HOW WIRELESS SHIFTING GOT CHEAPER

Wireless and electronic gearing has always been just for the wealthiest riders and the spendiest superbikes. Now SRAM hopes to change all that with the all-new Rival AXS...

From the ultra-powerful phones we carry in our pockets to online shopping and casting Schitt’s

Creek, electronics permeate every aspect of our lives. While our bikes may utilise GPS to record every kilometre we cover, electronics don’t yet dominate our riding experiences. Admittedly, designers are using advanced computing power to optimise aerodynamics and carbon fibre construction, but the simplicity and genius of the bike remains relatively unchanged in a century.

Electronic advancements do exist in Shimano’s Di2, Campagnolo’s EPS, FSA’s WE drivetrain and SRAM’s fully wireless eTap AXS. Until now, the unifying factor is a largely prohibitive price. If you wanted the advantage of electronic shifting, you’d be looking at north of £4000 before you can consider cutting-edge shifting tech on a bike. So, unlike the mobile phone, this technology is not available to all.

SRAM in 2021 has, however, taken the first strides in bringing electronic drivetrains to the masses with bikes, such as our recently crowned Bike of the Year, the Boardman SLR9.4, coming with a full wireless Rival AXS groupset for £2700. The new complete Rival AXS groupset complements the high-end wireless o erings of Force and the pro-level Red ranges.

The 12-speed Rival promises the same ride experience with the same eTap shift logic and all of the advantages a wireless and connected system can bring. Yet the big story is the price, with 2x groupsets retailing for £1314 and a 1x version coming in at £1102. There’s also a power meter upgrade option for the crankset and power meter equipped-groupsets priced at £1516 (2x) and £1304 (1x). Too good to be true? Let’s find out…