So now the dust has settled on the new Sram Red E1 Series and the separate parts are now available - who is upgrading? and what parts?
Main points:
Front Derailleur
145g (22g lighter)Now automatically trims / moves to help with chain noiseImproved Cage Shaping to improve shiftingFaster gear change (interestingly, the motors servos are the same as the D1 series, its the protocols they have updated to improve speed - so wonder why the D1 series doesn’t also get faster…)Fits All Large 52++ Chain Rings
Rear Derailleur
262g (37g lighter)Ceramic BearingsLarger Pulley WheelsFits all cassettes sizes
Shifters
689gSmaller and better ergonomicsAdditional ANT+ / Bonus buttonsOne finger braking due to the repositioned pistons
Chain has got lighter, cranks lighter and the rotors a little too - but nothing massive.
If you like the rainbow / oil slick cassette and chain combo (I do) - they are now providing color matching spare PowerLinks instead of the plain metal ones to clean up the chain line.
For me, the bonus buttons and sleeker hoods are a great upgrade on the front end and the auto trimming front derailleur is a nice upgrade too - the rest will be waiting for next year… you guys?
$3000+ is a lot of money to spend on such upgrades. If I was getting a new bike then maybe, but if I already have a working groupset these small upgrades aren’t selling me on a multi-thousand dollar purchase. TBH it’s a hard sell on any flagship groupset unless you’re getting it at a big discount. Buy the first level down to gain 100g and save $1000, you can offset the weight by eating something other than Ho-ho’s for breakfast or cutting the smokestack off your steerer.
A tangent- I have a fundamental issue with Sram attempting to lock out their groupsets. You can actually run a KMC chain, but they warn heavily against it, so you need an XDR specific wheel, a $150-300 cassette, and Sram specific chain, and a Sram specific chainring, which conveniently only fits Sram cranksets which in turn only fit SramDUB BB’s. Yeah Shimano is more expensive at the outset, but the wise availability of aftermarket wheels, cassettes, cranksets, chainrings, and chains will offset the cost quickly enough.
I’m considering the levers for my gravel bike at some point. For the claimed 80% less effort braking from the hoods, 33% from the drops. I’ve found myself doing a ton of singletrack on my gravel bike, and 20-minute mountain descents get to be a quite a workout for the hands compared to proper MTB brake levers. Particularly given I have to brake quite a bit more on the gravel bike vs. MTB, e.g. down rock gardens and things a gravel bike just can’t handle at speed.
I’m sure part of that is rotor size as well, but hoping the redesigned pistons in the levers are most of it.
The backwards compatibility is great, as I run a Transmission RD.
I’m considering the levers for my gravel bike at some point. For the claimed 80% less effort braking from the hoods, 33% from the drops. I’ve found myself doing a ton of singletrack on my gravel bike, and 20-minute mountain descents get to be a quite a workout for the hands compared to proper MTB brake levers. Particularly given I have to brake quite a bit more on the gravel bike vs. MTB, e.g. down rock gardens and things a gravel bike just can’t handle at speed.
I’m sure part of that is rotor size as well, but hoping the redesigned pistons in the levers are most of it.
The backwards compatibility is great, as I run a Transmission RD.
I have a drop bar mtb with force shifters and I’ve got a little FOMO from these new Red shifters . . . they look a lot more comfortable and the better braking is pretty appealing.
I haven’t seen it in person yet but I’m intrigued by the improved ergonomics of the hoods and the lighter braking action for my gravel bike. I’m assuming that will trickle down to Force/Rival eventually. Doesn’t seem worth the money for my road bike but maybe I’ll feel differently once I try it.
when new Dura Ace Di2 came out in 2020 or thereabouts it was clearly the best road group going. i really liked and still like it. when the new RED AXS came out, i now think this is the best road group. part of this is the shape of the hood, the braking, and the fact that the FD performance is now - finally - on par with shimano.
part of this is that i’m in the middle of a travel itinerary to europe and i just had to pack a pair of road bikes with Di2. SRAM is soooooo much easier to travel with. so i’m a little influenced by this trip.
i have that SRAM RED on a specialized aethos s works, and with the not-lightweight wheelset, a $60 zipp stem, an old OE saddle, it still weighs just over 15lb. part of that is this road group. with very little work it’s 14lb and change. but in reality, after i lighten the stem and saddle i’ll eventually heavy it back up with a more appropriate for human consumption cassette. (i didn’t take this particular bike with me on this trip, because i’m fond of it.).
the hoods are the most comfortable, ergonomic, easy to ride in, easy to brake when in the drops, that i’ve yet had and that includes dura ace and GRX. if you always ride with a spare derailleur battery and a spare 2032 you are pretty well inoculated for any in-ride battery failure. very happy with this new groupset. i just would say that you can avoid certain RED consumables (cassette for sure, perhaps the chain) and save money. if it’s a tri bike you’re talking about, again SRAM is in my opinion in the lead on tri cockpit shifting, with wireless blips. you just miss the benefit of the hoods (in a tri set up) that come with this new groupset. but the FD shifting is so improved that makes this group worth it for tri as well.
AMA. Not fitted yet, i think the levers I’ll get a shop to fit due to the dot fluid as me not knowing one end of an Allen key to the other would mess it up.
Derailleur will be on first thing tomorrow am, think I can handle that.
AMA. Not fitted yet, i think the levers I’ll get a shop to fit due to the dot fluid as me not knowing one end of an Allen key to the other would mess it up.
Derailleur will be on first thing tomorrow am, think I can handle that.
the thing about the FD, there’s a new mounting jig. best if you use that. i don’t know that it automatically comes with. (it should.). it’s intuitive. unlike the old jig.
the thing about the FD, there’s a new mounting jig. best if you use that. i don’t know that it automatically comes with. (it should.). it’s intuitive. unlike the old jig.
There is the red colored alignment tool in the box for chainrings between 46-50t included. Watching the install video on SRAMs YT it’s going to be a simple install.
No batteries or charger thou! I think I knew that but maybe secretly hoping it was included!
AMA. Not fitted yet, i think the levers I’ll get a shop to fit due to the dot fluid as me not knowing one end of an Allen key to the other would mess it up.
Derailleur will be on first thing tomorrow am, think I can handle that.
the thing about the FD, there’s a new mounting jig. best if you use that. i don’t know that it automatically comes with. (it should.). it’s intuitive. unlike the old jig.
I’ve checked in some retailer and the full groupset can go up to 5200 euro in Europe. Absolutely crazy considering bike prices are lowering and the industry is in really bad shape.
