The Brilliant Problem With NEW SRAM Red XPLR

Sram Red XPLR is a fantastic groupset with some seriously cool tech. It’s 13-speed, you barely have to adjust it during setup, and it also performs brilliantly.

Given the full groupset costs a whopping $3,898 with the power meter option, I won’t be placing an order for the whole groupset. However, you don’t have to.

Here is everything you need to know about the latest groupset from SRAM.

#sram #groupset #tech

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:11 Don’t Buy The Whole Groupset
01:01 Live Riding Impressions
03:33 Fantastic Features
05:53 Vs Shimano GRX
06:29 Weight
07:10 Price
07:38 Final Thoughts

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[bikeradar]

What do you think of the updates to this groupset?

[SamanthaBep]

Bike reviewer not saying a new wheelset accelerates fast challenge level: impossible

[KoreaRides]

Even the cassette is $650! And the derailleur is $700! That’s $1, 350 just for those two 😂

[mrvwbug]

I could buy a nice carbon frame gravel bike with 105/GRX 600 level components for what that groupset costs haha

[MrDox]

Cost aside, which is a different conversation, the benefit of “gear count” is particularly useful on 1x setups. This is because the more gears one has available on the cassette, the better one can optimize cadence. On 2x setups, cassette gear count is less of an issue as 2x10 provides plenty of gearing options.

But SRAM is a 1x forward company and going to 13s (or 14), much like Campy Ekar did with its 1x only gravel groupset release, makes lots of sense.

So discussing cost and whether we “need” 13 or 14 speed cassettes is a bit of a “vintage” conversation. Frankly, 2x10 is unnecessary as 2x8 also provides enough distinct gears (about 13-14).

The short answer is no. We don’t “need” any of these new drivetrain mechanics but from an evolutionary design perspective, it sure makes sense and is nicer to ride.

I enjoy riding my 2x8 30 yo vintage Cannondale but love riding my plush 1x12 electronic gravel bike. So much more comfortable and easier to shift.

And speaking of electronic, there is also good reason to believe that this cassette (or any 13 or 14 speed cassette given appropriate freehub) would also work with RD’s such as the one made by WheelTop. Not sure what the lowest gear spec is on the current road RD though. A gravel RD is supposedly on its way.

[uyyirxk]

Most excellent video Waz. 👏. Your pace and delivery were spot on sir. I got all the info wanted and more in a nice, watchable, 8mins. I've seen other presentations (well one so far) and whilst detailed, yours was like a finger of fudge ...just enough to give a bike a treat 😊😊😊😊

[MonsterdonMTB]

I think that new mech would also be great on an XC bike. Probably not officially recommended though.

[veazie]

Good call on the wait for it to cascade to lesser SRAM groupsets

[JohnHesketh-vwtn]

Warren is incorrect about the old 1x Red power meter setup being a single piece. This is true for the 2x chainset but the 1x allows you to swap rings (I have it). This is at about 4:50. Otherwise great video!

[kowalski]

Whining about prices is kind of boring, but this is really outrageously expensive. I'd really like to know the manufacturing cost of these groupsets. It's high-tech, well-built and innovative, but 4k for shifitng gears on a bicycle... It's still pretty basic stuff, no?

[tinniswood]

Prices are a JOKE, but no one laughing.

[perlund]

What about the chainline? The biggest and smallest gear must ride like s….

[ninertangojuliet]

For the price of this group you could buy a car.

[BogdanTimofte]

A groupupset for social media. Just don't take it out on the trail. When the stone is in the way, something will have to give the frame or the derailleur, both significantly more expensive than a $5-10 hanger. Even if money were not the problem, this new level of waste of resources promoted by these companies is appalling. Their greed and the ignorance of the buyers led to the fact that everything became disposable.

[allangomsen]

i get the derailleur price, but that much for a casette holy shit

[_msc-dssj]

Missing different cassette options :-(

[drill_fiend]

These are not groupsets you buy for yourself; it's the kind you ask your sponsor to pay for the race events.

[didhk]

this groupset costs 4x my bike - thats the real problem with it

[dirtandhappiness]

For this amount of money, the new TRP & Classified 2x system is waay better. You can get the wider range, finer gearsteps and smooth shifting without all the cost of this setup. Even just using the Classified wheelset with your standard GRX setup is a better option. I love SRAM's innovation here, but the cost is crazy, and you still don't get sufficient range out of this setup.

[pinteres]

They keep improving derailleurs when the worst part of their groupsets are brakes, and they are the reason I would be reluctant to choose Sram ever again.
I have an old enduro with Sram Guide and a gravel with Rival AXS. Both quickly develop squeaking after a servicing, which I have to do regularly because they also quickly develop need for bleeding. My 10yo bike with Shimano M7000 did more miles then both of my Sram bikes, brakes gets bleeding whenever bike is in service for some other reason, not because they require it, they get it much less frequently than Sram brakes, they work fine, and never developed a squeak. Previously I also had Shimano brakes, and I do not recall having any problems with them.