Strangely none of the reviewers thought it relevant. SRAM Gravel SRAM XPLR The hood shape for the Rival eTap AXS shifter has changed to a narrower grip than Force or Red. We review Rival AXS's weight, pricing, and how it compares to Force AXS and Red AXS groups. In its place is a design that has both chainrings machined out of one block of material that mounts directly to the crank arms on a spline, which is a design mountain bikers have had for a few years now. I could never willingly pay money for shimanos mehcanical mtb shifting over SRAMs. Each shifter operates on a CR2032 coin cell which should last for around two years. Gone is the two-ring design held in place by bolts on a spider. The spring clutch in the Rival rear derailleur provides the same function but with simpler tech. Shimano just has a much bigger market share and marketing budget. A Force eTap AXS group with a similar set-up weighs 2,600 grams, a difference of 183 grams. Warranty: Multiple Warranties and/or Time Frames Apply. 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. This increases the tension in the lower segment of chain and stops it falling off the chainring. The rear mech on the AXS has also had an upgrade. First of all, lets talk about that 12th sprocket. Weight difference negligible. 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. There are two variants of the SRAM Red eTap; rim brakes (dual pivot and direct mount) and hydraulic disc brakes (commonly referred to as HRD, or Hydraulic Road Disc). You can choose to shift at the front should you want to, like when youre coasting up to traffic stops. Its pretty neat. SRAM Red eTap AXS 2518g / RRP 3,794 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 higher boiling point should make a DOT fluid-based system more stable, says SRAM, leading to longer periods between brake system bleeds. eTap refers to Electronic Tap. SRAM introduced Force eTap AXS 12-speed in 2019, not long after its range-topping Red eTap AXS.Force eTap AXS shares many of the features of the Red wireless 12-speed groupset, but at a more . As traditional freehub bodies are too big to allow anything smaller than an 11, SRAM chose to use a variation on the aforementioned XD Driver it pioneered on its 1x mountain bikes (and which has already been seen on 1x groups on road, cyclocross and gravel bikes). Rival eTap AXS 2x cranksets use an integrated spider, while Rival 1x cranksets have a single direct mount chainring. Well, I only rode the one bike with the one combo, but yes, Id say so. 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. SRAM Eagle AXS MTB First Impressions, https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. A remote mount for the battery would give even more clearance at the front derailleur. Suplests 2023 cycling shoe lineup has sleek options for road, gravel, XC, and trail, and they all look amazing. I really appreciate the push pull on the trigger for shimano. 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. Since then, hes reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website. It also eschews any mechanical only version of the setup, going with only their wireless eTAP shifting option. Gear ratios arent a new thing and 10t cogs have been around for a while.The XD driver was a great innovation. You will find snaps of Warrens daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus). 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. And what about XTR 112? Here they are. Small gains in aerodynamics here or weight loss from a bikes chassis there are often breathlessly described as game-changing, when in fact theyre merely reasonable, expected gains brought about through refinement by clever sorts. SRAM RED eTap AXS 12-speed and wireless, it's the ultimate in modern shifting Specifications Shifting: Wireless Braking: Disc, dual pivot rim Speeds: 1x12, 2x12 Weight: 2101g 2x rim /. 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. Ummmm no, they just downsized things. Both of those features make the best fit possible for any rider. Plus, it applied a hard wearing shiny finish for good measure. Dura-Ace levers have grown from the 11-speed version. And, hes totally gone down the NFT rabbit hole. Since top end mountain bikes have been 12-speed for several years, the XTR chain has been proven to be robust. BA1 1UA. But of course the reduction in weight and improvement in aerodynamics comes at the penalty of increased friction, wear, and incompatibility out the wazoo. Yes, those crank arms are homely. If it helps, Ill try real hard to find something wrong with it during my long term test! In reading each review of VXS, I have waited and waited for any kind of comment on shift speed. Finally, the 46/33 with a 10-33 is the same as a 50/34 with an 11-34 cassette. 121 people watching This 2022 BASIC Bikes Carbon Gravel Bike mit Rival AXS, Carbon Laufradsatz, Titanschrauben, leicht und schnell - Other SRAM is a frame size 52. Small vision with great execution. Wide crankset and front derailleur options for gravel bikes. SRAM launched Red eTap in 2015 and followed up in 2019 with 12-speed Red eTap AXS. The Dura-Ace R9200 chainset carries forward the looks of its 11-speed predecessor. Adding an extra sprocket reduces space, which means the width of the chain must be reduced. Note:Di2 weights do not include wiring/junction box/battery. 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. The only / or last one I can remember that looks decent are the original XX double MTB cranks. All rights reserved. Im actually pretty open minded. In Shimano's case these are wired to the levers while SRAM has both wired and wireless options. The 48/35 and an 11-28 is the equivalent of a 52/36 with an 11-28 cassette. Thanks for the thoughtful response. 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. Package Quantity: 1. 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. 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. A system that does exactly what you want, when you want. Whether you agree with me or not, you missed out on addressing my concerns with your review. 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. SRAM Rival eTap AXS vs. Force vs. Red - Weight Comparison & More, The Best Carbon Road Bikes Marked Down Now, Best-Selling Bikes of 2022: Road, Mountain, Gravel & More, Get Up To Speed: The Best Road Bikes For Beginners, Read more about the difference between 2x and 1x drivetrains. 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 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. Shimano's E-Tube app provides similar lever customisation, but you can also alter the speed of shifts. 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). 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). How is that possible on a decade old groupset? 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. Ever bigger cassettes have been in vogue for years now, not just among committed amateurs like me and you but the pro peloton too. This design allows any chainset in the range to be easily upgraded to use a power meter from sister brand Quarq. The SRAM AXS app is used to configure its electronic groupsets. Theres also an all-new motor with more power and faster signal transfer, to go along with the groupsets overhauled chipset thats running things. Thats an example of real substance whereas much of their lineup is pure marketing. Last year, Merida revitalized its line up of trail and enduro bikes with the launch of the 2023 Merida ONE-SIXTY and ONE-FORTY, the former of. eTap is the next generation, electronic shifting system from SRAM, replacing their famous mechanical shifting, the Double Tap. Heres how it works. Rival AXS rear derailleurs use a more traditional mechanical clutch. SRAM Rival eTap AXS brings all the benefits of the earlier (and much more expensive) releases - at a fraction of the outlay. Whereas the previous generation Dura-Ace's levers were a miracle of miniaturisation, the R9200 ones have actually grown a bit so they're just slightly smaller than SRAM's. SRAM Red eTAP Groupset Weights Notes on SRAM Groupset Components All weights are taken from SRAM. 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. Both Red and Dura-Ace give you the option to adjust brake lever rest position and bite point to suit your hands' reach. The bike suitable for a body size of 163-173 cm. It also offers a 50% discount to the original owner when they buy a replacement power meter/chainring set within five years. Its the strongest chain SRAMs ever produced, apparently. There are more teams riding Campy than Sram. Warren Rossiter (BikeRadar) has been using it about 2 months, and says in his video on it that its maybe a wee bit faster. Well, that all depends on what kind of group you want and how you ride. This also means that, unlike SRAM Red eTap AXS, you can swap the chainrings on a Dura-Ace power meter chainset without needing to replace the power meter. 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. But as is, Ill need someone to assuage my valid concerns about the direction SRAM is taking. FWIW, Ive asked several times when the mechanical 12-speed groups are coming and only getting radio silence, so Im guessing they simply dont want to spoil the surprise. The Vitesse EVO Red eTap AXS is easier to ride up hills than similar bikes. Although the shift speed increase is greater at the rear, it's more noticeable at the front. 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. My response was specifically regarding shift speed. There's also a 54/40t chainset available. 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. Numerous reviews have been written but none that I have read comment on what is in my opinion, Reds biggest shortcoming noticeably slower shift speed relative to Di2 and for that matter mechanical. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? Namely, the clutched rear derailleur. The SRAM Red eTap AXS Shift-Brake Levers uses wireless electronic shifting to get the job done. The power meter spindle can also be purchased alone, to instantly upgrade any DUB road or road wide crankset. 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. Note: Mechanical weights do not include cabling. 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 radical drivetrain reinvention that feels every (gear)inch the future, 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, SRAM claims a 2.518kg complete weight for the group (and add 36g for the power meter), GBP 3,349.00 RRP Expect a full test of this new Orca soon, but Ill just say its a bike thats every bit as impressive as the gearing its running. Compare them to DA or Ult di2 and Sram should be embarrassed. Firstly, it can operate sequentially, where you just shift up or down. This is something most of us do manually anyway, but now SRAM will do it for you. 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. Not sure where youre getting your info. 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. Theyre all going to select a similar number of riders for product testing. Doing so without affecting its strength is a challenge, which led SRAM to rethinking its chain design. 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. 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. The problem with this, however, is that the bigger range of gears in an 11-speed cassette mean bigger jumps for the chain, which puts the system under stress, with less predictable chain jumps. SRAM seems to be kicking Shimanos butt across the board- mountain and now road. 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. I guess the big question is this: would I change my existing eTap RED 22-speed for this new model? 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). So SRAM Red cassettes are offered in four options. Shimano takes their sweet ass time but releases a finished product. It's set to cost. It's worth noting though that Shimano's rear mechs also come packed full of tech, including the brand's Shadow design which is borrowed from its mountain bike groupsets. Complete Rival power meter cranksets comes in standard and Wide versions. I am running SRAM force cranks and the red chainring. 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 . A complete group. SRAM revolutionised groupsets four years ago with its wireless eTap system. the gap between the next sprocket up and next sprocket down is bigger. Ive come to expect great ideas with mediocre execution from SRAM. Will that luster hold up? The simple fact that quality is considered on par with each other is an exaggeration in my opinion. 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. SRAM says that it's engineered its chainrings to up their longevity by 50% over its older 11-speed groupsets. Front derailleur cable routing wireless. You can also buy a separate power meter spider as an upgrade to a non-power meter chainset. Weight weighed: kA. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for 14 years. Then theyll be cooking with gas. DOT fluid is more resistant to boiling than mineral oil and SRAM says the DOT 5.1 fluid it recommends has a boiling point of 270C when dry. Ive always avoided putting parts on the bike which make me cringe to look at. SRAM Red eTap AXS is the second incarnation of SRAM's wireless electronic groupset. The group offers 33/46 and 35/48 chainrings but not the 37/50 option. Ive ridden the AXS and the shifting IS slow compared to di2 but fine if you like etap. With Rival, more riders can upgrade their ride with a fully wireless design, X-Range gearing, and an integrated Quarq power meter. There are lots of good things about this group but it does nothing that di2 doesnt do. Gear steps: 12. Hit both together and you'll initiate a front shift. SRAM RED eTap AXS offers wider range and closer progression, so you're always in the right gear. Purchased separately, a full 2x group comes in at $1,420, while a 1x group brings the pricing down to $1,190. This design, XDR, is close to XD (and compatible with the use of a small spacer). From ingredients to timing, dosage to frequency, heres a quick masterclass in ride fueling and recovery that goes far beyond their products, talking through the science to help you ride harder, longer & faster! Purchased as a standalone upgrade, the power meter spindle is $100 less than a Quarq power meter spider (without chainrings) and $470 less than the integrated power meter and one-piece chainrings used on Red AXS. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. All Shimano's cassettes are backward compatible with wheels with 11-speed Shimano freehubs despite having a different flange arrangement. > SRAM unleashed a whole new concept of gearing and gear ratios. Shimano researches products until there is no compromise in performance. ya know with no cranks or hubs available. The material its used is both harder and stronger, and finished in what its calling Hard Chrome. 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). Meaning, you no longer have to make front shifts, you simply press one side to go easier and the other side to go harder, then it shifts front and/or rear for you to run through the gears in the most appropriate sequence. The Rival rear derailleur, for example, has steel bearings, steel hardware, and an aluminum pulley cage. 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. Power meter upgrade (spindle only) - $249, Front derailleur (battery not included) - $175, Rear derailleur (battery not included) - $370. The harsher the bump, the more resistance it applies to keep the chain under control. Cassettes are 11-28 (or closest) We've removed bottom bracket weight as these are frame dependant. Its already an option on all of Zipps wheels and as most wheel brands already offer an XD option we cant see much of an issue with compatibility. 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 . https://www.sram.com/stories/19-road-team-roster. Cassette weight has been added already. Complete the kit with a matching helmet from Lazer. Turn them on in the app, and the derailleurs will dance together to keep you at either an optimal cadence* or optimize gear steps. 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. What is the point of weiging just right crank arm? Whereas SRAM brakes use DOT fluid, Shimano's use mineral oil. Note: SRAM eTap component weights includes batteries because batteries all weigh the same. And its nice to have options. Red uses carbon brake levers and hollow carbon crank arms. SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset options, weights, and pricing are as follows; Force eTap AXS 1X Electronic Road Groupset Rim (1,983g): RRP AU$2099 Force eTap AXS 2X Electronic Road Groupset Rim (2,453g): RRP AU$2,779 Force eTap AXS 1X Electronic HRD Groupset (2,572g): RRP AU$2,779 Force eTap AXS 2X Electronic HRD Groupset (2,812g): RRP AU$3,399 For most riders, left-only power meters accurate enough for training and tracking their progress. SRAM clutch mechs are fixed tension, while Shimano ones have an on/off switch and user-adjustable tension. Shift speed, to me, is a critical determinant in any drivetrain, and Red failed in my view in that regard. 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. Rival AXS provides a more affordable alternative to the Force eTap AXS group and the top-of-the-line Red eTap AXS group. Which means it could be a complete folly for us to describe SRAMs new eTap AXS shifting system in such terms.