A Big Day For SRAM

SRAM Eagle AXS e-Tap. Yes, that's an "oil slick" finish on the chain and cassette. Image courtesy of SRAM

There was a big media blitz on SRAM introductions on both the road and mtb sides yesterday. The long looked for e-tap version of SRAM's Eagle technology was introduced along with a wireless Rock Shox Reverb dropper post. The road side also was revamped as a 12 speed group with Red e-Tap AXS announced.

So, on the mtb side, it basically was about getting in the game where Shimano has had the playground to itself with regard to electronic shifting. Of course, everyone was making a big deal out of the lack of cables on the bike now and how that was going to make things "so much quieter". Hmm...... I think that claim is a bit over-hyped, SRAM. There may be a modicum of "less noise", but really now..... The lack of having to route cables? Now that is definitely a bigger deal than any noise reduction. You may say, yeah, but cables inside frames make rattles. Well, you'll probably still have a rear brake cable running through there, and that is an issue with the frame manufacturing, nothing to do with a "better drive train".

But this is a cool, if not super expensive, new entry. SRAM also did the aesthetics up with an addition of the "oil slick" look to the entire chain and cassette, (optional- if you don't like it, there is an alternative) which was only previously seen on the connector links for Eagle chains.

The Eagle e-Tap AXS rear derailleur will likely be seen on many high end gravel rigs. Image courtesy of SRAM

The other cool thing is that now the Eagle AXS is also compatible with the road AXS stuff. At least as far as a drop bar lever and rear derailleur are concerned. So, a set up with a drop bar and a really wide range rear cassette is now possible. SRAM also pointed out that the parts are currently only available as group sets, so your "pick and choose" options are not quite there yet.

I thought it was sort of interesting how the new Eagle rear derailleur will "give" a bit inwards if it is hit by a rock, or something. That's cool, but the rear hangars are where your leverage is focused on, and shearing off of derailleurs generally happens in a completely different plane than inward, toward the wheel. I'm not buying this claim either.

Finally, the road stuff- I see SRAM is pushing the "one jump shifts" thing to make us think they have closer ratio cassettes than Shimano. Well, there are some tricksy-tricks going on with their cyphering. First, they do have many one cog jumps, but these come with big jumps on the last few cogs of there cassettes- 3 and sometimes four teeth. Then they ding Shimano on one cassette for having no single cog jumps. However, that particular cassette they pick on has 2 cog jumps the entire way through the cassette. SRAM? Not so much. So, you have to be careful how you interpret the marketing.

But this is a cool development on several levels. Time will tell how it works in the field and how riders adapt it to their rigs.