trail wrote:
Slowman wrote:
this new groupset from SRAM is the first time that i can think of where a component company brought electronic down to its 3rd tier. a 2x groupset, aftermarket
Any indication if SRAM is just going to orphan their mechanical Rival 22 and Red 22 lines? Those are both really long in the tooth (2013/2014), and I've seen no indication SRAM is working on the mechanical front. Even Force 1 and Rival 1 are pretty old. Is SRAM 12-speed going to forever be electronic only for road?
I'm a SRAM fan, and am happy to see 3rd-tier AXS. But it's worth nothing that it's ~50% more expensive than Rival 22 or Rival 1. One of my favorite groupsets is my old mechanical Rival set on my gravel bike. Works great, and all the parts are dirt cheap and super easy to work on. Gravel bikes typically don't (yet) have problems with cable routing or maintenance.
I'm a SRAM fan, but I admit I might look to 105 or GRX for gravel purposes if SRAM is just going to completely exit the mechanical world.
i don't know, and SRAM is notoriously close-mouthed about what they have in the works. the first people to hear what's in the works are the OE buyers. they know right now stuff that i won't know for 6 or 9 months. so, i can only tell you what i perceive, and what i ask for.
for the last year i've been asking SRAM for 2 things: rival electronic, and mechanical 1x with 12sp 10-50
and a mechanical road control to shift it. basically, what i want is a cheaper version of what i'm running now on my gravel bike, which is force etap axs from the crank forward with an eagle chain, cassette and RD. SRAM delivered full stop on that second thing, with GX eagle and rival etap. i believe i can get that mullet groupset for $1,400 MSRP. that is, in my view,
the killer gravel groupset. why would i spec anything else on a $3,500 gravel bike?
but that leaves me with what to spec on a gravel bike at half that price, and i think it's that same groupset but mechanical, and i don't see anybody with that groupset, SRAM included.
what i didn't ask for was a midrange 2x mechanical. if i'm SRAM, i'm working on apex electronic before i'm working on force mechanical. i don't know what SRAM's future is in midrange or lowrange 2x road. i'm not saying it doesn't have a future, just, i don't know what it is. i think SRAM does great at 1x mechanical offroad, and i think it just threw the gauntlet down on electronic. i'm seeing rival etap complete bikes for between $3,200 and $3,800. i question whether SRAM's future lies in trying to compete with 105 or ultegra mechanical. i would, right now, spec rival etap over any mechanical groupset made by any company at any level at any price.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman