He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for 14 years. Just as the original eTap had plenty of innovative touches, so does the new kid in town. The picture shows that the RDs weight is 297g and not 247g (and that would be closer to the claimed 303g). Shifting is actuated by switches on the brake levers, which send a signal to the derailleurs to do their thing. Road - RED eTap AXS: SRAM Chainring Kit RED DUB Direct Mount 2-speed - SRAM Battery Charger for RED eTap | etap AXS | Eagle AXS - SRAM RED eTap AXS DUB Cran. SRAM 12-speed cassettes will only fit on wheels with SRAM XDR freehub bodies. Its GRX groupsets still stop at 11-speed. The photos seem to show only the chainring and drive side crank arm. The spring clutch in the Rival rear derailleur provides the same function but with simpler tech. The Vitesse EVO Red eTap AXS is easier to ride up hills than similar bikes. Heres all of our tech stories from the SRAM AXS launch event: Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. 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. 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). Adding a 12th sprocket to the cassette reduced the space in between the cogs, so SRAM designed a new 12-speed chain which it took as an opportunity to create the distinctive looking flattop chain now in use. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to BikeRumor's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Gear ratios arent a new thing and 10t cogs have been around for a while.The XD driver was a great innovation. Also looks pretty much like the red from far so IMHO a nice upgrade. That said, when it comes to replacing my current bike or investing in another road machine then, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be wanting the radical new eTap AXS. 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. 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. You can keep track of battery levels within the mechs and shifters and also assign up and downshifts to whichever lever you want. It also offers a 50% discount to the original owner when they buy a replacement power meter/chainring set within five years. The higher boiling point should make a DOT fluid-based system more stable, says SRAM, leading to longer periods between brake system bleeds. How often do people wear out the big ring and small ring at the exact same rate? Gear ratio range: 280 - 330%. Red eTap AXS: MSRP $1,453-2,690. This increases the tension in the lower segment of chain and stops it falling off the chainring. It's not a lightweight choice, but it compares extremely well with. Force coming in April. Since then, hes reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website. 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. Warranty: Multiple Warranties and/or Time Frames Apply. Yeah I figured, but I have to fix my bathroom and rotten plumbing first so Im like 4 months out at least. 2023 SRAM Force AXS & XPLR groups updated with lighter, better tech. Ever bigger cassettes have been in vogue for years now, not just among committed amateurs like me and you but the pro peloton too. SRAMs RED eTap AXS will also be available on a whole host of 2019 bikes with brands such as Specialized, Trek, Canyon, Orbea, BMC, Giant, Liv, Scott, Cannondale, Cervelo, 3T, Open, Rose, Parlee and Koga all confirmed. It's worth noting though that this means that once a chainring is worn you need to replace both. Both SRAM RED and Force crank arms are carbon; SRAM RED having direct mount chainrings for 2x, and both SRAM RED and Force having a 1x spider that works with 1x 107mm BCD chainrings. It's geared to flat time trials as well as gravel, with larger rings designed to be aero. In comparison to Shimano's traditional gearing, the 50/37 and a 10-26 cassette is the equivalent of the 53/39 with an 11-25 cassette. SRAM Rival eTap AXS brings all the benefits of the earlier (and much more expensive) releases - at a fraction of the outlay. You'll save yourself around 100g by opting for Dura-Ace over Red eTap, although the latest 12-speed Dura-Ace is actually a few grams heavier than the older 11-speed version; it looks as if the quest for ever-lower groupset weights may have peaked. SRAM for innovation, Shimano for execution. Scope of delivery With setup tool, without battery. 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. Now theyre just bringing the model to road bikes. That makes them more agile but less capable. Finally, the 46/33 with a 10-33 is the same as a 50/34 with an 11-34 cassette. Real weight for the 1x Red eTap AXS full crankset including the 40T chainring is 510g. Well, that all depends on what kind of group you want and how you ride. The Orbea Orca, which Ive been running AXS on, is equipped with two blips mounted under the tape on the underside of the bars top, so you can shift gears when riding holding the tops while on a long, steady climb. No crank, no cassette, no chain. All the pros and cons explained and. the gap between the next sprocket up and next sprocket down is bigger. Youll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. 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 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. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. SRAM Red chainrings are machines from one piece of material so are lighter and stronger than before. Fully wireless design with no cables, housing, or wires to manage. I dont think its a limitation of wireless. One thing we did notice in our testing was that the SRAM groupset was significantly more silent than its Shimano Dura-Ace rival. A new $249 spindle-based Quarq power meter. Perhaps because they coudnt say anything positive about it Thanks again. The shift speed feels very close to existing eTap, but the real plus is just how quietly it carries out those shifts. I dont mind it until Im at race wattage and then its a first world problem because the shifting is noticeably slower than di2 of any gen. Ive got 7970 still and it shifts faster than AXS. Its not just the wider range where AXS seems to have an advantage on the competition, but in smoother progression between gears, with more single tooth jumps across all three cassette blocks (Fig 2). At the front, Dura-Ace offers the usual 50/34t and 52/36t options. I really appreciate the push pull on the trigger for shimano. A lot to process. The Rival cassette uses a fully pinned design, where 12 individual cogs are pinned together, increasing the weight by about 20 grams over a comparable Force cassette. Id only add that if EVERY media outlet is reporting nothing but positives, Id say its a pretty good indication of the groups merits. 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. SRAM Red chainrings come in 46/33t, 48/35t and 50/37t options as standard, so you can have a lowest ratio below 1:1 if you use a 10-36 cassette with a 46/33t or 48/35t chainset, without losing top end ratios. That means that there's a range of Red XPLR eTap AXS components, including a rear derailleur with 44 tooth maximum sprocket capacity that works with a 12-speed XPRL cassette with 10-44t range. I added the left crank arm weights, and the cassette, its all here now. The lack of any real critical analysis here is disappointing and lacks any credibility. SRAM unleashed a whole new concept of gearing and gear ratios as part of the new group, and it will almost certainly inform future products as well. Weight difference negligible. 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. To pair with the Rival AXS 12-speed chainrings and cassettes, there is a matching Rival AXS Flattop chain. SRAM Force opts for a two piece caliper design instead of the monobloc calipers found on RED, which results in weights of 166g and 180g for the front and rear brake respectively with full length hoses, 160mm rotor adapters with hardware, and a pad spacer. Package Quantity: 1. Who has the answer? > Ive ridden the group and theres no friction to be found. Strangely none of the reviewers thought it relevant. Rival is only available with hydraulic disc brakes. Once the bike is configured, wires dont necessarily matter, though wireless if obviously superior in concept. SRAM RED eTap AXS Actual Weights Road 2x (48/35 combo) - 419g with powermeter Road 1x (48t X-Sync) - 395g with powermeter Left crank - 156g Front derailleur - 165g with battery Rear derailleur - 247g with battery 10-33 Cassette - 211g Shifters - 233g/234g with coin cell batteries installed Updated Blip Box - 24g You can also check battery status in the SRAM AXS phone app (see below). 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. Bath Everything from the overall AXS system that would control future wireless components from SRAM, Rockshox and more, to the actual new RED eTap AXS road group and its Eagle mountain bike counterpart. Rival uses aluminum brake levers and crank arms, while Force uses composite brake levers and solid carbon crank arms. The levers offer two ports per side for SRAMs accessory blips, which allow you to change gear anywhere you like on the handlebars. With Rival eTap AXS, the power meter is now entirely contained within the DUB spindle, adding only 40 grams to a complete crankset. Not so much. Now, you should be able to easily clear a 70045 (frame/rim/tire dependent, of course), which is about as big as most of us are likely to run on a 2x setup. I agree, the mechanical group will really help usher in their new gearing concept to the masses. SRAM Eagle AXS MTB First Impressions, https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. Crankset weights will vary depending on size and length. The power meter spindle can also be purchased alone, to instantly upgrade any DUB road or road wide crankset. Namely, the clutched rear derailleur. Warren Rossiter (BikeRadar) has been using it about 2 months, and says in his video on it that its maybe a wee bit faster. Shimano is total opposite. 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. You can also buy a separate power meter spider as an upgrade to a non-power meter chainset. There isnt an added value for R&D in sponsoring 1000 riders worldwide vs 100 (made up numbers). Shop now RED ETAP AXS HRD SHIFT-BRAKE SYSTEM 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. I rode Force 22 for years before switching to a bike with DA 9150, and Id swap back to Force in a second. SRAM launched Red eTap in 2015 and followed up in 2019 with 12-speed Red eTap AXS. The fact that the rings are machined together is a huge issue to me. Rival cassettes feature a different construction. SRAM RED eTap AXS Replacement Hydraulic Shift/Brake Lever - Left/Front, Black $446 When purchased online. Their shift ramps are super clunky (not a feature btw as some people suggest). That may be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. But with a Force AXS group coming in April, that would be good timing. A Force eTap AXS group with a similar set-up weighs 2,600 grams, a difference of 183 grams. I have a nice spreadsheet analysis, but I cant post attachments here. It's 12-speed out back, it uses the same electronic bits as Force eTap AXS and Red eTap AXS, it gains some weight, there's a pulley cage clutch, there are wide-range 1x and 2x gearing options . 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. Firstly, it can operate sequentially, where you just shift up or down. 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. Why cant shimano be wireless yet? To increase the rear cassettes range it needed to have a 10-tooth bottom sprocket. Some of their mountain drivetrains are so sensitive to cable tension its annoying as hell. Even a 52/36 around my local roads seems to frequently leave me cross-chained. Get Shimano within a few clicks on the barrel adjuster and its good to go. 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. Add custom gearing Learn more about bike gearing Estimated Spec Level So which other groupsets is SRAM AXS compatible with? These are then pinned together to create the 12-speed block. Quarqs crank-based power meters have become legendary for their accuracy and reliability. Proven AXS technology at a more affordable price. The lag from the wireless protocol should be imperceptible. Theyre all going to select a similar number of riders for product testing. 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. 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. Small vision with great execution. The smaller articulation angle between the chain links as they pass over an 11-tooth sprocket should also lead to lower friction, although SRAM claims that the 12-speed Red eTap with a 10-tooth sprocket is as efficient as its previous generation 11-speed system with an 11-tooth smallest sprocket. I wasnt constantly chasing that sweet spot thats so elusive on something like a 50/34 combo. Both the SRAM AXS and the Shimano E-Tube smartphone apps allow complete customisation of your shifting. Plus detailed bike, kit and accessory reviews from the experts! The cassette is a masterpiece of machining, with the construction using SRAMs one-piece X-Dome design to save plenty of weight. 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. The weight differences come down to materials and construction. The 48/35 and an 11-28 is the equivalent of a 52/36 with an 11-28 cassette. They are compatible with 135mm, 142mm, and 148mm Boost rear axle spacing. We review Rival AXS's weight, pricing, and how it compares to Force AXS and Red AXS groups. This is the increased weight of using the hydraulic calipers and hydraulic shifters. Similarly, aftermarket groups should be shipping now, too, and you will need the complete groupsadly, nothing from the original eTap group will work here. SRAM Gravel SRAM XPLR The wide crank requires a matching wide front derailleur. Both SRAM Red eTap AXS and Shimano Dura-Ace are performance groupsets, both are each brand's top-end products and both are used by the pro racers on the international stage. 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. For most riders, left-only power meters accurate enough for training and tracking their progress. 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. Gear steps: 12. Designed without wires or cables the eTap wireless drivetrain is paired with SRAM's advanced HydroHC technology to provide a simpler shifting and better braking system with improved control and ergonomics. Let's take a look: Derailleur weight is the only functional difference in SRAM's AXS line. It can absorb water from the atmosphere, but even with 4% water still boils at 155C. 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. AXS app allows users to customize shift options. This groupset shifts from a more traditional 11-speed cassette arrangement to a 12-speed cassette configuration. Shift speed, to me, is a critical determinant in any drivetrain, and Red failed in my view in that regard. All rights reserved. This pushes up the top end ratio slightly to satisfy the ever-increasing speeds of pro racers, but also leads to a more efficient chainline when riding faster. It's set to cost. SRAM says that it's engineered its chainrings to up their longevity by 50% over its older 11-speed groupsets. Compatibility Drive: SRAM Red | Force eTap AXS 12-speed. Although the shift speed increase is greater at the rear, it's more noticeable at the front. To obtain a copy of the manufacturer's or supplier . 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. 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. A system that does exactly what you want, when you want. With Rival, more riders can upgrade their ride with a fully wireless design, X-Range gearing, and an integrated Quarq power meter. Enjoyed your comments Tyler. How has SRAM done it? Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. SRAMs mechanical groupsets have always been an outstanding value (same functional parts across all levels), so why not save the cash for other fun things, right? This design, XDR, is close to XD (and compatible with the use of a small spacer). Not sure where youre getting your info. How is that possible on a decade old groupset? Which leads me to the last big change: Gearing. This is how you discover new territory off the beaten track. Especially because coming our way in the near future is a more affordable rival to compete with Shimano Ultegra Di2.