I just wish a little devils advocacy were present in your review. One thing that isnt mentioned here is that the powermeter is built into the rings, thus once you wear the rings out, you have to buy a new powermeter. The pistons also retract 10% more than the previous generation callipers to help reduce the likelihood of brake rub. And its nice to have options. The difference to Red eTap AXS is 541 grams. Honestly I would not, because the existing system is still so good. The levers havent really changed in shape, but the finish looks impressive with carbon levers finished with chrome graphics and a new softer and textured grip that feels good and offers a solid connection even in heavy rain wearing winter gloves. Heres all of our tech stories from the SRAM AXS launch event: Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. This is something most of us do manually anyway, but now SRAM will do it for you. 2023 SRAM Force AXS & XPLR groups updated with lighter, better tech. Secondly, it can change gears up or down a few sprockets on the rear to compensate for a shift at the front so that you get a similar ratio after the front shift rather than either spinning or grinding, as is typical with mechanical shift systems. Within the AXS app you can also customise what each lever does, and because the SRAM Eagle AXS mountain bike groupset shares the same protocol you can mix and match if you like. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. The less pronounced jumps between gears make the best use of your efforts and create a more controlled cadence, as the seven 1-tooth jumps are between the gears you will use the most is better than anything currently available (bar a custom time-trial straight through cassette) and thats the Holy Grail for smoother pedaling. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Newly formed Denver Disruptors NCL team to make its debut at Tucson Bicycle Classic, Paris-Nice 2023 route: demanding and hilly course awaits riders, pros were doing at least a year in advance, Improve your performance with our expert practical, nutritional and training tips, Every week get exclusive interviews, fitness tips and product reviews. The spring clutch in the Rival rear derailleur provides the same function but with simpler tech. Fresh graphics with subtle-yet-shiny paint catch the eye, and the one-piece chainrings and slimmer brake hoods. It's geared to flat time trials as well as gravel, with larger rings designed to be aero. Ive come to expect great ideas with mediocre execution from SRAM. Whether you agree with me or not, you missed out on addressing my concerns with your review. The rear mech will work with either a 1x or 2x system and to get around the need for a clutch on a 1x system, used to retain chain tension on rough terrain, SRAMs come up with a clever alternative, called Orbit. Shifting is as smooth as ever, but just the general running and operation was nearly imperceptible. SRAM clutch mechs are fixed tension, while Shimano ones have an on/off switch and user-adjustable tension. Would you question the quality of something if EVERY one of your friends was using it and lauded it? Both Red and Dura-Ace give you the option to adjust brake lever rest position and bite point to suit your hands' reach. We've removed bottom bracketweight as these are frame dependant. But of course the reduction in weight and improvement in aerodynamics comes at the penalty of increased friction, wear, and incompatibility out the wazoo. Are 13-tooth gear jumps considered cutting edge technology now? Well, I only rode the one bike with the one combo, but yes, Id say so. I could never willingly pay money for shimanos mehcanical mtb shifting over SRAMs. Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 2403g / RRP 3,701. Wide crankset and front derailleur options for gravel bikes. I wasnt constantly chasing that sweet spot thats so elusive on something like a 50/34 combo. Continue with Recommended Cookies, At the official SRAM AXS launch, there was a LOT to learn. Red eTap AXS: MSRP $1,453-2,690. The reduction in the chains size has meant that it has more clearance than the previous model when its sitting on a sprocket i.e. https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. The SRAM Red AXS chainset has the two chainrings machined out of one block of material instead of being held together by chainring bolts like Shimano's groupsets. SRAM Eagle AXS MTB First Impressions, https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. With the new 12-speed RED eTap AXS groupset, out go traditional gearing ratios and in comes something entirely new: As you can see, the chainring sizes are reduced and the cassettes look broadly similar, but what you actually get is harder and easier gears at both ends of the spectrum, across all combinations (Fig 1). Graduations: 10-28 or 10-33 teeth. It also eschews any mechanical only version of the setup, going with only their wireless eTAP shifting option. Do they work? The optional power meter by Quarq is solid and the numbers its providing match those I get from the Quarq meter I run on my own bike. SRAM Rival eTap AXS is a more affordable wireless electronic drivetrain. SRAM Red chainrings are machines from one piece of material so are lighter and stronger than before. Secondly, theres compensating; this smooths out gear shifts, so when you change the front ring up or down, it compensates at the rear derailleur, moving either one or two cogs to keep your gear progression even and your cadence steady. SRAM says that this ability to absorb water is an advantage if you do get damp in your brakes, as it means that it's less likely there will be free water droplets in the hoses than with an oil-based system, where it would boil at 100C and so potentially impact performance. Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves finding new travel adventures to share with his family and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter. Gear percentages, as seen in the above chart, refer to the gear range of the cassette, or the difference between highest and lowest available gears. The upside is that all new products moving forward (at least for the next couple years) will be built on this platform and be cross compatible. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You could have mentioned something to that affect. The Durable Unifying bottom bracket (DUB) is SRAMs answer to creaky press-fit bottom brackets. Beginners or triathletes pure gold right there! The shift speed feels very close to existing eTap, but the real plus is just how quietly it carries out those shifts. Weight:.84 ounces. Shift speed, to me, is a critical determinant in any drivetrain, and Red failed in my view in that regard. SRAM RED and Force AXS rear derailleurs use Orbit Fluid Dampers to prevent dropped chains and chain noise on rough roads. I love my shimano road group, and when I have sram on one mtb and shimano on the other. Shimano takes their sweet ass time but releases a finished product. FYI Heres a full list of everything you can buy as of February 2019, and theres plenty more coming. doesnt actually have a link connected to it with the list of bikes. There's an indicator light on the rear mech that indicates charge level and, like SRAM, you can also check battery status in the Shimano E-Tube app. To increase the rear cassettes range it needed to have a 10-tooth bottom sprocket. SRAMs break with traditional gear ratios has meant some radical design changes chainset included. Gear ratios arent a new thing and 10t cogs have been around for a while.The XD driver was a great innovation. Clockwise from left, XX1 weighs 373 grams, X01 weighs 390 grams, and GX weighs 454 grams (battery cover not included). Shimano rarely releases duds while Sram constantly does. The harsher the bump, the more resistance it applies to keep the chain under control. It is compatible with 1x and 2x eTap AXS drivetrains. The lag from the wireless protocol should be imperceptible. Sram's most affordable eTap AXS groupset ridden and rated - but does the performance justify the cost? SRAM's hoods house the hydraulic brake reservoirs as well as the shifter electronics. The * means that its not actually checking your power and efficiency to optimize cadence for you, personally. By pairing these to smaller chainrings, SRAM has been able to provide more gear range at the back that exceeds the top and bottom gearing of traditional ratios, as well as seven consecutive one tooth changes. I ride mile after mile on 50/34 chain rings, and the best part is that I dont have to throw away my power meter if I want a change. In the case of eTap XRS, the sprockets make up two blocks pinned together to produce the whole, but on many designs sprockets can be individual, particularly as they get smaller. Even the current RED E-Tap is a pretty rare thing to find on a shop floor so its difficult for an interested rider to experience. There are similar, less visible material choices other components. Everything is geared around the 10-tooth sprocket on the cassette, and this has allowed the brand to shrink the front chainrings, pushing the extra gear range to the back. About this item. Shimano's E-Tube app provides similar lever customisation, but you can also alter the speed of shifts. Gear ratio range: 280 - 330%. A new $249 spindle-based Quarq power meter. Were a year on and availability is still sketchy, and theyve had to go back to the drawing board one hubs and cranks, after releasing them a year ago. Hes also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadars YouTube channel. A Force eTap AXS group with a similar set-up weighs 2,600 grams, a difference of 183 grams. For example, in the eTap AXS, the largest ring on what is effectively the double chainset has 50-teeth and the smallest sprocket is 10-teeth, which means the ratio is 5:1and the wheel will turn five times for every pedal revolution. SRAM launched Red eTap in 2015 and followed up in 2019 with 12-speed Red eTap AXS. With AXS I expected some improvement and a wider range of gears, but I wasnt totally convinced about how essential it would be. There's also the option to have a wired connection between the shifters and the derailleurs. Cyclocross Magazine got an early look at the new products in March and brings you the details and differences compared to the SRAM Red eTap AXS components. Shifting is actuated by switches on the brake levers, which send a signal to the derailleurs to do their thing. Hiding under the hood, though, are a big collection of incremental running changes that have been added to both Red and Force groups over the years and finally getting codified here. Wolf Tooth is working on one but its a little further out. These are then mounted onto the crank arm directly using a splined interface. With 48/35t chainrings, 175mm cranks, a 10-30t cassette, and hydraulic disc brake calipers, the claimed weight of a complete Rival eTap AXS group is 2,783 grams. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Even better from a value point of view is the "entry-level" Aethos Comp complete bike, which comes equipped with SRAM's new Rival eTap AXS wireless electronic groupset, a nice carbon fiber . SRAM expects Rival eTap AXS to be spec'd on complete bikes in the $3,500 to $4,000 range. Both are programmable with built-in Bluetooth, both are focused on disc brakes but also offer a rim brake option and both let you add an in-series power meter. This design, XDR, is close to XD (and compatible with the use of a small spacer). Yes, I might have to learn a whole new set of gear ratios, but it opens up so much potential for experimenting with gear ranges a road 1x setup with a 10-51 rear block is a real option for those mad enough to try! SRAM RED eTap AXS offers wider range and closer progression, so you're always in the right gear. Rotor UNO Hydraulic Groupset It developed a new type of freehub body the XD Driver for the dirt, which introduced 12-speed gearing to its flagship Eagle groupset, and has cleared the path for use on the road too. 124K views 1 year ago Is Shimano Ultegra Di2 the best electronic groupset to buy in 2021, and how does it compare to its main rival, SRAM Force eTap AXS? The 10-26t, 10-28t or 10-33t can run with a standard Red derailleur. It requires a hub with an XDR driver body and is available in 10-30t and 10-36t configurations. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. How has SRAM done it? Ever bigger cassettes have been in vogue for years now, not just among committed amateurs like me and you but the pro peloton too. You can also pair Shimano's Di2 mountain bike derailleur and levers with Shimano's road equivalents. Shop now RED ETAP AXS HRD SHIFT-BRAKE SYSTEM Ive always avoided putting parts on the bike which make me cringe to look at. Note:Disc brake weights do not include brake hose/fluid. Compatibility Drive: SRAM Red | Force eTap AXS 12-speed. It has run less than 500 km and the last service was this year. Shimano Dura-Ace cassettes now offer an 11-30t and an 11-34t tooth option, with the former offering seven single tooth increments from 11 to 17 tooth sprockets, matching SRAM. Meet Rival eTap AXS. Rival eTap AXS 2x cranksets use an integrated spider, while Rival 1x cranksets have a single direct mount chainring. The higher boiling point should make a DOT fluid-based system more stable, says SRAM, leading to longer periods between brake system bleeds. In the world of bike tech game-changing is a hyperbolic phrase that gets bandied left, right and centre. Sponsoring teams IS marketing. Theres also an all-new motor with more power and faster signal transfer, to go along with the groupsets overhauled chipset thats running things. Also looks pretty much like the red from far so IMHO a nice upgrade. What is the shift speed like? Most of their parts in general are aesthetically acceptable, with the exception of their crank arms. If it helps, Ill try real hard to find something wrong with it during my long term test! I just think theyre an inconsistent company when it comes to quality. There is something to be said for just being the best out there and sometimes that requires breaking changes that screw up compatibility. Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Liam Cahill / Our Media The levers offer two ports per side for SRAMs accessory blips, which allow you to change gear anywhere you like on the handlebars. Also, maybe Im in the minority here, but Id LOVE to know when I might be able to get my hands on a Force 24 mechanical group. Doing so without affecting its strength is a challenge, which led SRAM to rethinking its chain design. The Orbit Damper is lightweight, low friction, and speed-sensitive. So, the short answer is, it didnt feel any faster, but I liked the speed of the original eTap (and this new one) just fine. That doesnt mean they cant be easily anticipated or quickly deduced. You will find snaps of Warrens daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus). SRAM's new wireless RED eTap AXS road groupset has 12 gears, approaches road gearing in a totally new way, is available in either 1x or 2x setups and features a clutch. I really appreciate the push pull on the trigger for shimano. The sheer quality of the operation is magnificent and the addition of an app adds the last piece of the puzzle to the user-friendliness of eTap (both old and new). Rival cassettes feature a different construction. Now, a more affordable little brother has joined the AXS family. Once you've paired all the connecting parts to the apps over Bluetooth you can then choose to make either groupset work in two different ways. Granted, SRAM is a smaller company than Shimano. The difference to Red eTap AXS is 541 grams. All the pros and cons explained and. All these sites are paid to promote therefore we cant expect them to be BRUTALLY honest because that means a blacklist from the sponsors in future. Each is designed to work with a specific 12-speed cassette (of which there are also three), but you can mix and match those pairings. The Rival AXS wide front derailleur is designed for smaller 43/30t X-Range chainrings on wide cranks and provides clearance for 700x45c and 27.5x2.1 tires. Rim brake fans arent being left out in the cold either as SRAM will be offering eTap AXS in that format. With SRAM ostensibly leading the way with their fully wireless 12 speed eTap AXS groupsets, Shimano made steps in the same direction with the release of semi-wireless models in 2021.. It uses SRAMs narrow-wide direct-mount X-SYNC chainrings that provide chain retention in rough terrain. > Also, Ive already built 3 different bikes with the group We found that this makes it easier to ride in a tucked aero position due to better grip. Spotted: A New XC Race Bike from Specialized 2023 Epic? To pair with the Rival AXS 12-speed chainrings and cassettes, there is a matching Rival AXS Flattop chain. Specifications : Feature 1 Wide: tire clearance up to 700x45c and 27.5 x 2.1". Cassettes are 11-28 (or closest) We've removed bottom bracket weight as these are frame dependant. All rights reserved. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Package Quantity: 1. Shimano is total opposite. Once the bike is configured, wires dont necessarily matter, though wireless if obviously superior in concept. Rival AXS shifters pair with any other component in the AXS line-up, including Eagle AXS rear derailleurs, for riders interested in a wide-range mullet set-up a 10-50T cassette with a single chainring. The Rival crankset uses polished aluminum arms that are stiff, tough, and come in a variety of lengths (160mm-175mm). Hes been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs. A couple of advantages to this are that it's easy to take the battery off and recharge it somewhere convenient with SRAM's recharging cradle and that if one battery goes flat (usually the rear) you can swap them about and keep going. Which I have always noted was lacking with etap as did another commenter. Here they are. We were lucky enough to get our hands on Orbeas Orca a few months ago in the new eTap AXS spec and its this bike Ive used for my testing. Its a little reminiscent of a BMX/Track half link, but these are full length links, The new XG-1290 cassette starts from a 10-tooth sprocket and is compatible with XD-R freehubs, The RED eTap AXS shifters are essentially the same shape as the previous shifter but with a carbon and chrome makeover and a new more ergonomic hood cover, AXS means both 1x and 2x drivetrains, but 1x doesnt just mean cross and gravel, SRAM also has this new 1x aero chainset for TT and triathlon with a spider mounted Quarq power meter option, The cross 1x chainset also has a power meter option, If youre not a fan of disc brakes SRAM also offers the new eTap with a rim brake option, A fluid damper built into the rear mech takes care of chain retention meaning eTap is now an option for cyclocross and gravel riders, With SRAMs AXS app (for iOS and Android) you can run firmware updates to the system (and power meter), look at battery levels, and assign actions to the shifters, as well as add-on blip controls and activate the shift modes, SRAMs reworking of gear ratios compared to its Shimano equivalents, SRAMs range of gearing offers a wider spread than we would have imagined, The new rear mech uses the exiting eTap battery as does the front mech, SRAM has finally produced a dedicated rotor for the road, and with its sculpted carrier and stainless (round-edged) brake track it looks the business, The new cassette keeps a close ratio of single-tooth jumps for the first seven sprockets, Ive been riding the new eTap for a few months now on Orbeas new Orca, which is available with the new eTap and Mavic Cosmic carbon Pro UST wheels and FSA K-Force carbon finsihing kit for 7,649.