Shimano gives you more flexibility with how this is configured, although this does increase the chances of getting a configuration that doesn't work well. More specifically, the batterys placement, which is now a couple millimeters further outboard. It's a beauty! Full details of the updated 2023 Paris-Nice route have been published and it includes some appetising highlights. It uses the same batteries as the eTap but the design looks more robust and angular, and is also running on larger X-Sync pulleys and ceramic bearings under the surface. The brake levers are aluminum, and the lever reach is adjustable so you can personalize your fit. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? How does the new SRAM RED chain lifespan compare to SRAM's 11-speed SRAM RED chains? Red cassettes are machined out of a single block of steel to minimize weight. You can also buy a single ring chainset or power meter with chainring sizes from 36t to 50t. Gears 2x12SP. 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. 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. The shift buttons get a bit of texture and hood covers are softer and patterned for better grip. All rights reserved. Rotor UNO Hydraulic Groupset 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. The spring clutch in the Rival rear derailleur provides the same function but with simpler tech. The principle behind the damper is that the faster it moves, the more the resistance builds. Still seems a little rich for my blood especially when ultegra di2 shift groups can be found for 800 bucks new and the replacement parts are cheap for when you crash. Small vision with great execution. 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. Shimano 12-speed cassettes are backward compatible with its 11-speed freehubs. Add contacts to an eTap battery block, pogo pins to an eTap battery cover, wire them together, and secure the battery under your bottle cage or somewhere. Now, a more affordable little brother has joined the AXS family. SRAM Red eTap AXS and Shimano Dura-Ace are both now 12-speed and electronic only and both have wireless comms between the shifters and the derailleurs. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. The rest of it looks great but I find the cranks really unattractive. It's set to cost. SRAM Rival eTap AXS is a more affordable wireless electronic drivetrain. I dont think its a limitation of wireless. A quiet, secure and smooth ride, whatever the terrain. 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. To obtain a copy of the manufacturer's or supplier . 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. I am eager to hear more of your feedback. Strangely none of the reviewers thought it relevant. Do they work? So SRAM Red cassettes are offered in four options. Force uses 11-26 cassette. You are a genius! 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). SRAM for innovation, Shimano for execution. 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. And it's still wireless. The Orbit Damper is lightweight, low friction, and speed-sensitive. Gone is the two-ring design held in place by bolts on a spider. So which other groupsets is SRAM AXS compatible with? Complete the kit with a matching helmet from Lazer. GRX Groupset total weight does not include cassette and chain. 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. Their shift ramps are super clunky (not a feature btw as some people suggest). 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. Both the SRAM AXS and the Shimano E-Tube smartphone apps allow complete customisation of your shifting. Their products are sexy and light but not on par with their price in my opinion. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America. Once the bike is configured, wires dont necessarily matter, though wireless if obviously superior in concept. The shift speed feels very close to existing eTap, but the real plus is just how quietly it carries out those shifts. This increases the tension in the lower segment of chain and stops it falling off the chainring. Both brands' disc brakes are designed to work with either 140mm or 160mm rotors. Its GRX groupsets still stop at 11-speed. Well, I only rode the one bike with the one combo, but yes, Id say so. Want more? SRAM Red eTap AXS XPLR drivetrain review The gravel variant of SRAM's top-tier shifting Our rating 4.0 USD $1,610.00 Rear derailleur, cassette, crankset By Warren Rossiter Published:. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Yeah I figured, but I have to fix my bathroom and rotten plumbing first so Im like 4 months out at least. Well learn if thats true when they offer a Force/Ultegra price-level version (which they have already alluded to). 2023 SRAM Force AXS & XPLR groups updated with lighter, better tech. Di2 is faster and better in my opinion and from a performance standpoint, that matters. 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. Plus, it applied a hard wearing shiny finish for good measure. Subscribe from just 13.50 and get a Lezyne Pocket Drive Pump, worth 29! The Rival AXS front derailleur is optimized for X-Range chainrings and uses Yaw technology, so theres no need for trim to compensate for extreme gear combinations. It has run less than 500 km and the last service was this year. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, 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. 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. The difference to Red eTap AXS is 541 grams. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. I hope that puts it into perspective. Package Quantity: 1. 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. In contrast, Shimano has stuck to cassettes that start with an 11-tooth smallest sprocket, as it claims that this is less prone to wear as a greater number of teeth are in contact with the chain. Shift speed, to me, is a critical determinant in any drivetrain, and Red failed in my view in that regard. > SRAM unleashed a whole new concept of gearing and gear ratios. 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. You can also pair Shimano's Di2 mountain bike derailleur and levers with Shimano's road equivalents. You recharge the battery via a port on the rear mech. on the other hand, a spider-based unit reads total power, so it is more accurate. Sure, its all clean and new, but still, it was noticeable. > Ive ridden the group and theres no friction to be found. 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). 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:. Not that theres anything wrong with the Dura Ace stuff, but its ridiculously expensive and I dont feel the rear shifting is any better. 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. First of all, lets talk about that 12th sprocket. Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 2403g / RRP 3,701. Some of their mountain drivetrains are so sensitive to cable tension its annoying as hell. If breaking batteries becomes an issue for me, thats where Im going. But as is, Ill need someone to assuage my valid concerns about the direction SRAM is taking. Ummmm no, they just downsized things. The new chipset and connectivity built into the eTap AXS system has allowed SRAM to build a dedicated app so you can take advantage of its custom features. Works like a charm and IMHO shifts better now than it did with the force chainring. 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! Youre welcome. The difference to Red eTap AXS is 541 grams. The derailleur also comes with faster pulleys, bearings, motors and signals, improving speed in every way. SRAM revolutionised groupsets four years ago with its wireless eTap system. And apparently the same capability but at ultegra price or less. Some were smooth, but there were plenty of riddled washboard sections that would rattle your bones. Who knows, thats why we have a long term review bike/group to test. Weight 169g. SRAM Red eTap AXS brake/shift levers have a large single paddle each. Rival AXS rear derailleurs use a more traditional mechanical clutch. SRAM's hoods are quite large. The photos seem to show only the chainring and drive side crank arm. A complete group. eTap refers to Electronic Tap. . SRAM Red eTap AXS is the second incarnation of SRAM's wireless electronic groupset. Bath 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. Shimano Dura-Ace vs SRAM Red eTap AXS: The two leading groupsets head to head. 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. See more When comparing identical drivetrain configurations, RED eTap AXS weighs about 300g less than Force eTap AXS depending on the groupset configuration type you've selected. So far the only cranks that fit are 24/22mm ones. The lack of chain slap was nice, but as a complete system, the overall quietness of it surprised me. Shimano's is also the cheaper groupset albeit only marginally, saving you around 90 at full retail price. Proven AXS technology at a more affordable price. The power meter has a long, 400+ hour battery life and uses a replaceable lithium AAA battery. The spindle-based unit measures left side power and doubles it to calculate total watts. I think lots of the coverage is skipping the cost of this new group set. 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. You will not be able to swap between 2x and 1x set-ups like you can with the Force and Red cranksets. 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. It's not a lightweight choice, but it compares extremely well with. Front derailleur cable routing wireless. Weight difference negligible. If there were something I didnt like about the group, Id say so, but it really is that good based on first impressions. If you want to ditch the front derailleur altogether or fit even wider tires, there is also a single-ring Rival 1 wide crankset. So what compromises are made to bring down the cost? This design allows any chainset in the range to be easily upgraded to use a power meter from sister brand Quarq. > and have yet to run into compatibility problems. Battery-to-tire clearance was a known issue with the 1st gen eTap group when running anything larger than a 70040 tire. 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. In comparison, Shimano's crankset is created using the brand's Hollowtech II technology. Continue with Recommended Cookies, At the official SRAM AXS launch, there was a LOT to learn. This is how you discover new territory off the beaten track. Note:Di2 weights do not include wiring/junction box/battery. Ive come to expect great ideas with mediocre execution from SRAM. But of course the reduction in weight and improvement in aerodynamics comes at the penalty of increased friction, wear, and incompatibility out the wazoo. The power meter spindle can also be purchased alone, to instantly upgrade any DUB road or road wide crankset. The SRAM RED eTap AXS rear derailleur is AXS enabled for easy personalization and designed for both 1x and 2x systems. 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. Similarly, aftermarket groups should be shipping now, too, and you will need the complete groupsadly, nothing from the original eTap group will work here. 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. Hes also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadars YouTube channel. SRAM has a great marketing team and some good innovations but I dont think they respect the end user as much. Also looks pretty much like the red from far so IMHO a nice upgrade. 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. The Dura-Ace R9200 chainset carries forward the looks of its 11-speed predecessor. 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. The combination on the new tooth patterning and increase in clearance means that shifts across the rear block are sharper than before and impeccably smooth and quiet. ya know with no cranks or hubs available. Rival and Force chains also use solid pins while Red uses lighter, hollow pins. It also eschews any mechanical only version of the setup, going with only their wireless eTAP shifting option. Heres a full list of everything you can buy as of February 2019, and theres plenty more coming. Fully wireless design with no cables, housing, or wires to manage. Wide crankset and front derailleur options for gravel bikes. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Arguably a modular PM is much more elegant. It's also allowed Shimano to separate the upshift and downshift levers a bit more widely, reducing the risk of mis-shifting which was an issue particularly when wearing heavier winter gloves. The lack of any real critical analysis here is disappointing and lacks any credibility. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. I added the left crank arm weights, and the cassette, its all here now. SRAM 12-speed cassettes will only fit on wheels with SRAM XDR freehub bodies. 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. The AXS technology allows you to make your shifters do what you want them to, and the brake levers have a customizable reach. It is compatible with 1x and 2x eTap AXS drivetrains. The hoods and shifter paddles feature a new ribbed texture for more comfort, grip, and control. There's a battery indicator LED on the shift paddle to show you when it's running low.