HOW IT RIDES
AT ITS CORE, this group is still Red eTap, so there’s little difference in shifting performance between eTap HRD and eTap for rim brakes.
Shifting is reliable, secure – solid engagement, no skipping, no dropped chains – and most of the time ( but not always), smooth. I love the shift paddles, which are equally accessible from the hoods and the drops. The weight and length of the throw, the volume and feel of the ‘click’, and eTap’s foolproof shifting pattern all make changing gears equal parts pleasurable and seamless.
My biggest complaint is shift speed. SRAM representatives say the lightest 1190 Red cassette was intentionally designed to offer extremely secure and reliable shifting – the chain will always wait for a machined shift ramp (on a lower- end PG cassette with stamped cogs, by comparison, the chain will shift off of basically any tooth).
Because of that, it shifts more slowly. When paired with SRAM’s less- expensive (and much heavier) PG-1170 cassette – or a Shimano or Campy cassette – eTap does shift a bit faster, but it’s still not as quick as Shimano’s Di2 or Campagnolo’s EPS electronic shifting.
I don’t think eTap’s slower shifting will cost anyone a race win or Strava KOM, but I do believe a top- of- the- line, race- bred, electronic group should shift extremely fast. And eTap doesn’t.
Braking performance from the hydraulic discs is very good. The initial bite is gentle, and the power builds intuitively to lock- up. Lever throw is weighted well, very smooth, and the blades feel snappy. However, the brakes do make some odd gobbling and howling noises, especially when wet.
The shift/ brake- lever bodies for eTap HRD are different to those on the rim- brake version of eTap; and while their size, shape, and curves are not the ergonomic masterpiece that the rim- brake bodies are, they are comfortable and well shaped. The hood covers are sticky enough for secure grip in the wet, and soft enough to provide a bit of cushion. They’re not squishy, but they do twist a bit when I’m out of the saddle, climbing, and pulling hard on the bar.
The brake- lever/shifter- paddle reach is easily customisable, and the brake lever’s dead throw (distance it travels before it moves the pads) is adjustable as well. I can set the group up exactly the way I like.
SRAM’s wireless drivetrain has fewer things stuffed inside the frame – no batteries, wires, connections – to potentially rattle and slap. Because of this, along with eTap’s rattle- free shift/ brake levers and smooth- running chain, cogs, and chainrings, the group (when set up and tuned properly) runs smoothly and quietly, with little noise or vibration invading the serenity of the ride. I love quiet bikes, and my bikes are quietest with eTap.