SRAM’s AXS X01 drivetrain launched in 2019, a completely wireless system (AXS was also incorporated into RockShox’s excellent Reverb dropper post) that decluttered the cockpit and delivered fast and crisp shifting. It cost more than plenty of excellent complete bikes though, so it has remained largely the plaything of millionaires and sponsored riders. Now that could all change with the new GX AXS upgrade kit – at a stroke, riders can now move from wires to wireless at around half the cost of X01. As long as you’ve already got an Eagle drivetrain on your bike, this kit replaces the shifter and rear mech, while leaving the chain, cassette, and chainset unchanged. The big question then, does GX work as well as X01? And will it deliver more precise and easier shifting than a conventional system, with less maintenance, as well as the obvious clean cockpit?
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