XX1 mech vs GX AXS

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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Trupos1
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:44 pm

by Trupos1

Question:
I have XC mtb with an XX1 mechanical drivetrain. My bike guy is trying to sell me on a $400 GX AXS 'upgrade'. Is it worth it to make the move to electronic? I don't consider it to be an upgrade, as I'd be losing XX1, and gaining weight.
What say you?

by Weenie


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freepk
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:31 pm

by freepk

AXS XX1 and GX is absolutelly the same thing. They different only in cage.
Just buy AXS GX and swap cage with Garbaruk cage for example. You will receive XX1 weight with half of price )
In GX AXS cage maded from steel and weight about 120gr, Garbaruk alu cage is about 40gr.

kervelo
Posts: 866
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:58 am
Location: Finland

by kervelo

freepk wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:24 am
AXS XX1 and GX is absolutelly the same thing. They different only in cage.
Just buy AXS GX and swap cage with Garbaruk cage for example. You will receive XX1 weight with half of price )
In GX AXS cage maded from steel and weight about 120gr, Garbaruk alu cage is about 40gr.
I think the OP is thinking of moving from the mechanical XX1 to GX AXS.

freepk
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:31 pm

by freepk

@kervelo, yes but question about loosing XX1 and gaining weight )
AXS XX1(GX with Garbaruk cage) is 370gr derailleur and 70gr shifter.
Mech XX1 is 270gr derailleur, 120gr shifter with cable and 30-40 gram cable housing etc.

Trupos1
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:44 pm

by Trupos1

He did mention that the cage was the only difference. And the Garbaruk option seems reasonable.
So, are you suggesting that after the GX transition (with 3rd party cage), I'd be near the same weight?
Also, I have a Force AXS on my gravel rig (which is fine), but haven't ridden electronic on MTB. Everyone seems to rave about theirs, so I am assuming that you also fall within that group?
Thanks!

Trupos1
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:44 pm

by Trupos1

Trupos1 wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:34 pm
My bike guy did mention that the cage was the only difference. And the Garbaruk option seems reasonable.
So, are you suggesting that after the GX transition (with 3rd party cage), I'd be near the same weight?
Also, I have a Force AXS on my gravel rig (which is fine), but haven't ridden electronic on MTB. Everyone seems to rave about theirs, so I am assuming that you also fall within that group?
Thanks!

Trupos1
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:44 pm

by Trupos1

My bike guy also mentioned the cage as being the only difference...

DanW
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:39 pm
Location: Here, there and everywhere

by DanW

freepk wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:24 am
AXS XX1 and GX is absolutelly the same thing. They different only in cage.
Just buy AXS GX and swap cage with Garbaruk cage for example. You will receive XX1 weight with half of price )
In GX AXS cage maded from steel and weight about 120gr, Garbaruk alu cage is about 40gr.
I am in a similar boat to the OP with XX1 mechanical currently and thinking of AXS. Weight and cost are the nagging factors.

Presumably this weight saving is for replacing both inner and outer cages, plus new pulleys are required to work with the Gararuk cage? So actually quite a lot of money??? Maybe just a light inner cage gets you most of the way towards XX1 AXS mech weight from GX AXS?

It would be really interesting to know the most ecomonimcal way to lighten GX AXS as X0/ XX1 AXS seems like throwing money away for very little.

Gararuk cassette and a cheap ebay chain seem like the best value items to round off a mechanical XX1 to AXS upgrade but happy to be corrected if other have tried these cassettes and dislike them :)

DanW
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:39 pm
Location: Here, there and everywhere

by DanW

edit:

GX AXS rear mech 443g
https://r2-bike.com/SRAM-GX-Eagle-AXS-R ... -speed-52T

XX1 AXS rear mech 350g
https://r2-bike.com/SRAM-XX1-Eagle-AXS- ... speed-52-T

R2 has GX AXS inner cages and jockey bolts at 44g. Assuming a carbon inner cage is available at around 10g that could be ~30-35g saved for £20 (going by Fibre Lyte/ J&L prices).

Remove the GX AXS battery cover is -12g.

So a lighter inner cage and removing the battery cover gets GX AXS within 50g of XX1 AXS potentially for about £20.

I also notice Ratio do a reasonably priced cage and jockey wheel kit for AXS at similar weight to Garburuk but less money:
https://ratiotechnology.com/product/sr5 ... leur-cage/

I'd be interested to hear more about the inner and outer cage combos eg Garburuk/ Ratio if anyone has tried these. How well do they work and how were they to fit?

Thanks!
Last edited by DanW on Thu Mar 30, 2023 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

freepk
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:31 pm

by freepk

@DanW
This is XX1
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This is GX and Garbaruk
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DanW
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:39 pm
Location: Here, there and everywhere

by DanW

That is really helpful, thank you!

Did you just use the stock SRAM jockey wheels from the GX mech in the Garbaruk cages? I.e. you only need to buy the Garaburuk cages to drop 60g?

The Garburuk cages are listed as 42g, the same as your XX1 cages, so I wonder where the extra 10g difference is? Mounting bolt only or something else?

freepk
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:31 pm

by freepk

@DanW, yes in bolts and pulleys. I change only cage, use GX pulleys with small adoptaion :)

DanW
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:39 pm
Location: Here, there and everywhere

by DanW

"use GX pulleys with small adoptaion"

What do you need to do to get the GX jockey wheels working with the Garbaruk cages?

freepk
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:31 pm

by freepk

@DanW, there are small knob in metal plates of pulleys, you have to remove it ) Nothing special, just few minutes of work )
XX1 pulleys does not have this knobs.

by Weenie


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alibudia1712
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:09 am
Location: Bandung
Contact:

by alibudia1712

GX AXS and GX mechanical after changing to garbaruk pulley cage. On The GX mechanical I also change the adjuster bolts. Should be lighter if RD hanger bolt changed to alumunium or Ti bolt.ImageImage

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