Hot on the heels of SRAM’s update to its Red AXS road bike groupset comes the gravel-specific Red XPLR AXS.
The headline details for the new groupset are a move to 13-speed and a new wide-range 10-46t cassette with close, performance road gearing steps from the 10-24-tooth sprockets.
A new derailleur mounts to Universal Derailleur Hanger rear dropouts, and SRAM has introduced a new lighter 1x crankset, which can use direct-mount rings or a new thread-mount system in combination with a direct-mount power meter spider.
This means you can now switch chainrings independently of the power meter.
As with all SRAM parts bearing the AXS suffix, Red XPLR is compatible with every existing AXS component, both on-road and off.
Rather than a whole new set of components to build the groupset, Red XPLR AXS consists of the new rear derailleur, crankset (with all its options) and cassette.
The remaining parts come from the brand’s Red AXS road groupset (shifters, brakes, rotors, wireless blips and batteries).
The brake calipers come with organic pads for better performance in adverse conditions, rather than the standard pads the road bike units are specified with.
Stablemate Zipp has complemented the launch of the new groupset with a new gravel XPLR carbon handlebar designed to integrate with AXS shifters, and a new 303 XPLR wheelset and accompanying tyres developed in partnership with Goodyear.
A complete SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset with power meter will set you back £3,980 / $3,979 / €4,465 / AU$6,840.
Without a power meter, the price drops to £3,530 / $3,529 / €3,960 / AU$6,065.
You can read Warren Rossiter's SRAM Red XPLR AXS review here.
New SRAM Red XPLR AXS | What you need to know
- 1x 13-speed drivetrain
- Compatible with all existing 12-speed AXS components
- 218g lighter than current Red XPLR AXS
- Close ratio (but wider) 10-46t cassette
- New UDH-specific full-mount rear derailleur
- New thread-mount chainring system for the power meter
- Easy-fit derailleur eliminates high/low adjusters and B-tension screw
- When identifying specific components, 'E1' is the suffix SRAM uses for its latest AXS groupsets, replacing 'D1' on previous generations
Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur
The new rear derailleur looks radically different from the previous version, bearing much more similarity to the T-Type Eagle derailleur from mountain biking.
Whilst SRAM introduced a hangerless direct-mount design with last year’s T-Type mountain bike drivetrain, the Red XPLR AXS system has some noticeable differences. Mainly, it’s the addition of a 13th sprocket (T-Type and road-going AXS groups remain 12-speed).
What it has taken from T-Type though is the robust design of the derailleur body, alongside replaceable parts, and the ‘Magic Wheel’ lower rear pulley.
SRAM says this means that even if debris such as sticks or twigs goes through the pulley wheel, a mechanism enables the toothed section to rotate independently of the centre. In turn, this keeps the chain moving at all times, thereby protecting the drivetrain.
SRAM refers to the derailleur as ‘full-mount’ – essentially, it mounts directly to the rear axle via a UDH dropout – and says this eliminates the need for high and low adjustment and B-tension screws.
The brand claims it should deliver far more consistent and accurate fitment across multiple frame platforms than the multitude of hanger designs and materials available now.
The derailleur design uses standard AXS batteries, yet the angular body sees the battery inserted further into the derailleur than on road bike AXS derailleurs.
It appears to be better protected than the battery on the T-Type derailleur, which sticks out more.
The Red XPLR derailleur is designed to work specifically with the 13-speed cassette.
The end of the derailleur hanger?
SRAM quietly introduced the UDH dropout standard a few years ago. It cited the advantages of a hangerless system as being more robust, accurate and delivering more reliable shifting – chiefly thanks to removing the danger of bent hangers while riding or transporting your bike.
Red XPLR AXS is compatible with UDH-equipped frames only, but many major brands have adopted the system on relevant bikes.
Red XPLR XG-1391 cassette
The 13-speed Red XPLR cassette fits to a standard XDR freehub.
The cassette design takes advantage of standard road wheel dishing and spoke angles for the largest 46-tooth sprocket to extend beyond the freehub body, grabbing a little space here.
At the other end, instead of the rear derailleur having the chain-catching fin, as found on the T-Type derailleur, there’s a smooth round shape, enabling SRAM to grab a little real estate here too.
SRAM’s engineers were able to add a 13th sprocket, while using the same 12-speed Flattop chain as found on the brand's other AXS groupsets.
The new cassette has a 460 per cent range with a closely spaced set of ratios: 10-11-12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-38-46.
This means single-tooth jumps for the first four gears, moving to two-tooth gaps for the next four, then a jump of three to the 24t sprocket, and finishing with four, six and eight-tooth jumps.
The move to 10-46t extends the range over the previous cassette’s 10-44t range, and is intended to be the sweet spot for most gravel riders without having to resort to the wider range afforded by Eagle AXS cassettes.
We asked SRAM’s category product manager, Jason Fowler, about the switch to a wider range and he explained: “We wanted Red XPLR AXS to be the best all-round option for riders and racers alike.”
Fowler says SRAM’s research shows a split of 15 per cent of its customers opting for an Eagle AXS mix for extreme-distance gravel events and terrain, and 30 per cent going with 2x AXS for all-road and light gravel, leaving 55 per cent (and growing) looking for 1x for all terrain types.
“That’s who [the 55 per cent] Red XPLR AXS is aimed at,” says Fowler.
With just a single offering, SRAM is gambling heavily on getting the ratios right. That said, with the new cassette weighing it at 288g (claimed), it's 95g lighter than the previous generation’s 12-speed 10-44t cassette, which should help it appeal to weight-conscious gravel racers.
Red XPLR AXS crankset
The new Red XPLR AXS crankset has been reworked from the previous XPLR unit.
With a new make-up to the hollow carbon fibre arms, SRAM has been able to reduce the weight from 500g to a claimed 427g (40t chainring, 172.5mm arms).
The direct-mount X-Sync wide-narrow chainrings are available in 36 through to 46 teeth in two-tooth increments.
Alternatively, those after bigger gearing can use the new crankset with SRAM’s ‘Aero’ rings, available in 46 to 52-tooth sizes (also in two-tooth increments).
SRAM has also added a short 160mm arm option to complement the 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 175mm lengths.
Red XPLR AXS power meter spider
The power meter spider stands out among the new components with a fresh thread-mount interface.
The spider attaches to the crankset via the usual eight-bolt interface, but the helix-like thread enables chainrings to be threaded onto and removed from the crankset quickly and easily with the help of a new chainring removal tool (available for £63 / $65 / €70).
So, unlike the current road-going power meters, the new XPLR version is separate from the chainrings. This means you don’t need to swap the power meter along with the chainrings, helping to keep costs down when it comes to chainring-replacement time, as well as enabling much more experimentation with gearing.
The power meter has the same internals as the existing Red AXS power meter, with a claimed +/- 1.5 per cent accuracy, temperature compensation, IPX7 waterproof rating and a claimed 200-hour battery life with the user-replaceable CR2032 battery.
A Red XPLR crankset (172.5mm) with power meter and a 40-tooth thread-mount chainring has a claimed weight of 516g – 116g lighter than the previous crankset in the same configuration.
X-SYNC Red XPLR thread-mount chainrings
The new thread-mount chainrings are available in 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46-tooth options – and, like the cassette, are compatible with all SRAM road Flattop chains.
Zipp SL70 XPLR handlebar
Sibling brand Zipp has also adapted its SL70 carbon handlebar – initially designed for SRAM Red AXS – for Red XPLR AXS.
Much like the road bar, the SL70 XPLR features an overhang to cover the brake hose where it exits the hood.
This creates a smooth transition and Zipp claims it’s more comfortable for extended periods holding the hoods.
The bar has a shallow 70mm drop with 110mm of reach, a 5-degree drop flare and 11-degree outsweep. This creates drops that are 6cm wider than at the hoods.
The bar also features recesses under the tops and on the drops to help SRAM’s wireless blips fit more flushly.
In a move that’ll be welcomed by home mechanics and those who travel with their bike, while the SL70 XPLR bar is compatible with internal routing systems, rather than routing the hoses through the bar, Zipp says it has designed a recessed channel to hide the hoses but also enable easy access.
The lightweight (claimed 240g, 42cm) carbon bar is available in 40cm, 42cm, 44cm, 46cm and 48cm widths (centre-to-centre at the hoods), priced at £320 / $320 / €360.
Red XPLR AXS component specifications
Red XPLR AXS rear derailleur RD-Red-1E-E1
- Compatibility: 13-speed only, 10-46t cassette only, UDH frames only
Red XPLR XG-1391 cassette CS-XG-1391-E1
- Compatibility: All Flattop 12-speed chains
- Variants: 10-46t only
Red XPLR AXS power meter FC-Red-1WP-E1
- Compatibility: 12 and 13-speed AXS drivetrains, all SRAM Road DUB bottom brackets
Red XPLR AXS crankset FC-Red-1W-E1
- Compatibility: 12 and 13-speed AXS drivetrains, all SRAM Road DUB bottom brackets
- Variants: 160, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5, 175mm crank arms
Red XPLR AXS power meter spider PM-AXS-SPDR-E1
- Compatibility: 12 and 13-speed, Red Thread mount chainrings
- Variants: N/A
X-SYNC Red XPLR thread-mount chainrings CR-XSNC-TM-E1
- Compatibility: Power meter spider PM-AXS-SPDR-E1
- Variants: 38T, 40T, 42T, 44T, 46T
SRAM Red XPLR AXS E1 claimed weights
- SRAM Red XPLR AXS with power meter: 2,499g (10-46t cassette, 172.5mm cranks, 114-link chain, 2x160mm Centerlock rotors and lockrings, 1x battery)
- SRAM Red XPLR AXS: 2,398g (same specifications)
Component weights
- Cassette: 288g
- Crankset (172.5mm, 40t): 427g
- Power meter crankset (172.5mm, 40t): 516g
- Bottom bracket: 76g
- Rear derailleur: 375g
- Shifter/brake system: 692g
- Chain (114 links): 236g
- Rotors: 280g
- Battery: 24g
The previous-generation Red XPLR AXS with power meter weighed in 218g heavier at 2,575g in an identical configuration, save for the cassette (10-44t).
SRAM Red XPLR AXS prices
- Cassette: £600 / $600 / €675
- Rear derailleur (battery not included): £700 / $700 / €785
- Cranks Red 1x E1 XPLR DUB WIDE Direct Mount (with chainring, bottom bracket not included): £650 / $650 / €730
- SRAM Red AXS 1x Power Meter XPLR DUB WIDE E1 threaded mount (bottom bracket not included): £1,100 / $1,100 / €1,235
- Crank Arm Assembly Red XPLR DUB WIDE E1 (bottom bracket not included): £400 / $400 / €450
- Chainring Road Threaded Mount X-Sync Red E1 Black/Silver (all sizes): £150 / $150 / €170
- Power Meter spider AXS E1 for threaded-mount chainrings: £500 / $500 / €560
