The coming year is set to be huge for SRAM on road and gravel front.
With Shimano throwing 105 Di2 In 2022, the ball is back in SRAM’s court in the ongoing tussle between these two titans of the group pool.
While SRAM was the first to release a electronic group up to the third level, with the launch of Rival eTap AXS in 2021on top, Red eTap AXS It hasn’t been updated since 2019, and in some areas it feels a little dated.
Elsewhere, minor changes would improve the usability and aesthetics of branded group sets.
Here, we outline SRAM’s BikeRadar team’s gravel and road tech wish list for 2023, from a new set of Red groupsets to refinements elsewhere.
1) A new set of Red eTap AXS groups
The biggest road group The 2022 release was Shimano’s 105 Di2, which followed big updates to Ultegra and Dura-Ace.
Now is SRAM’s opportunity to return to center stage – but while a Fourth tier Apex groups could be rumorswe don’t think it will be a mid-range group set release that will dominate the headlines.
Instead, given the spy photos we’ve seen of prototype shifters on pro bikes recently, we expect to see a new Red AXS eTap groupset in 2023, but what it will include is unclear.
Red eTap AXS was launched in 2019 and, although it is an excellent set of groupscompared to the current competition, there are some areas we would like to see improved to move forward again.
2) 10t problems
SRAM’s current Red, Force and Rival groupsets use a 10t gear to allow for a wider range of gears, along with smaller chainrings.
SRAM claims this is a more usable setup for the recreational rider because it allows us to stay in the ring longer to mop up all those watts of morale.
Once the climb gets too steep, switching to the smaller chainring helps keep your cadence up.
The small 10t sprocket and smaller sprockets are, however, less efficient than an 11t combined with standard sprockets.
One test suggested that a 48×10 pairing resulted in a 6-watt increase in drivetrain drag at 250 W, compared to a more conventional 53×11.
With every watt being chased in professional cycling, riders were quick to ask SRAM for bigger chainrings.
Trek-Segafredo’s Madone race bikes were fitted with 54/41t sprockets in last year’s Tour de France, possibly to allow riders to keep the chain off the 10t sprocket and therefore save some precious watts.
We’ve also found that getting out of 10t gear can be a bit heavy. Readers expressed similar frustrations.
Could we see SRAM moving away from a 10t cog to their high-end groupsets to chase those valuable watts?
Given that this is one of SRAM’s main selling points of its eTap AXS groupsets, we doubt it will backtrack on this particular feature. With that said, any improvements that can be made to improve shifting performance at the bottom of the cassette would be welcome.
3) Bring road braking to Shimano level
Aside from a quiet shift to a two-piece body and larger pads in mid-2019, SRAM made no changes to its braking technology when it initially released the Red eTap AXS.
By comparison, Shimano has made some welcome changes to its brakes in recent years, giving them more modulation and extra pad clearance (which we’ll get to shortly).
It’s in the hands that the difference can really be felt. Shimano’s latest road and gravel brakes have a defined bite point with power progressing smoothly afterwards.
SRAM power is delivered a little more subtly, which can feel a little vague at times, although we also know that SRAM brakes have won over a lot of fans.
4) Go back to non-integrated crowns
Why is the Red AXS power meter integrated into the chainrings?
If either crown wears out, you’ll have to replace everything at once, including the power meter. That will set you back £798 on the RRP. £798!
There’s a 50% discount available from SRAM, but it’s not exactly eco-friendly (or affordable).
Please go back to a modular system. It will be easier and cheaper for us end users.
5) Redesign the hood ergonomics
We’d like to see SRAM redesign the hood ergonomics for their Red and Force groupsets.
SRAM’s hoods look very blocky when compared to Shimano’s or Campagnolo’s, so a switch to something a little more rounded would be welcome.
Rival has already moved to smaller hoods, and we really appreciate the redesigned shape.
This was one of the main changes we highlighted when prototypes of SRAM shifters discovered last month.
6) Take another look at Blips
Far from the red, we’d love for SRAM to redesign their Blips – the coin-shaped remote shift knobs that can plug in anywhere.
They work well when top-mounted for climbing and brilliantly on time trial stretches, but there’s a reason SRAM-sponsored pros like Jasper Stuyven have been spotted using Shimano Di2 sprinter shifters.
We want SRAM to design an equally small shifter trigger for use on drops, because the Blips are too bulky to fit here.
While SRAM is at it, make a wireless dropper compatible with the XPLR Reverb Post.
7) More free space for rotors
We would like to see SRAM increase the clearance between the pads and rotors. That way, you’re less likely to experience annoying brake rubs in dirty conditions or after heavy braking.
But there’s a catch – if you have a linear correlation between lever travel and block movement, increasing the space between blocks means increasing lever travel.
With that in mind, we would like the extra insert clearance with reduced lever travel. But how can these two things happen together?
Shimano achieves this using its Servo Wave technology, originally introduced for drop-bars in the GRX gravel group sethaving been borrowed from the brand’s mountain bike brakes.
This makes the piston movement non-linear, increasing pad movement initially, before regressing, and allowing more lever travel once the pads contact the rotor.
This offers a lot of modulation, which feels great in the hand. Here’s hoping SRAM can incorporate similar tech into its upcoming road and gravel groupsets.
8) Smaller batteries
Many on the BikeRadar team would like to see SRAM scale back their eTap batteries.
This is primarily driven by aesthetic concerns, but we recognize that shrinking batteries would likely mean shorter times between charges.
One to look forward to rather than wait we would say.
9) Insert a suitable gravel group set
To take SRAM’s Red XPLR groupset to the next level, we’d love to see a red derailleur designed specifically around a 10-52t cassette.
While it’s possible to operate an Eagle eTap AXS derailleur with shifters, they look a little jarring when mounted on drop-bar bikes.
As we wrote a wish list for this imaginary gravel group, we would add an HS2 rotorset to provide quieter braking in wet weather.
The The HS2 rotor is SRAM’s latest MTB-specific design and comes with a slightly thicker 2mm profile. This is claimed to improve lever feel and heat dissipation.
10) Add Bleeding Edge to low cost group sets
The Bleeding Edge should be added to SRAM’s lower end brakes urgently.
The Bleeding Edge allows for faster and easier brake bleeding thanks to an adapter that seals the system, minimizing air contamination and fluid loss.
Found in the Red and Force groupsets, it was a major omission from the Rival eTap AXS, so we expect to see it included in all group sets going forward.
11) Give mid-group sets a more premium look
Speaking of these more accessible group sets, we’d like to see them improved.
Campagnolo offers a fancy carbon crank in its third-tier Chorus groupset, and Shimano maintains the similar aesthetic from Dura-Ace to Sora.
SRAM has made the Rival crankset and derailleurs relatively simple – unlike the shiny chrome seen on the Red, there’s little to excite the eye.
As we’ve already covered, we don’t expect a Rival update anytime soon, but when it does, we want a more premium look.
12) Angle adjustment on levers for flared bars
When you sit a bunch of bike testers in an office and stuff them with cookies, you have a long conversation about exciting subjects like why the shifters don’t include lever angle adjustment for superflared use. gravel bike handlebars.
The issue is that, due to the angle of the levers, they face up on drops.
We want to be able to move the brake levers inwards a little bit, making them easier to reach.
13) Better integration with classifieds
We’d love to see SRAM integrate compatibility with Classified’s hub electronics into their shifters.
Currently, you must use the small shifter that comes with the Classified system. It’s not ideal, so having the shift function built into SRAM shifters would be a plus. Shimano has already done this, allowing the left Di2 derailleur to control the rated hub.
Well, that’s our SRAM wishlist for 2023. Which spots do you think are most likely to happen? And what else would you like to see from SRAM this year? Let us know in the comments.
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