Intro
SRAM’s Eagle drivetrains ushered mountain bikes into the 12-speed era 10 years ago, and I don’t think many folks have looked back since. Some of those original parts launched in 2016 have remained unchanged in the decade since. Still, SRAM is finally replacing its original Eagle lineup with the new Eagle S-Series lineup. Now, all non-T-Type SRAM MTB drivetrains are a part of the Eagle S-Series family, and while nothing is drastically different from the Eagle drivetrains they’re replacing, it’s worth breaking down this new drivetrain lineup.
At its core, there are three levels in the S-Series: S100, S200, and S500. The S-Series drivetrains do not require a UDH frame, which is what sets them apart from the T-Type drivetrains. If you’re building up a frame that’s a few years old or just looking to replace worn out Eagle parts on your current bike, S-Series is your solution. Each level represents an ascending price point, and they are mostly cross-compatible with each other, allowing you to mix and match parts across tiers. They’re also mostly compatible with the Eagle components they’re replacing, so if your Eagle chain is worn out, an Eagle S-Series chain will work perfectly. Let me explain what I mean by mostly by going into a little more detail about each level of the S-Series.
Overview
All three S-Series drivetrains are 12-speed drivetrains, with the more affordable S100 and S200 levels using cable actuation and the most expensive S500 level using a wireless AXS system. The S200 and S500 cassettes have a 520% range, with 10-52 cassettes using the same steps between gears as the old 10-52 Eagle cassettes. The more budget-oriented S100 drivetrain uses an 11-50t cassette, and the S100 derailleur has a corresponding 50t maximum. Because the S100 cassette uses an HG driver, the smallest cog is 11t, while the S200 and S500 cassettes can fit a 10t due to using the XD driver. All parts are 100% E-MTB compatible, and of course, MTB compatible as well.
There also exists an S1000 drivetrain in SRAM’s lineup, but it’s quite different from these drivetrains we're covering here. S1000 is an OEM-only T-Type drivetrain with a direct mount derailleur and exists within a completely different ecosystem from the rest of the S-Series. I would argue that the similarity in their naming was a poor choice by SRAM and could lead to confusion for the end user. S1000 lives in the T-Type world, while S100, S200, and S500 live in the non-T-Type world.
The goal with the new S-Series lineup is to reduce the number of Eagle drivetrain options out there, which will hopefully reduce the confusion and headache when shopping for a new chain or derailleur. Before, there were nine Eagle drivetrains, which have been reduced to just 3 Eagle S-Series drivetrains. Each of the old Eagle drivetrains has a corresponding S-Series level to take its place, and this graph should clear up exactly which S-Series group should be used to replace your worn out Eagle parts.
That chart is a great guide to understanding exactly where each S-Series drivetrain lands in the context of SRAM’s previous drivetrains and is a solid resource to lean on when shopping for some new parts. Whether you’re replacing an entire drivetrain or just buying one component, here are some general rules of thumb.
S500
S500 is now the only non T-Type AXS drivetrain, so if your frame does not use the UDH but you want a SRAM wireless drivetrain, then S500 is your best bet. It’s made up of components that are approximately equivalent to X01 from the outgoing Eagle drivetrains, and will offer fantastic wireless performance in a non T-Type package.
S200
S200 is the workhorse mechanical groupset, and is a direct replacement for the GX Eagle drivetrain. This strikes a great balance of price to performance, and is our number one recommendation for anyone looking for a value drivetrain. The only sacrifice you make compared to a more expensive drivetrain is a bit of added weight, but S200 is going to be the choice of riders looking for a dependable drivetrain at a reasonable price.
S100
S100 is a budget oriented drivetrain, and will leave your wallet the heaviest after purchasing. Taking quite a few design cues from the outgoing SRAM SX drivetrain, the S100 drivetrain is perfect for balling on a budget, and still has a very similar range to the other options at a much lower price. Generally, we wouldn’t recommend purchasing the S100 drivetrain if you’re building up a new bike, but if you’re replacing a part of a drivetrain and you’re looking for the cheapest way to get rolling, S100 is what you’re looking for.
With that general overview aside, let’s take a closer look at each component of each component family.
Cranks
S500 is the only carbon crank offering, with S200 and S100 cranks using aluminum construction. Those lightweight carbon cranks only come in 175 and 170mm lengths, while the aluminum cranks all range from 175 to 155mm. Seems like no 165mm option in carbon is a bit of a miss, but at least the aluminum ones go all the way down to 155! Chainrings attach via the classic 3-bolt connection, and all cranks come with a 32t chainring. You can choose between cranks designed for a 52mm or a 55mm chainline. If you have an Eagle drivetrain, you’ll use 52mm, and if you have a T-Type drivetrain, you’ll use 55mm. Both the S500 and S200 cranks use a DUB Wide spindle, which requires a DUB bottom bracket, while the cheaper S100 cranks are designed around a PowerSpline bottom bracket.
While I don’t have X-ray vision to see what’s going on in there, the S500 cranks seem to be a new design, and their silhouette doesn’t quite match any other cranks SRAM offers. It costs just slightly more than the old GX carbon cranks, and I imagine they’ll offer it in 165mm at some point. I believe the S200 cranks are what most riders will opt for, especially considering the wide range of lengths offered and the reasonable price tag. They’re effectively a replacement for GX cranks, which may be the most popular crank of all time. And lastly, the S100 cranks are a direct replacement for SX cranks, as both use the PowerSpline bottom bracket standard.
Chains
The S-Series chain story is pretty straightforward. S500 is the most complicated of the bunch, as there are two options. You can choose between Gold and Rainbow colors, but they’re the same chain at their core. Both colors use solid pins and a chrome plating + PVD finish. While the S500 chains look like XX1 chains, those old XX1 chains used hollow pins, and the S500 chains are more of an “X0” level chain with the use of solid pins. S200 seems to be a relabeled GX chain, with solid pins and a mix of Black Oxide and Nickel coatings that exactly match the spec of the outgoing GX chain. S100 appears to be a relabeled SX chain, with solid pins and no finish on the links. The S500 chain will certainly last the longest of the bunch, but they’ll all weigh a very similar amount because they all use solid pins.
Those S500 chains are hard to miss, while the S200 and S100 are hard to tell apart by the naked eye.
Dearilleurs
These three derailleurs all have different use cases, so your choice between them is likely forced by the rest of your drivetrain. If you have a non-T-Type Eagle AXS drivetrain, the S500 derailleur is your only option. The S500 derailleur uses your typical AXS battery and is strikingly similar to the outgoing GX AXS derailleur. S200 is a similar story, with the S200 derailleur sharing many features with the old mechanical GX derailleur. There are no premium options to replace the XX1 or X01 derailleurs, and the new S500/S200 derailleurs are very comparable to the GX level. Both use the Type 3 clutch, and both are compatible with up to a 52t cassette.
S100 is a different story, and the S100 derailleur is potentially the most unique new component of the entire S-Series. It uses a simpler Drag Spring damper and can only clear up to a 50t cassette, but that’s not what’s exciting. The S100 derailleur is compatible with the “Half Mount”, which braces the outside of the derailleur to the frame, much like a Full Mount T-Type derailleur. This will give the derailleur more structural integrity, and it makes me wonder why this feature isn’t offered on the other S500 or S200 derailleurs. I guess that the S100 derailleur is made of a softer material and benefits more from the added rigidity of the half mount.
Not T-Type, but not your standard Eagle derailleur.
Cassettes
Certainly, the least exciting part of the S-Series lineup is the cassettes, as there is truly nothing new here. The XG-1299, XG-1275, and PG-1210 cassettes correspond to the S500, S200, and S100 drivetrains, but these are the same cassettes that have been around for years. XG-1299 was used in XX1 drivetrains, XG-1275 was used in GX drivetrains, and PG-1210 was used in SX drivetrains. Nevertheless, let’s quickly go over them for completeness’ sake.
The XG-1299 cassette is the top-tier, lightest-weight, and most flashy option, with both Gold and Rainbow finishes available. It’s pricey, costing $545, but that number gets you X-Dome construction- meaning the majority of the cassette is machined from a single piece of steel billet. The largest 52t cog is an aluminum piece, reducing weight and providing that massive range Eagle made its name on. You’ll need an XD driver on your rear hub, and your only decision left is which color matches your bike better!
For those of you keeping a low profile and preferring to let the riding do the talking rather than your drivetrain’s bling factor, the XG-1275 cassette is likely what you’re looking for. With the same 10-52t range and a Full Pin design to save on manufacturing costs, this is the cassette for the masses. It’s slightly heavier, weighing in at 453 grams compared to 374 grams, but offers identical performance to the flashy XG-1299 cassette.
Lastly, the PG-1210 cassette differs from the rest. With a narrower 11-50t range and HG driver mounting, this is a decidedly lower-end cassette designed to be used with the S100 derailleur. A nice feature is that because the cassette is made of several pieces, you can replace a specific worn-out section rather than buying a whole new cassette. This is especially intriguing for e-bikes that spend the majority of their time pumping large torque numbers through the last few gears.
Shifters
Your derailleur isn’t going anywhere without a shifter to call the shots. S500 doesn’t have anything new to bring to the table and uses the same AXS controllers we’ve gotten used to. The Pod D1 is the most current offering, but any older AXS controller will also do the job, so pick your favorite ergonomics and hit the trails! S200 and S100 shifters share a silhouette with Eagle 90 and 70 shifters, with the cable exiting parallel to the bar, as is expected of SRAM these days. These use the same pull ratio as previous Eagle shifters and can be used with all non-T-Type Eagle derailleurs, but cannot be used with T-Type derailleurs. S200 shifters use a MatchMaker connection, allowing the shifter to mount directly to a MatchMaker-compatible brake or to a standalone clamp, while the S100 shifter uses an integrated band clamp.
The S200 shifter has the MatchMaker connection, while S100 is stuck with the band clamp.
Conclusion
Overall, this S-Series component lineup is nothing groundbreaking, but it does accomplish the goal of consolidating your options when replacing worn-out or broken Eagle components. Unfortunately, the high-end mechanical derailleurs and shifters were lost along the way, but the value offered by the S200 drivetrain is undeniable. I suspect the S200 will be the new go-to option for most riders replacing a busted derailleur or worn out cassette. Give us a call or send us an email if you want to keep the drivetrain conversation going, and we’ll help you get exactly what you need!
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