SRAM XPLR: Impressions And Commentary

SRAM XPLR eTAP AXS RIVAL

NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

ALSO- All imagery and information used in this post is courtesy of SRAM.

Yesterday the poorly kept secret that SRAM was coming out with a gravel group set to compete with Shimano's new GRX components was released and now we know all the details. There are probably 20 other sites breaking down the spec, prices, availability, and which are giving you "first impressions' and ride reviews now. So I will not be delving into that here. Well, not much. If tech spec and ride reviews are what you want, you ain't gettin' that here! But if you want some pithy opinions, stay tuned.........

What It Is: SRAM has delivered a drive train set up with gearing focused on what their folks think 'gravel riders' need based on their wireless eTAP AXS shifting technology and 1X designs. They also have developed a dropper post and suspension fork for gravel within the Rock Shox brand and also a wheel set and handle bar within their Zipp brand. All are under the "XPLR" (say 'explore') range, which, ironically, is fairly non-cross compatible with other SRAM components. More on that in a bit. 

SRAM XPLR RIVAL eTAP AXS REAR DERAILLEUR

It is notable that SRAM is using the same Red AXS, Force AXS, and Rival AXS levers that they already have out. Brakes for the XPLR equipped bike will also come from currently available SRAM disc road groups, although SRAM does say that the post mount "Line" calipers from the MTB side are compatible with SRAM drop bar hydraulic levers. 

Comments: I found it interesting that SRAM walked out all three levels of its road side components within the XPLR range at the same time. Of course, they already had the levers in the bag, so a big part of the puzzle was already in play. 

Secondly, and this is maybe just a weird reaction on my part, but within the fine print on SRAM's big press release on XPLR, the pricing on rear derailleurs notes that 'batteries are not included'. I actually laughed out loud when I read that. Obviously, some folks already are invested in AXS and really would not need more batteries, but at the asking price for these derailleurs, you'd think you'd get a battery. But that may be just me....I mean, the thing is useless without a battery, so.....

But beyond that nit, there is a really interesting thing going on here. XPLR rear derailleurs come in two types- One for the bigger 10-44T cassette and one that will work with a 10-36T cassette. These rear derailleurs are flat top chain compatible only, so no Eagle chain. In fact, SRAM claims that neither the rear derailleur nor the XPLR cassettes will work with anything but a flat top SRAM chain. Also- the 36T max rear derailleur will not be compatible with the 10-44T cassette, but the 44T max rear XPLR derailleurs will work on either cassette. 

You could run the 'mullet' set up, but only with an Eagle rear derailleur , chain, and cassette, so.....the only advantage is that you can run a bigger drive ring on the crank? I guess so. Oh! Yeah, and XPLR is 1X only! get yer filthy front derailleurs and double chain ring cranks away from here! 

SRAM XPLR RED CRANK

Speaking of cranks, there will be two nice ones and one average one. Red and Force have nicer arms and lighter weights but the Rival crank is pretty much your box-stock forging in aluminum. You can get direct mount rings for all three in 38, 40, 42, 44, and 46T sizes only. There will be a power meter chain ring set up available with a four bolt crank arm at some point. Also, the DUB spindle Rival power meter will be available for XPLR. So, it looks as though SRAM have covered the options well there. 

Interestingly, instead of offsetting rings, or crank arms, SRAM just made one spindle length to accommodate both MTB (73mm) and road (68) nominal widths on bottom brackets, (all weird sizes of BB's are pretty much based off those two old standards) It's called the "Wide" option, but there are standard road width cranks as well. Current eTap AXS road cranks are cross-compatible with a swap to a direct mount XPLR chain ring. Of course, everything uses the DUB spindle 

Now SRAM has decided it needed to have some shreddy MTB bits which, in my opinion, are not really necessary in a 'gravel' group set. But, whatever.... They did it and so here are my thoughts on the fork and dropper post.

I found it ironic that Rock Shox did not resurrect the "Ruby" model name, but they went with the similar sounding "Rudy" name instead. (Which reminds me of a great ska song by The Specials, by the way) Anyway.......The Rudy! Can it fail? Maybe.... (Another song reference!) Sorry! Okay.....seriously! 

 ROCK SHOX RUDY XPLR

 30-40mm of travel? Ahh..........yeah, about that. My experience on a 40mm FOX gravel suspension fork tells me that unless Rock Shox has some super-fast reacting damper technology, this is not what gravel riders need. Sharper hits at speed will devour 40mm of travel in a nanosecond. You aren't going to benefit from that little amount of travel and on top of that, you'll have suspension fork maintenance to deal with at some point. Higher frequency vibrations are the name of the game, not absorbing trail obstacles or.....what? I mean, a Redshift ShockStop stem will erase about 90% of anything you'd run across on back roads and gravel roads and it costs and weighs a LOT less than a Rudy. Yeah.....I just have a real hard time seeing the bennies versus the cost. 

Of course, it is a post mount brake caliper standard. It has rebound adjust, with a tiny little screw, and it has lock-out. (Not activated from the bar though) I will credit SRAM/Rock Shox in that some attempt was made to make the fork look a lot less "MTB" and more road-ish. Although, there is a nod to enduro with an accessory fender for the Rudy. I guess I just don't see how trying to push an all-road bike into doing MTB-ish stunts is going to be a good thing for most people. Get a real MTB for trail riding. That's my opinion anyway. But maybe all this MTB-ish leaning is really saying to the MTB designers that current 'long, low, slack' geometry is leaving those that want to go up, down, and all around at speed out of the equation. I think that is what is going on with that. 

ROCK SHOX XPLR REVERB CUTAWAY

Okay, now for the dropper! You may think that I would say similar things about the XPLR Reverb post that I would say about the Rudy. Well, you'd be mistaken. See, there I think that the dropper post is more than 'just an MTB thing'. I like the dropper idea. You can dump the saddle to get more aero on downhills and gain a ton of speed in the process. (See banned PRO roadie riding positions) You can drop the post to make getting on and off your bike a breeze. This is especially helpful when you have a load, like you might when bikepacking or commuting in a city. Yes, dropper posts can help on trails, but these bikes aren't MTB bikes. (Again- maybe we're missing the right MTB for most folks) So, I am all about dropper posts on 'gravel bikes'. 

But this Reverb is AXS (electronic) only and costs a fortune. (Plus, AXS MTB Reverb posts don't have a stellar reputation for reliability as it is.) So, I was a bit disappointed here. But, SRAM is all about wireless everything now, or so it would seem. Which leads me to....

SRAM XPLR vs Shimano GRX: I will limit my comments to features and options, since- obviously- I haven't ridden XPLR.....yet. Anyway, here's where XPLR falls short, in my opinion. First and foremost- There is no mechanically operated XPLR. This may seem like an oversight to some, or it may seem like an old school complaint from the elderly by others. But in my opinion, mechanically operated drive train components are less expensive to buy and maintain over time. For example- A Shimano GRX 600 rear derailleur costs a little over a hundred bucks. A Rival eTap AXS XPLR rear derailleur costs $255.00, and that is the least expensive XPLR rear derailleur, (and remember- it doesn't come with batteries!) 

ZIPP XPLR 101 Wheel

I figure that a whacked rear derailleur in a muddy gravel event is still going to be a fairly common occurrence going forward. That's just one example..... 

Next? Cross-compatibility is limited with XPLR. GRX is compatible with most all the road side of Shimano's line. To wit: I run Ultegra 11 speed levers with a GRX 800 rear derailleur and Ultegra front derailleur with a 11-36 SRAM cassette and a CX series crank with 36/46T rings with a Wippermann chain on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. Try something like that with XPLR. Not happening if what SRAM says about XPLR is true. You buy into SRAM's proprietary chains, 1X only, two cassette options, and limited options in SRAM's components outside of XPLR. 

Third- A weird wheel set, (which isn't all that light or value packed) a dropper post actuated electronically, and a limited travel suspension fork don't really mean much to me as a non-pavement road rider. Thinking between paved riding and MTB, that space is a wide one, but I'm not sold on the suspension fork, any modern wheel set can be a 'gravel wheel set',  and while I like droppers, the high-end, electronic Reverb deal isn't very accessible.

Which kind of begs a question: Is SRAM's answer to GRX really a 'gravel group', or is it just a minor variation on a SRAM theme with limited options? Sure- you could argue that the wheels and a suspension fork, and a dropper post make a difference, (Which Shimano has most of as well, by the way) but again- these are also variations on a theme with proprietary bits that limit use across SRAM's range. 

Some might lay that question on Shimano as well, but they at least did a truly new lever, (Di2 GRX 800), added new features which could be useful (example- hydraulic "B" levers), and made mechanical and electronic groups, with 1X and 2X 10 and 11 speed options as well. The crank sets are different from anything else they make, which were made to accommodate gravel specific needs. Like SRAM, they have handle bars, wheels, and a dropper post, albeit things that aren't proprietary and super expensive. I guess what I see is one company with a wider and more varied palette of offerings versus a company with basically three electronic 1X only drive trains and the fork and dropper post. 

In the end, XPLR is intriguing. Compelling? Not really, but it is a curious entry into a market that typifies the every-man- the non-racer, adventure seeker, fun time having rider that wants to experience the outdoors and escape modern tethers. XPLR seems to speak to the techie, but at a price, and with some similarities to the tech/device world in the limitations that it places on the end user. (Batteries are included in most techie-device gadgets though, so not the same there) We'll see how it goes, but how SRAM has positioned itself in this market, for the time being, is a very interesting thing to see.