SRAM have revolutionised the mountain bike market with their 1×12 Eagle groupset. Now they’ve updated their GX, X01 and XX1 groupsets, giving you the option of an even bigger cassette with a gear range of 520%. But is a bigger gear range really better? We’ve had the SRAM GX Eagle 52 on test for several weeks.

What’s new about the SRAM Eagle 52 drivetrain? At first glance, SRAM new Eagle 52 components in the GX, X01 and XX1 ranges look almost exactly like their predecessors. Instead of new technology, it’s the new finish and the new colours of the groupsets that you’ll notice first. SRAM’s technical changes have been reserved primarily for the cassette and the position of the pulley wheels on the rear derailleur. As the name suggests, the Eagle 52 cassettes now have two extra teeth on the largest sprocket while the other sprockets remain unchanged. The gear jumps on the cassette remain the same except for the last one. With the new sprocket, the gear range increases to a whopping 520%, putting it 10% ahead of Shimano once again.

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