SRAM’s newest Transmission, ‘T-Type’, drivetrains shift gears amazingly under the heaviest of pedaling loads. Plus, you can lay your bike on the ground and dance Swan Lake on the rear derailleur without breaking anything, wow. And we need to focus on these narratives so as to avoid any discussion of just how glacially slow it moves from cog to cog compared to every past SRAM drivetrain in all the history of the company. Wait, did I say slow? I clearly meant deliberate. Or maybe, purposeful? Calculated, exact, methodical, or meticulous? 

This is not so much a complaint as an acknowledgment of a re-ordering in shifting priorities to match a transition in the marketplace. All drivetrains previous to SRAM T-Type, and Shimano LinkGlide, were developed for people-powered-pedaling and then adapted for motor-assist-ized use. These next-generation drivetrains are meant to survive hero-shifts with three, or four, or more additional riders stashed in your bottom bracket, and are, in turn, being adapted for non-motor-assist-ized use. 

It’s a conversation I’ve been having increasingly as early adopters of SRAM AXS drivetrains become early adopters of SRAM T-Type drivetrains. There are a few folks I know who have ridden both drivetrains back-to-back who claim they don’t notice the difference in shifting speed, but most folks agree that the first-generation AXS product shifts much faster. It’s just necessary to back off on pedaling a bit when executing. 

It makes sense as the first generation of AXS was simply a battery-powered, servo-motor-driven version of the Chicago concern’s cable-actuated Eagle shifting system, where T-Type is something new. But it’s also a landmark case of newer not necessarily being better. This all came up in a recent conversation with my friend Alex, an epic-level bike nerd, and I think he summed up the overarching theme nicely:

“For most of our riding lives newer has typically been better. But we’ve recently crossed into a time when I’m not so sure anymore.” 

Biased. I readily admit that aside from lights, I’m not into adding batteries to my bike. Dropper post, derailleur, suspension, power meter, valve stems, and whatever is coming next – no, thank you. But if I had to ride a wireless drivetrain I’d personally take AXS over T-Type every day of the week. Taken to another level, if I could have my choice of any drivetrain SRAM has ever made, it would be a cable-actuated XX1 11-speed, the original 1x drivetrain, without a second’s thought. 

I’ll go a step further. I’m regularly accused of being a Shimanophile because they fully eat SRAM’s lunch when it comes to performance per dollar and the vast majority of riders, removed from the marketing of things, would be awesomely well served by a budget-friendlier Deore 10, 11, or 12-speed drivetrain that dominates SRAM’s similarly priced SX or NX platforms in every way. Plus, tell me I’m wrong, Shimano Zee 10 or 11-spd is also the all-time min-max drivetrain legend.

But, in the timeless battle for ShiRAMano shifting supremacy, with someone else footing the bill, an 11-speed XX1 system is the setup for me. The cassettes last forever if you stay out of the lowest gear, the shifting is fast-fast-fast up and down, and it’s more than precise enough once a rider learns to let off the pedals a touch during gear changes. 

It also rivals Shimano’s best in durability. The derailleur, shifter, chain, and cassette all shift very well for a very long time. And, whether new old stock (NOS), lightly used, or even very used but in good working condition there are amazing deals to be had compared to any of the Eagle 12-speed products of similar quality. 

True, the 10-42t design provides 420% gear range compared to the 500-520% ranges of the Eagle 12-speed products, but in the grand scheme of things we’re talking about one more ratio. Push harder, stand, or run a slightly smaller chainring, and call it a win when you can ride the best for less. 

Enter this used XX1 derailleur and cassette and X01 shifter, with a *gasp* Shimano 11-speed chain, that I’m running on the Marinster Truck. Everything has the appearance of a drivetrain that’s been ‘previously enjoyed’ because it’s all used product, but it shifts as good as new, and objectively better than newer options. Actually, to come around to what I actually set out to write about today, this example of 11-spd XX1 shifts better-than-new thanks to a ‘shifty’ little add-on. 

SRAM’s 11 & 12-speed cable-actuated drivetrains, even the highest-end ones, use a plastic pulley wheel, with no bearing or bushing, for the cable that creates perpetually greater amounts of friction, negatively affecting shifting performance, over the life of a rear derailleur. Often times on properly used & abused systems the pulley wheel doesn’t even spin, the cable just slides on it. Enter the BikeYoke Shifty which is an aluminum pulley wheel riding on a tiny stainless steel cartridge bearing. 

The difference that Shifty makes compared to the stock pulley unit on this, admittedly used, XX1 derailleur is immediately noticeable. Shifts are lighter and smoother. Compared to a brand new, clean, SRAM 11 or 12-speed derailleur the difference is not immediately obvious but mucked-up the Shifty-equipped drivetrain stays smoother. 

Admittedly, I’ve never thought about lubricating the cable pulley wheels on SRAM derailleurs before now, but a little bit of grease could potentially make the stock system run much better, at least short term, and a replacement, plastic, SRAM unit is $20 so the Shifty adds up to approximately three replacements of the stock cable-pulley option. 

That said, the $64 for the easily installed Shifty, is a drop in the ocean compared to ‘upgrading’ to a new drivetrain and it really does make a difference, which is neat. Theoretically, it lasts forever too, spinning nicely from now until the end of cable-actuated drivetrains.

SRAM’s Best Pedal-Bike Drivetrain? (Made Better with the BikeYoke Shifty)