New Shimano 105 Di2 vs SRAM Rival AXS eTap - which is best?

SRAM has had the bottom end of the electronic shifting market to itself with Rival AXS eTap, but now there's a new kid on the block: the new, massively updated 12-speed, wireless electronic Shimano 105 groupset. But which is best? There's only one way to find out. FIGHT!

⚫️ Other videos that might interest you

SRAM Rival AXS review

Shimano 105 Di2 review

⚫️ In this video

0:00 Introduction
0:35 Weight comparison
1:19 Price comparison
2:20 Aesthetics
3:49 Shifting
5:04 Braking
6:05 Gear ratios
7:48 But which is better?
9:00 Outro

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[jackyharuhiko]

Completely wireless (shifting) system with easily accessible and replaceable batteries is a huge plus.

[johntrussell]

Rival AXS wins hands down. Cheaper, better looking, performs as good if not better, integrated Powermeter, fantastic app...

[endcensorship]

What I like about SRAM is that it makes it much easier to upgrade a bike that isn't purpose built to be wired. I have a 2008 Scott Addict R1, still one of the best bikes ever made, and if I went Shimano, I would have all these wires hanging out and a exposed battery.

[axuh]

Only winners are the manufacturers for pricing electronic groupsets so high

[kerbodynamicx]

The cost of whole bikes is a very different story on the Canyon store, where you may see Rival eTap on cheaper aluminium bikes, while di2 only appears on expensive CF SL or CF SLX models that costs twice as much. One such bike is the Grail AL7 eTap, coming in at $3450 AUD which probably is around 2000 euros, and the cheapest carbon bike of this lineup comes in at $3800 while only weighing 140 grams less. Meanwhile the cheapest Grail with di2 comes in at a whopping $5250 AUD. Strangely despite Rival eTap being the heaviest groupset I know, bikes equipped with this seems to be really light for whatever reason

[EasySteve-viyz]

From a price point perspective you would have to compare 105 to Force. In my country the price for 105 is 50% higher than Rival AXS. 1500 to 1000€.

[hifoad]

You overlooked a crucial feature of the Rival eTap: We can use SRAM wireless blips with it.
On the contrary, Shimano does not have any wireless satellite shifter to be paired with Di2 (and unlike their bigger brothers i.e. Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 and Force/Red etap, neither 105 Di2 nor Rival eTap can accept wired satellite shifters - so having the option to pair wireless blips is huge)

[willshaughnessy]

As a bike builder.. who usually builds with higher end Campy and Shimano.. and, ocassionally FSA ( We Force is due to be released, so I am told, this Winter ) emplying SRAM Rival for ease of set up with Integrated Bar/stem, makes life a bit easier. albeit still I had to feeed the Brake cables the bars, down thru the stem, down the fork.. and from rear stay up to the head tube.. all in all a lengthy job, but less so than adding shifter cables or perhaps with shimano's 105, a battery cable from the seatube to the rear mech.. Aesthetically I think Rival is pretty cool.. Although I am due for a GRX silver kit inbound., but... compared to Force, , Rival has a cooler look and simple yet sophisticated, ie.. Ekar compared to GRX..
Im happy to see you had SRAM win.. I concur with your findings, yet I need to do a real brake test.. and with 12-14k ft mountains to decend, it shouoldnt be hard to choose a winner.. the one that keeps me from an out of control Laurie ramp.. Nice review... Kudos and maybe FSA when it comes out??

[ruisantos]

They are similar shifting at the back. But at the front, shimano di2 front derailleur is always much better, more reliable and more precise than sram

[rickstokes]

For a TriRig there’s no question about it - definitely the SRAM Electronic Wireless systems with Wireless Blips is a game changer. Easier installation, easier maintenance and less motion on the ride.

[boredmartymcfly]

Trek has also specced 105 di2 for cheaper than Rival Etap on the new Madone. I'd be going Shimano all day if this trend continues.

[MrDrunkenMoose]

4:36 come on... it took me like 1 minute of riding to get the shifting right on shimano and I've never confused any lever ever after

[LeoInterHyenaem]

An eTap AXS for me. Although Shimano's road groupsets (particularly, the grips) are not as bad as the GRX ones, the Sram has quite a few advantages, from my vantage point anyway. Another Sram's significant advantage is its properly wireless system design: so much better than Shimano's much clunkier electronic setup with wires part- sticking out, part- tucked into the tubes and handlebar, a receiver unit to be zip-tied to the stem; complicated chore of an assembly /disassembly, and charging that requires plugging in the charging cable right into the bike.
The one possible advantage of the Shimano would be (needs to be corroborated through extensive testing) the lesser incidence of chain drops in a 2 x setup (although if set up right and properly fine-tuned, Sram's chain drops will dramatically decrease).

[Joachim_Mihcaoj]

Can you upgrade the crankset with for instance 4iii power meter on the new 105 di2? (similar "approach" to what you are able to do with the SRAM rival axs)

[AlexDresko]

Please test the 105 Di2 11-36 on the Ultegra R8100. We need this to work in order to get anywhere close to the SRAM's low gear.

[paulwilliams]

The question is why are shimano selling oem 105 to bike companies very cheap but bumping the price up massively to the consumer via groupset sales?

[LT]

Easy win for Rival. More gearing options (including 1x), built in power meter and cheaper.

[bahatimoa]

I will never go back to shimano. eTAP make sense in every way.

[onehourmusicbc]

Funnily enough, while many people complain about 105 being more expensive than rival, Giant in my area actually sell 105 equipped bike cheaper than the Rival! (No pun intended xD)

[ADVRaiderKTM]

So which is actually better? All this time just to tell us both are good