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Photos: @3bikes.fr / @Marion Limouzy / All rights reserved
For comparison, a (small) 30/36 gear is equivalent to a 39-tooth chainring with a… 46-tooth cog at the back. Or even a 34-tooth chainring with a 41-tooth cog.
At the opposite end of the cassette, the 43/10 is equivalent to a 52/12, which is largely sufficient, even on long Pyrenean descents, for most riders.
Obviously, even with 2 chainrings and 12 cogs at the rear, this extremely wide combination entails some compromises, particularly in terms of cassette spacing. As for Sram’s choice to offer a drivetrain with generally “smaller” chainrings at the front but with a 10-tooth cog, it has not yet been followed by competitors or by pros. The two main reasons are the degraded drivetrain efficiency with a 10-tooth cog, as well as the significant difference in gearing between an 11 and a 10, which would break sprinters’ legs during intense efforts.
These considerations are very far from those of the public for whom the Force AXS Wide was designed, and who primarily appreciate its extreme versatility. A groupset that also evolves in a few details, both to adapt to the proposed tooth counts and to the practices for which it is intended, compared to the more classic version we had already tested in early summer 2019.
A few small evolutions
The two derailleurs and the crankset have thus evolved slightly. The rear derailleur (wireless and with lever-actuated shifting, as a reminder) benefits from a larger derailleur cage to manage the 10-36 tooth cassette while maintaining good chain tension. The 43-30 crankset sees its chainline slightly evolve with a 5 mm increased Q-Factor (distance between the cranks and the frame) to accommodate wider tires, in 700x45c or 27.5×2.1 inches. Finally, the front derailleur is also offered in a specific version, only for this crankset with the offset chainline and for the same tire clearance. In addition to the 10-36 cassette, that’s all there is to the differences between the “normal” Force eTap AXS and the Wide. We can estimate a weight increase of about fifty grams, with the larger cassette and the slightly longer derailleur cage, which are not fully compensated by the installation of a smaller chainring pair. But overall, the Force groupset in its disc brake version remains about a hundred grams lighter than its direct competitor, the Shimano Ultegra Di2 Disc, but also slightly more expensive by about €200.
Like all AXS groupsets with a 10-tooth cog, the cassette can only be mounted on a wheel with a specific XRD freehub body. It is also possible to add small additional buttons at the top of the handlebars (under the bar tape for us), which allow shifting even while keeping hands near the stem.
| Sram Force eTap AXS Wide Rating: ***** Pros: Intuitive shifting, comfortable levers, wide gear range Crankset (43 and 30 tooth chainrings): €435 Contact: sram.com |
On roads and trails
Tested throughout August in the Paris region, the Cévennes, and up to the Pyrenees, the Sram Force eTap AXS Wide groupset provided us with some interesting insights. Mounted on a Trek Domane equipped with the new Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels, it proved particularly versatile and even allowed us to climb passes on the large chainring (43-tooth).
Not necessarily adapted to our usual position, with a fairly high cockpit, the Domane shines with the range of terrains it can tackle. Curious and keen on bike adventures, we were able to plot routes on the GPS without worrying about the surface, sometimes finding ourselves on real gravel paths. In these conditions, the Force groupset always delivers, thanks to its exceptional gear range combined with the simplicity of shifting on the levers.
By default, the right lever is for downshifting one cog on the cassette, the left lever for upshifting one cog. A prolonged action or several small clicks sweep across the entire cassette. Pressing both levers simultaneously changes chainrings. But thanks to the Sram app, it’s always possible to modify the lever assignments, or to program synchronized shifts. In short, shifting is reliable and intuitive, easy to perform, and very comfortable to use. Similarly, the grip on the hoods proves particularly comfortable, even on long rides.
The Force groupset always delivers, thanks to its exceptional gear range combined with the simplicity of shifting on the levers.
Each derailleur has a removable battery with 800 to 1000 km of autonomy. Recharging is fast, it doesn’t require plugging the charger directly into the bike, and most importantly, the two batteries are interchangeable. This is practical, for example, if the rear derailleur shows signs of weakness before the front derailleur, and you still need to finish the day’s ride.
In use, the gear range literally allows you to climb trees. We were able to climb Pyrenean passes, including the Port de Balès, in complete comfort and without forcing, by spinning our legs. The 43/10 is sufficient for winding descents. However, on the flats, in the wind, and at the usual speeds of a trained cyclist (between 30 and 32 km/h average), the gaps in the gear range sometimes prove to be a hindrance to staying in the right pedaling cadence range. We sometimes feel like we have too big or too small a gear, from one tooth to the next.
On the smaller cogs, we seem to lack a bit of efficiency, with the impression that the chain lacks lubrication. This is imperceptible up to the 15-tooth cog, but more bothersome on the 10, 11, 12, and 13-tooth cogs. This is surely due to the more “closed” wrapping of the chain around the cogs than a more traditional drivetrain (on the 10-tooth, but also because the gear combination requires riding on smaller cogs for the same speed), but also to the high rigidity of the Sram chain, which is now recognized as one of the most robust on the market.
The steel cassette limits weight gain (around 300g) despite the number and size of the teeth (12 speeds in 10-36) thanks to the Mini Cluster construction, which combines three classic first cogs with a block of nine cogs and a hollow interior. But it proves to be particularly noisy, increasing the resonance of drivetrain noises. A noise that somewhat disturbed the tranquility of the Pyrenean passes, and more present on the small chainring. With a large 43-tooth chainring, it was still possible for us to climb on the big ring, with the 28 and 32-tooth cogs, while maintaining the feeling of spinning our legs, even on a 9-10% gradient. In this configuration, the front derailleur cage rubs a little on the chain, but the higher pedaling torque still limits the noise.
Finally, testing this groupset in these conditions allowed us to form an opinion on the brakes, which here were, in our opinion, less reassuring than those of the Shimano Ultegra disc brakes. We sometimes observed vibrations on long descents, with a sensation that sometimes resembled play in the steering, and premature wear of the pads, which we had to change.
But overall, we appreciate the possibilities offered by this Wide option on the Sram Force eTap AXS groupset, which offers a very extended gear range and makes difficulties sometimes unimaginable accessible to a less trained or slightly heavier cyclist. A great initiative, which should soon find its audience, even if few production bikes are yet equipped this way.
=> SEE ALSO: All our Gear articles
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