SRAM Apex AXS XPLR is a wireless 12-speed electronic groupset, the most affordable entry into electronic shifting yet from the US brand. The entry-level tier gains a huge amount of tech that was first found in the range-topping Red AXS groupset, so in many ways Apex AXS is the ultimate example of trickle-down tech. It opens the door to many price-conscious riders looking to make the leap to electronic shifting.
In the past, SRAM has not had a dedicated gravel groupset in its midst, instead offering generous cross-compatibility between different derivations of its road and mountain bike lines. This provided riders with plenty of options to mix and match products to give riders flexibility in their drivetrain choices.
While Apex AXS is gravel-focussed, that’s still the case here – as Apex is now 12-speed in both electronic and mechanical options. There’s plenty of cross-compatible gearing options across the Eagle and XPLR lines that allows riders to run up to a 10-52 cassette, though the rider is limited to 1× setups only.
The variant on test here is the AXS XPLR with an 11-44 cassette paired with a 40t chainring. The groupset is bolted to a Canyon Grizl and includes the optional extras of a power meter and a pair of SRAM’s Blips wireless remote shift buttons.
SRAM Apex AXS: Key features at a glance
- 1×-only 12-speed wireless electronic groupset
- 4th-tier below Rival AXS in SRAM range
- 2,900g claimed weight (excluding BB), 250g more than Rival
- 11-44, 10-44 and 10-36 cassette options
- Chainrings from 36 to 46-tooth
- Also compatible with Eagle MTB rear derailleur for mullet setup
- Left-side power meter option
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR levers
The levers are the same shape as SRAM Rival AXS, the only difference being in their construction. Apex uses pressed alloy lever blades rather than forged, which creates a marginally heavier end product, to the tune of around 70g. The shifters are powered by a pair of CR2032 coin cells which SRAM claims will last about two years under normal riding conditions.
The brand qualifies this as 15 hours per week, but that seems pretty generous – most recreational riders don’t ride that much in a week – even with the battery life degradation that occurs over time when not in use, I still see the claimed runtime easily living up to expectations.
Shifting operates in the same way as the other AXS groupsets; there’s a paddle on each lever, with the left paddle changing into an easier gear and the right paddle for a harder gear. It really is one of the simplest methods of operation and is made even more straightforward by the lack of a front derailleur to worry about.
Shifting characteristics can be tweaked using SRAM’s excellent AXS app which connects via Bluetooth and allows the rider to fiddle to their heart’s content; the shift paddles can be remapped, shift speeds changed and metrics galore fawned over.
In the hands, the hoods feel comfortable enough to ride all day but I don’t think they are ergonomically perfect – for me at least. The AXS hoods are a little slim for my liking with a noticeable taper around the middle of the lever body towards the lever blades.
I’d imagine it would allow riders with smaller hands to be able to grip the hoods more securely, but for those with larger hands like me there doesn’t feel like there’s a huge amount to hold on to.
Turning the hoods inwards slightly did alleviate the issue a little, and with that said the Apex lever body shape is good enough not to be a deal-breaker. My favourite lever shape is Shimano GRX, which some will probably say is too chunky, so it really is a case of personal preference here.
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR shifting quality and braking
Shifting was excellent across a range of terrains, from smooth tarmac to heavily rutted singletrack. I deliberately tried to shift at points that might cause issues such as low cadence/high power situations but, despite my best efforts, the chain continued to consistently and accurately move up and down the cassette at my command.
Apex does not use the Orbital Fluid Damper found in Red AXS and Force AXS, instead running a spring clutch to keep the chain in order in a more budget-friendly manner. Chain slap was kept to a minimum and I didn’t drop a chain either, no doubt in part thanks to the narrow-wide X-SYNC chainring.
The shift button requires a considered amount of pressure, not so little that it can be easily knocked but not so much that it was burdensome. The paddles themselves are slightly concave, with a textured finish to make it easier to find them in wet weather or when wearing gloves. They’re a generous size too, a little larger than both of the shift buttons on Shimano Di2 combined, which made it easy to find them when riding over rough terrain.
Just as the groupset directly borrows the electronic shift technology from SRAM’s other AXS groupsets, Apex AXS is compatible with SRAM’s wireless Blips too.
These are tiny switches that can be mounted pretty much anywhere. They can be set up to act as satellite shifters to allow you to change gears from locations that aren’t the main controls. Time-trial riders often use them on the end of their extensions and sprinters put them on the drops.
My bike was equipped with a pair of blips underneath the tops, which I found to be great when climbing or riding rougher terrain, as this is naturally where I’d have my hands, so I could continue to operate Apex’s gears without changing position.
Rattling along washboard gravel sections on the tops and being able shift without needing to move my hands was a brilliant bit of extra functionality and it’s something I’d add to every bike I ride if I could.
I would like to see the shift paddle extend further down the blade of the shifter and slim out a touch though, as I found when braking from the hoods the shift paddle would often trap my ring finger against the bar under heavy braking. Apex does incorporate reach adjustment of the levers but this only made the issue worse.
I also found that I had to grip the lever blade lower down than would normally be comfortable for heavy braking events when riding on the hoods. This was due to the pivot point of the lever being lower than something like Shimano’s GRX lever design, meaning you have to exert more force than if the distance between the pivot and your fingers were larger.
I never found myself wanting for more braking power though, it just felt unnatural to have to stretch my fingers further down the blade.
Aside from these gripes, braking was generally good with excellent power and modulation available. When riding in very dusty conditions there were a few chirps and scrapes from the calipers but only for a short time while the debris were cleared.
On some of the extended descents of my test routes I dragged the brakes to build heat into the rotors to see if there were any signs of warping, but I found no evidence of it, and there was little perceivable loss in braking power either.
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR drivetrain
With fully wireless shifting on offer here, there are no cables to mess about with when setting up the rear derailleur, it’s simply a case of bolting the bits to the bike, pairing everything together and indexing the rear derailleur. Many users won’t be building up bikes from scratch though, as I expect Apex AXS to be a huge hit in the OEM market, but it’s still great in terms of maintenance, adjustment and even future upgrades.
The rear derailleur is powered by the same battery as the rest of the AXS range so should riders have more than one bike running AXS, all the batteries will be interchangeable. The battery clips onto the rear derailleur with the same sturdy locking mechanism and we’ve had no issues with it, on this bike or any others we’ve ridden. SRAM claims the battery will last around 60 hours or 1000km and when it does go flat, it’s just a case of unclipping it and dropping it into the charger. A flat battery will be fully recharged in around an hour.
It’s important to note that the system ‘wakes up’ when it detects motion, so it’s wise to remove the derailleur battery when transporting the bike on the back of a car for example, as the system will be awake and draining the battery without actually shifting.
The rear derailleur inherits the same rugged and purposeful industrial design as Rival yet uses less premium materials to keep costs down. The longer XPLR cage allows a maximum of a 44-tooth rear sprocket.
I found the cassette to have a good spread, offering enough versatility to haul myself up steep and loose climbs yet provide tall enough gears to still be able to pedal on fast descents. As with all 1× drivetrains, you often end up with larger jumps between gears than with a 2× setup so settling into a comfortable cadence in all situations can be trickier.
I regularly ride my 2×-equipped gravel bike on group road rides, but I’d feel nervous about using a 1× setup on the road, simply because of the jumps between gears. However, I recognise that those less sensitive to jumps in cadence will find less to fall out with here, as the XPLR 10-44 gearing spread is sensibly arranged.
The Apex crankset is almost identical to the Rival version, having been essentially just ‘redressed’ with different graphics. The chainrings are replaceable when they wear out as they attach using the direct mount system.
The left crankarm has a sculpted back, so there’s no chance of installing a crank-based power meter like Stages or 4iiii, however SRAM is offering a spindle-based system for Apex AXS that measures left side only power.
The upgrade to power costs £205 and will surely appeal to those wanting to train efficiently without spending a fortune. It’s a very understated addition and nestles in the crank spindle with only a rubber cap and a ‘lobe’ indicating what may lie within.
While we didn’t have the opportunity to properly assess the meter’s accuracy, the design has been offered in other groupset tiers by SRAM for a while and has garnered a strong reputation for accurate measurement (within the limits of single-sided measurement), so we’d expect similar performance here.
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR aesthetics
Looks are a very subjective thing but I think crankset, derailleur and levers of Apex AXS looks great. They are utilitarian yet clean. The crankset is a huge upgrade on what was previously available at this level in the market and ties in well with SRAM’s existing design language.
There are no sparkly graphics to be found, such as on Force AXS or Red AXS but the monochrome details look slick. Despite its fourth-tier range position, the looks of Apex AXS are a long way from budget.
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR weight
It’s tricky to compare groupset weights like-for-like as there are so many variables in crank lengths, cassettes, power meters etc but in similar guises, Apex AXS XPLR is in the region of 250g heavier than Rival AXS which is pretty impressive.
I’d expect to see overall bike weights to be heavier than a Rival-equipped bike however, as manufacturers will be meeting a lower price point with Apex equipped bikes, so expect to see heavier wheels, tyres and finishing kit. As a guide, SRAM quotes 2,900g for the whole groupset without BB but we don’t know precisely what spec that corresponds to.
SRAM Apex AXS XPLR price
Prices for Apex AXS XPLR start from £1,262 with an additional £205 for a power meter. In my eyes that is very reasonable for wireless electronic shifting and is sure to shake up the lower end of the OEM market.
It’s an interesting technical development as there isn’t really a natural competitor for Apex AXS at the moment. SRAM says Apex AXS will appear on bikes around the £2,500 to £4,000 price point which is currently the preserve of Shimano GRX RX400/600. If it were my money, you can bet I’d plump for the Apex AXS-equipped bike – for all mechanical GRX is excellent, it’s hard to look past the fit-and-forget nature of electronic.
SRAM Apex AXS review summary
Whether you’re a fan of electronic shifting or not, it’s hard to deny that SRAM has delivered an excellent product in the shape of Apex AXS XPLR.
The shifting is crisp, accurate and reliable across any surface that you might find on a gravel ride and the simplicity of 1× already has widespread appeal.
SRAM has certainly set out its stall by ditching 2× support which will grate with some riders, but Apex AXS XPLR is a great option for those seeking a no-nonsense electronic groupset at an accessible price.
