Sram released the update to its fourth tier groupset, Apex AXS. For the first time ever, electronic shifting has made its way down to a price point which has never been seen before by a big, established brand. The new Apex components from Sram are made up of more than just electronic ones, but instead the Apex family includes mechanical ones too, alongside XPLR and Eagle versions. This has resulted in drop bar, flat bar and incredibly wide gearing possibilities. Sam Gupta has a first look at what is being offered and explains who the groupset might be for.
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00:00 Today, SRAM has launched its fourth tier wireless groupset.
00:04 Named SRAM Apex AXS, it follows in the footsteps
00:07 of three well-established electronic product lines
00:11 from the American brand.
00:13 Since SRAM has been so active
00:15 in the wireless groupset space for some time now,
00:18 the Apex AXS groupset is the recipient
00:21 of plenty of trickle-down tech.
00:23 So what is this new groupset,
00:25 and what can we expect from it?
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00:30 For starters, it's not just one groupset
00:38 that has been launched,
00:39 but instead an entire range of components
00:42 that sit underneath the Apex name.
00:45 There will be both electronic and mechanical parts available
00:48 but we'll start with the former.
00:50 What we have is a one-by, 12-speed electronic groupset
00:54 with hydraulic disc brakes.
00:56 The shape of the hoods imitate those
00:58 of the rival and force group sets.
01:00 Likewise, the placement of the shifting buttons
01:03 is also exactly the same.
01:05 The batteries used to power the system
01:07 are the same as SRAM's other setups,
01:10 that being a removable rechargeable battery on the derailleur
01:13 and the shifters are powered
01:15 using coin cell CR2032 batteries.
01:19 On the flip side, a mechanical version of the groupset
01:21 is also being made.
01:23 And the only real difference here
01:24 is that the electronic gubbins have been removed.
01:27 Everything else is basically the same.
01:30 One touch that I do quite like
01:32 is the wide range of cassettes that can be used with Apex.
01:36 Thanks to the two different derailleurs
01:38 that have been made available,
01:40 you can run a cassette all the way up to a 52 tooth in size.
01:44 Now, that's not to say that many will,
01:47 but you could if you really wanted to.
01:50 So who is Apex AXS really for?
01:54 Since this certainly isn't an out and out road bike groupset.
01:57 Well, gravel riders mainly
02:00 and those who want a one by electronic trivet train,
02:03 but at an even more affordable price point.
02:06 It's almost a given that bike brands
02:08 will be snapping this groupset up
02:09 to deck out their gravel offerings.
02:12 Any brand that chooses to spec the Apex AXS on its bikes
02:17 will be able to create a build
02:18 which delivers electronic shifting on a gravel bike
02:21 for less money than ever before.
02:24 Now, this release has certainly left Shimano
02:27 on the back foot as currently,
02:29 it doesn't have anything in its range
02:31 which rivals this latest release from SRAM.
02:33 However, Shimano have never been one
02:35 to be dictated to by the Americans.
02:38 So I'm sure in time, we will see that little Di2 logo
02:42 make its way down the GRX line of components
02:45 in the same way it has for 105 Di2.
02:48 Just a couple of weeks ago at Unbound Gravel,
02:51 Ben Delaney spotted what could be
02:53 a 12-speed mechanical GRX groupset
02:56 with what looks to be a 10-42-2 cassette.
03:00 So there is some big change on the gravel scene right now.
03:03 The electronic features don't just stop at the shifting.
03:07 No, SRAM has created a single-sided power meter upgrade kit.
03:11 So you can swap out the left-hand crank arm
03:14 for one which has a spindle-mounted power meter
03:16 which neatly sits inside the frame.
03:19 It must be said, the new components
03:21 have taken a big step forwards in their appearance.
03:24 It looks far more attractive than its predecessor.
03:27 Personally, I think the chainset and the shifters
03:30 have taken the biggest step forwards
03:31 and now mean that at a first glance,
03:34 you wouldn't instantly know
03:36 you're looking at a fourth-tier offering.
03:38 Currently, Apex AXS kind of sits alone in the market
03:42 with no real competitors.
03:44 SRAM is the only brand to have brought out
03:47 electronic shifting this far down in its range
03:50 and especially for a 1X groupset.
03:53 Once again, SRAM is ahead of the curve
03:55 and has come out with something
03:57 which I believe will be incredibly popular.
04:00 Prices for a 1X Apex AXS Explore groupset
04:04 come in at $1,195,
04:07 £1,262,
04:10 or 1,411 euros,
04:13 while a mechanical 1X Explore groupset
04:16 will come in at $987,
04:18 £1,060,
04:20 or 1,176 euros,
04:23 and the price of the Power Meter Upgrade Kit
04:26 is $220,
04:28 or £205,
04:30 or 230 euros.
04:32 When we look at the weights of the groupsets,
04:34 the Apex Explore AXS drivetrain weighs in at 2,890 grammes,
04:39 with the mechanical Explore drivetrain
04:42 coming in at a claimed 2,872 grammes,
04:46 only an 18 gramme difference.
04:49 There are flat bar and eagle versions of Apex too,
04:52 each with their own pricing and weights,
04:54 but I believe both the Explore versions of the groupset
04:57 will be the most popular.
04:59 As a bonus piece of news,
05:03 just yesterday, Zwift launched its next piece of hardware,
05:06 named Zwift Play.
05:08 What it's essentially created
05:10 is a handlebar mountable controller.
05:14 Now, the unit comes in two pieces,
05:16 with each part mounting underneath your shifters.
05:18 You get buttons to be able to control everything in the game
05:21 from giving ride-ons, changing worlds, and using power-ups.
05:26 You now no longer need to reach over to your laptop
05:28 or your phone to interact with the game.
05:31 Instead, you just have to use your thumbs.
05:34 The other cool feature is that there are two paddles
05:36 on the front of the units,
05:38 which allow you to brake when you push them both in,
05:40 or you can steer when you pull either one to the outside.
05:45 Both parts are USB rechargeable
05:47 and can be charged in tandem with the Y-shaped USB-C cable.
05:52 You can even have them plugged in and charging
05:54 while you use them.
05:56 We're also told that extensive testing has been done
05:59 to ensure that they are sweat-proof.
06:01 In principle, I'm a big fan of what this new tech would do
06:05 to the experience of riding indoors.
06:08 I feel like it would be less faffy,
06:10 and you can focus more on just doing
06:12 what you actually want to do.
06:14 I also believe that this is the best implementation
06:16 of indoor steering yet.
06:18 Now, at launch, pricing will be £99, dollars, or euros,
06:23 with the price going up to £149, dollars, or euros
06:27 after the initial launch phase.
06:30 Let me know down below,
06:31 what do you think of the new SRAM Apex AXS components?
06:35 And of the new hardware from Zwift?
06:38 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
06:40 subscribe to the channel for more content,
06:42 and I will see you again very soon.
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