SRAM may have broken the mold when it came out with the 12-speed Eagle drivetrain, and while its CNC-machined chainrings moved forward with ultimate precision and power, they no doubt cost a pretty penny. With the release of GX Eagle there were places where pennies could be pinched, and now with the SRAM X-Synch2 Eagle Cold Forged Direct Mount Chainring you can shave a little more off of the price, while still achieving the lofty 12-speed drivetrain and crispy-shifting you’ve craved from SRAM’s Eagle lineup. This cold-forged chainring is built with the same narrow-wide profile as its CNC-machined brother for precise chain support, but is molded with cold-forging technology that saves on pricing for a budget-minded product. The X-Synch 2 Eagle Cold Forged Chainring features the same X-Synch 2 technology as the CNC model, with emphasis in its design being found in the tooth shape. Where the original X-Sync teeth took on a boxy shape, X-Sync 2 is narrower to accommodate the 12-speed Eagle chain and features teeth that more closely resemble those of a shark. Boasting aggressive profiling, these teeth hold the chain securely in place like a megaton aquatic predator latching onto a precisely thrown oxygen tank, then let it to glide seamlessly back to the cassette for smooth, friction-free turns. The beauty of this new profile isn’t just in its chain retention ability. It mimics the wear profile seen in the original X-Sync teeth for increased durability, and it features specific edge shaping to prevent chain suck over time. The direct-mount interface also makes swapping out rings a breeze, giving quick flexibility to adapt to different shapes of terrain.