Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS Groupset Review

For gravel riding and adventure cycling in general, Sram has been offering a full range of dedicated components since this summer, named XPLR (pronounced “Explore”), with drivetrains, wheels, a dropper seatpost and a suspension fork. The drivetrains are based on the already well-known road groupsets Red, Force and Rival, and are all wireless electronic, 1×12-speed, with a very wide gear range. Here’s what we think of the most affordable version, with the Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS groupset.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: Alex Broadway

With the arrival of XPLR at Sram, the three main drivetrain brands now offer specific groupsets for gravel or adventure cycling, with a very wide gear range, and therefore necessarily specific cranksets, cassettes and derailleurs. It is no longer mandatory to use MTB drivetrains to ride with the smallest gears, as was the case in previous seasons at Sram with the XX1 Eagle AXS for example, mounted on some gravel bikes, which also demonstrated the perfect compatibility between the brand’s 12-speed road and MTB components. Like Campagnolo with the Ekar groupset (13-speed), Sram only offers 1x with the XPLR range (12-speed), while Shimano with the GRX groupsets (11-speed) still leaves the choice. But unlike Campagnolo with the single Ekar, Sram offers XPLR in three levels: Red, Force and Rival, all with a wireless electronic drivetrain.

The Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS is therefore an entry-level groupset for both the XPLR and eTap AXS families, and it already features a number of high-end functionalities, despite a relatively “affordable” price. It uses the braking system and shift levers of the road version already tested previously. Shifting is still done by default with the right paddle to shift down a cog on the cassette, and with the left paddle to shift up one. With the AXS application linked to this technology, it is possible to customize the controls, and possibly reverse them. But it is also possible to use both paddles at the same time to operate the XPLR dropper seatpost when the bike is equipped with it, since the groupset is 1x, and there are therefore no more shifts from one chainring to another.

Compared to the road version, the Rival XPLR eTap AXS crankset is a Wide version, with a chainline slightly offset outwards by 2.5 mm, to favor compatibility with a large tire on the rear wheel. The aluminum crankset (while Red and Force are carbon) is available in six crank lengths, from 165 to 177.5 mm. This is very interesting for road cyclists who want to equip a second bike with exactly the same position components. Available chainrings range from 38 to 46 teeth, in increments of 2. The X-Sync chainring with specific tooth shapes keeps the chain in place and prevents skips. Note that with this groupset, it is possible to optionally equip a left crank arm that acts as a power meter, for €260. A real plus given the price of the groupset.

For the unique cassette combination in the XPLR range (offered in Rival and Force), we have 12 speeds with the following tooth counts: 10-11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-38-44. Note that this cassette is only compatible with the 12-speed road chain, and not with the MTB chain. The rear derailleur has a long aluminum derailleur cage, like the road version. Like the other two derailleurs in the XPLR range, it is only compatible with a 1x chainring, due to an offset upper derailleur pulley. However, it works with the 10-36 Wide road cassette. This is good to know for the more athletic among us. And like the road version of Rival, the derailleur cage stabilization system is spring-loaded, rather than hydraulic on the Red and Force derailleurs. Gear changes are therefore slightly slower, but this must be in tenths of a second. The derailleur battery is identical to that of the road version.

The Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS groupset on the trail

The Rival groupset is immediately appreciated thanks to the ergonomics of the shifters, which are slightly thinner, and in our opinion better finished, than those of the Red and Force groupsets, without the sharp part at the articulation of the brake levers, which can cut fingers. Here, it’s clean and comfortable. The texture of the brake hoods and shift paddles provides a lot of confidence off-road, when hands are wet or muddy, for braking control and good steering control. This feeling is reinforced by the possibility of adjusting the lever reach, to customize the grip.

The brakes are as reliable and powerful as the other two groupsets in the AXS range. This is true in wet conditions, even if inevitably screeching noises are sometimes heard in the rain. On dry ground, the brakes remain silent, and very rarely are there any rubbing noises from the rotors against the pads, even after heavy braking.

On dry ground, the drivetrain is perfectly silent, largely due to the absence of a front derailleur and any micro-rubbing of the chain on the chain guide. But the X-Sync chainring surely also plays a part in this, thanks to chain retention. Gear changes are crisp and precise, and also silent, undoubtedly thanks to the steel cassette cogs, which prevent resonances. When dirt and mud get on the chain, the drivetrain is of course a little noisier, but it remains contained. Especially since in these conditions, the 1x chainring and the absence of a front derailleur limit the risk of mud accumulation.

Gear changes are crisp and precise, and also silent, undoubtedly thanks to the steel cassette cogs, which prevent resonances.

The cassette’s gearing is comfortable in the middle section, between the 15 and 21 tooth cogs, as well as at the top, where we had little opportunity to ride on the last two gears of 38 and 44 teeth. However, for sporty use on rolling trails, the 10, 11, 13 and 15 tooth cogs sometimes follow each other with difficulty, with quite significant gaps between the different gears. To remedy this, one would have to opt either for a larger chainring to avoid flirting with the first two cogs, or opt for the Wide 10-36 cassette, with its first four cogs of 10, 11, 12 and 13. There remains the versatility of the 10-44 cassette, which still allows tackling steep climbs, with for example a 40/10 equivalent to a 48/12 or a 52/13, and a 40/44 equivalent to a 34/38. Enough to climb steep slopes, even after long hours in the saddle.

The Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS therefore objectively stands out as one of the best current propositions for gravel riding, with a very wide gear range, an easy-to-install wireless electronic drivetrain, the simplicity of a 1x chainring, the efficiency of its braking and the ergonomics of its levers, for a reasonable weight of just over 2800 g, which is 400 g more than the high-end Red. Enough to build a gravel bike weighing barely more than 8 kg, depending on the frame it’s paired with. As for its price, it is also the most affordable on the market for an electronic drivetrain. All good.

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