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Bike Perfect

Lifestyle

Richard Owen

SRAM's new S-1000 Eagle Transmission brings wireless T-Type drivetrain benefits to more affordable MTBs

SRAM AXS United States

SRAM S-1000 Eagle Transmission derailleur on a cloudy sky background.

T-Type Transmission made its debut over a year ago appearing on SRAM's top tier XX, XX SL and XO drivetrains. This was followed up a few months later by Eagle Transmission at the more utilitarian GX level. The US mega-brand has now announced that the tech has trickled down to the lower-tier S-1000 version, but this latest T-Type level will only be available on production mountain bikes. Matching up with the new drivetrain system comes a new Stealth version of SRAM's wallet-friendly, mineral oil DB8 brakes too.

Color aside, the new S-1000 crankset looks fairly similar to the GX version and has removable bash guards (Image credit: SRAM)

Transmission amped

If you're unfamiliar with T-Type Transmission, it's a hangerless drivetrain system that bolts directly to rear dropouts and can only be fitted to bikes that run SRAM's UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger). I've been riding with the GX version of Eagle Transmission for over a year now and while not quite 100 percent fool or bombproof, it's a far more robust gear system than the traditional. T-Type shifts perfectly under heavy loads (making it ideal for e-MTBs), set up is as straightforward as it gets, the mech has no adjustment screws, and being AXS, it's a wireless system powered by a battery housed on the mech.

There are four components that make up the S-1000 range:

S-1000 Eagle Crankset
S-1000 Eagle e-MTB Crankset
S-1000 Eagle Transmission Derailleur
XS-1270 Eagle Cassette

A replaceable cluster of the 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18t cogs is available for the 10-52t, 12-speed cassette (Image credit: SRAM)

If you've noticed that the S-1000 mech looks very similar to the GX version, that's because it uses the same architecture as its fancier stablemate. That means it gets the much more robust battery position protected on either side by the Full Mount attachment bracket – on XX, XX SL and XO, the battery sits in a more vulnerable position and has been known to get knocked off on occasion. The S-1000 gets an improved Drag Cage Spring Damper over the GX version, which is designed to boost chain tension.

Like all the other T-Type systems, the S-1000 mech is rebuildable with replacement parts (the skid plates, two-piece outer link and cage assembly) available separately. Transmission components are also compatible with each other, meaning you can mix up the various tiers.

The S-1000 mech uses the same battery position sandwiched between the Full Mount bracket as seen on the GX version here (Image credit: Rich Owen)

HG rather than XD

A key point of difference between S-1000 and the rest of its T-Type stablemates is that the new cassette uses a traditional HG splined driver rather than the SRAM-specific XD option. That means it can be used with wheels found on cheaper mountain bikes, as fancier wheelsets typically come with XD or Shimano Micro Spline drivers.

Aside from a black finish, the cranks look very much like the GX version and come with detachable bash guards. The crankarms are forged aluminum and run an 8-bolt chainring. The e-MTB version is made using the same process and comes in SRAM, Brose, Bosch, and ISIS-compatible versions.

There's no S-1000 series gear controller, but AXS rocker and T-Type Pod controllers can be used. S-1000 doesn't have a specific chain either, but as Transmission drivetrains can only run Flattop versions, expect to see GX chains being specced.

We've not had any word on S-1000 Transmission component weights from SRAM as yet, but we'll update this article as soon as we get them.

The S-1000 rear mech uses the same design as the GX version (Image credit: SRAM)

How much are MTBs with S-1000 Transmission likely to cost?

While GX T-Type typically appears on MTBs starting at around $4,000 / £4,000, as you'd expect, S-1000 Eagle Transmission will bring the system to less costly mountain bikes. Unlike previous incarnations, the S-1000 system won't be available aftermarket and will only appear on production bikes.

As for the price point of bikes running, S-1000. Using Specialized's Stumpjumper as an example, Expert level bikes get GX Transmission, so it would seem likely that Comp spec bikes (the tier below) would be likely to get S-1000, which currently costs around $3,000 / £3,000.

And, if you're wondering why SRAM has christened this new Transmission tier as S-1000 rather than NX or SX, the brand says it's because both of those systems are available aftermarket while S-series components are not.