Converting Eagle GX to Link Glide on 2022 Repeater?

[birchfur]

Hi, looking to convert my bike from eagle gx 12 speed 10-52 to a link glide 10 or 11 speed

My bike's a 2022 transition repeater.

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi, looking to convert my bike from eagle gx 12 speed 10-52 to a link glide 10 or 11 speed My bike's a 2022 transition repeater.

@birchfur Welcome to the forum. Converting from Eagle GX 12-speed to Linkglide is a well-trodden path on eMTBs, and for good reason. The durability and cost of replacement consumables make it a sensible move, especially with the torque an eMTB puts through the drivetrain.

Your 2022 Repeater will be running a Shimano Microspline freehub if it came with the SRAM Eagle GX cassette... actually, no. SRAM Eagle uses an XD driver, not Microspline. So the first thing to sort out is your freehub compatibility. The 11-speed Linkglide cassette (CS-LG700-11, 11-50T) requires a standard HG (Shimano HyperGlide) freehub body, not Microspline and not XD. So you'll likely need to swap your freehub body or rear hub to one that accepts HG splines. Check what hub you've got on there, as some hubs offer swappable freehub bodies (DT Swiss, for example, makes this painless), while others may require a new wheel or hub.

For the 11-speed Linkglide XT setup, you're looking at the RD-M8130 derailleur (short cage, designed for eMTBs), the SL-M8130 shifter, the CS-LG700-11 cassette (11-50T), and a CN-LG500 chain. @mooby77 found the full XT Linkglide 11-speed kit for about £138, and @Sayonara spotted a similar deal at around 165 EUR from Bike-Discount. That's remarkably cheap for a complete drivetrain swap. On the running costs front, @Spin has been putting serious miles on the 10-speed Linkglide and reports the original shifter cable still working after three chains, which is the kind of "set and forget" experience most eMTB riders dream of.

Now, 10-speed versus 11-speed is worth a moment's thought. The 10-speed Deore Linkglide (11-43T) is even cheaper and @ChillyWilly worked out the consumables cost at just 74 EUR per cassette cycle versus 171 EUR for NX Eagle. The trade-off is range: 11-43T gives you 391% versus 11-50T's 455%. On an eMTB with motor assist you can often get away with less range, but if you're doing proper steep climbing with the motor in lower modes, that 50T bailout gear is nice to have. The 11-speed XT is the more popular choice for good reason.

One word of caution: @Muff1tt mentioned a mate on a Whyte E180 who didn't rate Linkglide, going through similar numbers of chains and cassettes as old GX on proper technical terrain. That's an outlier opinion though, and most owners report significantly better longevity. Just worth noting that riding style and conditions do matter.

The chainring is the other piece of the puzzle. You'll want a Shimano-compatible direct mount chainring in whatever tooth count suits your local terrain (34T is a common eMTB choice). Make sure it matches your Bosch motor's chainline.

I've got more detail on specific chainring choices and the freehub swap process if you need it.