SRAM NX Upgrade – Now Everyone can afford to ride 1 x 12

What do you do when your 2015 Giant Anthem 27.5 is still in a great condition but the drivetrain is in need of some lovin’? You upgrade to 12 speed. And not just any 12 speed, SRAM’s recently launched NX Eagle 12 speed.

The bike belongs to Belinda Bosch who bought the Anthem from Giant Durbanville in 2015. She got back on the bike and into riding in March after some time off due to an injury late 2016. The concern initially was whether moving to a 1 x drivetrain will cover the ratio she needed and was used to, and how her riding would need to adapt, if at all.

Out with the old

In with the new

While 1x drivetrains were not unheard of, it was SRAM who brought the simplicity of 1x drivetrains to market when they launched XX1 11 speed with narrow/wide chainrings, a clutch rear derailleur, and several other clever chain retention and shifting advancements.

With NX Eagle, upgrading from a 2x drivetrain is both affordable and easy, as the NX Eagle cassette is compatible with ordinary splined freehub bodies like the one used on Belinda’s Anthem. The NX Eagle system has a gear range of around 454% (11-50T), whereas the other Eagle cassettes have a gear range of 500% (10-50T). The NX drivetrain is fully compatible with components across SRAM’s Eagle range should you wish to mix and match, including the NX Eagle derailleur which is designed to be compatible with the wider ranges of the GX, X01, and XX1 10-50T Eagle cassettes. The NX Eagle cassette is also the only cassette in the Eagle family designed to be durable enough to withstand the increased demands of E-MTB applications.

NX Eagle may be the budget option in the line-up but it is not short on technology. The shifter uses a MatchMaker X clamp to make handlebar set up neat and easy. As each clamp accepts up to three controls, you can fit everything from your XLoc suspension lockout, SRAM shifters, brake levers, as well as your Reverb XLoc remote all on two clamps.

SRAM’s Roller Bearing Clutch can be found on the NX Eagle rear derailleur as well as Cage Lock. The SRAM NX crankset delivers Eagle styling and performance to the newest addition to the Eagle ecosystem. Designed for SRAM’s X-SYNC2 chainrings, the NX crankset is engineered for complete chain control—each tooth’s profile is precisely engineered to work quietly, efficiently and securely with the Eagle chain’s inner and outer links. DUB technology features a better-engineered bottom bracket and a new spindle design, which together allows for a more uniform approach to bottom bracket fitment, better sealing against contamination and with forward and backward compatibility.

All Belinda can say now is that the bike rides like a dream. She finds it easier to not have to worry about shifting in front and that the bike is simpler to clean!