SRAM Magic Pulley on AXS?

chadbrochills · Jun 19, 2023

So, my XX1 AXS pulley wheels are a bit chewed up after close to 2k miles and I'm going to replace them.

Searching for replacements online, I stumbled across the new Magic Pulley set:
SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission T-Type AXS Rear Derailleur "Magic" Pulley Kit - Fanatik Bike Co.

Seems to be the difference between the two, other than the whole "magic" pulley, is the tooth count. This is 16t for the lower pulley, 14t for the upper pullet vs. the stock AXS pulleys at 14t for the lower and 12t for the upper.

I've seen some companies offer "oversized" pulleys for AXS, at 14t for both upper and lower.

Can anyone think of any drawbacks as to trying this on the "old" AXS? Have to resize the chain?

ljsmith · Jun 19, 2023

The pulleys are designed for flat top chains that have larger rollers and won’t work with a regular Eagle chain.

chadbrochills · Jun 19, 2023

ljsmith said:
The pulleys are designed for flat top chains that have larger rollers and won’t work with a regular Eagle chain.

Didn't even think about the different chains. Thanks!

LVLBTY · Jun 19, 2023

There is no "Magic" in a pully. It's pure marketing.

chadbrochills · Jun 20, 2023

LVLBTY said:
There is no "Magic" in a pully. It's pure marketing.

I mean, I think we all know that lol. Just wondering if it could be a minor upgrade, considering basically the same price as the AXS pullies, but forgot about the new chains.

SunsetRide · Jun 20, 2023

If they fit and you could get by with your current chain length I don't really see a down side. You'd gain the feature of not having the wheel seize up in the unlikely event something gets jammed in the lower pulley while riding.

cjsummitskier · Oct 23, 2023

I have Transmission and don't love how slow it shifts. Swapping to an AXS derailleur + swapping out the stock pulleys for Transmission pulleys was my idea for a solution. Reached out to SRAM to see if possible - they say no:

"There are a few reasons that this concept is unfortunately not tenable. The pulley wheels for Eagle AXS Transmission are 14t and 16t. The Eagle AXS Drivetrain system uses a 12t and 14t. The cage for the Eagle Drivetrain derailleurs doesn't provide enough physical space for the larger Transmission pulley wheels to spin freely.

In addition to the physical constraints of the cage, attempting to replicate the shifting speed of Eagle AXS Drivetrain with the Transmission components would sacrifice the benefits of the enhanced shifting under load. That capability is made possible by the design of the cassette to move the chain at specific optimal shifting points. Forcing the shifts to hurry this timing would cause an inconsistent shifting experience. Beyond discussing the practical results of mixing these components, you should also be aware that mixing components that we've tested to be incompatible may prevent warranty support should you need it. "

Might still give it a whirl, but sounds like it probably is a bust.

SRAM Magic Pulley on AXS?

chadbrochills

ljsmith

chadbrochills

LVLBTY

chadbrochills

SunsetRide

cjsummitskier

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