I am fortunate to be have been testing the new Sram Red eTap AXS 12-speed HRD groupset for a few months already, well ahead of its official launch, giving me an exclusive opportunity to see where things have potentially improved over the first generation.
The original eTap proved itself, beyond doubt, right up to the World Tour level, and Sram would be completely justified in giving a two-finger salute to all those sceptics who were so quick to do-down wireless shifting, suggesting it had too many potential pitfalls to really be of benefit.
I was eager to see if this new Red eTap AXS could truly build on the triumphs of its predecessor.
Sram’s complete re-think on the available gearing options as it moves to 12-speed is the big story for this new product, and for my test I used the 48/35 chainset (a completely new ratio never before seen) paired to the 10-28t cassette option – essentially what Sram, would approximate to its mid-compact variant – fitted on a Scott Foil Disc.
If I had to sum up in one word how this new groupset had improved on the original I would say; smoother.
Smoother shifts, smoother ride feel.
And that’s a judgement I am making after many filthy rides, and several bike wash and re-lube cycles, not just based on box-fresh equipment.
I feel as though the chain is a big factor in the overall improvement (that is completely aside from the fact I think the flat top design looks cool, and I’m certain most would agree) but then it would be to do the rest of the drivetrain a disservice to single the chain out.
The Orbit hydraulic damper in the rear mech certainly plays a part, going about its duties silently but effectively, almost unnoticed as you ride. There’s the fact the chainrings are now CNC machined from a single piece of aluminium too, and so its more a case that collectively these new components all seem to have improved making the overall feel smoother.
A fairly routine whinge that was levelled at the first generation eTap was the shift speed felt a little tardier than its electronic shifting competitors.
Honestly, I can’t really say I ever found that to be the case. If absolutely pushed, yes, maybe just a tiny fraction slower, but really, in reality it was never a problem for me on the road.
Regardless, Sram claims it has marginally quickened the shift speed, for eTap AXS thanks to more advanced motors and chips internally, which of course can be no bad thing and will at least put this previous criticism to rest.
Still, I didn't find those fractions of milliseconds gained stood out for me as a key benefit, but others may wish to disagree?
What is far more important to me is the execution of crisp and clean gear changes, something which this Red eTap AXS very capably delivers.
What was appreciable was how the shifting is seemingly unaffected by the load I was placing on the pedals. It was as snappy and dependable rolling along at 150w as it was grinding up an incline at 450w or sprinting at 1000w.
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Front shifts under load were particularly impressive, and a noticeable improvement on the original. As the eTap AXS Yaw front mech hasn’t changed hugely (save for a slight re-shaping to help with clearance for wider tyres behind), I can only put this down to the significant improvements in chainring stiffness the single piece CNC design delivers plus the closer ratio between the ring sizes (Sram has reduced this to a 13-tooth differential).
Despite working within tighter confines – having squeezed 12 sprockets into the same space as the 11 speed cassette – the shifting at the rear somehow feel less fussy than the predecessor too.
Where the previous version always seemed to have that tiny bit of cassette/chain noise in certain gears, no matter how much you fettled and fine-tuned the set-up, the new 12 speed seems to have eradicated that. It remained silent throughout the range, and months of riding I’ve so far not had to make a single tweak.
But, I might also suggest; that’s how it should be. Given the hike in price up to north of £3700 for the hydraulic disc set-up (inclusive of power meter) that I was testing, if it had delivered anything less than perfectly precise and silent shifts I’d be asking questions.
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ETap AXS offers two new assisted shift modes. In the fully synchronised sequential shifting mode the user need only to select either a higher or lower gear and the system will make the appropriate shifts, including shifting chainrings automatically as necessary.
The other mode, Sram calls ‘compensation shifting’, automatically executes a shift at the rear (either 1 or 2 sprockets, set by the user) at the same time as a front end shift, to ease the transition.
You can of course choose to have neither activated, and shift completely manually as before.
During my test period I spent time riding in all the modes, and whilst I appreciate this side of the functionality of the groupset very much comes down to personal preferences, I did not get on with the fully synchronised option.
For me it felt like I was relinquishing just a bit too much of the control and I wasn’t keen on the notion of an occasionally unexpected front shift.
Compensation mode became my preferred option, after an adjustment period, where I had to try and switch off my own neural pathways that wanted to instinctively making those shifts in any case quite naturally.
Whichever your preference ends up being it’s easy to toggle between modes on the App, which brings me nicely to this additional new feature of eTap AXS.
AXS App
I like where Sram is going with the App. I would say that I don’t fundamentally see the necessity for anyone to need to mess with the button functions – they work just fine in the assignment Sram has given them out of the box, right? - but each to their own, I guess.
That aside, though, some of the features of the App are really useful. Being able to quickly check the battery status of each individual component for instance, and having a simple means to check and update firmware, but also the ability to personalise preferences for multi-shifts and so on. It’s all good stuff.
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There’s also a clever maintenance prompt, Sram tells me, is based on an algorithm that uses the stored number of shifts to ascertain when it’s time to check chain condition and wear. That could potentially be a big money saver if users adhere to its recommendations for replacing components appropriately before excessive wear occurs throughout the drivetrain.
While I’m on the topic of replacing worn parts, one thing stuck out for me as a potential blunder with this new groupset. Sram opting to incorporate its power meter (if you opt for its inclusion) as a single unit in the chainrings means this will also need to be replaced once the rings eventually wear out.
It seemed obvious to me this would not sit well with consumers who need to outlay what is likely to be a considerable sum to replace the lot.
When I challenged Sram on this matter, it was clear it had not made this decision without thought though, reiterating first that it is the lightest and most reliable way to incorporate the power meter, but also the new chainrings are 50% more durable than the previous version.
Whether that plays out in reality, we’ll only know in time.
However, literally as I put the finishing touches to this review, I have also learnt Sram will launch an initiative called the ‘power meter support program’ which will enable units to be recycled in return for a half price replacement.
It still remains to be seen what the final cost of replacement will be and indeed if Sram comes under fire for it’s decision to build the power meter into the rings (even if it’s the lightest and neatest way) but I can only assume it has done its research and will aim to keep costs similar to those of its competitors products.
The little things
In light of all the much bigger technological leaps it would be easy for some of the finer details to go uncredited.
One such detail is the pleasing change to the tactility of the shift lever by simply adding a softer feeling textured rubber cover and adding a grippy surface to the shift paddle.
They are but minutiae in the grand scheme of things but nonetheless it was something I immediately could appreciate out on the road, after all, it’s the place our hands spend the majority of their time.
I’ve not talked about the brakes so far, mainly because ostensibly there are very few changes. Suffice to say, though, their performance remains superb.
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Plus, the Red eTap AXS callipers are, in my opinion, exceptionally small and neat, enabling them to almost disappear on the bike, especially in the flat mount version.
Aesthetics are of course subjective, but for my money Sram has done a great job with the overall look of the new Red eTap AXS too. Helped of course by the new chain, it looks every bit the modern successor to Sram’s flagship offering, and very much fitting of the premium bikes it is targeting.
Overall this new version feels slightly more refined in almost every way. Arguably, it’s what you would expect from a second-generation, but given how little there was to complain about with its predecessor, it seems Sram has made the most of every opportunity to deliver an even more accomplished product and improved user experience.
Add to that the completely new gear options it has available, plus increased adaptability that the new AXS family of products brings, the new Sram Red eTap AXS has set some new benchmarks and its competitors will have to take note for sure.
