Every time i tested an electric shifting is said to myself, wow i need it. Than i came back to my mechanical Ultegra and asked myself why? - This is so easy and brilliant and effortless.
The millisecond shifting delay is standard on all ETAP/AXS (even on Red). It is less apparent with a single derailleur setup only (doesn't have to analyze for dual paddle signal). You get used to it an eventually learn to shift a millisecond earlier.
It's a step in the right direction, although the weight weenie in me will stick with Rival CX1 (cross/gravel) and Red 10 (road) for the time being. $249 powermeter is incredible. I wish they'd make it in GXP so any setup could use it. Also, you're getting damn influencey to have this setup on video the day the gruppo was released! Very impressive 😃
Mechanical brakes you say? There already is an option for that: Force eTap AXS shifters. They come in both HRD and mechanical versions, and the mechanical versions are $230-only $30 more than these Rival AXS shifters (sans caliper). So problem solved!
I'm planning to do a mullet build, too bad these shifters sold out instantly. Just bought the crankset and GX eagle rear derailleur to prepare for when the shifters come back in stock
LOL posted same thing elsewhere....I’m converting a Midnight Special from mechanical brakes and Rival to Rival AXS hydro w a GX Eagle. I was going to change the cassette and go 12 speed 9-46 with eThirteen but no figure the existing setup works great so lets just make it hydro - electric!
My gravel build from last year has GRX Di2. It's fun. But I am not convinced that electronic shifting is a game changer. I would certainly want mechanical shifting on a touring bike.
I think if you use a Force AXS shift-break lever (for rim brakes) instead of Rival AXS, then you can use brake cables (assuming cable pull length is same for rim and mechanical disc brake) and also blips...
Ordered patches and stickers just this week, can't wait! Great review, I appreciate your thoughtful and honest take on these topics. I've learned so much from your videos. Thank you for sharing.
As far as cable brakes, there is an option: use the Red or Force eTap rim brake shifters. I don’t know how the pricing works out with that, but it’s doable.
Thanks for your perspective, Russ. I beelive the reason SRAM has a slight lag shifting is because the system has to confirm you are not pressing the other shifter, indicating a front mech change.
I'm using Shimano GRX Di2 with a 2x, 48/31 and an 11-40 11 spd cassette. It's considerably better than 1-1 gearing and can even take an 11-42 cassette for even slightly easier gears. Nothing special required to set this up. It all worked straight out of the box. It's expensive but I really appreciate Di2. Super easy to shift even on seriously technical terrain when I don't want to move my hand position to try to shift. It's been bullet proof and only requires recharging about every 2-3 months.
I just wish SRAM didn't use DOT3 for their brakes. I love what SRAM is doing with their group sets. I hope this will be the push Shimano needs to expand their Di2 tech down to the 105 level.
They dont use DOT3, it's DOT5.1. There's imho, no downsides, it's more available for cheaper, and highly regulated. Never had a brake fade. The chance of mineral oil to have water at the caliper is more than enough reason to go DOT.
quite agree with you that too many " electronic" surrounding our life these days ; i prefer to ride to the nature on mechnical components without worry about any electrical issues and phone connection
No thanks, No dot fluid for me. I am a home mechanic, I recently got rid of a Force CX1 group as I could not stand those breaks/bleeding. I may try the GX AXS for MTB set up though. Nice to this channel POV on this topic.
Great video and honest review. I agree with you on the electronic delay. I think it's just I'm used to the mechanical shifters from years past and the electronic definitely feels disconnected. I know I really do not like electronic shifters on the mtb bc of delay.
Best review of the groupset i've seen. Honest, and really well-thought out pros/cons. It does seem like a big mistake not offering a mechanical version, especially on the "entry level" group. I understand it on the higher end stuff, but they really limit the potential in a major way. Good thing is, Shimano Di2 redesigns will be dropping soon, so more instantaneous shifts and reliability and precision. Also hoping for 105 Di2!
I agree my @pathlesspedaled there is a slight delay. Not significant but noticeable. I have a Red AXS setup and a Di2 and the Shimano version is noticeably quicker. I do love the idea of brining wireless to Rival. And the wireless aspect is easier then Di2 even thought I prefer the ability to manipulate the RD better with the Shimano app. Great review and nice that you got it so quick!!
Awesome review! This groupset looks great and might be considering getting this for my first geared bike. Currently riding an urban fixed gear bike and a tracklocross. :) You deserve more subs, sir! Cheers from Manila!
You could record shifting on a stand, then import the recording into an audio editor like the free Audacity. Then zoom in on the audio, flag the sound of the shifter clicking and then flag the sound of the derailleur moving. You can then see the difference in milliseconds between the two actions, simple!
Have Di2 on 1 bike. Nice option but Disc Brakes are a must have. I get the reasons you like mechanical disc brakes Russ but I like hydraulic. I think the bigger thing to address is ease of maintenance with hydraulic. They should stick with mineral oil based & streamline flushing.
I fell like the big advantage of electronic shifting is the size if the levers and the that you can have multiple shifters. I would really like to try a setup with alt bars and multiple "under bartape" shifters. Then connect everything to a hub dynamo :D It would be awesome if there was a open electronic system out there where one battery powers your light, shifting, dropper, bell,charger and you could connect all brands (of course wireless neds its own battery) there is even an electronic rholoff so you could run some really wierd setups.
Saw quite a few videos about the Rival AXS release today. Normally I ignore releases about major manufacturer groupsets, but I'm especially interested in the cranks. I've spent hours & hours researching and the AXS is the only ones that fit my criteria. I almost shelled out the $450 for the Force AXS cranks to replace my very long in the tooth FS7000s (Ultegra level compact, before Shimano would stoop to making an actual Ultegra compact). I currently run 2x with 34T/44T on the 5-bolt 110BCD cranks. 5-bolt 44T 110BCD chainrings are getting really hard to find! I can live with the 13T jump instead of 10T, but won't give up the low Q factor or 172.5mm arms of road cranks. I agree with Russ, too bad they didn't make a cable brake version, but I'll never ride anything other than Retro-shift (Gevenalle) hood mounted shifters, so moot point for me.
What do I think ? It certainly interests me, more than I thought it would - I've never seriously considered electronic shifting (one more thing to go wrong / to charge up before I can go for a ride ) but I could fit this, today to my N=1 bicycle - A 2017 Domane that has Hydro flat mount 11 speed 105. Currently running it 46-30 with 11-32 cassette and this would take me touring over the lumpier stuff at home, and overseas when that's a thing again.
Russ, you should check out a guy in Canada who makes adaptors for brakes and such. AS solutions. I bought an IS to flat mount adaptor so I could run GRX hydro brakes on my Vaya which has the same brake mount set up as your Crust (flat mount up front and IS in the rear). As far as I can tell this guy is the only one making this adaptor.
I really like your channel man. Great work! I think this meets the factory need to bring wireless to lower price points. It can be mixed and matched to Force and Eagle for custom builds. I just finished building a custom bike for all around riding and touring. A Ritchey carbon Outback Breakaway with Force Wide AXS with a low 30/36 gear. Fitted with Paul Klamper brakes. Walking is my lower gear,since I walk/push about 2.5 MPH. My cockpit is Redshift. I have their aero bars, suspension stem, and control grips. Fitted to Salsa carbon 52cm cowchippers. My tour kit is Bedrock custom frame bag, Salsa handlebar roll. Bedrock Vishnu fork bags, and a Tailfin carbon AeroPack trunk. The thing you said about not liking to use electronics for electronics or something like that... I would get over that if I were you. I’ve set up my AXS to shift 3 gears per long hold, and shift sequential. So shifting lower goes from 2-2 to 1-3, and shifting higher is 1-8 to 2-7. It’s so nice to not have to think about it. I’m taking off to ride from Istanbul to Barcelona over the summer with this bike. I live in Bigfork btw.
I’m presently in Torino, Italy, a little more than halfway along on my trip. I mailed my camping heat home in Kotor, Montenegro because hotels are cheap during covid, and showers are awesome in 40C weather. SRAM AXS is the bomb! I went down to the limestone deck in Zadar Croatia when I missed seeing a slight curb and smacked the rear mech hard. My 3 cog quit working right on both rings. But the easy micro adjustment made everything better than new. I have the 43/30 and 36-10 package. Super happy with more than 1,000 kms. Carry a 3rd battery.
Not having a mechanical disk option and flat mount only hydraulic brakes is an absolute deal breaker for me. I almost stopped watching the review a second after that was mentioned. Thanks for the Review Russ. Really nice work.
@@SteveFullerBikes that’s about right. Rival AXS is totally an OEM group set. Sram tries to keep aftermarket sales and custom bike builders in mind but obviously choose not to this time.
You could use Force AXS Shifters for mechanical brakes. The force mechanical shifters only cost $30 more than the Rival hydro shifters, and you also get blip shifter ports.
@@johnmeloy4667 thanks for this. Didn’t realize the negligible price difference. I’ve put Force AXS mechanical on two gravel bikes and liked the result.
Awesome review and E shifting is definitely getting closer to me wanting to try it. However, I get anxiety about busting an expensive derailer because I ride all my bikes like a 245 lb kid, jumping my carbon triathlon bike off of whatever looks fun! I’m also a little disappointed that the “existential wetness” wasn’t addressed.......
Late 2019 I was looking to build a bike with mechanical GRX 1x and it seemed like that was around $1k so $1.2K ain't bad at all. Still probably won't ever go electronic unless it literally fell into my lap.
Given that Force AXS has a rimbrake option, you would assume there is a cable version in the pipeline. Or maybe it works with those wacky hydraulic rim callipers SRAM brought out a while back (although not much use for gravel) ?
My one issue with electronic shifting and with all things electronics. Is the proprietary batteries that company's insist to use for designed obsolescence. Basically forcing you to throw away or modify the product when they no longer make the battery packs. All in hope that you will buy the newer model. Which is a shame for such a cool tech id be interested in otherwise.
@@SteveFullerBikes That's great until they choose to no longer support it. Which is silly when there is hundreds of standard cell size batteries they could of choose from. They do it to limit the products life to push future sales when sales of older product tappers off. Mark my words. Few years down the line they will come out with fTap ABC123 that has bios update for chain configs with a non backwards compatible battery. I'm the type of person that wants things to run into the ground from use and not when a company chooses it should.
It's good to see Sram bringing this out. Maybe Shimano will make a 105 Di2. I upgraded to Grx di2 2x with 11-40 cassette, and that is about all I need for 15% hills.
That gear range would work for me so it is interesting. My issue is more the other one you mention - flat mount hydros - having all the options would be nice. Group sets always cost more on their own so I will be interested to see the price when brands like All City are selling it. I’ll probably never have one but I think these will sell like hot cakes especially on completes. When do we get wireless Di2 105? 😘
you said that mechanical disk brakes are fine for gravel !! have them on my Kona libre and I think their shit.. not at all up to the job what type would you recommend? as it might save me some cash in the upgragde.
Thank you for temporarily going full roadie. Your opinions and perspectives are much more valuable to me, and I suspect other humans, than the wash of reviews from race elitists.
Great review Russ! Here's a question that I don't understand about the SRAM AXS stuff: In regards to shifting from lo to hi or hi to lo with a double chainring setup, will the front derailleur shift automatically before you go into a cross chaining scenario or does the rider have control of where and when the front derailleur shifts? Is there a full automatic mode and a manual mode? If I wanted to completely cross chain the thing, will it let me?
@@juliantaylor1126 it does. I couldn't get it to work because the components were under embargo and weren't showing up in the app. But it should work now.
Great review...very indepth! This was like reading the manual but more fun :) Do people even read manuals anymore though...lol. Great job on your video :)
Did Sram send you the bike to review, or did you request it? You should pair an Eagle AXS rear derailleur for the ultimate mullet. Me? I'm sticking with cables. The right triple group weighs less than this group and has way more range and lower gears.
For that price, does the Rohloff enter the picture with evenly distanced steps and wide range? Rohloff needs to create a new hub though that deals with thru-axle frames though, and the barrel shifter is rather clumsy. Russ, I think you mentioned a future Rohloff eval.
We could wait a lifetime for real Rohloff updates. They have been teasing potential competitors for years and I expect we will see some good competition soon.
Mullet gearing no problem. Neat but I’m not going to run out and buy a group set. And I don’t like sram brakes as much as shimano. Personal preference.
Consolidation to disc brakes in the industry means no more mechanical brake options (even for discs), unfortunately. Biggest benefit to electronic is the day-to-day not having to ever worry about losing cable tension or tuning barrel adjusters every so often, just remember to check the batteries once a month. For the more reasonable people that won't buy at MSRP, electronic groups go for dead cheap if you buy them second hand individually, since all the hardcore roadies will sell the second they get it scratched the first time or the next generation comes out.
@@gravgrav you're right the market is a little sparse atm, though there was a huge sell off of gen1 when AXS dropped; IME easier to pick up used Shimano Di2
Nice review again Russ! 'm happy SRAM has come out with a less expensive AXS option. This should sell by the boatload, but I can't wait to see what Shimano will counter with. BTW. What bike were you riding? It looks really nice.
Maybe good for gravel applications, but pure road, it is to heavy and pricey for a mid tier groupset. The total cost of the bike is stepping into serious bike territory but not delivering on performance relating to weight..
Hi Russ, just wondering if you’ve considered the gear ratio potential of Classified’s hub gear system? You could potentially run a super wide 1x system (if and when they make the cassettes) with the same ratios repeated at a 0.7 ratio! When you do the maths you can have a crazy wide spread of gear without worrying about whether the derraileur could cope.
It's a fun road bike, but not my favorite on mixed terrain. Climbs well and descends tarmac beautifully. Rode it with 32mm tires and it felt skittish on loose gravel. Biggest complaint is the proprietary seat mast. I actually couldn't get the seat low enough for me to ride comfortably. I had to use flats and wear Blundstones to try to get the bike to fit without feeling like I was getting kicked in the 'taint.
@@PathLessPedaledTV oh yeah that's crazy annoying! Did you buy it? 30 return no questions asked! Everything is out of stock these days! Did you order it a while ago?
GCN's review said it was completely interchangeable with their mountain electric shift groupsets, so with the mountain RD you could run a 10-46 rear cassette.
I can't get the seat mast low enough. Thats why flat pedals and Blundstones during the review and it still 'taint no fun. Great on the tarmac rough and sketchy on the grav grav with a loose surface.
Electro gears? Meh. I just had eyes on the little Domane. I’m no roadie but I was offered a Series 5 Carbon Domane awhile ago and I absolutely love it. A ‘supple’ road fitness bike!
Big con. I have a 3 year old Red 22 etap group. The front derailleur died. There are no replacements out there and Sram has no plans to release any in the future. So when one part fails the whole group is junk.
I'd purchase an electronic shifting groupset that had cables. So would many others that don't want the hassle of dealing with toxic fluids spilling all over the place. Hydros for road are overrated IMO.
Too bad the bike / seat post fit don’t allow for a full review of the bike. I’ve heard people say the Domane with wider tires is a decent option for the less gnarly gravel in my area, but it would have been great to get your perspective. Glad to get your thoughts on the new SRAM options, though.
This, just like the GX eagle group, is going to sell out immediately and be impossible to get! The GX upgrade group is already selling for $200 over MSRP on ebay ... Even with flat mount only option the shifters/calipers are still a pretty reasonable price when all is said and done. I'm going to be looking at a multet GX/Rival Axs group for gravel ... 10 years ago people would have said the same thing about hydo vs mech brakes for MTBs, just saying.
Love your camera work on this one. Love the use of long focal length for that mid shot of you w/ domane
Every time i tested an electric shifting is said to myself, wow i need it. Than i came back to my mechanical Ultegra and asked myself why? - This is so easy and brilliant and effortless.
Same. Friend let me try Force, which is very nice, so then I went and $400 for Dura Ace 900 mechanical lol
The millisecond shifting delay is standard on all ETAP/AXS (even on Red). It is less apparent with a single derailleur setup only (doesn't have to analyze for dual paddle signal).
You get used to it an eventually learn to shift a millisecond earlier.
Have to say that I've not noticed it, but I run 1x so that might explain it.
Bonus love for mentioning lack of blips means less accessibility. What a great job overall. LOW GEARS! YEA!
It's a step in the right direction, although the weight weenie in me will stick with Rival CX1 (cross/gravel) and Red 10 (road) for the time being.
$249 powermeter is incredible. I wish they'd make it in GXP so any setup could use it.
Also, you're getting damn influencey to have this setup on video the day the gruppo was released! Very impressive 😃
Mechanical brakes you say? There already is an option for that: Force eTap AXS shifters. They come in both HRD and mechanical versions, and the mechanical versions are $230-only $30 more than these Rival AXS shifters (sans caliper). So problem solved!
Theres one on eBay right now and Im kinda weary if those really existed. Looks like SRAM abandoned it? Theres barely any signs of it existing ever
all I want are the shifters...pair that with an Eagle GX rear derailer and you have the perfect electronic mullet setup.
I'm currently building a bike like that. Just with the force shifters as these weren't out yet.
I'm planning to do a mullet build, too bad these shifters sold out instantly. Just bought the crankset and GX eagle rear derailleur to prepare for when the shifters come back in stock
LOL posted same thing elsewhere....I’m converting a Midnight Special from mechanical brakes and Rival to Rival AXS hydro w a GX Eagle. I was going to change the cassette and go 12 speed 9-46 with eThirteen but no figure the existing setup works great so lets just make it hydro - electric!
Just received my 2023 Domane SL6 eTap, the bike is amazing and the eTap drivetrain works beyond my expectations. It’s smooth and responsive.
My gravel build from last year has GRX Di2. It's fun. But I am not convinced that electronic shifting is a game changer. I would certainly want mechanical shifting on a touring bike.
Russ u have ridden so many bikes. Please make a vid on how to find best spot to install drop bar brake levers on handlebars. Thanks for content.
Nice review. Good job. Hope Laura is okay.
Nice to see you finally getting to the niche brand known for their cool 80s steel touring bikes - Trek!
I think if you use a Force AXS shift-break lever (for rim brakes) instead of Rival AXS, then you can use brake cables (assuming cable pull length is same for rim and mechanical disc brake) and also blips...
Ordered patches and stickers just this week, can't wait! Great review, I appreciate your thoughtful and honest take on these topics. I've learned so much from your videos. Thank you for sharing.
Me too!
As far as cable brakes, there is an option: use the Red or Force eTap rim brake shifters. I don’t know how the pricing works out with that, but it’s doable.
Thanks for your perspective, Russ. I beelive the reason SRAM has a slight lag shifting is because the system has to confirm you are not pressing the other shifter, indicating a front mech change.
How about 1x gear config?. Can I shifting faster?.
@@facejoker1349 Good question! If the 1x shifts at the same speed, then my theory is junk. Russ?
@@facejoker1349 yes, 1x is faster
I'm using Shimano GRX Di2 with a 2x, 48/31 and an 11-40 11 spd cassette. It's considerably better than 1-1 gearing and can even take an 11-42 cassette for even slightly easier gears. Nothing special required to set this up. It all worked straight out of the box. It's expensive but I really appreciate Di2. Super easy to shift even on seriously technical terrain when I don't want to move my hand position to try to shift. It's been bullet proof and only requires recharging about every 2-3 months.
Another excellent review. And, thanks for the consistent advice on lower gears. Age + inclines = need for lower gears!
Why would you ever need such low gears? Haha got ya! Lower the better dude. Thanks for review, a labor of love 💕.
I think the $200-ish premium to upgrade to a power meter is a game changer. The question goes from "why ride with power" to "why not ride with power".
I’m not sure party pace and power meters are a thing. But I’m with you on this.
@@larrywhite8590 How else are you supposed to enforce the "nobody go over 100watts" ride rule?
The use of the term game-chanher after the year 2008 exposes your inner roadie
lack of blips is a real bummer. for me it's one of the main things appealing about electronic drivetrains
Blip box...
I just wish SRAM didn't use DOT3 for their brakes. I love what SRAM is doing with their group sets. I hope this will be the push Shimano needs to expand their Di2 tech down to the 105 level.
They dont use DOT3, it's DOT5.1.
There's imho, no downsides, it's more available for cheaper, and highly regulated. Never had a brake fade. The chance of mineral oil to have water at the caliper is more than enough reason to go DOT.
@@Rikcey Mineral >>> Dot
@@fadenseiden I disagree for the reasons stated above.
Shimano has become the Apple of components. They rely on a history of innovation, while simply copying (claiming to improve) on new ideas and designs.
quite agree with you that too many " electronic" surrounding our life these days ; i prefer to ride to the nature on mechnical components without worry about any electrical issues and phone connection
I look forward to all the used mechanical group sets that will be coming into the used market👍
No thanks, No dot fluid for me. I am a home mechanic, I recently got rid of a Force CX1 group as I could not stand those breaks/bleeding. I may try the GX AXS for MTB set up though. Nice to this channel POV on this topic.
The only disc brakes I've had that never squeaked or rubbed were the TRP HyRd. Flat mount road disc brakes are a PITA to adjust and install.
Great video and honest review. I agree with you on the electronic delay. I think it's just I'm used to the mechanical shifters from years past and the electronic definitely feels disconnected. I know I really do not like electronic shifters on the mtb bc of delay.
I'm a fan of mechanical bicycles!
Best review of the groupset i've seen. Honest, and really well-thought out pros/cons.
It does seem like a big mistake not offering a mechanical version, especially on the "entry level" group.
I understand it on the higher end stuff, but they really limit the potential in a major way.
Good thing is, Shimano Di2 redesigns will be dropping soon, so more instantaneous shifts and reliability and precision. Also hoping for 105 Di2!
I agree my @pathlesspedaled there is a slight delay. Not significant but noticeable. I have a Red AXS setup and a Di2 and the Shimano version is noticeably quicker. I do love the idea of brining wireless to Rival. And the wireless aspect is easier then Di2 even thought I prefer the ability to manipulate the RD better with the Shimano app. Great review and nice that you got it so quick!!
Awesome review! This groupset looks great and might be considering getting this for my first geared bike. Currently riding an urban fixed gear bike and a tracklocross. :) You deserve more subs, sir! Cheers from Manila!
You could record shifting on a stand, then import the recording into an audio editor like the free Audacity. Then zoom in on the audio, flag the sound of the shifter clicking and then flag the sound of the derailleur moving. You can then see the difference in milliseconds between the two actions, simple!
Have Di2 on 1 bike. Nice option but Disc Brakes are a must have. I get the reasons you like mechanical disc brakes Russ but I like hydraulic. I think the bigger thing to address is ease of maintenance with hydraulic. They should stick with mineral oil based & streamline flushing.
I fell like the big advantage of electronic shifting is the size if the levers and the that you can have multiple shifters.
I would really like to try a setup with alt bars and multiple "under bartape" shifters. Then connect everything to a hub dynamo :D
It would be awesome if there was a open electronic system out there where one battery powers your light, shifting, dropper, bell,charger and you could connect all brands (of course wireless neds its own battery) there is even an electronic rholoff so you could run some really wierd setups.
Saw quite a few videos about the Rival AXS release today. Normally I ignore releases about major manufacturer groupsets, but I'm especially interested in the cranks. I've spent hours & hours researching and the AXS is the only ones that fit my criteria. I almost shelled out the $450 for the Force AXS cranks to replace my very long in the tooth FS7000s (Ultegra level compact, before Shimano would stoop to making an actual Ultegra compact). I currently run 2x with 34T/44T on the 5-bolt 110BCD cranks. 5-bolt 44T 110BCD chainrings are getting really hard to find! I can live with the 13T jump instead of 10T, but won't give up the low Q factor or 172.5mm arms of road cranks. I agree with Russ, too bad they didn't make a cable brake version, but I'll never ride anything other than Retro-shift (Gevenalle) hood mounted shifters, so moot point for me.
What do I think ? It certainly interests me, more than I thought it would - I've never seriously considered electronic shifting (one more thing to go wrong / to charge up before I can go for a ride ) but I could fit this, today to my N=1 bicycle - A 2017 Domane that has Hydro flat mount 11 speed 105.
Currently running it 46-30 with 11-32 cassette and this would take me touring over the lumpier stuff at home, and overseas when that's a thing again.
Russ, you should check out a guy in Canada who makes adaptors for brakes and such. AS solutions. I bought an IS to flat mount adaptor so I could run GRX hydro brakes on my Vaya which has the same brake mount set up as your Crust (flat mount up front and IS in the rear). As far as I can tell this guy is the only one making this adaptor.
I really like your channel man. Great work!
I think this meets the factory need to bring wireless to lower price points. It can be mixed and matched to Force and Eagle for custom builds.
I just finished building a custom bike for all around riding and touring. A Ritchey carbon Outback Breakaway with Force Wide AXS with a low 30/36 gear. Fitted with Paul Klamper brakes. Walking is my lower gear,since I walk/push about 2.5 MPH.
My cockpit is Redshift. I have their aero bars, suspension stem, and control grips. Fitted to Salsa carbon 52cm cowchippers.
My tour kit is Bedrock custom frame bag, Salsa handlebar roll. Bedrock Vishnu fork bags, and a Tailfin carbon AeroPack trunk.
The thing you said about not liking to use electronics for electronics or something like that... I would get over that if I were you. I’ve set up my AXS to shift 3 gears per long hold, and shift sequential. So shifting lower goes from 2-2 to 1-3, and shifting higher is 1-8 to 2-7. It’s so nice to not have to think about it.
I’m taking off to ride from Istanbul to Barcelona over the summer with this bike. I live in Bigfork btw.
I’m presently in Torino, Italy, a little more than halfway along on my trip. I mailed my camping heat home in Kotor, Montenegro because hotels are cheap during covid, and showers are awesome in 40C weather.
SRAM AXS is the bomb! I went down to the limestone deck in Zadar Croatia when I missed seeing a slight curb and smacked the rear mech hard. My 3 cog quit working right on both rings. But the easy micro adjustment made everything better than new. I have the 43/30 and 36-10 package. Super happy with more than 1,000 kms. Carry a 3rd battery.
Not having a mechanical disk option and flat mount only hydraulic brakes is an absolute deal breaker for me. I almost stopped watching the review a second after that was mentioned. Thanks for the Review Russ. Really nice work.
It's definitely not designed as an upgrade path for anything other than bikes made in the last two years or so. Just not the market they are aiming at
@@SteveFullerBikes that’s about right. Rival AXS is totally an OEM group set. Sram tries to keep aftermarket sales and custom bike builders in mind but obviously choose not to this time.
You could use Force AXS Shifters for mechanical brakes. The force mechanical shifters only cost $30 more than the Rival hydro shifters, and you also get blip shifter ports.
@@johnmeloy4667 thanks for this. Didn’t realize the negligible price difference. I’ve put Force AXS mechanical on two gravel bikes and liked the result.
Awesome review and E shifting is definitely getting closer to me wanting to try it. However, I get anxiety about busting an expensive derailer because I ride all my bikes like a 245 lb kid, jumping my carbon triathlon bike off of whatever looks fun! I’m also a little disappointed that the “existential wetness” wasn’t addressed.......
You got to review the new AXS? Russ, you’ve hit the big time!
Late 2019 I was looking to build a bike with mechanical GRX 1x and it seemed like that was around $1k so $1.2K ain't bad at all. Still probably won't ever go electronic unless it literally fell into my lap.
Ebikes and etap, getting some high zoot stuff! Great video was really glad to see the 46x30 combo as well
Mechanical breaks would make me want to go to this setup. I'm not sold on hydro's for gravel riding
Given that Force AXS has a rimbrake option, you would assume there is a cable version in the pipeline. Or maybe it works with those wacky hydraulic rim callipers SRAM brought out a while back (although not much use for gravel) ?
Interesting. I do like the no cable look.
14 gear inches? is that possible to get on an off the rack touring bike? Trek, surly, fuji, Masi, all seem to only go as low as 20 gear inches?
Old touring triples with an inner 24 tooth or mountain doubles with a 22t inner.
My one issue with electronic shifting and with all things electronics. Is the proprietary batteries that company's insist to use for designed obsolescence. Basically forcing you to throw away or modify the product when they no longer make the battery packs. All in hope that you will buy the newer model. Which is a shame for such a cool tech id be interested in otherwise.
The batteries used for the original eTap and eTap AXS are the interchangeable.
@@SteveFullerBikes That's great until they choose to no longer support it. Which is silly when there is hundreds of standard cell size batteries they could of choose from. They do it to limit the products life to push future sales when sales of older product tappers off. Mark my words. Few years down the line they will come out with fTap ABC123 that has bios update for chain configs with a non backwards compatible battery. I'm the type of person that wants things to run into the ground from use and not when a company chooses it should.
It's good to see Sram bringing this out. Maybe Shimano will make a 105 Di2. I upgraded to Grx di2 2x with 11-40 cassette, and that is about all I need for 15% hills.
Shimano has recently said (very recently) they don’t plan on doing that unfortunately.
@@kbd13-n9c heh just reading comments and I saw few minutes ago in other video that 105 got di2 ;)
I’ve been waiting for a lower-tier electronic group set and think this is ideal. I hope they put it on some aluminum bikes and not just carbon.
That gear range would work for me so it is interesting. My issue is more the other one you mention - flat mount hydros - having all the options would be nice. Group sets always cost more on their own so I will be interested to see the price when brands like All City are selling it. I’ll probably never have one but I think these will sell like hot cakes especially on completes. When do we get wireless Di2 105? 😘
I need a Domane review! Ive been looking at getting one and id love to hear your thoughts
you said that mechanical disk brakes are fine for gravel !! have them on my Kona libre and I think their shit.. not at all up to the job what type would you recommend? as it might save me some cash in the upgragde.
Thank you for temporarily going full roadie. Your opinions and perspectives are much more valuable to me, and I suspect other humans, than the wash of reviews from race elitists.
that rear derailleur delay is by design - the RD (brain) is waiting to see if you meant to hit both paddles to shift the front -
At $1200 I have to ask if the optional app includes GPS tracking for when someone swipes it off your bike?
Curious did you like the bike as a roadbike? The Atheos is one of the few carbon rodbikes on the marked that appeals to me (from reading about it).
Great reality check -- thanks!
Pair the rival derailleurs with the time trial blip box and choose your brakes
After thorough research I've decided to do a Bombora build. What would I need to use this on a Bombora?
Price is still a huge inhibition for partypace riding, but this is still a good review.
Great review Russ! Here's a question that I don't understand about the SRAM AXS stuff: In regards to shifting from lo to hi or hi to lo with a double chainring setup, will the front derailleur shift automatically before you go into a cross chaining scenario or does the rider have control of where and when the front derailleur shifts? Is there a full automatic mode and a manual mode? If I wanted to completely cross chain the thing, will it let me?
Yes you can cross chain it.
So it doesnt have an auto mode where it will automatically shift the front chainring?
@@juliantaylor1126 it does. I couldn't get it to work because the components were under embargo and weren't showing up in the app. But it should work now.
Great review! Ty
Great review...very indepth! This was like reading the manual but more fun :) Do people even read manuals anymore though...lol. Great job on your video :)
Did Sram send you the bike to review, or did you request it?
You should pair an Eagle AXS rear derailleur for the ultimate mullet. Me? I'm sticking with cables. The right triple group weighs less than this group and has way more range and lower gears.
I'm just waiting for the Apex AXS shifters, and SX AXS derailleur.
Nicely shot video. I'm a cheapass and will stick with my Microsoft Advent setup.
Would you recommend this gs for gravel bike? I mostly, ride my gravel bike on road.
Yes.
For that price, does the Rohloff enter the picture with evenly distanced steps and wide range? Rohloff needs to create a new hub though that deals with thru-axle frames though, and the barrel shifter is rather clumsy.
Russ, I think you mentioned a future Rohloff eval.
We could wait a lifetime for real Rohloff updates. They have been teasing potential competitors for years and I expect we will see some good competition soon.
Could you just buy the blips and the rear mech, so that you could use any type of brake/bar combo?
Yes.
Curious, are the hoods comfortable in that position? They look they would create a rather uncomfortable wrist angle.
Yes they're comfortable.
Mullet gearing no problem. Neat but I’m not going to run out and buy a group set. And I don’t like sram brakes as much as shimano. Personal preference.
Can you review the trek checkpoint 2021.
Consolidation to disc brakes in the industry means no more mechanical brake options (even for discs), unfortunately. Biggest benefit to electronic is the day-to-day not having to ever worry about losing cable tension or tuning barrel adjusters every so often, just remember to check the batteries once a month. For the more reasonable people that won't buy at MSRP, electronic groups go for dead cheap if you buy them second hand individually, since all the hardcore roadies will sell the second they get it scratched the first time or the next generation comes out.
I have always struggled to find used etap and AXS.
@@gravgrav you're right the market is a little sparse atm, though there was a huge sell off of gen1 when AXS dropped; IME easier to pick up used Shimano Di2
If you have a Gramin can pair with the group and report low batteries.
Nice review again Russ!
'm happy SRAM has come out with a less expensive AXS option. This should sell by the boatload, but I can't wait to see what Shimano will counter with.
BTW. What bike were you riding? It looks really nice.
It's a Trek Domane.
@@Korina42 Thanks!
Nice review, but i'd also like to know what you thought of the Domane?
It’s a fun road bike and a not very good gravel bike.
Maybe good for gravel applications, but pure road, it is to heavy and pricey for a mid tier groupset. The total cost of the bike is stepping into serious bike territory but not delivering on performance relating to weight..
Weight. You must have this confused with a roadie channel :)
@@PathLessPedaledTV lol yes probably have, but it must be said, that this groupset is mostly and prodominently reviewed for road use, re-my comment.
Welcome to the light side
Well done review.
What do you think of air liner?
Hi Russ, just wondering if you’ve considered the gear ratio potential of Classified’s hub gear system? You could potentially run a super wide 1x system (if and when they make the cassettes) with the same ratios repeated at a 0.7 ratio! When you do the maths you can have a crazy wide spread of gear without worrying about whether the derraileur could cope.
I have but it’s stupid expensive and proprietary.
Can you do a video on SRAM APEX AXS?
Can you accidentally shift the bike next to you that is also running this system? What a hoot that would be!
Feel a bit left out of the whole e-shifting movement. Maybe I’ll demo one to see what I’ve been missing.
It's novel. I still prefer the flexibility of mechanicals personally.
What do I think about it? I don’t get it. Why? Why have wireless shifting? Really just seems like a weird flex.
How do you like the domane? I started working for Trek a few months ago.
It's a fun road bike, but not my favorite on mixed terrain. Climbs well and descends tarmac beautifully. Rode it with 32mm tires and it felt skittish on loose gravel. Biggest complaint is the proprietary seat mast. I actually couldn't get the seat low enough for me to ride comfortably. I had to use flats and wear Blundstones to try to get the bike to fit without feeling like I was getting kicked in the 'taint.
@@PathLessPedaledTV oh yeah that's crazy annoying! Did you buy it? 30 return no questions asked! Everything is out of stock these days! Did you order it a while ago?
@@michaellofaso1351 no it's a test bike for the groupset.
@@PathLessPedaledTV holler. That's a hard bike to come by right now. Way to go!
Russ with aero wheels, you have changed :-)
On a serious note I would be interested on your thoughts of the Domane frame with the Isospeed inserts.
Aero wheels, platform pedals.
That’s called punk rock.
Take of your head badge sticker!!!!
Canyou pair that with the GX AXS in 2x with a big cassette and get a really wide range?
Don't know. That would be fun to try.
GCN's review said it was completely interchangeable with their mountain electric shift groupsets, so with the mountain RD you could run a 10-46 rear cassette.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Do. Or do not. There is no try. 🙂
No, if you use the Eagle RD and cassette, you need the eagle chain. Eagle chain only works with 1x chainrings.
@@chw0112 oh. 1x then.
How do you like that Domane? Are you going to review it?
I can't get the seat mast low enough. Thats why flat pedals and Blundstones during the review and it still 'taint no fun. Great on the tarmac rough and sketchy on the grav grav with a loose surface.
@@PathLessPedaledTV what size was the frame?
Electro gears? Meh. I just had eyes on the little Domane. I’m no roadie but I was offered a Series 5 Carbon Domane awhile ago and I absolutely love it. A ‘supple’ road fitness bike!
Not a fan of the seatmast. Couldn’t get the saddle low enough.
What about tire clearance at the front derailleur?
We need to make flat pedals on road bikes a thing
4:29 That head badge sticker still on has me dead. XD
I don’t get to keep bikes and try to return them in decent shape.
Big con. I have a 3 year old Red 22 etap group. The front derailleur died. There are no replacements out there and Sram has no plans to release any in the future. So when one part fails the whole group is junk.
14 gear inches! Thats pretty much the easiest gear possible, that 28t chainring with 52t cassette.
Maybe it’s just me, but in most cases, I don’t expect someone who wants cable disc brakes to want electronic shifting
I'd purchase an electronic shifting groupset that had cables. So would many others that don't want the hassle of dealing with toxic fluids spilling all over the place. Hydros for road are overrated IMO.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I appreciate that some would want it. I just doubt there would be enough for SRAM to wanna make it
Will you do a Domane review?
No. It uses a seat mast that I can't get low enough to actually ride for a long period.
@@PathLessPedaledTV :-( The price of progress.
Too bad the bike / seat post fit don’t allow for a full review of the bike. I’ve heard people say the Domane with wider tires is a decent option for the less gnarly gravel in my area, but it would have been great to get your perspective. Glad to get your thoughts on the new SRAM options, though.
What do you mean by flat mount?
The disc brake mount on your bike is either post mount or flat mount.
This, just like the GX eagle group, is going to sell out immediately and be impossible to get! The GX upgrade group is already selling for $200 over MSRP on ebay ... Even with flat mount only option the shifters/calipers are still a pretty reasonable price when all is said and done. I'm going to be looking at a multet GX/Rival Axs group for gravel ... 10 years ago people would have said the same thing about hydo vs mech brakes for MTBs, just saying.