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?
This story is from the July 2021 edition of Mountain Bike Rider.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2021 edition of Mountain Bike Rider.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Best places to ride with your kids
Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?
100% GLENDALE GLASSES
When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.
DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?
STORM FORCE
Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track
SWEAT AND SLATE
We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail
HEAD SPACE
New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it
LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone
HOT STUFF
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH
