It’s a big release day for SRAM. Following the introduction of Red AXS Road and Red AXS XPLR last year, the American company has now percolated all its latest drop-bar tech into a pot containing the more affordable Force and Rival ranges.
My colleague Suvi Loponen has the full details on what’s new in the 2x road side of things, and has been thoroughly testing the new 2x12 Rival AXS road groupset. Meanwhile, I was recently sent the more gravel-focused 1x13-speed Force XPLR AXS groupset, which took the place of the Red XPLR AXS I’d been testing for well over a year.
This article looks at what’s new in the Rival and Force XPLR ranges. And given how much of the tech has trickled down, I’ll point you toward my previous review of Red XPLR for the full background story on the tech involved.
Highs: All the same as previously covered with Red XPLR E1, including: superbly smooth and light-action brakes, close gear steps where it matters, 13-speed with an impressively durable 12-speed chain, great shifting, robust system. Plus, there are now more affordable (albeit no truly cheap) options.
Lows: Also all the same as previously covered with Red XPLR E1, including: a system that’s locked to a single cassette size that may not be wide enough in range for some, only compatible with a UDH frame, a bit of unwanted deadstroke in the brake lever action, a longer lever reach, and cranks that will be tough to remove.
A quick note that all of the new stuff falls under the “E1” generation and is the successor to what’s now known as D1/D2. If you’re shopping for new (or old) SRAM, pay close attention to the alphabetical system in the product codes.
A recap of XPLR E1
Ok, so let’s recap all that changed a year ago in Red XPLR AXS, and keep in mind, it (almost) all now applies to new Force and Rival options, too.
SRAM is still at 12-speed shifting for its road groups, meanwhile, on the gravel side, the new generation (E1) of XPLR introduced a 1x-specific system with a 13-speed cassette in a single 10-46T size (460% range). Of course, the chainring size is still up to the user, and the chain shares the same Flattop compatibility as the 12-speed drivetrains.
The new XPLR adopts SRAM’s newer Full Mount derailleur concept from its Eagle Transmission mountain bike range. Here, the derailleur only fits newer bikes with Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) compatibility, which in terms of gravel bikes is still a relatively short (but fast-growing) list. Here, the Full Mount design takes the place of the derailleur hanger by sandwiching the dropout, with the rear thru-axle bolting directly into it.
The derailleur has a number of clever details, but fundamentally, by SRAM controlling the location and size (10-46T) of the cassette, they’ve been able to produce a system that makes installation a matter of following a few easy steps and with minimal mechanical know-how. Additionally, the design is incredibly robust and highly rebuildable. Meanwhile, the most delicate part, the derailleur cage, can easily be replaced.
The Full Mount sandwiches the frame. The rear thru-axle reinforces the whole system.
Powering the derailleur is the same 300 mAH battery that remains unchanged from SRAM’s first-ever eTap wireless shifting. Also unchanged is SRAM's vague claim of between 15-60 hours of riding off a single charge. Meanwhile, it falls under the AXS wireless system, meaning you can wirelessly pair the components with just about everything else in that ecosystem.
Just as with Red AXS and Red AXS XPLR, the same shifters and brake calipers are shared between 2x road and XPLR systems. This is a big update that sees a complete overhaul to the hood shape and how the hydraulic brakes function. By flipping the orientation of the brake master cylinder to run horizontally through the hood, the brakes are vastly more efficient and lower-effort to operate (by 80% at the hoods, according to SRAM) – it really is a night-and-day difference and was the standout feature when I reviewed Red AXS 2x last year.
SRAM’s newer XPLR range is based on a crankset that’s wider than its road offerings, something the company dubbed DUB Road Wide (47.5 mm chainline). However, and as covered with Red XPLR, it is possible to set up these gravel groupsets on a UDH-equipped road bike with a narrower 1x road crankset (45 mm chainline).
Differences between Red, Force, and Rival XPLR
Ok, so let’s look at some of the finer details of what’s new. In the simplest sense, the changes are all about reducing cost, which adds weight.
The shifters and brakes are the easiest piece of the puzzle with no difference between 2x road or XPLR options. New E1 Force and Rival now share the same lever body shape as E1 Red, a good thing.
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