I am just starting a bike build and I am trying to determine my groupset. I am considering SRAM etap but admittedly know very little.
A couple questions I have to start:
Reliability? Do I have to worry about shifting not working?
Compatibility? I see alot about the XDR freehub. My existing wheels/ setup is Shimano 11 speed would I need all knew wheels/ hubs?
Front chainring? I see alot about the SRAM chainrings, can I still use other chainrings to get my gearing right? I run a 52/36 right now and would like to keep the 52 or go bigger, any issues?
11 Speed? Is the 11 speed variation of etap still available?
Other Wireless options? Any coming soon?
Any other thoughts/ info the experts could give would be greatly appreciated
I can help with the first question. Love my SRAM etap AXS on our MTBs. We have the 12-speed. Never going back to mechanical and I now have zero concerns about wired vs. wireless. Far more reliable than mechanical, and slightly more reliable than wired di2, in my experience.
Caveat - I am using 11S eTap, but I have been keeping up with the AXS updates…
Reliability? 11S eTap is awesome; I have seen nothing negative about AXS; I assume AXS is equally awesome.Compatibility? You will need to look up your hub to confirm that there is an XDR freehub available. If not, you will need a new rear wheel. (Most mainstream new wheels have XDR options.)11 Speed? No, the 11S eTap is totally discontinued - 0 replacement parts.Other Wireless options? Shimano announced their semi-wireless 12S coming soon.**Any other thoughts/ info the experts could give would be greatly appreciated **I absolutely love eTap on my road bike (the shifting UI design). But, I prefer Shimano Di2 on my TT bike. It is a much cleaner install (no need to hide the Blip Box), and I really like Synchro Shift on the TT bike.
I’m not going to pose as an expert here, because I used my new SRAM Red etap AXS bike for the first time this weekend. I have dura ace 9000 and 9100 Di2 on other bikes, and one with Ultegra Di2.
Initial report: wow—this SRAM drivetrain is super smooth. Very perceptible upgrade from Shimano items above.
I can’t speak to reliability and what happens when things get used a bit. Also, can’t compare against new Shimano offering.
I love my etap as well and have had no reliabiity issues except that the first generation 11spd front derailleur limit screws are prone to seizing. This happened to me and it was nearly impossibe to find a new front derailleur since they no longer make them.
My understanding is that SRAM still makes an updated 11 speed rear derailleur that will work with first generation 11 speed shifters but no longer makes a front derailleur that will work with the first generation shifters. You cannot mix etap AXS with original etap.
Not an expert at all. My tri bike has Di2. My road bike shipped with AXS. The number 1 lesson I have learned is that both will fail when the battery dies. And if you go on an awesome bike vacation without the charger, you are screwed. So, always take your charger when you travel with your bike.
I have had zero issues other than being a dumb ass and not charging the battery and ending up on a ride with no shifting.
I like the shifting with the AXS (feels more natural). The Di2 buttons are very intuitive and I like that I have the shifters on the aero bars and the handlebars.
Good luck picking one over the other. I’m glad I have Di2 on the tri bike and I’m glad I have AXS on the road bike.
I am just starting a bike build and I am trying to determine my groupset. I am considering SRAM etap but admittedly know very little.
A couple questions I have to start:
Reliability? Do I have to worry about shifting not working?
Compatibility? I see alot about the XDR freehub. My existing wheels/ setup is Shimano 11 speed would I need all knew wheels/ hubs?
Front chainring? I see alot about the SRAM chainrings, can I still use other chainrings to get my gearing right? I run a 52/36 right now and would like to keep the 52 or go bigger, any issues?
11 Speed? Is the 11 speed variation of etap still available?
Other Wireless options? Any coming soon?
Any other thoughts/ info the experts could give would be greatly appreciated
you can’t do 11sp with AXS, nor would you want to.
52/36 is not an AXS option, so, is it older 11sp etap you’re building, or etap AXS you’re building? if the latter, then explain the chain ring set up to me, because it’s hard to talk compatibility if we don’t know what chain rings you’re using.
why would you want a bigger gear than a 52x10? why would you want a gear even that big?
it’s a great groupset. i’ve ridden it on road, tri, gravel bikes, and it’s terrific.
there’s a very specific FD set up protocol, and you fix the FD in place with a provided guide before you put the chain on. so, it’s crank install, then FD install, then get the FD exactly in place before you put the chain on.
an XD or XDR driver body should (i hope) be available for your existing wheels. then you can run 12sp on those wheels.
I am looking into AXS, my current bike is shimano 11speed so I am just making sure it is worth it before I commit to a totally different system.
I don’t have planned cranks and know admittedly little about gear ratios, but I don’t want to be limited to SRAM cranks and Chainrings.
My current 52/36 11-28 is great in 99% of scenarios but on long fast sections I do find myself occasionally wanting something beyond the 52/11 combo
I am looking into AXS, my current bike is shimano 11speed so I am just making sure it is worth it before I commit to a totally different system.
I don’t have planned cranks and know admittedly little about gear ratios, but I don’t want to be limited to SRAM cranks and Chainrings.
My current 52/36 11-28 is great in 99% of scenarios but on long fast sections I do find myself occasionally wanting something beyond the 52/11 combo
a 53x11 is 126" gear. a 48x10 is a 126" gear. so, if you got a 48x35 crankset from SRAM, you’d have a gear that equates to that 53x11. if that is a big enough gear for you, then ready, set, go.
i would not put a different crank on an AXS groupset, for a couple of reasons. sram is adamant that you use its flat top chain with its groupset and really it’s the cogset that requires this. the chain rings, they’re not quite as chain specific. still, it’s a 12sp system, and you’d want the chain rings to absolutely be compatible with the flat top chain. beyond that, you really do want to stick with that 13-tooth differential between the chain rings. this is kind of a limiter in AXS. the FD is meant to work with that 13-tooth differential.
where the AXS groupset really shines, in terms of gear sizes, is that it gives you all you need on the high end but also gives you a nice selection of low gears. for example, if you were to race st george next may you’ll really toast your legs good if you charge up those 9 percent grades at double your average power. for most folks that 35x33 low gear (with the 10-33 cassette) will come in very handy.
Reliability has been awesome for me. I was an eTap 11 early adopter. Never had a failure. Even crashed in crits several times that beat the hell out of my RD, shaving off a ton of aluminum. Wouldn’t quit. I sold it here in the classifieds (at a huge discount because of the horrifying appearance) when I went to AXS. AXS is just as reliable so far.
Red, force or rival major drawbacks to any besides weight?
i don’t see how red is worth the money. it’s just jewelry beyond a particular point. the one area where you may want to upgrade from rival is the crank, because that’s where the weight is. i’m riding a lot of force AXS these days, both 1x and 2x. i’m also, tho, building up a fleet of rival AXS 1x gravel bikes for those who visit our workshops here at the compound. (with rival cranks). so, red? out of the question. too much money. but force or rival, that’s kind of a toss-up.
i had etap 11 speed before and now I moved since 6 months to eTap AXS 12 speed. I think it is amazing and i am very happy with it especially for 2 aspects:
1- 12 speed
2- i could move to single chainring with 48 teeth + 10/33 cassette and it is the perfect combination for my TT bike. I did StGeorge WC and Ironman Thun (with 6300ft elevation) and i never had an issue with the single chainring because 48/33 is really an easy gear while 48/10 is equal to 53/11. i have plenty of combination and zero hassle with the missing front derailleur.
it works like a breeze and zero issues with reliability. battery last long enough and it is super easy to plug/unplug.
i had Di2 also with 11 speed but Shimano is not there yet…
The premise of the request seems awfully specific to a tri setup and the TriRig Omni. Has the newer AXS blipbox shrunk enough to fit inside an Alpha One? Or anything except the new Zipp aerobars with the extra nose length? Can the Omni nosecone be used to store it with clean routing?
I’m pretty stoked about the new AXS stuff, but it seems like the better integration and synchro shift of di2 still make it a really compelling option for tri/tt bikes.
a 53x11 is 126" gear. a 48x10 is a 126" gear. so, if you got a 48x35 crankset from SRAM, you’d have a gear that equates to that 53x11. if that is a big enough gear for you, then ready, set, go.
And if it’s not, what do you do?
I know many (fast) people who want more than 53x11, can you at least change the 48/35 for a 50/37 in a force or rival FD?
It still confuses me that people who stress over .5 watts between tires don’t have an issue with the 10t.
I don’t stress about it, because I spend very little time in that cog. I might stress about it if I were a criterium sprinter who might use that cog in slightly downhilll sprints or something. But I almost never use it in any racing situation. Occasionally on long, non-technical downhills. But those are both rare, and not really situations where you’re stressing about a couple Watts lost in the drivetrain.
I use the biggish AXS rings (52/39), which means I’m using pretty much the same ring/cog combo I ever was.
So I don’t feel the 10t provides a ton of value for me. But neither do I lose any sleep over the fact that it’s there.