SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review: On Gravel!

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review

“A more capable groupset for today’s riders. Riders are going beyond where we’ve ever gone before. We’re going further and faster. And when the road stops, we keep going. One thing hasn’t changed: We want to push those boundaries without any distractions. Exploring new limits has never been easier.” – SRAM.com

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
10-36T Max Rear Derailleur

“For the toughest climbs and longest days. It can be the steep kicker near the summit of a long climb. Or a multi-hour ride on roads and trails that push you way out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you want a lower gear. Because having more range can be the key to thriving as the road points upward, SRAM Force eTap AXS now includes wider gearing options: a 10-36 cassette and 43/30 crankset.”

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
WIDE Front Derailleur

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Review Video

In this video, JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew puts SRAM’s Force eTap AXS WIDE drivetrain through a tough long-term review spanning a period of five months. Mounted to the Ribble Cycles CGR SL, this bike and groupset saw action in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and more!

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review

Further Tech

“Adventure far beyond the well-beaten path with lower gearing and clearance for extra-wide tires.”

  • 10-36T 12-Speed Cassette
  • 10-36T Max Rear Derailleur
  • 43/30 Wide Crankset
  • Wide Front Derailleur

Gravel Cyclist’s review sample of SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE is a complete drivetrain; shifters, derailleurs, batteries, cassette, chain, crankset, bottom bracket, and bonus cockpit parts by SRAM’s sister company, Zipp.

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
43/30 WIDE Crankset
  • Wider Range – Up to 516% range with a 2x Setup
  • More Tyre Clearance – Up to 700c x 45mm and 27.5″/650b x 2.1″
SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
10-36 One Piece Cassette

“On a long hilly day, you need to save energy for what’s to come. That means gearing that allows you to avoid grinding up climbs. A 43/30 crankset paired with a 10-36 cassette provides a massive 516 percent range to accomplish that. Multiple gears below a 1:1 ratio keep you spinning comfortably on the steepest slopes. A 30×36 gear allows a cadence of over 80 rpm at speeds as low as 5 mph / 9 kph.”

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review

Gravel Adventure

“Big tyres, loose surfaces, and long days in the backcountry. Gravel adventure bikes need lower gears to keep things moving. One option is the MX build, but for the largest possible range, the 43/30 crankset with a 10-36 cassette is the ticket. It provides the gears required to inch up and then fly down the most rugged of terrain, with nice, tight steps between gears for an optimized cadence. The added tire clearance offered by the 43/30 crankset and its matching front derailleur ensure clearance for 700x45c and 27.5×2.1” tires for the added comfort and grip that make these rides more fun.”

This is the configuration as tested by Gravel Cyclist.

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
Clic Shifters provide a super handy shifting option

1x for CX, Gravel Racing & Beyond

“In areas without a massive variation in terrain, the simplicity of a 1x drivetrain is tough to beat. The 360% range of the 10-36 cassette allows a purpose-built gravel race bike or repurposed CX rig to excel in fast gravel races. Depending on fitness and terrain, pair this cassette with any chainring size from 36 to 44 teeth to get the exact range you need.”

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
Image by SRAM.com

“1x is a great option on road bikes as well. A 48T chainring paired with a 10-36 cassette replicates the gear range of a traditional 53/39 chainring with a 11-28 cassette. With a 44T ring, you have all the climbing gears of a 50/34 and 11-28, with the cleanliness and simplicity of 1x.”

SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE Wireless Electronic Drivetrain Review
Image by SRAM.com

“These aren’t the only possibilities, of course. The 10-36 cassette can be paired with any eTap AXS chainring combo, just as the 43/30 crank can be run with any of our cassette options. The AXS ecosystem is all about providing choices for today’s riders, so that no matter who you are and where you go, you’re always in the right gear.”

There is a heap more tech information about SRAM Force eTap AXS WIDE including weights and detailed photos at this link.

SRAM

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4 Comments

  1. Avatar James

    Love the growing options but is there a mechanical flat bar shifter and derailleur that will shift the 10/36 cassette for those of us using flat bar gravel bikes?

    • JOM JOM

      Hi James, SRAM has not developed a mechanical 12-speed drivetrain specifically for road in either drop bar or flat bar form, but I’m assuming you could setup a SRAM Eagle mechanical 12-speed system, provided you’re OK with 1x only.

  2. Avatar James

    So are you saying the Sram Eagle shifter and derailleur will work with the 10/36 cassette? I have a 1×12 Sram NX on the bike now but I don’t need a 50 tooth cog not to mention the 1 tooth jumps on the top end of the 10/36 would be sweet for my commuting.

    • JOM JOM

      James, I do not know, I don’t have the gear to test that configuration, my comment is conjecture. You need to find someone with Eagle, a 10-36 and so on. Sorry!

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