Sram recently launched a new 12-speed groupset on the market without a major PR campaign. The SX Eagle is still below the NX Eagle and is primarily intended to be fitted to complete bikes, but is also available on the aftermarket with the NX cassette and chain for a price of 362 euros. The original equipment cassette and chain will probably not be sold in the aftermarket. This makes the SX Eagle around 50 euros cheaper than the previous entry into the twelve-speed segment with the Sram NX Eagle groupset.
Cheaper components - cassette and chain only OEM
The aluminium crank with steel chainring is available in various axle standards, but initially only with a 32 t chainring - other Eagle chainrings could be compatible. The crank is slightly less complex forged than its NX counterpart, which should be reflected in a slight difference in weight. The plastic shifter does not fit the Matchmaker handlebar clamp, but is otherwise compatible with other Eagle components and is available in two versions: As a standard lever with up to five gear jumps with a press of the thumb and as a single trigger, with which gears can only be shifted individually. Sram thus also appears to be clearly targeting e-bikes.
As with the more expensive Eagle groupsets, the rear derailleur comes with Cage Lock for easier wheel removal and a friction damper to prevent uncontrolled chain slap. The cassette of the SX Eagle is very similar to that of the NX Eagle and therefore does not fit on Sram's XD freehub body, but on the classic Shimano 9/10/11-speed standard. Initially, the SX Eagle was only supposed to be available on complete bikes in the original equipment market, but Sram seems to have abandoned this policy, as numerous complete offers on the Internet at large online shops show. The SX Eagle complete groupset can be found there for a street price of slightly less than 300 euros, which is currently hardly cheaper than the NX Eagle. Hardly surprising, as the cassette (PG-1210) and the chain of the original equipment manufacturer SX Eagle do not appear to be available on the aftermarket. NX Eagle parts (PG 1230) are used here anyway.
12x below the NX Eagle: curse or blessing?
In a nutshell, you could say that the SX Eagle is 50 euros cheaper, but with a weight of 2328 grams it is also (according to bird-cycleworks) 200 grams heavier than the NX Eagle groupset. So is this good for the end customer, who also benefits from the wide Eagle range on cheaper bikes? Yes and no, because Sram has allowed itself a little trick that could ultimately be to the detriment of the consumer: The SX Eagle appears to be heavier than the NX Eagle, mainly due to the cassette (PG-1210), which is not available in the aftermarket.
Original equipment manufacturers will therefore presumably still be able to purchase the SX Eagle for significantly less than the street price in the aftermarket, but will still be able to advertise with Eagle technology. It is therefore possible that many bikes that were still equipped with NX Eagle in the 2019 model year will be equipped with the significantly cheaper SX Eagle next year at similar complete bike prices, especially for OEMs, as was the case last year with the switch from GX to NX Eagle. It remains to be seen whether the manufacturers will create added value elsewhere for the 2020 bikes.
Further information on the Sram SX Eagle can be found on the US website of the manufacturer.
