13 gears and UDH: SRAM Red AXS XPLR 2024

SRAM Red AXS XPLR 2024: The new gravel group from the US component manufacturer surprises with a 13th pinion and a rear derailleur that looks more like an MTB. The new Red XPLR is aimed specifically at sporty gravel bikers who want to race and tour.

With the Red AXS 2024, which was introduced in the spring, SRAM has once again widened the gap between its top group and the cheaper variants Force, Rival and Apex. With the switch to a completely new lever shape on the Red, which was accompanied by significantly reduced hand forces when braking, the Red 2024 is a completely new model generation. And it is likely that the gap will remain until further notice, as SRAM Force and Apex, numbers two and four in the range, only got the lever that was introduced with the SRAM Rival in 2021 last year.

SRAM Red AXS XPLR 2024: 13 gears and UDH rear derailleur

Now SRAM is introducing the gravel version of the Red AXS and is taking another step into the future and away from existing groups with this group. The Gravel Red has 13 gears and is only available with a rear derailleur in the UDH standard.

Until now, SRAM divided its gravel groups with mono chainrings into XPLR and Eagle. The difference lies in the derailleurs: XPLR shifts up to 44 teeth, Eagle up to 52. The latter variant is therefore practically MTB standard. With the new Red, which officially goes by the name XPLR, SRAM says goodbye to the extremely large mountain sprockets of the Eagle - the new group is aimed at the target group of more touring or racing-oriented gravel bikers who do not ride extreme trails, but instead want a narrower gear ratio. And SRAM offers this with the new 13-speed cassette, which with a 46-tooth mountain sprocket is even more suitable for climbing than the previous XPLR cassettes, but is graduated in one-tooth jumps in the fast range.

This is the gradation of the new cassette, which is comparatively light at 290 grams:

10-11-12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-38-46

XPLR 13-speed: narrower gradation, easier uphill gear

Compared to the XPLR cassette with twelve gears, there is now an additional 12-tooth pinion and 46 teeth instead of 44 on the largest sprocket; compared to the Eagle cassette with 10-52 teeth, the lightest mountain gear is missing. However, this cassette is graduated in two-tooth increments in the fast range (10-12-14-16). It is interesting to note that the 13-speed cassette is practically identical to the 10-36 road bike sprocket that is installed on many bikes with SRAM 2x12 - the only difference being that instead of the 36-tooth pinion there is a 38-tooth pinion and the 46-tooth.

Another special feature of the new system is that there is no special 13-speed chain. The distances between the individual sprockets are identical to those of the current 13-speed cassettes. The new cassette is one sprocket wider than a XNUMX-speed cassette, but it fits on the current XDR freewheels. The XNUMX-speed cassette is designed in such a way that the largest sprocket sits further inside. The chainrings of the current XNUMX-speed groups are also compatible.

For retrofitting, a cassette and rear derailleur are sufficient

This is good news for anyone interested in the new transmission - because in order to be able to shift 13 gears in the future, you only need to buy the cassette and the rear derailleur. Older SRAM AXS levers from the XNUMX-speed groups can still be used, as the electronic control is completely located in the rear derailleur. However, this can only be mounted on a frame that has already been constructed according to the UDH standard - such as the Specialized Crux or the new Rose Backroad, to name just two.

The massive rear derailleur differs significantly from the visual habits of gravel bikers and racing cyclists. It looks more like an MTB derailleur like the SRAM XX Eagle Transmission, but is noticeably lighter than this (375 instead of 440 grams) and is a bit more compact. The integration of the battery, which is located inside the rear derailleur rather than on the back of it, is very successful. The shift arm is a bit shorter than that of the MTB rear derailleur and, like the latter, is equipped with a 14 (top) and a 16 (bottom) pulley. The latter is called the "Magic Wheel" and is made of aluminum with a pressed-on gear ring. The trick here is that if something gets caught in the "spokes" of the pulley and blocks it, the gear ring can continue to rotate.

When designing the Red rear derailleur, SRAM paid less attention to optimal shifting under load, which is important for (E-) MTBs, but rather to maximum shifting speed - the practical test that follows soon will show how this works. In any case, the extreme rigidity of the UDH construction should ensure even more precise shifting.

 

If you want the complete group, you get the new levers and brake callipers mentioned above, as well as a crankset with or without a power meter and the well-known SRAM Red 4.000-speed chain, which is particularly light thanks to generous milling on the outer and inner plates and hollow bolts. Of course, the new top components aren't exactly cheap: the complete group with the standard crankset costs just under 4.500 euros, and with a power meter it costs almost 1.460 euros. However, if you only buy the cassette and rear derailleur to retrofit, as described, you'll be looking at XNUMX euros.

Prices and weights SRAM Red AXS XPLR

www.sram.com