I love how concise and to the point you are. You’re not a read the marketing guy you bring it to the people. Great review, I think good things are in store for sram
Ya its fantastic...all you need do is purchase a new frame in order to purchase and use the new $3000.00 group set...we are all so lucky! Want more ...buy more..cool.
Wow looks great! This was the group I’ve been waiting on instead of going with Red 2x. Wouldn’t be surprised they would come out with a 48 tooth cassette in the future. Thanks for the great review! Looking forward to more vids with Fray
ive been waiting too , now i will wait this option for midrange drivetrains .. funny. and... shimano looks kinda pity with their boring "traditionalism" .
This is the perfect 1by gravel and road groupset. It is robust but light and offers an amazing ratio with small(er) gear gaps. Thanks for the great and detailed coverage.
I like this groupset! Have been using the Campy Ekar 13s with 9-42 cassette for the last three years and its been amazing to get the gear range, combined with closer gear ratios. Campy brakes are faultless and powerful, the chain retention is good, wear is good, quality is excellent, durability is excellent and it takes a beating. Shifting is very finicky and frustrating at best. Considering how much one shifts, I’d be more than happy to buy a bike with the SRAM XPLR 13s, as my bike isn’t UDH compatible. For reference, I have the 12s XO T-type transmission on my MTB and if that is anything to go by, this gravel groupset will not disappoint.
@@outdoorbros_it feels fine - to the extent that I can’t think of anything to mention about it. I can’t say that I’ve noticed it being rough or that it jumps gears, or anything like that.
My plan for the future will hopefully be aided by more companies making UDH road bikes. I want to have a 10-46 13 speed cassette with a 48-50t aero front chainring and that would be perfect for the riding I do. I've been riding a 1x mullet setup with 48t Force and 10-52 Eagle on my gravel bike and the direct mount derailleur is so nice to have and never worry about, and it's also very easy to install and maintain. This coupled with the better design of the hydraulics on the shifters really make some big improvements for mechanics/those who work on their own bikes
Be aware that SRAM recommends to mount the groupset only on bikes with a chainstay length of at least 415 mm. So there is a (official) limit for quite some road frames.
You should talk about break reliability over time, as I think they went away from dot fluid to mineral oil, which absorbs water easier and you end up bleeding more often. That could be an interesting talking point/info.
Interesting… I do believe it’s still DOT fluid. I’m 750+ miles in on the new Red AXS road group and 250+ on the XPLR AXS group- brakes have been amazing on both.
10-46 is too small for gravel where you’re hitting a 12-13% climb for 10 miles. Especially when you want good top end speed on flats and downhills where you want a 48 or 50T front chainring. The eagle XX1 is still a better option.
Came here to look for this comment. Moving to a 10-50 with a 13 speed option was, in my brain, what was "obviously" going to happen. Obviously it wasn't obvious to SRAM. XX1 Rear AXS, 10-50 cassette, and the new Red levers and brakes, and realistically you have a superior product.
Question, are you keeping the XPLR on the Fray or was this just a temporary test for SRAM? I have a 2x Red Fray build right now and I'm loving the bike; its my lifetime favorite bike. I like the idea of running 1X on my Fray and getting that extra 2mm of tire clearance, but not sure I'm ready to give up on the wider range that I get from the 2x.
I’m hoping to keep it long enough to do some long term testing, play with tire width options, etc. As long as I have the group, I’ll keep changing the setup until I find what’s best for my riding.
Thanks for the video. Do you think a 12 speed 10/52 mullet set up is better than the new 13 speed red XPLR group? Buying new Checkmate and Trying to decide between the two I will be using on daily training rides which are mainly hilly 0:01 road with some gravel and singletrack mixed in. And for gravel races that have a lot of climbing, chunky gravel and singletrack. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
So hard to say without fully knowing the terrain. What you’re saying SOUNDS like it might be best with a 10/52 mullet, but I’m not 100% sure. Have you run the different options through a gear calculator? That’s where I would start.
I got 1 question, with the configuration of your gravel bike, can you ride it through gravel road just like how you ride a road bike through tarmac? As in lean and speed through the corner, go out of saddle on steep sections without having to worry about your rear wheel skipping.
I like the potential this has for the road more than anything else tbh. I don't hate 2x - I like the small jumps for racing - but while it doesn't seem like much, this extra gear closes the gap almost entirely. If they were to come out with a 10-38 13-speed cassette, they'd have two road options that, when paired with a 48 or 50t chainring, would essentially match Shimano's 2x gearing with their 11-30 and 11-34 options and no major gaps anywhere in the cassette. There's still some question about the efficiency of a drivetrain like this for pure road racing, but I'm intrigued.
Been running 12spd with a 10-36 paired with a 44t. I've had some decent road race results on it, but wouldn't back it in a cat 1 flat out 1km field sprint. I mostly use it as a training bike to support offroad racing, and it does the job fine. I live in SW virginia and if I need a long Z2 ride I do have to put the 10-44 on to keep the cadence within a reasonable range under 250w. This cassette basically being a 12 spd 10-36 with a 46t thrown on the end is appealing. But honestly every time a ONE MORE COG groupset comes out, I'm pushed more towards building a 2x road training bike rather than keeping the do-anything 1x setup. Who knows, definitely won't be dropping the $10k+ needed for this groupset + a compatible frame any time soon.
What chainring do you suggest if riding 70% road/30% gravel ? I am coming from a Red 2X- 48/35 with a 10-33 on my Tarmac and moving to an Allroad. Nice review as well !
3.5-4K for a groupset screw that. You can get a bike for that price. $650 for a cassette? Again, absurd. And the industry wonders why they are struggling.. SMH
3529$ for shifting gears and peddling???? You must be rich or naiv to buy that. Best evidence that SRAM is making way too much money with that is the Cassette. Cassettes are sheet metal parts. Sheet metal is cheap, because it is produced incredibly fast. But they charge 600$ for it. It’s like they milled it out of a solid block.
I love how concise and to the point you are. You’re not a read the marketing guy you bring it to the people. Great review, I think good things are in store for sram
Thank you. I’ll keep these comments in mind for future videos.
the last thing you said, not hesitating to put it on a road only purpose really got me wondering how it would perform on your sl8 🤠
Crux with UHD announced 30 min after you posted your vidéo! 😂
Haha, go figure! Let’s hope there’s a new Crux soon.
Ya its fantastic...all you need do is purchase a new frame in order to purchase and use the new $3000.00 group set...we are all so lucky! Want more ...buy more..cool.
That’s one way to look at it.
Wow looks great! This was the group I’ve been waiting on instead of going with Red 2x. Wouldn’t be surprised they would come out with a 48 tooth cassette in the future. Thanks for the great review! Looking forward to more vids with Fray
ive been waiting too , now i will wait this option for midrange drivetrains .. funny. and... shimano looks kinda pity with their boring "traditionalism" .
Does look good. Won't fit on my gravel bike, I was thinking about upgrading to xplr but will need to be the old one. Discounts inbound?
This is the perfect 1by gravel and road groupset. It is robust but light and offers an amazing ratio with small(er) gear gaps.
Thanks for the great and detailed coverage.
u think this is still decent for road??
Thanks! Video coming soon about its use on road.
I think so.
@@outdoorbros_ Looking forward to it
I like this groupset! Have been using the Campy Ekar 13s with 9-42 cassette for the last three years and its been amazing to get the gear range, combined with closer gear ratios. Campy brakes are faultless and powerful, the chain retention is good, wear is good, quality is excellent, durability is excellent and it takes a beating. Shifting is very finicky and frustrating at best. Considering how much one shifts, I’d be more than happy to buy a bike with the SRAM XPLR 13s, as my bike isn’t UDH compatible.
For reference, I have the 12s XO T-type transmission on my MTB and if that is anything to go by, this gravel groupset will not disappoint.
Good stuff! Genuinely curious, how does the eKar group feel in the 9t? I have yet to ride Campy.
@@outdoorbros_it feels fine - to the extent that I can’t think of anything to mention about it. I can’t say that I’ve noticed it being rough or that it jumps gears, or anything like that.
My favorite review released today! You always come through man
Thank you!
@@outdoorbros_ You keeping this on the bike? is it okay for climbing?
Its cool you are getting these early releases now to review
Thank you! Super grateful to get a chance at riding it prior to the launch.
My plan for the future will hopefully be aided by more companies making UDH road bikes. I want to have a 10-46 13 speed cassette with a 48-50t aero front chainring and that would be perfect for the riding I do. I've been riding a 1x mullet setup with 48t Force and 10-52 Eagle on my gravel bike and the direct mount derailleur is so nice to have and never worry about, and it's also very easy to install and maintain. This coupled with the better design of the hydraulics on the shifters really make some big improvements for mechanics/those who work on their own bikes
That setup sounds amazing!
@@outdoorbros_ we need more UDH bikes with the right chainstay length!
Be aware that SRAM recommends to mount the groupset only on bikes with a chainstay length of at least 415 mm. So there is a (official) limit for quite some road frames.
Good point!
Great review Chris!
Thank you!
price wise: look at rose backroad ff....7k for the bike with compete red group
thanks for the review
I’m intrigued. Thanks for the lead.
Awesome thank you! Is there another long term review forth coming on Fray? Very intrigued.
Definitely! Hoping to put more miles on it in the coming weeks.
I like most of it but I'm used to a 10-50 and wondering if i should get 10-52, so I'm not sure if want to go the other way to a 10-46. :(
No doubt, so much depends on riding style. There are so many good options.
You should talk about break reliability over time, as I think they went away from dot fluid to mineral oil, which absorbs water easier and you end up bleeding more often. That could be an interesting talking point/info.
these are still on dot fluid
I think you have this backwards. DOT fluid absorbs water and Mineral Oil does not
Interesting… I do believe it’s still DOT fluid. I’m 750+ miles in on the new Red AXS road group and 250+ on the XPLR AXS group- brakes have been amazing on both.
Thanks for clarifying.
10-46 is too small for gravel where you’re hitting a 12-13% climb for 10 miles. Especially when you want good top end speed on flats and downhills where you want a 48 or 50T front chainring. The eagle XX1 is still a better option.
Agree and easy answer is to use the Transmission derailleur and cassette with the rest of the Xplr kit
Came here to look for this comment. Moving to a 10-50 with a 13 speed option was, in my brain, what was "obviously" going to happen. Obviously it wasn't obvious to SRAM. XX1 Rear AXS, 10-50 cassette, and the new Red levers and brakes, and realistically you have a superior product.
Question, are you keeping the XPLR on the Fray or was this just a temporary test for SRAM? I have a 2x Red Fray build right now and I'm loving the bike; its my lifetime favorite bike. I like the idea of running 1X on my Fray and getting that extra 2mm of tire clearance, but not sure I'm ready to give up on the wider range that I get from the 2x.
I’m hoping to keep it long enough to do some long term testing, play with tire width options, etc. As long as I have the group, I’ll keep changing the setup until I find what’s best for my riding.
Thanks for the video. Do you think a 12 speed 10/52 mullet set up is better than the new 13 speed red XPLR group? Buying new Checkmate and Trying to decide between the two
I will be using on daily training rides which are mainly hilly 0:01 road with some gravel and singletrack mixed in. And for gravel races that have a lot of climbing, chunky gravel and singletrack. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
So hard to say without fully knowing the terrain. What you’re saying SOUNDS like it might be best with a 10/52 mullet, but I’m not 100% sure. Have you run the different options through a gear calculator? That’s where I would start.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Appreciate the advice. Never used a gear calculator but Will check out it before deciding. Thanks again!
The button on the rear derailleur looks quite exposed - possible damage ?
I got 1 question, with the configuration of your gravel bike, can you ride it through gravel road just like how you ride a road bike through tarmac? As in lean and speed through the corner, go out of saddle on steep sections without having to worry about your rear wheel skipping.
I like the potential this has for the road more than anything else tbh. I don't hate 2x - I like the small jumps for racing - but while it doesn't seem like much, this extra gear closes the gap almost entirely. If they were to come out with a 10-38 13-speed cassette, they'd have two road options that, when paired with a 48 or 50t chainring, would essentially match Shimano's 2x gearing with their 11-30 and 11-34 options and no major gaps anywhere in the cassette.
There's still some question about the efficiency of a drivetrain like this for pure road racing, but I'm intrigued.
Been running 12spd with a 10-36 paired with a 44t. I've had some decent road race results on it, but wouldn't back it in a cat 1 flat out 1km field sprint. I mostly use it as a training bike to support offroad racing, and it does the job fine. I live in SW virginia and if I need a long Z2 ride I do have to put the 10-44 on to keep the cadence within a reasonable range under 250w. This cassette basically being a 12 spd 10-36 with a 46t thrown on the end is appealing. But honestly every time a ONE MORE COG groupset comes out, I'm pushed more towards building a 2x road training bike rather than keeping the do-anything 1x setup. Who knows, definitely won't be dropping the $10k+ needed for this groupset + a compatible frame any time soon.
I'm in the same boat...As soon as the specs were available on the xplr stuff I knew I wanted to use it in a road build.
Is the chainring centered withe the cassette? How do they fit 13 gears on a 12-speed freeehub if they didn’t shrink the spacing?
I’ll double check. Whatever they did, it shifts and performs really, really well.
YIKE$$$!
We really hope you give it a go in a road bike and then give us your thoughts on it ;-)
What chainring do you suggest if riding 70% road/30% gravel ? I am coming from a Red 2X- 48/35 with a 10-33 on my Tarmac and moving to an Allroad. Nice review as well !
3.5-4K for a groupset screw that. You can get a bike for that price. $650 for a cassette? Again, absurd. And the industry wonders why they are struggling.. SMH
Even at those prices, I bet it’s an incredibly popular group.
3529$ for shifting gears and peddling???? You must be rich or naiv to buy that. Best evidence that SRAM is making way too much money with that is the Cassette. Cassettes are sheet metal parts. Sheet metal is cheap, because it is produced incredibly fast. But they charge 600$ for it. It’s like they milled it out of a solid block.
Which group are you riding?
@@outdoorbros_ Two Pinion gearboxes (12 gear)
Shimano Alivio (3x9)
Shimano 600 (2x7)
13 is so amateur, holding out for 15spd.
15 speed is chump change! I need 17 speed!!
Ha! Good one.
13 speed for what? Gimmick
It’s the future.
Lost me at 1x
1x is shit as soon as you want to do a tour with some added weight. way to small range. one extra gear doesn´t change that.
For that style of touring, I’d imagine you would want a 10-50+
The beauty of this setup is the compatibility with other AXS systems, therefore you can run 10-52 T-type transmission in the rear?
So cheap too😂
What do you consider a reasonably priced groupset in 2024?
@outdoorbros_ for complete group set is around £3500 , that isn't at all reasonable, at all you getting is one, no innovation at all
Wait for the trickle down to Force and buy a complete bike with it on as OEM. Better VfM.
Uncanny how much the drone angles remind me of the Zwift rider animation. Surely the did motion capture on you for the model?
Ha! @Zwift, let’s collaborate.