Make sure the rear derailleur hanger is aligned. But as he's a mechanic he might've thought of that already. Make sure the battery is charged, it will shift slower if it runs out of juice. Keep in mind the Garbaruk cassette will wear in and shift smoother. Initially they shift worse than the current Shinano Cs, but once worn it it will be as smooth at least. 7:19 With the Archer D1XTrail with the fast batteries I could shift fast. With the original batteries it was quite slow, slower than AXS, people told. But the faster/red batteries shift 50% faster. I don't know how it compares to AXS.
@@JaredHoff Mine is very smooth now. But once it shifts that smooth, the biggest got will not be as secure as it was at absurdly fast speeds, so in the stand spinning it crazy fast it will derail the chain, but won't in real life nobody rides that fast backwards. But actually riding it it stays on. This was with 32T oval, and 11-50T HG 11 spd version. But boost chain ring and it will drop at lower speed, I forgot to mention the chain ring might play a role in shifting performance. Avoid boost chainring, if the frame allows it, as it will result in smoother and quieter shifts. A boost chain ring will improve shifting on the smallest cogs, but will make it worse in the bigger cogs.
I agree with all of Zach’s comments. I installed the Wheeltop on my Scott Spark 900 WC back in Sep, and I’ve put in nearly 800m trail miles since, with no issues whatsoever. I also have yet to charge the derailleur, and it’s still showing 70% battery life which is unbelievable. After some fine tuning with the app, I can honestly say that the shifting has been as close to flawless as you can get.
5:09 Sram also offers a different rocker paddle upgrade kit to replace it with. But I think I will prefer the original. But I've not tried it yet. But there's kit for the AXS Pod (that comes with Transmission) remote too, so you can convert it to rocker paddle. Product code: EC-AXS-PODR-C1
I have the eds and love the shifting too but the bolt that attaches the derailleur to the hanger is fragile as I broke mine when my bike fell over. So I ordered spares
I have SRAM Transmission. Flawless shifting and no B screws or high or low limits screws. Really dumb at this point to buy any bike that is not UDH compatible.
Exactly. Especially when there's a mechancal T-type on the way. The shifting under load is just on a whole different level on T-type vs. anything else.
I have the SRAM GX Eagle Groupset 12sp shifting seems Amazing also in the long run the plastic piece of the derailers adjustemnt helps greatly especially in long drives. I thought about the upgrade to GX AXS but is way $$$ So I spent Half of the cost upgrade to Carbon wheels.BTW the Adiction has no limits :) :)
What chain are you running? Eagle chains seem to play better with those Garbaruk cassettes vs anything else in my experience. The Shimano 12s chains do not like even their MS cassettes (internal chamfering of plates and the lack of associated shift ramps from the chain on the cassette accounts for this).That holds for 11 and 12s HG, XD and MS type cassettes.
In my opinion Sram and Wheeltop don't offer a product Ii would consider finished. 4:48 But I would likely like the AXS remote. It looks quite similar ergonomically to D1XTrail paddle remote, but Sram AXS remote is angled to 4 o'clock, D1XTrail is at 5 o'clock. 4:56 I doubt I would like this remote, I see there are other people who prefer the previous remote. I prefer a paddle instead, so I don't have to lift my thumb, it makes shifting really nice ergonomically, and quicker.
I agree with you on the EDS button. My SRAM has the rocker type with and index finger extension shifter, comparing with the EDS buttons, you'll notice on the EDS, lower button is higher than the top one. It resembles the shimano shifter and was extremely intuitive. I had no issues getting used to it from the first ride. On the sram rocker, the top "button" is higher instead, after a few months, I'm still getting confused which button goes which direction. Muscle memory will smash the higher button to drop gear, but I end up getting to a higher heavier gear and mess up my shifting and momentum. 🤦♂️
I have the GX AXS (first generation) on a 2018 bike, so not T-Type. I have used it with a 12 speed Shimano cassette (and it shifted well) and with a 12 speed RAM cassette, which does work slightly better. And the B-gap and micro adjusts are very important. I adjust with sag set, which also helps, but as mentioned isn't critical if you then check to see where it ended up in sag. Of course, the less rear travel, the less critical this difference is.
I had a full Shimano XT/XTR setup which was fantastic but wanting to try something new, I tossed on a X01 AXS derailleur w the new Transmission pod shifter (not Ultimate). With that, shifting was okay but not as smooth as Shimano and I noticed that the chain would feel like it was jumping on occasion. I think that was through the jockey wheels, honestly. So I put on an e13 Helix R cassette with an X01 chain and now the shifting is smoother but still not quite as silky as Shimano, especially under load. The B gap and all that is on point. Rating both setups: SRAM X01 AXS: 9/10 Shimano (even Deore) is 10/10 Shimano AXS 8.5/10
@@JoshTaylor thanks for the feedback man. I got so used to my XT shifting under load. Feels like I’m going to have to learn how to shift all over again with the SRAM GX AXS. The Garbaruk cassette with Shimnao chain and 5DEV crank mismatch combo might not be helping either lol
Yes that's what I thought but it would be handy if they shipped a spare with the upgrade kit. I do have spares coming but their taking a while to get them here to Australia . I guess the sram axis has that built in clutch thing that can take impacts. But gee this is a great system
Great explanation. as a biker's mom i know how much this video is helpfull. you have the potential to go big but i think the only thing stoping you is the video editing. You can work on it It's just a constructive criticism. I hope you dont mind!
I have old and new T type sram. No problems with the old ones but the new XO has had some issues. Bent cage and replaced 1/2 of it. Thought it was ok but just kept getting worse. Then put on new chain and it broke it after 10 miles. Just put new $130 full cage on it this morning. We will see what happens
If you can slam through gears w the XT cable actuated derailleur faster, what is the purpose of going wireless? I thought slamming through gears under load was the benefit of wireless derailleurs. Wireless derailleurs are heavy and add weight to an already heavy rear wheel w huge 51 tooth cassettes.
The only part I liked about GX AXS was the gear slamming ... I love Shimano 10-45 12s cassettes, I live in the mountains and I don't ever need the 48+ cog with a 30 or 32t chainring, I'd say you can't even get traction with a 30t/50t gearing unless you're on asphalt.
Mountain bikes live in a very dirty environment. Cables and housings get contaminated very quickly resulting in slow/inacurate shifting. Wireless shifting stays consistent.
I have sram gx axs on my gen 4 Trek rail and i dont like it at all. I have shimano xt on my slashh and love it. Gx wireless thing is lovely, but when you pedal after the shit it cruches and pulls alot as if the chain is about to snap. When you stand up and pedal hard it snaps alot. Also a tooth from the cassette broke after some 5 months of moderate use. Really disspointed with it. I will be looking to either get transmission XX. I tried it on friends specialized turbo levo and it felt smoother. I think for the price of gx you get a pretty mid shifting performance. Although Shimano XT is cable. Its night and day. Not even comparable how smooth XT is.
How quickly will either system downshift when you go from a quick downhill to uphill transition? Does mechanical have the advantage where you can dump 3-4 cogs at a time?
Slow downshifting when transitioning to a quick uphill would be a deal breaker for e-shifting. Not a big deal for road biking but definitely a big deal in mountain biking.
That is a big pro tip. I bet SRAM doesn't tell you that. I'm a Shimano guy anyway. Rarely have a problem with Shimano but I've always had issues with SRAM shifting. Maybe just some bad luck 🤷🏼. Check out Archer D1X shifter for fun. Works on any bike any speed.
Dude, if you look at how your derailer is position is pushed right against your cassette and you’re saying that you were having shifting issues. That’s a telltale sign right there. It’s not properly set up.
Had the same issue after 2 years of trouble free shifting with SRAM AXS. Changed the UDH had the shop align the derailer. The issue remained until i used the SRAM app to fine tune the mech. The derailer will always default to the app setting. SRAM has a recent software update that needs to be downloaded to the derailer via your phone. Be sure the phone is next to the mech when you do the update.
How about comparing 2 shifters with the same drivetrains? Wtf is this comparison, garbage shifting Garbaruk cassette + who knows what chain vs complete shimano HG+ cassette/chain combo. This comparison makes no sense.
Appreciate the bonus footage at the end. I was wondering why Zach chose the EDS over the AXS
Make sure the rear derailleur hanger is aligned. But as he's a mechanic he might've thought of that already.
Make sure the battery is charged, it will shift slower if it runs out of juice.
Keep in mind the Garbaruk cassette will wear in and shift smoother. Initially they shift worse than the current Shinano Cs, but once worn it it will be as smooth at least.
7:19 With the Archer D1XTrail with the fast batteries I could shift fast. With the original batteries it was quite slow, slower than AXS, people told. But the faster/red batteries shift 50% faster. I don't know how it compares to AXS.
@@mtbboy1993 thank for the advice. Hopefully the Garbaruk cassette shifts better over time.
@@JaredHoff Mine is very smooth now. But once it shifts that smooth, the biggest got will not be as secure as it was at absurdly fast speeds, so in the stand spinning it crazy fast it will derail the chain, but won't in real life nobody rides that fast backwards. But actually riding it it stays on. This was with 32T oval, and 11-50T HG 11 spd version. But boost chain ring and it will drop at lower speed, I forgot to mention the chain ring might play a role in shifting performance. Avoid boost chainring, if the frame allows it, as it will result in smoother and quieter shifts. A boost chain ring will improve shifting on the smallest cogs, but will make it worse in the bigger cogs.
I agree with all of Zach’s comments. I installed the Wheeltop on my Scott Spark 900 WC back in Sep, and I’ve put in nearly 800m trail miles since, with no issues whatsoever. I also have yet to charge the derailleur, and it’s still showing 70% battery life which is unbelievable. After some fine tuning with the app, I can honestly say that the shifting has been as close to flawless as you can get.
@@seanpryce67 heck yeah 👍 thanks for leaving the experiences with Wheeltop. I’m stoked that it’s working so good for you!
5:09 Sram also offers a different rocker paddle upgrade kit to replace it with. But I think I will prefer the original. But I've not tried it yet.
But there's kit for the AXS Pod (that comes with Transmission) remote too, so you can convert it to rocker paddle. Product code: EC-AXS-PODR-C1
@@mtbboy1993 I showed that in this video. I prefer the original.
I have the eds and love the shifting too but the bolt that attaches the derailleur to the hanger is fragile as I broke mine when my bike fell over. So I ordered spares
Maybe it's made to shear in case of impacts? I absolutely do not know anything about this it's just a guess?
@@grantchandler8294 how hard was it to order replacement parts? How long did they take to arrive?
I have SRAM Transmission. Flawless shifting and no B screws or high or low limits screws. Really dumb at this point to buy any bike that is not UDH compatible.
@@mister_ray don’t agree with that but to each their own.
Exactly. Especially when there's a mechancal T-type on the way. The shifting under load is just on a whole different level on T-type vs. anything else.
Been using sram gx axs for about a year and a half and it has worked flawlessly shifts smoothly every time
@@pentlandsmtb352 nice 👍
I have the SRAM GX Eagle Groupset 12sp shifting seems Amazing also in the long run the plastic piece of the derailers adjustemnt helps greatly especially in long drives. I thought about the upgrade to GX AXS but is way $$$ So I spent Half of the cost upgrade to Carbon wheels.BTW the Adiction has no limits :) :)
@@harrylen1688 wheel upgrades make a huge difference 👍
What chain are you running? Eagle chains seem to play better with those Garbaruk cassettes vs anything else in my experience. The Shimano 12s chains do not like even their MS cassettes (internal chamfering of plates and the lack of associated shift ramps from the chain on the cassette accounts for this).That holds for 11 and 12s HG, XD and MS type cassettes.
@@michiganstate149 I am running a Shimano chain but that’s how I had it setup with the XT derailleur and it used to shift good.
@@JaredHoff did you have a Shimano cassette with the Shimano derailleur?
@ I had the Garbaruk cassette, which to be 100% honest never shifted as good as the Shimano cassette. However, things got worse with the GX AXS.
In my opinion Sram and Wheeltop don't offer a product Ii would consider finished.
4:48 But I would likely like the AXS remote. It looks quite similar ergonomically to D1XTrail paddle remote, but Sram AXS remote is angled to 4 o'clock, D1XTrail is at 5 o'clock.
4:56 I doubt I would like this remote, I see there are other people who prefer the previous remote.
I prefer a paddle instead, so I don't have to lift my thumb, it makes shifting really nice ergonomically, and quicker.
@@mtbboy1993 👍
I agree with you on the EDS button. My SRAM has the rocker type with and index finger extension shifter, comparing with the EDS buttons, you'll notice on the EDS, lower button is higher than the top one. It resembles the shimano shifter and was extremely intuitive. I had no issues getting used to it from the first ride.
On the sram rocker, the top "button" is higher instead, after a few months, I'm still getting confused which button goes which direction. Muscle memory will smash the higher button to drop gear, but I end up getting to a higher heavier gear and mess up my shifting and momentum. 🤦♂️
@@yanuk818 Dang! That muscle memory is hard to reprogram sometimes. The shift extender didn’t help?
I have the GX AXS (first generation) on a 2018 bike, so not T-Type. I have used it with a 12 speed Shimano cassette (and it shifted well) and with a 12 speed RAM cassette, which does work slightly better. And the B-gap and micro adjusts are very important. I adjust with sag set, which also helps, but as mentioned isn't critical if you then check to see where it ended up in sag. Of course, the less rear travel, the less critical this difference is.
I had a full Shimano XT/XTR setup which was fantastic but wanting to try something new, I tossed on a X01 AXS derailleur w the new Transmission pod shifter (not Ultimate). With that, shifting was okay but not as smooth as Shimano and I noticed that the chain would feel like it was jumping on occasion. I think that was through the jockey wheels, honestly. So I put on an e13 Helix R cassette with an X01 chain and now the shifting is smoother but still not quite as silky as Shimano, especially under load. The B gap and all that is on point.
Rating both setups:
SRAM X01 AXS: 9/10
Shimano (even Deore) is 10/10
Shimano AXS 8.5/10
@@JoshTaylor thanks for the feedback man. I got so used to my XT shifting under load. Feels like I’m going to have to learn how to shift all over again with the SRAM GX AXS. The Garbaruk cassette with Shimnao chain and 5DEV crank mismatch combo might not be helping either lol
Yes that's what I thought but it would be handy if they shipped a spare with the upgrade kit. I do have spares coming but their taking a while to get them here to Australia . I guess the sram axis has that built in clutch thing that can take impacts. But gee this is a great system
@@grantchandler8294 👍
Are you local to Klamath? I recognize Zach from the bike shop.
@@eformance yes 👍
Great explanation. as a biker's mom i know how much this video is helpfull. you have the potential to go big but i think the only thing stoping you is the video editing. You can work on it
It's just a constructive criticism. I hope you dont mind!
@@SophiaTaylor-b3p thanks for the feedback 👍
Take a peek at the "Big outside MTB" video on this he did investigate a bit "why SRAM transmission sucks"
It's pretty interesting...
@@LawrenceMacMacster I’ll have to check that out.
I have old and new T type sram. No problems with the old ones but the new XO has had some issues. Bent cage and replaced 1/2 of it. Thought it was ok but just kept getting worse. Then put on new chain and it broke it after 10 miles. Just put new $130 full cage on it this morning. We will see what happens
@@garyfuller6553 dang sorry to hear. Hope the new cage works out
If you can slam through gears w the XT cable actuated derailleur faster, what is the purpose of going wireless? I thought slamming through gears under load was the benefit of wireless derailleurs. Wireless derailleurs are heavy and add weight to an already heavy rear wheel w huge 51 tooth cassettes.
The only part I liked about GX AXS was the gear slamming ...
I love Shimano 10-45 12s cassettes, I live in the mountains and I don't ever need the 48+ cog with a 30 or 32t chainring, I'd say you can't even get traction with a 30t/50t gearing unless you're on asphalt.
Higher end Shimano stuff is pretty much bomb proof! I'll keep buying Shimano for my bikes.
Mountain bikes live in a very dirty environment. Cables and housings get contaminated very quickly resulting in slow/inacurate shifting. Wireless shifting stays consistent.
@@petedog9581 you’re right 🤷🏼♂️
@@andymtb3212 I am wondering if it would shift better with a SRAM Eagle cassette.
Tuning gears 101
1. Check the hanger is straight
@@roddas26 yup 👍
How long does the battery last wheeltop
@@Bikepacking Months
@ thats good cool thanks
@ 👍 I highly recommend this man. Had nothing but good reviews from people who’ve used it.
I have sram gx axs on my gen 4 Trek rail and i dont like it at all. I have shimano xt on my slashh and love it. Gx wireless thing is lovely, but when you pedal after the shit it cruches and pulls alot as if the chain is about to snap. When you stand up and pedal hard it snaps alot. Also a tooth from the cassette broke after some 5 months of moderate use. Really disspointed with it. I will be looking to either get transmission XX. I tried it on friends specialized turbo levo and it felt smoother. I think for the price of gx you get a pretty mid shifting performance. Although Shimano XT is cable. Its night and day. Not even comparable how smooth XT is.
@@Stockfish1511 I have to agree so far. I’ll keep riding this for now though
How quickly will either system downshift when you go from a quick downhill to uphill transition? Does mechanical have the advantage where you can dump 3-4 cogs at a time?
@@bsowhat wireless shifts down faster but you can’t shift up as fast under load.
When you say up shift do you mean shifting to bigger cogs?
@ yes 👍 I always get confused with explaining that 😂 Chain is shifting up the cassette, but your actually shifting down into a lower gear idk 🤷🏼♂️
Slow downshifting when transitioning to a quick uphill would be a deal breaker for e-shifting. Not a big deal for road biking but definitely a big deal in mountain biking.
That is a big pro tip. I bet SRAM doesn't tell you that. I'm a Shimano guy anyway. Rarely have a problem with Shimano but I've always had issues with SRAM shifting. Maybe just some bad luck 🤷🏼. Check out Archer D1X shifter for fun. Works on any bike any speed.
@@JB50713 👍
Try SRAM GX or X01 cassette. I found X01 shifts perfect.
I have the gx axs transmission and it is outstanding! You can barely feel the shift. It’s so smooth
@@Bjjmtb nice to hear that it’s working good for you. I’ve heard some people say they didn’t like the way T-type shifts.
Dude, if you look at how your derailer is position is pushed right against your cassette and you’re saying that you were having shifting issues. That’s a telltale sign right there. It’s not properly set up.
@@Schwabz33 I’m confident that my friends Zach set it up right
Had the same issue after 2 years of trouble free shifting with SRAM AXS. Changed the UDH had the shop align the derailer. The issue remained until i used the SRAM app to fine tune the mech. The derailer will always default to the app setting. SRAM has a recent software update that needs to be downloaded to the derailer via your phone. Be sure the phone is next to the mech when you do the update.
@@skipm2703 thanks for the advice 👍
I have GX AXS transmission (== T Type) and shifting under load sounds horrible. Grinding and popping. Trek Fuel EXE. Annoying.
@@dandan1364 dang 😞 that sucks
How about comparing 2 shifters with the same drivetrains? Wtf is this comparison, garbage shifting Garbaruk cassette + who knows what chain vs complete shimano HG+ cassette/chain combo. This comparison makes no sense.
@@zejtroj thanks for the feedback. I’ll do better
Wheeltop for the win.
Sram srucks😅
Not using a SRAM cassette. This comparison is invalid.
@@andymtb3212 you’re probably right. I’ll do better next time.
Nerf or nothin
@@adambarlev8992 👍
just don't buy SRAM !!!