This kit lets you fit mechanical Eagle 70 and 90 derailleurs to gravel bikes with drop bars

Ratio Technology strikes again at one of those compatibility issues that arise when mixing road, gravel, and MTB components. Their new kit allows the use of SRAM Eagle 70 and Eagle 90 Transmission mechanical shifts for MTB with SRAM Apex 12-speed levers for road handlebars.

Ratio makes SRAM Eagle 70 and 90 mechanical shifts compatible with 12-speed Apex levers

The arrival of the SRAM Eagle 70 and Eagle 90 opened up Transmission technology to mechanical transmissions. An especially interesting alternative for retaining some of the features of the T-Type ecosystem, such as shifting under load, Full Mount installation, or the ability to use wide-range cassettes.

The problem for those wanting to transfer this configuration to a gravel bike was compatibility. The SRAM Apex 12-speed mechanical levers use X-Actuation cable pull, while the shifts Eagle 70 and Eagle 90 operate with a different T-Type pull ratio. Therefore, although both systems are mechanical and 12-speed, they cannot be directly combined.

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That is precisely what the new Ratio Drop Bar Conversion for SRAM Eagle 70/90 solves.

The kit modifies the cable actuation of the shift through a new link and a part called fin. Both components are CNC machined from aluminum 6082 and allow the movement generated by a 12-speed Apex lever to correctly actuate an Eagle 70 or Eagle 90 shift.

Ratio also adds a rear cable outlet with an integrated tensioner. This last detail allows for on-the-fly indexing adjustments and, at the same time, facilitates cleaner cable routing on gravel and MTB frames.

A mechanical "mullet" transmission with T-Type cassette up to 10-52

The result opens up a particularly interesting configuration for gravel, bikepacking, or even MTB with road handlebars. Mechanical SRAM Apex levers combined with Eagle T-Type shift and transmission.

In addition to completely eliminating batteries and electronics, this combination allows for the use of the wide range available in the Eagle ecosystem. Among the possibilities is using a T-Type 10-52 cassette, a significant difference compared to SRAM's specific 1x road and gravel options when looking for particularly short gears to tackle steep slopes with a loaded bike.

It also retains two of the main arguments of Transmission for off-road use: its ability to shift under load and the robustness of the Full Mount system, which does away with the conventional derailleur hanger.

The kit may be particularly interesting as an upgrade for a bike currently equipped with SRAM Apex XPLR, as long as the frame is compatible with UDH and the other necessary components are replaced.

What is needed to install the Ratio kit

It is not enough to add the part to any SRAM transmission. Ratio specifies that to perform the conversion, the following are necessary:

• Frame compatible with UDH
• SRAM Eagle 70 or Eagle 90 mechanical Transmission shift
• SRAM Apex mechanical levers of 12 speeds
• SRAM Eagle Transmission T-Type 12-speed cassette
• SRAM T-Type chain
• Ratio Drop Bar Conversion kit

There is also an important limitation. The system is not compatible with older SRAM road levers of 10 or 11 speeds with Exact Actuation, even when these have been converted to 12 speeds using the Ratio conversion kit.

The kit includes the new link and fin machined from aluminum 6082, as well as the rear cable outlet with tensioner. Ratio has also published a specific video to guide during its installation.

The Ratio Drop Bar Conversion for SRAM Eagle 70/90 has an official price of 70 pounds, about 65€ for Spain.

More information on the official brand website.