Winning my award for Most Improved Front Derailleur category isdrum roll pleasethe front derailleur! The lag from the wireless protocol should be imperceptible. The move to 12-speed could have been just another trinket to get people to part with their hard-earned cash, but what SRAM has achieved with eTap and its fresh approach to modern bike drivetrains could well be the shape of things to come. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Bath 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. After a few months of testing, eTap AXS has surpassed my expectations. Wide crankset and front derailleur options for gravel bikes. The fact that the rings are machined together is a huge issue to me. Shimano Dura-Ace brakes come paired with XTR MTB brake rotors, Shimano's E-Tube app can be used to fine tune shifting. Their products are sexy and light but not on par with their price in my opinion. The two biggest differences from Di2 are that Red eTap shifting is wireless, and the AXS incarnations has 12 sprockets on the rear hub, with a significantly different approach to gearing centered on its 10-tooth smallest sprocket. 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. Already have an account with us? When you shift the front ring in either direction the rear mech puts you in the ideal gear progression by moving either one or two sprockets at the back. You can only applaud SRAM for having the courage to take on decades of accepted standards and come up with something thats not just new, but has purpose with it. Its set to cost 3,349 / $3,648 / 3,618 for the 2x HRD RED version we have tested over the last few months. It's geared to flat time trials as well as gravel, with larger rings designed to be aero. First Look: SRAM Force eTAP AXS Component Group SRAM Force AXS first ride review - Road Groupset - Groupsets - BikeRadar Note that the former gives you a 1:1 lowest ratio when paired to the wider range 11-34t cassette, matching SRAM's lowest range configuration. Heres a full list of everything you can buy as of February 2019, and theres plenty more coming. The Sequential mode effectively turns it into a big 1x system by automatically shifting the front and rear together all the way up and down the range. The principle behind the damper is that the faster it moves, the more the resistance builds. Fully wireless design with no cables, housing, or wires to manage. SRAM has a history of making products that consumers love but mechanics hate. This increases the tension in the lower segment of chain and stops it falling off the chainring. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? To be fair, I think the Eagle chainring tooth profile is a mind-blowing innovation that is as well executed as Shimanos best product. It uses SRAMs narrow-wide direct-mount X-SYNC chainrings that provide chain retention in rough terrain. Based on SRAM's claimed weights for 2x disc brake groups without a power meter, the Rival AXS is 653 grams heavier than Red AXS, and 223 grams heavier than Force AXS. Basically, the fluid clutch works amazingly well and, theoretically, shouldnt sap any extra juice out of the derailleurs battery. SRAM Red eTap AXS This is the option for you if you want no wires Specifications Speeds: 1x12, 2x12 Chainrings: 46/33T, 48/35T, 50/37T, 36T, 38T, 40T, 42T, 44T, 46T, 48T, 50T Cassettes:. The group offers 33/46 and 35/48 chainrings but not the 37/50 option. Continue with Recommended Cookies, At the official SRAM AXS launch, there was a LOT to learn. Compatibility freewheel: SRAM-XDR freewheel. You could have mentioned something to that affect. Orbit is a fluid damper contained within the pivot at the top jockey wheel axle. Rim brake fans arent being left out in the cold either as SRAM will be offering eTap AXS in that format. The difference to Red eTap AXS is 541 grams. Any improvement in the new group with a 212 set up? What's the difference between Rival and SRAM RED or Force eTap AXS? - SRAM But with a Force AXS group coming in April, that would be good timing. I just wish a little devils advocacy were present in your review. 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. The Durable Unifying bottom bracket (DUB) is SRAMs answer to creaky press-fit bottom brackets. You can also check battery status in the SRAM AXS phone app (see below). Adding an extra sprocket reduces space, which means the width of the chain must be reduced. SRAM has always majored on gravel bike riding and now bundles this functionality into its XPLR range, which is available at Red eTap AXS spec level. 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. No mention of the throw-away crankset + power meter when you need or want new rings, no mention of the need to replace your hubs to work with XDR, coin batteries in the shifters, 10 tooth cog.the list goes on. Sponsoring teams IS marketing. Wolf Tooth is working on one but its a little further out. SRAM Groupset Hierarchy Explainer: What You Need to Know There are more teams riding Campy than Sram. The rest of it looks great but I find the cranks really unattractive. The power meter spindle can also be purchased alone, to instantly upgrade any DUB road or road wide crankset. Year 2022 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. If there were something I didnt like about the group, Id say so, but it really is that good based on first impressions. The reason why is because there is a host of different wire length + junction options and weight will fluctuate with setup. SRAM competitor Campagnolo might well have got to 12-speed first, but with the wireless, electronic RED eTap getting a wider revamp, which goes far beyond the fabled 12th sprocket, its taken aim at nothing less than a complete rethink of road bike gearing. Yeah I figured, but I have to fix my bathroom and rotten plumbing first so Im like 4 months out at least. To reduce costs, there is a slight weight penalty. It also eschews any mechanical only version of the setup, going with only their wireless eTAP shifting option. Are 13-tooth gear jumps considered cutting edge technology now? The pics show only the drive side arm crank weightedso not sure if 395g with powermeter refers to the whole crank or to only one arm (this latter case would make no sense). SRAM's hoods are quite large. Shifting is actuated by switches on the brake levers, which send a signal to the derailleurs to do their thing. Battery-to-tire clearance was a known issue with the 1st gen eTap group when running anything larger than a 70040 tire. Similar bikes won't keep up with the Vitesse EVO Red eTap AXS while riding downhill or sprinting. Even better, theyre now available consumer direct and in select shops in the U.S. and Canada. Note: SRAM eTap component weights includes batteries because batteries all weigh the same. 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. Although the 81 gram weight difference between GX and XX1 is clearly not massive (that's less than a quarter of a pound), it is . . Ever bigger cassettes have been in vogue for years now, not just among committed amateurs like me and you but the pro peloton too. . Well, I only rode the one bike with the one combo, but yes, Id say so. I guess the big question is this: would I change my existing eTap RED 22-speed for this new model? The harsher the bump, the more resistance it applies to keep the chain under control. How is the Trek Checkpoint long term testing going? Ive already though about that exact thing. Hands on: Actual weight of the new SRAM Force eTap AXS 2x12 road group Weight according to the manufacturer: kA. For the road test, I was handed a Trek Checkpoint gravel bike equipped with the new eTap AXS parts, Zipp 303 tubeless ready wheels and the bike brands sweet vibration damping tech. SRAM Rival eTap AXS brings all the benefits of the earlier (and much more expensive) releases - at a fraction of the outlay. How has SRAM done it? Force uses 11-26 cassette. Prices . Lever shape is largely unchanged from the original eTap. I could never willingly pay money for shimanos mehcanical mtb shifting over SRAMs. Small vision with great execution. 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. Why pay to sponsor a team when new product releases like this are still being talked about long after the initial release. A Force eTap AXS group with a similar set-up weighs 2,600 grams, a difference of 183 grams. New 10-36 cassette and crank with 30/46 rings make Force eTap AXS more gravel and fondo friendly. If it helps, Ill try real hard to find something wrong with it during my long term test! Upon reflection, I wasnt constantly chasing that sweet spot thats so elusive on something like a 50/34 combo. The roads we used were mostly dirt, looping in and out of Saguaro National Parks western district (check out our Where To Ride guide for more on this sweet winter training area!). BA1 1UA. Ive come to expect great ideas with mediocre execution from SRAM. In reading each review of VXS, I have waited and waited for any kind of comment on shift speed. 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. Not so much. Specifications : Feature 1 Wide: tire clearance up to 700x45c and 27.5 x 2.1". These are there to please the pros, who were worried about chain articulation over the smaller sized sprockets in SRAM's standard X-Range configuration. The hoods and shifter paddles feature a new ribbed texture for more comfort, grip, and control. Electronic drivetrains are the future of cycling, and for the last two years, SRAMs wireless Red eTap AXS and Force eTap AXS groups have been at the top of the food chain. The effortless shifts, easy installation, user-friendly customization, and clean, cable-free cockpits have made them a must-have for high-end road and gravel bikes. Whereas SRAM brakes use DOT fluid, Shimano's use mineral oil. Honestly I would not, because the existing system is still so good. You can choose to shift at the front should you want to, like when youre coasting up to traffic stops. And apparently the same capability but at ultegra price or less. In the world of bike tech game-changing is a hyperbolic phrase that gets bandied left, right and centre. How is that possible on a decade old groupset? SRAM launched Red eTap in 2015 and followed up in 2019 with 12-speed Red eTap AXS. All the pros and cons explained and. SRAM clutch mechs are fixed tension, while Shimano ones have an on/off switch and user-adjustable tension. The Rival AXS rear derailleur uses a spring clutch rather than the Orbit Fluid Damper found on the Force and Red AXS rear derailleurs. You should get around 60 hours of riding on a charge, with each derailleur having an indicator light that shows green, red then flashing red to show battery level. Works like a charm and IMHO shifts better now than it did with the force chainring. 2023 SRAM Force AXS & XPLR groups updated with lighter, better tech. Plus the cost of consumable parts like the chainrings? Ive ridden the AXS and the shifting IS slow compared to di2 but fine if you like etap. The shift speed feels very close to existing eTap, but the real plus is just how quietly it carries out those shifts. It can absorb water from the atmosphere, but even with 4% water still boils at 155C. Id only add that if EVERY media outlet is reporting nothing but positives, Id say its a pretty good indication of the groups merits. 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. As the name suggests it isnt a new standard but something that works across the myriad press-fit standards and traditional designs (BB30, PF30, BBright, PF30a, 386, PF86.5, GXP and BSA). The brake/shift levers are bloody awful too. After three years riding the original eTap in its various rim and disc brake guises Ive been very impressed. Which leads me to the last big change: Gearing. Impossible_Beach_552 5 mo. While it was some way behind its major competitors Shimano and Campagnolo, whod had electronic systems for years, it jumped ahead of both by becoming the first to dispense with cables and operate wirelessly. The glaring bias in this review is palpable, I had to check that it wasnt a sponsored post. Anyone willing to spend thousands on this mess will soon discover that SRAM completely missed any opportunity to develop/refine the many awesome features of ETAP 11. AXS might be the perfectly executed product to change my mind. Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazines senior technical editor for road and gravel. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Here they are. Warren Rossiter (BikeRadar) has been using it about 2 months, and says in his video on it that its maybe a wee bit faster. Once you dial it in, I can see it being a cool thing for beginners or triathletes who dont want to have to think about doing too many things while riding. With the latest R9200 version of Dura-Ace released in 2021 there are more similarities between the two road bike groupsets than there were, but plenty of differences still. Let's take a look: Derailleur weight is the only functional difference in SRAM's AXS line. Front shifts are more positive and completely accurate, even when shifting over broken surfaces as the rear mechs damper increases the chain tension and prevents any chatter and bounce. You will find snaps of Warrens daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus). SRAM Force eTap AXS Front Derailleur 2x12 Wide 2023 Also note that since as standard the power meter is integrated into the chainrings, which SRAM says it's done to ensure the best accuracy, you need to replace this too when you replace the rings. Why cant shimano be wireless yet? Rival and Force chains also use solid pins while Red uses lighter, hollow pins. SRAM Red eTap AXS brake/shift levers have a large single paddle each. You can also run a 10-36 cassette with a specific, compatible wider-range Red derailleur. Both brands' disc brakes are designed to work with either 140mm or 160mm rotors. While there were pavement and gravel riding opportunities, gravel was the right choice to drive home some of the key new features of the group. So Dura-Ace runs a 12-speed chain from the XTR groupset. 2023 Merida ONE-SIXTY 6000 Gives a Reassuring, Responsive Ride | Review, Lezyne Digital Travel Floor Drive Pump Brings Big Features to Miniature Design, Suplest Edge+ 2.0 Cancellara Edition Road Shoe Brings Brand to North America, Granite Designs Quiver Tool Roll Stores, Stashes, and Straps Anywhere, GoFundMe Supports Two Cyclists Killed, 17 Injured in AZ Car Accident, Podcast #077 First Endurance dives deep on sports nutrition, Paragon Machine Works Celebrates 40 Years With Limited-Edition Multitool & Bottle Opener, Shimano Special Editions: Tropical Leaves With Lazer & Champagne for Spring Classics, Road 2x (48/35 combo) 419g with powermeter, Road 1x (48t X-Sync) 395g with powermeter, Shifters 233g/234g with coin cell batteries installed, Rear brake caliper 158g (with spacer, so subtract a couple grams). He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for 14 years. Then they trickled down to the X9, X7 and X5 dual chainring cranksets. A complete group. https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. Road - RED eTap AXS - r2-bike.com The integrated PM is so wack in my opinion. Once the bike is configured, wires dont necessarily matter, though wireless if obviously superior in concept. Theyve addressed what few issues the first group had, made it faster and more capable, and its better looking than ever. Gear ratios arent a new thing and 10t cogs have been around for a while.The XD driver was a great innovation. 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. Campagnolos answer was to add a 12th sprocket to fill the gap in the centre of the block, which works to an extent but doesnt entirely solve the problem. Purchased separately, a full 2x group comes in at $1,420, while a 1x group brings the pricing down to $1,190. Which I have always noted was lacking with etap as did another commenter. Basically, when you change gear at either the front or the back, the auto shift moves the other derailleur if necessary to ensure you are always shifting to the next available gear (in either direction) to keep changes as smooth as possible. Add custom gearing Learn more about bike gearing Estimated Spec Level The shift buttons get a bit of texture and hood covers are softer and patterned for better grip. Once the rear mech reaches a pre-defined point on the cassette the next shift will initiate a front mech shift with the rear mech making a corresponding shift in the opposite direction to give you the next gear ratio up or down the cassette.