The GX XG-1150 is where SRAM's 1x11 mountain drivetrain hits its value stride — the same 10-42T range and XD driver interface as the pricier XG-1180 (X1), XG-1195 (X01), and XG-1199 (XX1) cassettes, but built from stamped chromoly steel instead of the machined X-Dome architecture used further up the hierarchy. Held together solidly using SRAM's Full Pin system — 11 cogs attached to one another with 123 stainless steel pins — the XG-1150 gets you the same gear range and shift ramps as the flagship cassettes at a fraction of the cost.

The 10-42T spread delivers a 420% gear range, which is what made SRAM's 1x11 mountain platform viable in the first place. The 10-tooth top cog is the reason this cassette requires an XD driver body — a standard 11-speed HG freehub won't accept a cog smaller than 11 teeth. If your wheelset came with an HG driver, you'll need to swap the freehub body to XD before this cassette will install.

Compatibility runs across SRAM's 11-speed mountain ecosystem: GX, X1, X01, and XX1 derailleurs and trigger shifters all pair with the XG-1150, and it works with SRAM's NX 11-speed drivetrain as a shift-quality upgrade. Chain choice can be any SRAM 11-speed mountain chain — PC-GX, PC-X1, PC-XX1, or the PC-1130 — depending on where you want to spend. It is not compatible with 12-speed Eagle derailleurs or shifters; the cog spacing and cable pull are different, and mixing generations will not shift correctly.... Read More