How to choose the best SRAM road bike groupset for you

Component manufacturer SRAM makes a range of groupsets for road bikes and mountain bikes. In this guide to SRAM's road bike groupsets we'll walk you through your options from SRAM's innovative wireless electronic shifting systems to the entry-level Apex groupset.

• With Red eTap and then the Red AXS and Force AXS groupsets, SRAM pioneered wireless electronic shifting

• Unlike competitor Shimano, SRAM offers its latest Red AXS and Force AXS groupsets in 12-speed configuration for a wide gear range with close steps

• SRAM's mechanical groupsets are still 11-speed or, in the case of Apex, 10-speed

• SRAM has focused on single-chainring '1X' systems, initially for mountain bikes, then for cyclocross, gravel bikes and road bikes

• Founded in 1987, SRAM's first product was Grip Shift, a twist-grip shifter for road and triathlon bikes that was subsequently adapted for mountain bikes

Of the three main road bike groupset manufacturers – Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo – SRAM is the newcomer but it has an extensive range and a big slice of the market.

SRAM essentially has four road groupsets, Red eTap being the lightest and most expensive – the one used by SRAM’s professional road racers – followed by Force, Rival, and finally Apex at the entry-level.

However, it’s more complicated than that – it always is! – because SRAM has variants of its top three tier groupsets. Red and Force are available in a wireless electronic version called eTap; the mechanical versions of Force, Rival and Apex are available in 1X configurations (with a single chainring instead of a double), and all four have hydraulic disc brakes as options, as well as mechanical rim brakes.

The good news is that you should be able to get a setup that suits both the type of riding you do and your budget.

SRAM Red eTap AXS

Unless you spent 2019 hiding under a rock, you'll have seen the media saturation of SRAM's latest baby, the Red eTap AXS wireless groupset.

You can read David Arthur's report from the Red eTap AXS launch and his first-ride impressions for more details, and here are 25 bikes you can buy with the groupset.

Meanwhile, here's the executive summary.

SRAM Red eTap AXS is the second incarnation of SRAM's wireless electronic groupset. Shifting is actuated by switches on the brake levers, which send a signal to the derailleurs to do their thing. Clicking on the right-hand button moves the rear derailleur to larger sprockets, while a click on the left-hand button takes you to smaller sprockets. Clicking both at the same time shifts the front derailleur.

Red eTap AXS is a 12-speed group, with a 10-tooth smallest sprocket on each of the three available cassettes. Those cassettes will only fit on wheels with SRAM's XDr freehub body, which is 1.85mm wider than the mountain bike XD body so that the chain clears the spokes on the largest sprocket. (The teeth of the huge sprockets of SRAM's mountain bike 12-speed cassettes sit inboard of the inner edge of the freehub body.) You can choose from 10-26, 10-28 and 10-33 cassettes at Red eTap level; although if you go for the new SRAM RED eTap AXS Max rear derailleur, you can spec a SRAM Force 10-36T cassette for an easier lower gear. 

There are double- and single-chainring chainsets, and all of them have smaller chainrings than most current chainsets. Your double-clanger options are 50/37, 48/35, and 46/33. That generally yields gear ranges with a higher top gear and lower bottom gear than in previous widespread use.

New motors and electronics in the gear mechanisms and shifters yield faster shifts than first-generation Red eTap.

One rear mech rules them all, for road at least. It has an internal fluid damper to reduce chain clatter and works with all three cassette options, and single or double chainrings. But there's good news for gear tinkerers: the mountain bike Eagle AXS rear derailleurs will work with drop-handlebar controls so you can put together a 1X system with a super-low gear if that's what you need. 

It's customisable. With a smartphone app that communicates with the system, you can set it up however you like. Want to switch the way the shifting works so a right-hand tap yields lower gears rather than high? You can do that. Want the system to take care of shifting the front mech for you so you only have to tap one button at a time? You can have that too, or you can have the system compensate for front mech shifts by taking you to a rear sprocket that minimises the size of the gear jump. The app also monitors battery level and in coming updates will be able to detect chain wear and tell you how many shifts the system has executed.

The chainsets are available with an optional power meter. In most versions it's — rather controversially — built into the chainrings, so when the big ring wears out, you'll have to replace the power meter too. SRAM says this makes for a lighter, stiffer crank-based power meter.

There's a new chain, dubbed Flattop because the outer edges of the links are flat.

There's no backwards-compatibility with first-generation Red eTap.

As you might expect, it's not cheap. You can add £445 to each of these RRPs if you want a power meter.

Configuration	RRP
Double chainset/disc brakes	£3,349
Double chainset/rim brakes	£3,159
Single chainset/disc brakes	£2,849

 

Buying Red eTap AXS

It took a while for retailers to start offering complete SRAM groupsets, and it's still more common to be offered the derailleurs, brake levers and brakes as a set, then add your choice of chainset, sprockets and so on. You'll also need wheels, a new rear wheel with an XDr freehub body or to replace the freehub body on your existing wheels with an XDr body. That will cost from £45 for a Mavic body to £125 for Zipp.

Here are some typical options and prices:

Components	Price
Complete groupset with double chainset & disc brakes	~£2,050.00
Complete groupset with double chainset & rim brakes	~£2,000.00
Derailleurs, levers, disc brakes, rotors for double chainset	£1,750.00
Derailleurs & levers for rim brakes & double	£1,399.00
Derailleurs, levers, disc brakes & rotor for single	£1,800.00
Chainset	£480.00
Chainset with power meter	£779.99 - £856.00
Cassette	~£210.00
Chain	~£42.00
Bottom bracket	£30.60
Rim brake caliper (each)	£115.97

SRAM Force eTap AXS

When SRAM's first Red eTap system was announced it seemed obvious there'd eventually be a next-level-down wireless electronic shifting system alongside the Force mechanical groupset. After all, Shimano very quickly followed Dura-Ace Di2 with an Ultegra version and Campagnolo's Chorus EPS shifting followed hot on the heels of Record and Super Record EPS.

The surprising thing about Force eTap is that it took four years and a whole eTap development cycle to happen. Red eTap was launched in August 2015, and it would have been relatively straightforward for SRAM to make a Force version by just substituting cheaper, heavier materials in key areas of the gear mechanisms and shifters. Instead it seems SRAM beavered away addressing criticisms of the original eTap like its lack of customisation, migrating 12-speed technology from mountain bikes, coming up with a new approach to road bike gearing and developing a Force version of eTap in parallel with Red eTap AXS. Phew!

Force eTap AXS, then, is identical in features and functions to Red eTap AXS, but cheaper and a bit heavier thanks to different materials. The only exception is that there's no 50/37 chainset for Force, just a choice of 48/35 and 46/33. However, when we say 'cheaper', 'a bit less expensive' would be more accurate.The RRP on a SRAM Red v1 groupset was £2,060; the equivalent Force eTap AXS is £2,164, so Force is not a cheap version of eTap so much as a replacement for the first generation when it comes to supplying groupsets to bike manufacturers.

Configuration	RRP
Double chainset/disc brakes	£2,274
Double chainset/rim brakes	£2,164
Single chainset/disc brakes	£1,924

 

As with Red eTap AXS you're going to need a whole groupset if you want to switch from whatever you're riding now, plus a new rear wheel with the XDr driver to accommodate SRAM's 10-tooth stop sprocket. There's no upgrade path from first-generation Red eTap.

Components	Price
Complete groupset with disc brakes and double chainset	£1,650.00
Complete groupset with disc brakes and single chainset	£1,354.60
Derailleurs, levers, disc brakes & rotors for double	£1,214.60
Derailleurs & levers for rim brakes & double	£975.10
Derailleurs, levers, disc brakes & rotors for single	~£960.00
Chainset	£340.00
Chainset with power meter (Red)[note]	~£730.00
Cassette	~£115.00
Chain	~£22.00
Bottom bracket	£30.60
Rim brake caliper (pair)	£90.65

Note: In theory you could add a QUARQ AXS Power Meter Spider (~£470) to a Force crank. However, that would cost more than just buying a Red power meter crankset.

Force eTap AXS Wide

When SRAM had recovered from cooking up two new eTap groupsets, it turned out they weren't quite finished with Force AXS. Just as SRAM pioneered wide-range double-chainset transmissions with WiFli, they went one louder with the next version of Force. Dubbed Force eTap AXS Wide it includes a 43/30-tooth chainset, a 10-36-tooth cassette, and new derailleurs to work with them, since it moves the chainline outboard to increase tyre clearance for gravel bikes.

You can read all about the Force Wide groupset in our news story about its launch and Stu Kerton's review of the new groupset.

For lovers of very wide range gearing, the main facts you need to know are that Force eTap AXS Wide gives you a low gear of 23in (with a typical 700C 38mm tyre) and a high of 119in for a 518% range.We're pretty sure that's the widest gear range anyone has ever offered in an off-the-peg double-chainset groupset.

However, you don't have to go the whole hog. If you already have an AXS-equipped bike you can get lower gears by fitting the Force Wide or RED eTap AXS 36T Max rear derailleur, 10-36 cassette and a new chain.

Otherwise, Force eTap AXS Wide is the same as Force: same brakes, same levers, same chain and so on.

Here's what some of the various options are going to cost you:

Components	Price
Complete groupset with disc brakes and double chainset	~£1,620.00
10-36 upgrade kit: derailleur, cassette & chain	~£550.00
Front derailleur	~£225.00
Chainset	~£300.00

11-speed eTap Red

There's still a bit of Red eTap v1.0 in retailers (and one new 11-speed eTap part, see below), so we've left the following sections on the rim-brake and disc-brake versions largely unedited. You're unlikely to find complete groupsets in shops, but a well-cared-for second hand Red groupset at a good price is still worth buying.

SRAM Red eTap A2 11-speed rear derailleur RD-RED-E-A2 — ~£450

We're giving this its own section because it deserves to be more widely known. Some time in mid-2020 SRAM very quietly introduced an upgraded version of the 11-speed Red eTap rear mech, incorporating many of the technological improvements found on the Red AXS derailleur.

We asked SRAM about it and they told us: "SRAM has developed a new RED eTap 11-speed rear derailleur to continue to support original SRAM RED eTap 11-speed product in the field and for warranty needs. The new eTap rear derailleur was developed from our AXS model, so it looks different from original eTap. It is labeled as 11-speed and will not work with AXS (12-speed). As it is based on the 12 speed RED eTap AXS design, the customer gets a benefit of better chain management (Orbit damper), faster and more accurate motor, and X-SYNC ceramic pulleys."

That sounds like good news if you have 11-speed Red eTap and are a bit miffed about the lack of upgrade route to 12-speed. At least you could get AXS's faster shifting and chain-slap-reducing damping. However, we can't tell you how well the Red eTap A2 rear mech works because SRAM's not interested in promoting it at all, telling us "This is not a product that we are pushing as general sales. This has been introduced for warranty purposes, hence the introduction without press release/launch."

What we do know is that it's compatible with 11-speed cassettes up to 11-32 (and experience with v1 Red eTap suggests it could be pushed to 11-34 if set up carefully) so it replaces both the original Red eTap rear mech and the WiFli version. It's compatible with standard eTap batteries — the only part of the system that was carried forward to AXS — and incorporates the motor and damping technology from AXS, plus ceramic-bearing pulleys.

SRAM Red eTap HRD — NA

If you've got a disc-braked road bike, want easily-set-up electronic shifting and don't mind being a sprocket behind the bleeding edge, then this combination of SRAM's original 11-speed eTap wireless shifting and hydraulic disc brakes has your name on it.

The eTap HRD groupset uses the same derailleurs as the regular eTap (see below) but the brake levers are different. The hoods are smaller than the company’s previous hydraulic brake levers which got a fair bit of flak for their size, so SRAM has addressed this and the result is a more aesthetically pleasing brake lever. The new hood is taller than regular eTap but only but a small amount.

Both the reach point and bite point can be easily adjusted so you can customise the feeling of the brake levers. New one-piece flat mount brake calipers save weight and they manage heat better than the previous design. And the rotors now get rounded edges.

You can read Mat's first ride impressions right here.

SRAM Red eTap — NA

RRP £2,060 (complete SRAM Red groupset with eTap shifting)

The original Red eTap wireless 11-speed shifting system has all but vanished from the shops — we've not been able to find a retailer who is still showing it as in stock, but you'll probably find some second-hand sets on eBay.

Red eTap was the electronic version of SRAM’s top-level groupset, the first wireless shifting system on the market. The range comprised two shifters, a front derailleur and a rear derailleur, each powered by its own battery, plus the option of satellite shifters, called Blips, powered by what’s called a BlipBox.

When we say ‘wireless’, that means there are no cables between the shifters and the mechs, and there’s no cable between the two mechs either. The components communicate with one another using SRAM’s own communication protocol, not ANT+ or Bluetooth, and the brand doesn’t believe that system is susceptible either to interference or to deliberate hacking. The only wires visible are those running from the Blips to the main shifter body, however, they're covered completely by the bar tape.

You upshift at the rear (move to a smaller sprocket) by pushing a paddle behind the right brake lever. You downshift at the rear by pushing a paddle behind the left brake lever. If you want to perform multiple shifts you can hold each paddle in its shift position. You move the front mech by pushing both paddles at the same time.

There is also a HRD version for use with SRAM's hydraulic disc brakes.

You can position Blips on the tops of your handlebar (under the bar tape, above) for use when you’re climbing, or on the drops for shifting when you sprint. You can also use Blips on time trial/triathlon bikes for shifting from both the base bar and from the ends of the aero extensions.

Here are some reasons why you might want to choose electronic over mechanical.

The derailleurs’ rechargeable batteries offer power for over 1,000km (625 miles) of typical riding while the CR2032 batteries in the shifters will need changing on average about once every two years, according to SRAM.

The maximum sprocket size the standard rear derailleur can handle is 28 tooth. There's also a version that will handle SRAM's 11-32 WiFLi wide-range cassette.

We found it super-easy to use. You get the hang of the new way of shifting in no time, the lever feel is very positive, and it works well, even when changing from the small chainring to the big one under load. It’s also very easy to brake and change gear at the same time whether your hands are on the tops or on the drops.

Check out our report on the SRAM Red eTap system here.

Read our SRAM Red eTap First Ride here.

Buy if: you want simple and accurate electronic shifting on a professional-level groupset.

SRAM Red 22 — £1,595.00

RRP From £1,500 (mechanical braking) and from £1,793 (hydraulic braking)

SRAM’s Red mechanical groupset is the lightest option out there, though it's getting very, very hard to find. The brand changed Red from 10-speed to 11-speed in 2013, although it actually calls Red a True 22 groupset in that you can run the chain in the large chainring and the largest sprocket, and in the small chainring and the smallest sprocket, so you get 22 different combinations. SRAM doesn’t specifically encourage cross-chaining but it can be done, and you don’t need to trim the front mech when moving across the cassette to avoid chainrub.

Shifting is via SRAM’s DoubleTap system which uses a paddle that sits behind the brake lever. A short lever push moves the chain in one direction, a longer push moves it the opposite way. SRAM uses DoubleTap across all of its mechanical road groupsets.

The mechanical Red groupsets offer SRAM’s WiFLi technology. This means that with a long cage rear derailleur you can use sprockets up to 32-tooth for some really small gears to get you up tough hills.

You can have either mechanical rim brakes or hydraulic disc brakes with SRAM Red. SRAM originally listed a hydraulic rim brake too, but that seems to be now only available at Force and Rival levels.

Check out our story from the SRAM Red 22 launch for more details of the groupset.

SRAM was the first of the three major groupset manufacturers to include a power meter within a groupset; the Quarq chainset-based system is an option with Red.

Buy if: you’re after a professional-level groupset and you’re more interested in lightweight than in electronic shifting.

SRAM Force 22 — ~£730.00

RRP From £830 (mechanical braking) and £1,040 (hydraulic braking)

SRAM took its Force groupset up to 11-speed – or True 22, if you prefer – at the same time as Red.

Force benefits from trickle down technology, boasting many features first introduced to Red. The shift levers are essentially a previous Red 10-speed design but with 11-speed compatibility, and the chainset is a modified version of a former Red design too. Although Force is a little heavier than Red, it offers a similar level of performance and it’s considerably more affordable. You still get high-end touches like carbon-fibre crank arms and brake levers.

We’d say that Force is pretty much a direct competitor to Shimano's Ultegra groupset, and like Ultegra it's an excellent system. It's lighter than Ultegra R8000 and the real-world cost is higher. Even so, SRAM's second-tier groupset is a great choice for the privateer racer, or anyone building or buying a lightweight bike for fast riding.

Force 22 is available with mechanical rim brakes, hydraulic rim brakes and hydraulic disc brakes. You don’t see many of the hydro rim brakes about but the disc brakes are specced on many complete bikes.

Read our review of the SRAM Force 22 groupset.

Buy if… you want a high-level performance and don’t mind the addition of a little weight in return for a big price saving.

SRAM Force 1 — ~£900

RRP From £888 (mechanical braking) and £1,180 (hydraulic braking)

SRAM Force is also available as a 1x (pronounced ‘one by’) system designed for road, gravel, adventure, fitness and triathlon applications. This means you get a single chainring and a wide-range cassette.

SRAM says that a 1x system is simpler because there’s no front mech or front shifter, there’s no chance of the chain rubbing on a non-existent front mech, and it’s quieter on rough surfaces. SRAM also says that the interface between the chain and chainring is better because their X-Sync rings have tall, square teeth edges that engage the chain earlier, and the traditional sharp and narrow tooth profile helps manage a deflected chain.

The 1x system comprises three elements. Those X-Sync single chainrings are available in a range from 38 to 54 teeth; wide-range 11-speed cassettes are available in 11-36, 11-32, and 11-30, plus the whopping 10-42 introduced for the original mountain bike 1x, which needs a special XD freehub body. Finally, there's the clutch mechanism rear derailleur which prevents chain slap.

A 1x transmission can offer a very wide range of gears. A 46-tooth chainring with the 10-42 cassette gives a slightly wider gear range than a 50/34-tooth compact double with an 11-25 cassette.

We’ve used Force 1 and we did notice the fairly sizeable jumps in gear ratio size across the wide-range cassette. You sometimes find your legs spinning far quicker than you’d expected, or far slower, but you soon adapt. Although it’s not the best option for everyone, we’d say that 1x certainly has a place.

SRAM Force 1 is available with both hydraulic and mechanical brakes.

Read our SRAM Force 1 First Ride here.

Buy if: you want the simplicity of a single chainring setup in a high-end package.

SRAM Rival 22 — £427.00

RRP From £575 (mechanical braking) and £803 (hydraulic braking)

SRAM’s Rival 22 groupset shares a lot of technology with Red and Force, including 22 usable gears with no need for front mech trim, hydraulic brake options, and the same comfortable ErgoFit shift/brake lever design. Rather than carbon fibre cranks, levers and rear mech cages, Rival has aluminium and it’s a little heavier than its more expensive stablemates, but it works in exactly the same way.

We’ve reviewed Rival 22 with hydraulic disc brakes here on road.cc and think that for many people Rival 22 offers the ideal combination of performance and price for an all-purpose bike. The shifting is precise, if a little heavy, the overall weight is decent, and the price stacks up well against the opposition.

The hydraulic braking performance is really good: predictable, with lots of power on tap for very little force at the lever. The overall braking experience is very similar to that of Shimano's hydraulic road brakes. Shimano's units feel a little more powerful overall but the SRAM brakes are a bit more progressive through their range of power. If we had to choose one or the other, the SRAM brakes would probably edge it. They're a bit more keen to squeak when they get wet, but there's less rotor rub after heating the discs up on a long descent.

The hydraulic levers look bulky, but ergonomically they're easy to use and comfortable (with a caveat if you have really small hands), and the rest of the Rival system is all solidly made and doesn’t wear too quickly.

Unlike SRAM’s other three road groupsets, Rival doesn’t offer a 53/39-tooth chainset although you can get 52/36-tooth, a 50/34-tooth compact, and a cyclocross-friendly 46/36-tooth.

Read our SRAM Rival 22 review here.

Buy if: a mid-range groupset with a solid performance across the board appeals to you

SRAM Rival 1 — ~£670

RRP From £545 (mechanical braking) and £916 (hydraulic braking)

Like Force, Rival is available in a 1x configuration with just a single chainring and a wide-ranging cassette. It has no direct rival from Shimano or Campagnolo.

The most important part of the groupset is the Rival 1 X-Horizon rear derailleur. Inside its bulky exterior is a clutch mechanism that prevents unwanted chain movement. It eliminates chain slap when you’re riding over bumpy terrain.

It won't be for everyone, but Rival 1 offers shifting simplicity, a useable range of gears, and powerful hydraulic brakes (or mechanical brakes if you prefer).

It’s also easy to use. You have one shift paddle to move the derailleur across the wide-range cassette. You quickly adapt to the simplicity of the shifting, and while the actual gear shifting is a little clunky – it doesn't have the lightness or quietness of Shimano – there's no mistaking a gear change.

There are slightly bigger leaps between certain gears which will put off cyclists who like to be in the cadence sweet spot all the time. This is one of the biggest compromises with this groupset, but for solo riding it's not nearly as problematic as you might expect.

Anyone building a gravel, adventure, touring or cyclo-cross bike might be interested (and lots of new cyclo-cross and gravel bikes are shipping with this groupset), but it won't appeal to road racers, where the gear jumps and simple lack of range will limit its suitability.

Read our SRAM Rival 1 review here.

Buy if: You’re after durability and simplicity at a reasonable price.

SRAM Apex — ~£400

RRP From £524 (mechanical braking) and £849 (hydraulic braking)

Apex is SRAM’s entry-level road groupset, and it’s a 10-speed system. You don’t get the same level of technology as with the higher-end groups, but that’s to be expected. For example, the front derailleur doesn’t incorporate SRAM’s Yaw tech to avoid the need to trim the position as you move the chain across the cassette, but you do get DoubleTap controls and powerful dual pivot brakes.

Like all the other SRAM road groupsets, Apex is available in a WiFLi configuration meaning that you can fit a wide range cassette (12-32-tooth) with a long cage rear derailleur.

The Apex chainset comes in 53/39-tooth, 50/34-tooth and 48/34-tooth, options, but there’s no 52/36-tooth semi-compact available here.

Although it looks a little dated next to its more illustrious siblings, Apex is sound stuff and we like it very much. Plus, of course, it’s far more affordable so if you’re looking for good performance on a budget, this could be the option for you.

Read our SRAM Apex review here.

Buy if: you’re looking for a decent performance and plenty of value

SRAM Apex 1 — ~£520

Where the double-chainring version of Apex is ten-speed, the single ring version goes up to 11, which is probably the smallest number of sprockets that can provide both the wide gear range gravel bikes need and comfortable spacing between the gears.

Like Rival 1, Apex 1 uses SRAM's X-Horizon rear derailleur tech, with a roller clutch to control chain slap, and in pretty much ever other respect, Apex 1 is a budget kid brother to Rival 1, so the same comments apply, and it's common to see Apex 1 on single-chainring gravel bikes, a niche SRAM had almost to itself until Shimano's launch of GRX in 2019.

For more info go to www.sram.com

Explore the complete archive of reviews of groupsets on road.cc