Totally agree with your value statement about electronic shifting. The precision is unattainable with mechanical shifting. Gravel riding is hard enough on my hands so e-shifting is a game changer! Thanks for the excellent review!
Excellent and timely review give the amount of bikes coming in 2022 with the XPLR groupset. Personally, I was waiting on your review before determining if was something I wanted to invest in and I appreciate you conducting a long term review vice a basic description/overview. Keep up the amazing work and Happy New Year.
Thanks for that comprehensive review and explanation of electronic shifting. I have to admit, I was not a believer until watching this. Mainly because I didn't understand it. Now, I feel like have to try it... Anyway, thanks again for this and all your videos!
I bought a set of the XPLR handlebars and let me say… They’re awesome!! Ended up buying the SL-70 Ergo road version for my road bike too! The subtle sweep back on the tops is awesome pairs well with the short reach. The XPLR bars have subtle flare, more so than the road version, but just enough to let you know you’re on an adventure bike. They’re not as extreme as Salsa Woodchipper bars.
Got my linskey pro GR coming in a month. Rival AXS up front, GX eagle 10-52 in the back. I am excited to see how the titanium bike rides, and how the mullet drivetrain works. I have AXS Eagle on my stumpjumper EVO and it is awesome.
I just came back from a bike packing trip through the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. The XPLR drivetrain with 40 crank set with 44 cassette was a total failure. SRAM definitely needs to add an option to put a 50+ cassette on the drivetrain. I could have definitely used a 54.
XPLR was never really designed for bike packing, but chapeau for riding a loaded bike with a 40T x 44 low gear! I'm not a bike packer, rather a credit card packer at best. I would select a 2x config, something like 46/30 chainrings, 11-40 cassette. Or, as the other commenter suggested, mullet 1x build with an Eagle derailleur, and massive pie plate cassette. Good luck!
I live up north and riding below freezing with lobster claw gloves and glove liners with mechanical shifting is challenging to say the least. When it’s time to upgrade I may just go to electronic shifting.
Not that everyone will run into this, but loss of or limits to hand dexterity can easily occur during ultra cycling events. Both people I've crewed for RAAM and RAW opted for electronic shifting on their bikes for this reason, and it's a reason I've opted for it on the two bikes I use for multi-day road/gravel events.
Really Like the Ekar, however 2 things Worth mentioning. 1. The Ekar has much more resistance when going through the low gears compered to SRAMs Axs 2. The Ekar spare parts are way more expensive compared to SRAM/Shimano.
@@lincolnlu9869 no but when you are about to buy a bike it’s super important to know what the pros and cons are even through it’s mechanical vs electronically
Super detailed review and information. I'm new user to Sram Rival Etap on my new Trek Checkpoint SL6 and so far I bloody love it! Happy New Year by the way. 🙂
Informative review, thanks, JOM! Thanks for mentioning the speeds of the cassettes, and the reliability of this system, that is helpful. I am weighing 1x vs 2x for my new gravel ride and you brought up some great points that addressed my concerns. A few of my favorite parts: "bob's your uncle" LOL 04:46 his bike has its own bed (the way it should be!) "...to all the haters, retro grouches and wanker keyboard heroes in their mum's basement" LOLOL This guy. Only 37k subscribers., whaaat..ugh, keep at it, bro. Quality stuff for regular cyclists!
As a campaign ekar ride whom undertakes ultra events I can vouch for the need for electric gears. Multiple day events on mechanical shifting takes its toll on the finger & thumb.
@@GravelCyclist I hope they do, 2 reasons. 1) as I have stated above and 2) trying to keep the 13 speed shifting crisp is hard work. Electronic gears don't suffer from this. Started to look at SRAM as a potential replacement. Ekar is like that little Italian sports car that works well once a year, otherwise it can be a pain in the ar5e. Loving the channel btw & the honest reviews.
hi @gravelcyclist based on your experience, is 10-44t with 40t being faster on road/gravel road? my bicycle is 11-42 with crank 48-32T. until now, I'm still thinking to upgrade 10-44t with 40T. I love speed and climbing. but on the other side, the road is mixing between smooth road, wavy, and plot holes.
Great review! Would you recommend SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS or Shimano GRX 810? I'm debating between the Canyon Grail 7 and the Canyon Grail 7 eTap (not worried about the $300 price difference). Probably will be riding 60-70% road and 30-40% gravel. Thanks for the help!
I have a salsa warbir 2020 with sram apex 1 been looking into the xplr groupset collection but it is a big upgrade. Thanks for the review. If it is all in stock it would be nice to ramp it up. I wonder if there is a partial upgrade that you could do instead of getting it all at once?
The battery thing is cool. My mountain bike and gravel bike use the same battery, so if I am using my mounting bike I can carry my gravel bike battery as a spare and vise versa. Actually my mullet cassette and GX derailleur is the same as cassette and derailleur on mounting bike, so they could also act as spares. I always like Shimano stuff, and I like their brake feel. But SRAM is killing them with the rollout of cost effective electric shifting, modularity, and wireless systems.
I just bought a sram rival xplr groupset minus the front crank to go on my trek domane. I just want to make sure I got this correct I can use anything from the sram line up to go on the front as the front crank correct? I don't need the wide version, correct?
The regular crankset should be fine, generally the wide version is for frames where tyre clearance is bigger, and that in turn can raise some issues with frame / crank clearance. For example, a lot of bikes sold for 1x due to bigger tyre clearance but with an optional derailleur mount, is such a frame where the Wide crank option would work. Higher Q-factor for certain on this configuration.
great, thank you , my LBS has told me to get a grx 820, This way we won't have to change my bottom bracket I guess the chain will fit on because they're both one by 12?@@GravelCyclist
I don't have experience mixing SRAM flat top chains, etc, with Shimano systems. It may work well, but check your warranty, SRAM are specific I think about keeping it all working together. Good luck!
Got the rival version c9ming on my new bike (if it ever arrives lol) can you explain what the 'wide' chainring means please as mine is coming with 40 t but want to swap it out with the 38.
You may be meaning wide ratio cassette, which in the case of XPLR, is 10-44 on all versions, Rival, Force, and Red. You will have no problems swapping a 40T chainring to a 38T chainring. I even think you won't need to change the length of the chain to compensate. 38T with the 10-44 cassette is a really good choice!
Thanks Jom, how do the levers compare with grx’s, ergonomically. Bought a bike with grx and I find they allow better control from the hoods compared to ultegra road levers.
Hello there, I'm unaware of any SRAM XDR compatible rear hubs that don't require a 142mm x 12mm thru-axle. That would eliminate any 9mm quick release bikes. I would definitely steer towards a bike with 100mm 12mm thru-axle on the fork, and 142mm x 12mm thru-axle at the rear. Nothing else is needed, there are multiple bottom bracket standards that can support that SRAM crankset. Most bikes that are around five years old will likely support these standards. Good luck!
tbh id still get a gevenalle brifters than axs set-up ones... why? it can dump a cassette from smallest to biggest in less than a second... still electronic shifting is slow for me
If you gear it correctly, yes. As an FYI, 10-36 is about the smallest cassette you can run. I tried a 10-33 but it didn't shift well. With say a 44T or 42T chainring, provided you have some good leg speed, I don't see this being an issue. You may choose to go bigger on the 1x ring? The one thing that may be annoying, some of those cassette gaps with pace changes on a roadie group ride, etc.
@@GravelCyclist appreciate your feedback! i have friends who only ride gravel and i have friends who only ride road. I’m trying to find a bike that does both works excellently since i can only afford one bike. Which Grizl would you recommend?
Timothy, if you're riding road, you shouldn't bother with the suspension version like I had in this video. As you're open to 1x, take a look at Canyon's available offerings. Good luck!
I'd put on a 10-33t or 10-36t cassette with a 34t CR. No need for these tall gear ratios on a gravel bike IMO. I'm a coaster, not a pedaller when descending.
Good points on gearing, would provide more options for all. 34x10 is still a pretty big gear, and 10-36, much less gappage happening. I think all people invariably coast on descents at some point on gravel, I have either max'd out the gear or my comfort factor when I start coasting.
Where I live, most gravel rides end up being at least 50% road, so I think the ability to run a larger front ring is nice. That said, I do worry that the 2 tooth spacing might be a little aggressive with larger rings.
It all depends on your needs. I would think when you need a 400% gear range or more, you're just better off with a 2x. The big gaps would drive me nuts. For me, I don't pedal at speeds over 45 kph, so I don't need those tall gears. That's why 1x with a small CR works for me. My tallest gear is currently 38/11, and the only time I'm in the 11t cog is when I adjust the limit screws on the RD.
Correct, I demonstrate how the system shifts in the video. The 2X system shifts the same, but you actuate both shifter paddles / buttons at the same time, to effect the front derailleur shift up / down. I don't make the rules around here, but I think eTap's shifting concept was to skate around some patents? If I got that wrong, someone please chime in.
@@bloodsouls725 Forgot to mention... in 1x mode, you can use the double button press feature of the shifters to trigger the Rockshox wireless dropper seatpost.
I think your comment about the "haters" as you called them its not appropriate. It doesn't mean i hate new technology. I think it's brilliant, but it's just not for me. I would rather invest in a gates belt and internal hub, and have totally maintenance, adjustment or batteries recharging free system. It just have more sense. I m sure there are more ppl that will agree with me in the claim that this it totally unnecessary peace of equipment on any bicycle. Especially if the only reall benefit as you mentioned is shifting in cold weather. How many ppl out there really cycle in below 0 temperature? But that is just my 2 cents. Keep up the good work.
Hello there, the hater micro-segment was mostly a windup to stir up the troll community. With your thoughtful response, you certainly do not fall into that category. I have always been fascinated by the Alfine Di2 system, which won't appeal to you, but similar idea utilizing gates belt, internal, gears are electronically activated. You would be surprised at the number of people who do ride in sub-zero celsius weather. I know of several folks in Minnesota and Michigan who ride year-round, outdoors, and often at night time. Another benefit of electronic shifting; it enables cyclists who are differently-abled to many of us, to ride and enjoy the benefits of modern electronic shifting. You can utilize additional buttons to effect gear shifting from non-traditional places on bikes that work for those riders and athletes. I briefly featured one such athlete, Jacob, who is affiliated with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, at the finish of the 2021 Big Sugar Gravel (end of my video). He rode the 50-mile course, no worries at all, with the use of just one hand / arm. Thanks for chiming in!
@@GravelCyclist I had same thought on your troll comment...only meant to troll the trolls, ha. I'm also very intrigued by Di2 Alfine w/ belt drive, especially for belt longevity (vs chain), and clean, low-maintenance build. Would not mind seeing you do a review of Priority Apollo gravel (mech) bike...would like to know how realistic is the gearing (and weight at 24 lbs, a bit pudgy but I guess low for IGH?)) for serious gravel riding, i.e., Unbound, Big Sugar, etc. A buddy of mine bought one, but sadly has had a lot of issues with it. Perhaps he got a bad apple as reviews seem to be very positive (up to 1200 miles and no issues was the most miles I saw).
Totally agree with your value statement about electronic shifting. The precision is unattainable with mechanical shifting. Gravel riding is hard enough on my hands so e-shifting is a game changer! Thanks for the excellent review!
Excellent and timely review give the amount of bikes coming in 2022 with the XPLR groupset. Personally, I was waiting on your review before determining if was something I wanted to invest in and I appreciate you conducting a long term review vice a basic description/overview. Keep up the amazing work and Happy New Year.
👍👍👏👏👏 love my 1x12 force axs on my gravel bike and yes standing the test of time like you say,also don’t knock it until you try it. Thanks again Foz
Thanks Chris, so over the haters on this tech.
Thanks for that comprehensive review and explanation of electronic shifting. I have to admit, I was not a believer until watching this. Mainly because I didn't understand it. Now, I feel like have to try it... Anyway, thanks again for this and all your videos!
Great review! When I’m empty on a hill climb I’m very happy to change gears with a push on a button 👌🏻
I bought a set of the XPLR handlebars and let me say… They’re awesome!! Ended up buying the SL-70 Ergo road version for my road bike too! The subtle sweep back on the tops is awesome pairs well with the short reach. The XPLR bars have subtle flare, more so than the road version, but just enough to let you know you’re on an adventure bike. They’re not as extreme as Salsa Woodchipper bars.
Got my linskey pro GR coming in a month. Rival AXS up front, GX eagle 10-52 in the back. I am excited to see how the titanium bike rides, and how the mullet drivetrain works. I have AXS Eagle on my stumpjumper EVO and it is awesome.
I just came back from a bike packing trip through the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. The XPLR drivetrain with 40 crank set with 44 cassette was a total failure. SRAM definitely needs to add an option to put a 50+ cassette on the drivetrain. I could have definitely used a 54.
There is one....
It's called Eagle.
XPLR was never really designed for bike packing, but chapeau for riding a loaded bike with a 40T x 44 low gear! I'm not a bike packer, rather a credit card packer at best. I would select a 2x config, something like 46/30 chainrings, 11-40 cassette. Or, as the other commenter suggested, mullet 1x build with an Eagle derailleur, and massive pie plate cassette. Good luck!
10-44 was designed for gravel racing. OP needs to be looking at 2x and 10-36T cassette for bike packing.
@@petersouthernboy6327 100%
I live up north and riding below freezing with lobster claw gloves and glove liners with mechanical shifting is challenging to say the least. When it’s time to upgrade I may just go to electronic shifting.
Not that everyone will run into this, but loss of or limits to hand dexterity can easily occur during ultra cycling events. Both people I've crewed for RAAM and RAW opted for electronic shifting on their bikes for this reason, and it's a reason I've opted for it on the two bikes I use for multi-day road/gravel events.
Thanks Steve, appreciate you chiming in with this valuable info.
Really Like the Ekar, however 2 things Worth mentioning. 1. The Ekar has much more resistance when going through the low gears compered to SRAMs Axs
2. The Ekar spare parts are way more expensive compared to SRAM/Shimano.
Mechanical vs electronic tho, so I'm not sure if the comparison really works?
@@lincolnlu9869 no but when you are about to buy a bike it’s super important to know what the pros and cons are even through it’s mechanical vs electronically
I would not completely agree that Ekar components are more expensive.
@@mojaavantura wear and tear components Like the discs, cassette, chain are quit a bit more expensive to run and change compared to Sram
@@caet49 Yes if you compare ekar with rival axs. But ekar is more in line with red axs and red cost more to maintain.
Super detailed review and information. I'm new user to Sram Rival Etap on my new Trek Checkpoint SL6 and so far I bloody love it! Happy New Year by the way. 🙂
Thanks Steve! Rival eTap is the best value going in electronic shifting, and as you know, it is so bloody nice!
Informative review, thanks, JOM! Thanks for mentioning the speeds of the cassettes, and the reliability of this system, that is helpful. I am weighing 1x vs 2x for my new gravel ride and you brought up some great points that addressed my concerns.
A few of my favorite parts:
"bob's your uncle" LOL
04:46 his bike has its own bed (the way it should be!)
"...to all the haters, retro grouches and wanker keyboard heroes in their mum's basement" LOLOL
This guy. Only 37k subscribers., whaaat..ugh, keep at it, bro. Quality stuff for regular cyclists!
Awesome review! 👍🏽😎
As a campaign ekar ride whom undertakes ultra events I can vouch for the need for electric gears. Multiple day events on mechanical shifting takes its toll on the finger & thumb.
I've been wondering if Campy is ever going to offer Ekar EPS?
@@GravelCyclist I hope they do, 2 reasons. 1) as I have stated above and 2) trying to keep the 13 speed shifting crisp is hard work. Electronic gears don't suffer from this.
Started to look at SRAM as a potential replacement. Ekar is like that little Italian sports car that works well once a year, otherwise it can be a pain in the ar5e.
Loving the channel btw & the honest reviews.
hi @gravelcyclist based on your experience, is 10-44t with 40t being faster on road/gravel road? my bicycle is 11-42 with crank 48-32T. until now, I'm still thinking to upgrade 10-44t with 40T. I love speed and climbing. but on the other side, the road is mixing between smooth road, wavy, and plot holes.
Great review! Would you recommend SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS or Shimano GRX 810? I'm debating between the Canyon Grail 7 and the Canyon Grail 7 eTap (not worried about the $300 price difference). Probably will be riding 60-70% road and 30-40% gravel. Thanks for the help!
Does any of the 3 xplr derailleur have the crash decouple feature? Thanks for the content !
Informative and entertaining.
'Was hoping to enjoy electronic shifting, but had a couple of issues with the rear derailleur "accuracy".....back to cable for me.
Curious about what issues you experienced? I've been riding electronic for a long time, zero issues.
Great review as always JOM. Any chance of you getting a Litespeed Watia to review?
I have a salsa warbir 2020 with sram apex 1 been looking into the xplr groupset collection but it is a big upgrade. Thanks for the review. If it is all in stock it would be nice to ramp it up. I wonder if there is a partial upgrade that you could do instead of getting it all at once?
The battery thing is cool. My mountain bike and gravel bike use the same battery, so if I am using my mounting bike I can carry my gravel bike battery as a spare and vise versa. Actually my mullet cassette and GX derailleur is the same as cassette and derailleur on mounting bike, so they could also act as spares. I always like Shimano stuff, and I like their brake feel. But SRAM is killing them with the rollout of cost effective electric shifting, modularity, and wireless systems.
I just bought a sram rival xplr groupset minus the front crank to go on my trek domane. I just want to make sure I got this correct I can use anything from the sram line up to go on the front as the front crank correct? I don't need the wide version, correct?
The regular crankset should be fine, generally the wide version is for frames where tyre clearance is bigger, and that in turn can raise some issues with frame / crank clearance. For example, a lot of bikes sold for 1x due to bigger tyre clearance but with an optional derailleur mount, is such a frame where the Wide crank option would work. Higher Q-factor for certain on this configuration.
great, thank you , my LBS has told me to get a grx 820, This way we won't have to change my bottom bracket I guess the chain will fit on because they're both one by 12?@@GravelCyclist
I don't have experience mixing SRAM flat top chains, etc, with Shimano systems. It may work well, but check your warranty, SRAM are specific I think about keeping it all working together. Good luck!
How have you found the canyon grizl as an all round gravel / bikepacking bike?
Tanks for the Review
Which garmin Mount was it on your stem?
Zipp QuickView Integrated Mount Service Course SL. It can also support a light / camera below the Garmin.
@@GravelCyclist thanks very much!
Got the rival version c9ming on my new bike (if it ever arrives lol) can you explain what the 'wide' chainring means please as mine is coming with 40 t but want to swap it out with the 38.
You may be meaning wide ratio cassette, which in the case of XPLR, is 10-44 on all versions, Rival, Force, and Red. You will have no problems swapping a 40T chainring to a 38T chainring. I even think you won't need to change the length of the chain to compensate. 38T with the 10-44 cassette is a really good choice!
@@GravelCyclist cheers man !
Thanks Jom, how do the levers compare with grx’s, ergonomically. Bought a bike with grx and I find they allow better control from the hoods compared to ultegra road levers.
GRX Di2 is the #1 comfy lever in my opinion.
How old of a gravel bike would I be able to install this system on? What are the frame compatibility requirements? I am new to gravel coming from MTB.
Hello there, I'm unaware of any SRAM XDR compatible rear hubs that don't require a 142mm x 12mm thru-axle. That would eliminate any 9mm quick release bikes. I would definitely steer towards a bike with 100mm 12mm thru-axle on the fork, and 142mm x 12mm thru-axle at the rear. Nothing else is needed, there are multiple bottom bracket standards that can support that SRAM crankset. Most bikes that are around five years old will likely support these standards. Good luck!
Liked. All my questions were answered.
i know this is an older post but I would like to ask what you believe is the best 2x setup? Or rather your preferred 2x setup?
I thought the XPLR is also designed for shifting under load; did you experience this?
It shifts well under load.
tbh id still get a gevenalle brifters than axs set-up ones... why? it can dump a cassette from smallest to biggest in less than a second... still electronic shifting is slow for me
Great Happy New Year
Can i keep up on group rides with this if we don’t ride gravel?
If you gear it correctly, yes. As an FYI, 10-36 is about the smallest cassette you can run. I tried a 10-33 but it didn't shift well. With say a 44T or 42T chainring, provided you have some good leg speed, I don't see this being an issue. You may choose to go bigger on the 1x ring? The one thing that may be annoying, some of those cassette gaps with pace changes on a roadie group ride, etc.
@@GravelCyclist appreciate your feedback! i have friends who only ride gravel and i have friends who only ride road. I’m trying to find a bike that does both works excellently since i can only afford one bike. Which Grizl would you recommend?
Timothy, if you're riding road, you shouldn't bother with the suspension version like I had in this video. As you're open to 1x, take a look at Canyon's available offerings. Good luck!
It seems the Shimano GRX even the mech version shifts smoother than Sram Xplr.
LOL.
I'd put on a 10-33t or 10-36t cassette with a 34t CR. No need for these tall gear ratios on a gravel bike IMO. I'm a coaster, not a pedaller when descending.
Good points on gearing, would provide more options for all. 34x10 is still a pretty big gear, and 10-36, much less gappage happening. I think all people invariably coast on descents at some point on gravel, I have either max'd out the gear or my comfort factor when I start coasting.
Where I live, most gravel rides end up being at least 50% road, so I think the ability to run a larger front ring is nice. That said, I do worry that the 2 tooth spacing might be a little aggressive with larger rings.
It all depends on your needs. I would think when you need a 400% gear range or more, you're just better off with a 2x. The big gaps would drive me nuts.
For me, I don't pedal at speeds over 45 kph, so I don't need those tall gears. That's why 1x with a small CR works for me.
My tallest gear is currently 38/11, and the only time I'm in the 11t cog is when I adjust the limit screws on the RD.
@@hansschotterradler3772 Couldn't have articulated this better myself! I agree on all counts. My kingdom for a 12 speed 38x10-40
Is it required to have TWO electronic shifter levers on a 1X system? Because, if so, that is the ultimate dick move
Correct, I demonstrate how the system shifts in the video. The 2X system shifts the same, but you actuate both shifter paddles / buttons at the same time, to effect the front derailleur shift up / down. I don't make the rules around here, but I think eTap's shifting concept was to skate around some patents? If I got that wrong, someone please chime in.
@@GravelCyclist absolutely incredible, even more so considering SRAM's mechanical double tap... Thanks for the prompt reply!
@@bloodsouls725 Forgot to mention... in 1x mode, you can use the double button press feature of the shifters to trigger the Rockshox wireless dropper seatpost.
I think your comment about the "haters" as you called them its not appropriate. It doesn't mean i hate new technology. I think it's brilliant, but it's just not for me. I would rather invest in a gates belt and internal hub, and have totally maintenance, adjustment or batteries recharging free system. It just have more sense. I m sure there are more ppl that will agree with me in the claim that this it totally unnecessary peace of equipment on any bicycle. Especially if the only reall benefit as you mentioned is shifting in cold weather. How many ppl out there really cycle in below 0 temperature? But that is just my 2 cents. Keep up the good work.
Hello there, the hater micro-segment was mostly a windup to stir up the troll community. With your thoughtful response, you certainly do not fall into that category. I have always been fascinated by the Alfine Di2 system, which won't appeal to you, but similar idea utilizing gates belt, internal, gears are electronically activated.
You would be surprised at the number of people who do ride in sub-zero celsius weather. I know of several folks in Minnesota and Michigan who ride year-round, outdoors, and often at night time. Another benefit of electronic shifting; it enables cyclists who are differently-abled to many of us, to ride and enjoy the benefits of modern electronic shifting. You can utilize additional buttons to effect gear shifting from non-traditional places on bikes that work for those riders and athletes. I briefly featured one such athlete, Jacob, who is affiliated with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, at the finish of the 2021 Big Sugar Gravel (end of my video). He rode the 50-mile course, no worries at all, with the use of just one hand / arm.
Thanks for chiming in!
@@GravelCyclist I had same thought on your troll comment...only meant to troll the trolls, ha. I'm also very intrigued by Di2 Alfine w/ belt drive, especially for belt longevity (vs chain), and clean, low-maintenance build. Would not mind seeing you do a review of Priority Apollo gravel (mech) bike...would like to know how realistic is the gearing (and weight at 24 lbs, a bit pudgy but I guess low for IGH?)) for serious gravel riding, i.e., Unbound, Big Sugar, etc. A buddy of mine bought one, but sadly has had a lot of issues with it. Perhaps he got a bad apple as reviews seem to be very positive (up to 1200 miles and no issues was the most miles I saw).
Any chain drops while using the Sram Xplr?
Negative, performance has been spot on.
Thanks for the reply!