pulleys slightly outside of the smallest cog, and dead on for the largest gear. Also, the barrel adjuster: before clamping down on the cable at the derailleur, on the shifter make sure you tighten the barrel adjuster all the way down and THEN open it two full turns, then clamp the cable.
Did you need to change the hanger? Or could you use the stock hanger for the derailleur?
Thanks for taking a position and supporting it well. It makes the listener's journey worthwhile.
Just wanted to let you know that I just upgraded from the SX to the GX rear derailleur and holy crap what a difference. I almost went with the X01 but I the GX is so much crisper shifting than the SX that it is well worth the extra few bucks to upgrade. Thanks for your videos, I find them very informative.
but X01 is better than gx?
@@felixhawkins5922 yes but also much more $$$ so I just went the cheaper route from SX to GX. 2 months later and its still shifting great.
@@STLMTB did you just change the derailleur or also the shifter?
@martin-drt I changed the shifter too. Other than an occasional adjustment, it still shifts great.
God, I hate the nx derailleur, it's such a trash. It just causes troubles every ride. It can work perfectly for a short period, but a little too tension, or any stone that hits it, it just bends easily.
best thing about the nx cassette is clearly that you get replacment parts for 11-13-15 tooth sprockets. easily the first ones to wear out for me in the northern flatlands. In that case it did not matter whether i drove a xx1, gx or nx cassette. they were all done after 3000-4000km . however on the xx1 this means 400€ lost in scrap, gx around 130€ in scrap, on the nx it's just 25€ to replace the defect parts.
the nx cassette combined with the gx groupset has by far the best value for me.
You refer to XX1 for the high end comparison but never mention X01, which is almost the same, but without the bling. It is quite a bit cheaper than XX1 though.
On the rear derailleurs, did you notice that the GX had removable pins for servicing, but the NX was riveted together? Not everybody will keep their bike long enough to need to dismantle the derailleur, but personally I I have a problem with anything that can't be fixed. What about chain materials etc. are they the same? I do think you get what you pay for and I would prefer to save for GX. The different free hub compatibility is an interesting one though, that will influence decisions if upgrading, I'm sure.
They brought out a 10-52T GX cassette, which means you need to use the GX derailleur which is 52T compatible, don't think the NX is.
I had to upgrade from OEM SX and GX in the long run, going up to GX and the DUB crankset makes more sense. The GX derailleur and shifter have been a dream. The crank is next.
Your english has improved tremendously since your first videos. Congrats!
I switched up the nx derailleur, shifter, and rear cassette with GX. The truvativ descendant crank is actually a gx crank just powder coated and labeled descendent. I have the nx crank and shifter as a back-up.
Well, I would.
And not because of the weight. But because with 10 teeth on that smallest cog, you can put a 30 teeth front ring, and you have a 30 to 50 ratio for uphils. Preserving the same 3x ratio for the smallest cog leads you to a 33 to 50 (realistically, 34 to 50, since I haven't found a 33teeth ring)... which is less that 1.5 ratio for climbing.
Now I have a complete GX line, with oval 34 front ring from Garbaruk, and it pays off. It's true, I'm riding a lot on long flat surfices, and that 34 to 10 helps a lot.
Good point
I really want the use of the 10 cog. I WAS going to go oval, but I went from a 30t chainring to a 32t Absoluteblack and now have no desire to try the oval. Now w/the 32t I get more out of my 10, WOULD like a 10-52t instead of the 10-50 I have--next cassette I'll do that.
~JSV
my bike came spec with NX, after just 9 months some of it's parts have started to disintegrate. ripped apart the derailleur and upgraded to GX, same goes for the shifter i snapped the lever and upgraded to GX for the metal lever. worth going GX for the longevity
Do a Sram NX eagle vs SX eagle.
Also I'd go GX any day. 10-50, less weight on the rear tire, easy choice
Gx for everything apart from the cassete
I like my NX. Changed from standard SX.
Great analysis! It’s particular good that you don’t talk too fast so it’s easier to get it all.
Before NX Eagle was available I went GX with a Sunrace CSMZ90 11-50t. At the time it was $70 (US) and is actually 26G lighter than the NX cassette. Sunrace 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36-42-50 vs NX 11-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32-36-42-50 if anybody was interested.
I went to exactly same drivetrain :)
I'm surprised Sunrace isn't more popular.
Thank you for this very precise comparisons... You not just comparing what does the GX and NX has but also the price which i think give the user the an full overview of sram... Its all about enjoyment and nkt the price...
Looking forward to have one of this someday. Thank you for the Video. Really love it
Gx is the best bang for buck groupset you can get for a mountain bike as far as I’m concerned..that’s all I run at the moment is Sram Gx
Your a genius!
Btw, same
Try putting an X0 shifter in the mix w GX derailleur.... I rarely damage a shifter so I figured I'd go a step higher on the shifter and I'm glad I did. So smooth and snappy
I just put an xx1 chain on mine, made a huge difference!
Here is a list of what stuff you will notice highest to lowest difference:
1 cassette
2 chain
3 shifter
4 derailleur
I use the NX 1X12 and it works great. It is robust and very precise but my use is moderate and I do not compete. The additional weight is not a problem, on the contrary since my practice of mountain biking is also to strengthen my muscles. I think the best system is the one that fits the use we make of it. Whoever absolutely wants to make time will move more towards a lighter system. As for my experience, I have used for years shimano and I prefer eagle but the most important is to have a diverse offer to find what corresponds to his expectations. The paradise of one can be hell for others ...
I like my NX eagle drivetrain but miss Shimano, although I absolutely hate Avid/SRAM brakes. The weight is such a beat up, unless you race and are rich or well off, I always refer people to the fact, how did bikes weigh 15 -20years
Do you know if I could add this to a 10 speed hub?
@@morganjenkins4924 yes you can
@@Jabba1625 you can mix SRAM and Shimano 12 speed components in any way you want. They are completely compatible as many tests have proven.
So whenever something on my new GX drivetrain breaks, I'll probably replace it with an Shimano XT or SLX part.
Most Shimano parts are also cheaper.
@@sebastianjost nice to know, I'll wait for my NX to die then try it, thanks for that bro
One thing I found with the NX vs GX is the NX rear derailleur was floppy and make the bike loud. I warrantied it but the new one had the same issue. GX never had that issue otherwise NX was fine and shifted nicely.
Straight Line MTB weird, my NX doesn’t flop at all even with 3-4ft drops
The only NX part I wouldn't use is the cassette, a pound and a half of dead weight where you want it least, on the back wheel, is not good.
Hack we did on our shimano free hub wheelset. We bought
Gx shifter
Gx crank
Gx RD
Gx chain
NX cassette
Perfect upgrade for people who want to save some $
I would recommend going for the X1 chain
I literally JUST bought those parts today minus the cranks cost me $270 at my lbs.
Jeffrey,
My new Commensal Meta TR 29 is arriving in 2 weeks. When I bought it I asked about an upgrade from NX to GX, but they told me that it was simply sold as it was. To get upgraded to GX would have cost me about $1,000 more (extra stuff that I didn't care about upgrading).
It comes with the GX Crank, I am upgrading to a SRAM twist/wrist shifter (thumb injury), and I am wondering if I would find upgrading from the stock NX to GX Derailleur for $125.00 would be worth it. I would be leaving the NX Cassette on it.
What do you think? Is there any real difference between the NX and the GX Derailleurs?
And is the GX Chain really any better than the NX. Maybe I'd just upgrade to GX and save NX Chain as spare.
P.S. I know that upgrading to a full GX from NX would include new wheel/hub, etc - so I will only go that route if I really want 10-50, rather than 11-50.
I'm just going to say after riding on both these group sets and racing multiple enduro races one both I would rather pay the extra for GX I think it's all just more sturdy feeling
Fun fact I bought my bike in 2019 with sram nx groupset and the derailir started to move around and won’t tighten and this happend to my casset asweel but on gx this dosnt happen
One big difference between NX and GX cassette is Mud management, GX uses hollow structure which is similar to the higher level.
NX uses traditional stack plate so that when mud goes on the cassette, the hollow structure will allow mud and dirt pushed inside the cassette by chain instead of stuck on the surface of the cassette.
I am using NX 11spd shifter and derailer but GX cassette on Mavic Crossmax Elite wheels.
Imo it's a good compromise, you have a lighter and better cassette.
And the cheap but still nice NX component, you can afford to damage.
After all they are compatible.
Gimme a better fork/shock combo with NX over “cheaper” suspension with GX, but that doesn’t exist with bike manufacturers unfortunately
A lot of OEM hubs can be converted over to XD pretty easily these days, so you can upgrade to GX when the NX wears out, or you get tired of spinning out at under 20mph.
The GX crank (at least the newer version) is made of 7000 series aluminum so stronger, lighter, and stiffer than the 6000 series in NX
Aren't the NX steel
i'm really happy with my NX on my Rockrider :)
I ride the 1x11 X01 and I have never dropped the chain while riding in 4 seasons I am using it. Most reliable drivetrain I have ever used.
KapitanPisoar1 I ride a 1x10 xo drivetrain and I have also never dropped my chain
I'm on my 4th warranty replacement NX rear mech as they all stick on the up shift.
sounds like your 'b' adjustment screw needs a tune
I’ve had a gx eagle RD fail too (jockey wheel)
@@christianratcliffe9584 there is a flaw with the bscrew design on sram nx.
Get an X01 derailleur
I had an SX derailleur come apart after 300 miles. The 2022 replacement looked like an unlabeled NX, same pulley system and less plastic than the original SX derailleur. The new derailleur used M4 screws for the limit and B screw, the original's screws were basically sheet metal screws.
Can say from my experience, only one thing that is not worth it is a crank set, beside some weight saving there is no functional difference, but overall GX is way better (and it's not the weight). NX has more play in the deraulier and cassete that makes GX more snappier and precise.
A few reason why there is more play in NX:
* NX cassete is not a single piece
* XD Freehub interface has no play as compared to ShimanoHD interface in NX cassete, especially over time.
* Cable Anchor mount is better in GX and holds shifter cable better
* More metal parts in GX as compared with more plastic in NX
Also one upgrade that i highly recommend for GX is replacing deraulier B-bolt with the bolt kit from XX1/X01. It eliminates horizontal play between deraulier and the frame almost completely.
in 2024 you can find GX components with huge discounts, up to 50%, there is almost no reason to buy NX, unless you're absolutely on a budget.
There is a spot I like to stop at on my ride and watch rookies on expensive bikes with XT and XX1 setups crunch through their gears cause they have no idea how to shift properly.. I have a feeling it's the same kind of rookie riders having shifting issues with NX.. LEARN TO SHIFT YOUR GEARS!
@ yep
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You did a great job on this video. Thanks a lot. Video and sound quality is also excellent. Great topic; you simplified my life.
I know this video is old… But if you have the NX on your bike get a better chain! The NX chain is garbage. Have combined almost 7000km on NX/GX, the NX chain didn’t last 300km after that went to GX chain that went over 1400km now I’m on the XX1 chain with 2000km+ (I do clean and relube my chains after every ride). The Best combo (not to expensive) that I found is the GX derailer, NX or GX casset (depending on your hub), NX pedals/chainring (NX chainring is cheaper than the GX), X01 shifter and XX1 chain (expensive but more than double the lifetime than anything lower).
well my NX chain is fine already for 3 years. After I broke my last derailer I changed to nx from sx.
My NX chain lasted 7000km, but now I changed to X01 chain. Also i noted that the aluminium HG freehub body cannot take the force and was damaged. So I changed to XD and GX cassette. It was 40 Euro difference and is so much lighter. The NX derailler also has a lot of play. I stayed with it, but think GX is also better.
Let me remind something to all of these guys who say that NX is garbage. *NX IS AN ENTRY LEVEL TRANSMISSION KIT AND IT SHALL NOT BE USED FOR RACES/BIG AF JUMPS/FREERIDE/EXTREME DOWNHILL OR ENDURO.* The NX is a transmission kit for these guys who have an entry level xc bike (trek marlin etc) and they want an upgrade. Like SickBiker said in this video, NX is for having fun and enjoying your ride and *NOT* for racing or extreme stunts..
I love my 10t and use it a lot. I'd happily pay a bit more for 500% gear range. If I could get NX with XD driver and 10-50t I'd pay the extra, but then I way as well shave some more weight and go GX. My bike just came with GX so I wasn't buying just a groupset, but having come from a 618% range on my 11 year old bike I think any 1x with
Shame no reply ,that was an excellent question mate.
I have the complete Nx setup on my Treck Roscoe 8 2019, you will be spinning your legs on down hill descents, I never had that problem with my old 3×8 setup back in the day, I'm not sure if it's all of sram groupsets, what you need is a much bigger chain ring than say a 30 or 32 tooth, but then like you said, that would ruin your up hill shifting, that is a excellent question!! In my opinion 1×12 is good for uphill, but horrible if you really want to crank down hill, because the tiny chain, just can't seem to keep up!🤔 I wish someone would answer your question!! And if any parts are worth upgrading from GX to XX1 or XO, besides the weight factor! I would really like to know also, because I'm about to get a Santacruz Carbon Chameleon S Plus with a Gx Groupset....
Beware about the NX cassette though; I retro fitted it on to my DT Swiss shimano spline and the 50t ring chewed up the spline - unfortunately I only noticed when the shifting into the bigger rings became poor and I realised they were rotating a few degrees (yes, I torqued it up when originally fitted). Luckily I was able to buy the XD freehub and single piece Eagle cassette which has worked perfectly since (which I now run with an XT mech and SLX shifter after crashing and wrecking NX mech).
Same here. This is a general problem. The alumiunium HG body is not strong enough. You should buy a steel HG hub for ebikes or better like you did with XD and GX cassette.
Nice review.
All the Sram 1by systems work great.
I’m still running a GX 1by 11. Love it.
I do not agree about doubles what so ever. I don’t like them. Never have. But I am a old single speeder at heart, so I might be a little biased.
1by systems opened the door for bike designers to tweak rear suspension designs for the better, unobstructed by a stupid front derailer that always drops the chain, or jams, or chain-sucks in the mud, or... Uhg, ok, I’ll stop now.
1by systems also gives you a great place on the bars for a dropper post lever.
Thanx for posting you video.
I have NX and runs super smooth 👌🏻
The biggest difference is the smallest cog being 10 instead of 11 teeth. If you are racing this is a big deal. Riding a 30 tooth on gx is equivalent to riding a 33 tooth on the front with nx. So your top speed is greatly affected by running nx. It really stinks to be running a 34 in the front and spinning under 30 mph with NX. If your all about fun NX is an amazing value and groupset especially if already have a shimano freehub.
...or you could just purchase it with a 38 tooth chainring :-) It comes with the following options 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38.
Biking down firetracks you need low gearing my 3x10 never failed me there climbed as good as my 1x12 nx but much better top speed
I have to say nx is terrible I work in a bike shop and I've seen everything from worn out mech pivots after only a few 100 miles, cassette cogs folding with shifting under load and shifters just outright failing. They almost never work properly from the factory and when setup correctly with srams b tension tool and cable tension is correct it never wants to shift properly in gears 1 to 3.
Srams gx is the sweet spot for price to performance and reliability and every re occurring issue we deal with on nx is pretty much just solved by swapping parts for gx and the updated gx this year is nicer also definitely worth the extra cost.
THIS
source: am mechanic
AGREE! The NX is really not for pro quality or high-end mountain bikes. For a little more ANY bike gets a serious upgrade going to GX.
~JSV
For the GX DUB crankset the non drive side also has the spindle!
Danny. I live and work here in Poland, as an American defense contractor. I am in Miroslawiec, and bought a Trek Excalibur 8 with SRAM SX, 1x12...it never worked. Chain slipped under any tension, I could never stand out of the saddle, and I was constantly struggling to find the gear. I bought it in Pila. I bought the bike to use everyday for commuting and fitness, for about 50 KM per day.
I bought SLX, then the cheap pedal broke at speed down hill, I crashed, and damaged my SLX deraillure. I am thinking of going back to SRAM...Should I get the NX in 1x12? Thank you and love your channel.
Get GX!
I don’t know why he has a grudge against them.
NX is useless to me, since it doesn’t work with the amazing XD Freehub.
@@rolux4853 Except the guy you are replying to probably has a Shimano freehub, so he would need NX.
My entire drivetrain is GX except for cassette (11-50 NX). I have just over 3,000 miles on my 16 mo old 2019 TREK Fuel EX9.7 and haven't had a single drive train failure (drivetrain is 1 x 12). Made the first very slight adjustment on the rear derailleur about a month ago (I think due to cable stretch)... On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being easy paved commuting, 10 being balls to the wall DH and sending everything) I'm probably a 7 in ride style. Have replaced the OEM chain, a GX chain, and about to put on another GX chain when it comes in next week (so averaging one chain per 1k miles). I also have a back up rear wheel (same as OEM) with a 11-50 NX cassette that gets rotated in when I break a spoke.
Bottom line, spend the little bit of extra for the GX components.
I bought a 2022 status 140 it came with a full nx group set. After using it as is for awhile I first upgraded the shifter to x01. Big improvement with shifting feel much more crisp. Then I wanted the 520 range of the gx cassette so I had to purchase a bontranger comp line 30 rear rim (cheapest option to get XD hub) and then a gx cassette, because the nx cassette uses the old style hg hub driver, which will be on the rim of your budget nx spec Mbike.. I also purchased a xx1 oil slick chain because the nx chain got rough after a couple months of riding out in Santa Cruz with regular cleaning and lubrication still..(could of got a Gx that preforms prob 95 prescient as good but the xx1 was 40 bucks more so what the heck). I just recently purchased a gx carbon crank set to save on some rotating mass climbing up them hills. long story short... If your not catching where I'm going, spend the extra thousand bucks and buy a Gx equipped bike. If I would have done this I would of saved time and money, in the long run. But on the positive side of things, you will learn how to work on your bike and install all of this cool stuff you upgrade eventually, through watching TH-cam videos and reading manuals. Because as you will learn fast after one trip to a bike shop they charge for everything and just having them work on your bike will add up in itself to hundreds of dollars. I still will go to a bike shop for wheel spoke straitening. But learning how to do 99% of the adjustments and work on your own will be priceless in the long run journey of fun shredding out on the trails. Buy GX period.
The absolute lightest weight Eagle combination is GX shifter, X01 Cassette, XX1 Chain (only 3 grams lighter), and XX1 derailleur. Considering you're most likely to damage the derailleur most guys who aren't sponsored actually ride GX derailleur. So the absolute best set up you can buy for the money is all GX with an X01 Cassette.
GX crankset is a lot heavier than an X01!
And the NX shifter is lighter than GX
I came across it while contemplating whether to buy a bike with either the nx or the gx. I watched this video all without korean subtitles to my study English. I could clearly understanding all you explained. Thank you very much ^ ^
I am changing from NX to GX because the weight of the cassette. And by saying that, I am changing just the cassette. And that is because of the weight of the NX cassette. GX is like 25% lighter where it matters, on the wheel and also on the wheel and therefore unsprung weight ( riding FS bike). Yes I have to change the driver body of the hub, but that is like 60€.
Then it's best to buy Sunrace 11-50 cassette, becasue it's way cheaper than GX and NX, it's solid, and it weighs 524 grams which is 100g lighter than NX. And you don't need a XD driver then.
Yup, consider the Sunrace, though the Eagle cassette provides great shifting performance.
@@tduic It works but it's not best to buy the Sunrace. An Eagle cassette shifts much smoother. I'm not sure about anyone else but I wore a sunrace cassette out really quick too
Probably the best comparison on Sram group sets I have seem so far!! Congratulations for the nice Chanel!!
Nice detailed video - I like it.
I am running a NX Drivetrain on a Canyon Strive (Enduro) and I actually have some issues with the NX cassette.
The fact that the casette is not one piece makes the individual gears come loose and cause rough shifts and annoying clicking sounds.
Re-torquing the cassette with the specified torque is not helping. Using more torque may cause the freehub to slip through which is obviously bad(!!!).
Only a complete dissasembly of the cassette, thorough cleaining and reassembly could get rid of the issue for a certain time.
I had to do this twice over 1800km of riding so far. Since I do ride some rougher stuff and bike-park laps, this may explain why this happens that often.
I would gladly upgrade to the 1-piece GX cassette but the additional obstacle of having to change my freehub body is annoying.
Also this is where clearly NOT all eagle components are fully compatible / interchangable right away.
This as far as I know is the one exception to the rule I guess.
So my advice is:
If you are into occasional bike park visits and riding some rougher stuff, consider going at least with the GX cassette right away.
Also the 10-tooth gear helps in fast park sections and the entire cassette being one piece is just better overall.
If I get a new bike, I will make sure it has at least a GX cassette right away.
I'm in UK and looked at the santa cruz bronson £5000 and it got a nx drive train on it want the bike but that has put me off don't want spend that much on a bike then start upgrading a drive train think wait till next year's model see if it changes surely they could of put at least gx on that bronson
@@Macca78 oh wow I would say you absolutely dodged a bullet there. For such a price I would expect it to come with a GX casette and hence XD drive body standard.. My bike was about 2200€ so it is somewhat understandable to have a low end drive train installed..
I bought the NX system and i love it! Have raced it. Ride it daily. And i didn't have to change my hub driver. No chain drops, shifts great. And in the 11 tooth gear i can hit 28mph on the road!!!
Looking forward to the longevity test on the NX
Recently I bought the sram eagle nx transmmission and after the first few pedals I agree with you that this transmission needs several kilometers to work perfectly.
I also agree that the 10-tooth pinion is not necessary in XC and very rarely in a marathon; unless the marathon goes through many stretches of road.
All the weight difference is 200 gr, and 80% of it is in the cassette, which is rotating mass, and 160 gr difference on the wheel is quite noticeable, especially when you accelerate.
I had a shimano deore hub, which weighted around 500 gr, then switched to nukeproof one that weights 320 gr. Huuuuge difference and almost zero maintenance, compared to shimano's cup-cone.
If you want lighter weight, you should straight up buy the X01 cassette, as long as you have XD freehub (which you'll need for GX anyway).
You wont feel a differnce in acceleration as the weicht is centered and not on the outside of your wheel.
And the hub weight wont make a differnce at all as IT isnt rotated mass (or to even extremely Low extend)
Youll feel it maybe when whipping etc.
5:03 chainrings don't affect shifting at all, all the shape profiles do is help with chain retention
I have NX cassette the rest of the drivetrain is GX. NX cassettes are decent to be fair. Other NX stuff is not so good.....
You sure bout' that bud 😂
I ride an Nx on my enduro bike and I sold it a few weeks ago and now ride my new enduro with a gx drivetrain definitely worth it you can just feel it
I have sram nx 1x11, next derailleur im gonna buy GX, because its more robust. Same goes for shifter( or some XO stuff, if i can get them used and cheap). not planning to go 12spd, because 11 is still cheaper. And probably switch out those NX cranks for some shimano slx or XT, because of cheaper chainrings! :D Cheers.
Yeah. The NX Eagle became quite affordable, but those older groupsets are now even cheaper. Agree.
Yes. GX derailleur and X0 shifter. Great combo
I have only used GX Eagle, but would choose between GX and NX based on cost, weight and durability. I don't believe the performance in shifting is much different between the two; I'd even assume that the internals of the NX shifter is the same as the GX, but please prove me wrong. If the plastic lever on the NX is as stiff as the aluminium on the GX I'd even consider NX first because of warmer finger during the cold season and lower weight.
The derailleurs looks very similar, except for the cage that is steel on NX instead of aluminium on the GX. The more open cage of the NX looks nice for cleaning, but less weight at the rear wheel is good on a full suspension bike.
The cranckset in the video has the aluminium chainring from GX, which arguably are smoother and less prone to dirt sticking than the X01/XX1 one. The chainring shown on the Sram website with NX cranckset is a steel one, but it seems the cranckset is delivered with both. The steel chainring weighs approximately 142 grams while the aluminium one weighs approximately 79 grams. Durability for the steel one is obviously better, and the price lower. I believe all DUB cranksets have the axle connected to the non-drive side, which is much better (than GXP) for replacing or changing the chainring.
The GX cassette is significantly lighter than the NX (450 vs. 615 grams), which is very good on a full suspension bike (X01/XX1 is again much lighter at 355 grams). Range is also higher on the GX with 10-50 (500%) compared NX's 11-50 (455%). The NX is the only one approved for e-bikes, and I assume durability thus is better and of course cost is lower. If the bike already has Shimano HG driver, the cost difference increases and I'd be very tempted to go for the NX cassette regardless of weight.
Regarding drivetrain ratios and range; A 14-50 cassette with 32 tooth chainring would be very equal to a 10-36 cassette with a 23 tooth chainring or a 11-39 cassette with 25 tooth chainring, assuming you can get those, but at an increased weight (and probably increased durability). There are many online gear ratio calculators that can be used to verify this if you can't do the calculations yourself.
I still prefer shimano slx or xt, there are much more bikes with them with no complaints. If I want cheap parts I would buy sunrace or suntour.
Very nice review/comparison! I agree with you on the 2 X drivetrain, I like them also.
Thanks, i got an NX.
I bought an XC bike with NX components. When I upgraded the wheels, I went with an XD free hub and 10-50 X01 cassette. The weight savings is significant and the 10T sprocket is great on pavement. It’s a 10% jump, which is significant, and with a 34T ring, I no longer spin out when riding to and from my local trails. The NX shifter and derailleur work great. (And AXS is crazy expensive.) If I upgrade the crank, it would be with a Raceface carbon crank and an oval ring, rather than XX1 or X01.
would you consider setting up the NX groupset with Sunrace 12 speed cassette? Understand the Sunrace is lighter.
Yes, but I'd love to try out some 12-50T or even 13-50T set up.
One thing worth mentioning is that if you want to upgrade to X or above and have the NX cassette youll need to either buy a new wheel with a hub thats compatible with the XD drive or swap the shimano freehub out for the XD drive. I also understand that there are limits of upgrade compatibility due to cable pull differences between the shifters/rds
All eagle shifters and RDs have same pull ratio and are 100% campatible.
@@SneakerHeadAustin but he understands otherwise haha
The current battle SRAM vs SHIMANO is great, SRAM create new stuff and SHIMANO do it better and with more durability.
Handy video. It helped me a lot.
Thank you for recording that!
Nothing difference in performance GX 200g lighter than NX...GX looking good crank than NX...but like i said there's nothing different in performance in my own experience
As someone who is in the trade the amount of nx eagle mechs i send back under warranty definitely worth the money
Why bother? Haha just pay for a gx. Just sayin
This is an old post but I disagree with the conclusion. You cannot judge the systems just by visual comparison. First, a few hundred bucks to save 200g is worth it. In the mountain bike world, grams are expensive. Second, i've ridden NX and GX and I can tell you that GX shifts a LOT better than NX. It's a combination of small details i'm sure, but GX shifts require less effort and are crisper. So again for a few hundred bucks, no brainer get GX!! Teh jump from GX to X01 (enduro, all mountain, downhill) or XX1 (cross country) is a more difficult decision.
Gx is fantastic, I have however upgraded the chain and chain ring to x01. The combination of going from a 32t to a 34t chain ring and using a x01 chain has has massively increased the longevity of my drive train. Also upgraded the b bolt to x01 and that has also made a difference to shifting performance. When my derailleur and shifter fail, I will be upgrading to x01. I don't think I can justify the price of the cassette though unless anyone recommends it.
Great video
Ok I still run a 2x drive train on my 29er hardtail, in long gravel or marathon kind. It still seems like there are gaps that would trash my legs on climbs. Am I crazy in not wanting to pay more money for less gears???
no, you're fine. I also had a 2x system until my brother in law's drivetrain died recently and I passed him my 2x drivetrain and bought a 1x to check it out. 1x works fine, it's easier to clean and easier to pedal standing without switching gears that much but man, at least a few times in our weekend rides I do miss the gear range of 2x, since we do 40-60km natural trail rides and we climb quite a bit, always between 1000 - 1500 meters of elevation gain and even a 2x9 with a wide range cassette has an easier gear to climb than 1x11 or 1x12 with 11-50T cassette, and installing a 30T chainring makes the whole system too slow.
Same, I miss the 2x drivetrain and if I'd not brought a trail/bush basher I would gut the 1x as soon as it died, then go back to the 2x. I think double chainrings still have a place on XC bikes, just a personal opinion, not forcing that Idealogy
I have recently bought a new bike switching from 3x9 to 1x12.
Due to Chainline I never used more than 14-16 different gearing ratios on my 3x9 drivetrain so I don't really miss anything.
You do need the 10T cog in the rear though. Otherwise the system would be to slow for me as I love in quite a flat area and have to ride 15km to get to any mountains or even hills.
On a road/gravel bike I definitely prefer the close gearing range of 2x systems and I can definitely see why some want that on their MTB too.
So I'm glad Shimano decided to still offer 2x with their new 12 speed drivetrains
GX derailleur have 3 steel pins in parallelogram, NX - all 4 are aluminum
What about SX?
The grey box looks more handsome than the red box
I´m not sure you understand the Importance of the 10 tooth cog. It allows you to get a smaller frot chainring and still dont loose top speed. The nx 11-50 is actually much closer in gear range at 454% to the 11 speed 10-42 with 420% than the 500% of the gx eagle. But I aggree that for people that are upgrading, the nx is a very nice choice.
What? The whole point of eagle is to use a big chain ring with the benefits of a light gear for climbing.
Even a 32 is way to light for DH riding.
The whole point of Eagle is range. What you do with that range in terms of ratios, well you can decide for yourself. Or not. Many modern frames are limited to 32-34T chainrings.
hhh top speed? oh my god how many of you are competitive cyclists?
I thinks, that this 500% range is a bit more marketing, than practice. I simply don't use the 10T sprocket fo XC / trail riding.
@@cannondany but then why not stick to 11sp with a smaller fron chainring?
Thanks mate, great comparison and review. Have NX on my new bike so I think I will be very happy.
Only if you are a weekend warrior. NX will fail way before GX will. Just replace with GX as parts fail.
Interesting video, I really appreciate it!
I just bought a Ripmo, NX build.
I'm wondering what do you think about the durability/reliability of the NX compared to other drivetrains?
Thanks
I'm not SickBiker... but have a full NX drivetrain (with the exception of a GX chainring up front) and it lasted 3500km before I swapped out the chain and cassette (also did the front chainring to be thorough but I dont think this was absolutely needed). After all this distance I did get an issue with my NX rear derailleur, but according to my local bike shop this is due to a manufacturing error so it will be replaced under warranty. I decided to pay the delta and upgrade to a GX derailleur for a wee bit of weight savings and slightly (!) smoother shifting, and because I can afford said delta, and I am a bit of a nerd... but until the manufacturing error became apparent I never really had an issue with the derailleur's performance.
I swapped the chain for a KMC X12 for the looks (black and chrome links) and the cassette for a SunRace CSMZ90 for the looks as well as the weight though.
Very nice explanation of the SRAM groupsets, I was looking for this, thanks for posting.. Are you going to post a video of the the NX groupset installation on your hardtail ?? Or is that a future project...?
The boat anchor cassette on the NX is a deal breaker for me. I would spend the extra money for a GX kit.
Yep. Looking at the weight of that cassette. I'd at least have to switch that component out for something lighter.
@@TheJaxsonjack the NX cassette may be noticeably heavier but how can 100-150g matter so much when the rider alone weighs 60-90kg
The most effective (and cheapest) way to loose weight on your bike is to loose weight yourself.
@@sebastianjost rotational mass is considerably more noticable than loaded mass especially when your legs are turning those 200g a few thousand times up a big climb
That also sounds like the typical lines from elitists complaining about 50t cassettes "just get better legs", which sounds exactly like when elitist roadies complain about compact chainrings on road bikes. To us more average riders, those 46t and 50t cassette is the difference between pedaling up a climb and walking a climb. Also remember, the current 50t gears, are only about equivalent to the climbing gears on good 2x and 3x setups, early 1x setups climb like crap.
Only reason I would go GX is for reliability, weight loss and no plasticky shift lever
The GX has 520% more range and also has a slightly better derailleur design. The shifter is significantly better as well. The cranks are also beefier. I'd say it's worth it especially if you are taking everything apart anyway
Yup, though keep in mind that this video is over a year old to which SRAM didn't introduce 52t yet
Thanks. Detailed comparison, good explanations & well presented. 👍
Great video, I'm undecided between the two systems. They are all compatible so I might get a GX cassette and the rest NX. One odd thing I did notice is that if you buy the GX groupset it costs £495, but if you buy the individual parts it only comes in at £375. Maybe I've made a mistake but it seems a bit of a rip off!
There could be something to do with warranty or other technicalities
I think it is worth it to buy most of the things GX, exept the derraileur, which you can just use the NX, and the shifter where I think that buying the X01 shifter is nice, it is adjustable, and in my experience shifts better, or it atleast feels that way
I would definitely opt for GX!
Anything below that always has problems or comes with outdated technology.
Also XD freehub and DUB Standard cranks should be mandatory nowadays, it works so much better.
Just like the dude above mentioned, I’d also opt for the X01 shifter, because I can set it up perfectly for my short thump!
The price of the X01 shifter itself isn’t that much higher than GX.
Also it feels amazing, so damn crisp and accurate!
if you dont ever use 10t, you may drop 2t or maybe 4t on your chainring, which way you may realize you dont need 50t anymore in the back, which will lead you to using a smaller range cassette w smaller jumps in between gears, resulting in better cadency. you see? thats the benefit of the ethirteen starting from 9=smaller cassette, smaller chainring. ofc that is still wide a range one.
I am thinking about it Martin... My set up so far was 32T crankset + 10-50T cassette. I don't need lower gears, than 32 / 50 and the 32T chainring feels slower on the flats. Strange, but with the larger front chainring I'm pedalling smoother.
Gx derailer chain and crankset, xo shifter, nx cassette because the cassette replacement is muchhhhh cheaper.
NX cassete and HD freehub interface adding more play, since it's not a single pice, GX cassete if way better choice. Cranks have no functional difference beside some small weight.
I noted there is a difference in the lower pulley cover: it is bigger on NX. Maybe new GX will also come with it (as the new wifi group). This actually solves (or at least helps) the problem of the chain going out of the lower pulley and end up breaking the derailleur (many cases reported).
the 10T is enough to me, to buy GX.
What’s your opinion about mixing the slx cassette (with micro spline of course), Shimano chain (I think sram is a little more wide) and shifter/derailleur Nx (o other sram). I change the rear hub of my brand new Cannondale Fsi carbon 5, because the quality of the rear hub (formula ain’t good), and take the opportunity to upgrade to a shimano slx cassette because the price of a gx cassette vs the slx. For me works just as good, maybe best of two worlds, but I’m sure you have more knowledge than me. Thanks!!!
i upgraded my nx to a xx1 barely felt the difference and my nx lasted me a year i broke the the derailleur cause i hit a rock i should’ve got the gx coudve saved me 1k
1k us dollars?!?!
Gregor Teplý yup they retail here for $1500 i got it for $1200 out the door at my local shop i thought i got a steal but it wasnt worth it
@@kennyagne2922 Breath taken. Sorry for your loss.
atleast it looks nice now😁
Arno Stokes lol it does though black and gold with a gold chain😂
Ive got a 2018 Trek Remedy with the GX drivetrain, it’s great, when I wear it out I will upgrade to the X01 groupset. Just buy a bike with the GX and then upgrade when it wears out :)
If u ride hard then NX is shite it just breaks GX can actually take a beating
Sort of agree - I've got the NX which has a great range and shifts well, but it's so damn heavy. I've just ordered a mix of SLX/XT parts to replace it.
I agree, it is true that it is a cheap 1x11 but it is so heavy. I didn’t buy it for that reason l.
xt works super well and isn't too heavy. enjoy!