Complete MTB groupsets

How to choose a complete mountain bike groupset

Replacing the entire drivetrain at once ensures compatible components and is often cheaper than buying them separately. SRAM Eagle and Shimano cover 12-speed options, from mechanical to wireless.

What does a groupset include?

• Most commonly: rear derailleur, shifter, cassette, chain and crankset.
• Contents vary between brands and ranges: brakes are sometimes included, sometimes not.
• A upgrade kit includes only the parts needed to switch to electronic shifting, while retaining the rest.
• Check the exact contents before ordering: this is what accounts for the price difference between two similar offers.

Mechanical, AXS or Di2?

• Mechanical : the best reliability-to-price ratio, repairable anywhere.
• SRAM AXS : wireless, removable battery on the derailleur, adjustment via the app.
• Wireless Shimano Di2 : very fast shifts, internal battery depending on the model.
• Electronic shifting requires the shifter and derailleur to belong to the same system.

What to check on the bike

• The bottom bracket standard, if the groupset includes the crankset.
• The chainline : Boost or non-Boost.
• The freehub body of your rear wheel: Micro Spline for Shimano, XD for SRAM.
• The derailleur hanger : SRAM Transmission drivetrains require a frame with the UDH standard.

Complete groupset or replacement part by part?

If the chain, cassette and chainring are worn at the same time, a complete groupset quickly becomes the most sensible option — and brings everything up to the same range. Conversely, a broken derailleur on an otherwise sound drivetrain can be replaced on its own.

To find out more: Everything you need to know about 12-speed mountain bike drivetrains

See also: Mountain bike cassettes · MTB rear derailleurs · MTB cranksets and crank arms