SRAM AXS 12 Speed Red or Force Reliability - Poll

[justonwo]

I went all-in on SRAM AXS in the last 12 months. My first AXS 12 speed Red groupset on my Roubaix worked flawlessly for about 750 miles. Then the rear derailleur started having skipped shifts. It was replaced under warranty.

My Canyon worked flawlessly for 250 miles and then somehow the spider bacame bent, causing the chainrings to wobble inboard/outboard. That led to constant chain drop issues. That entire crankset was warrantied.

My Pinarello has had issues with chain drops since the beginning. I've had 2 top tier mechanics spend a few hours collectively adjusting height, limit screws, yaw, etc. We can't completely eliminate the problem and, as a result, I have to be careful how I shift the FD. I cringe a little every time I shift the FD. I also have intermittent issues with weird rear shifts. Nothing life-changing, but not crisp.

So that's three bikes with SRAM Red AXS. All three with issues.

Please keep the response to the latest generation of AXS 12 speed. Not the earlier 11 speed eTap version.

[LewisK]

I wont vote but FWIW i had multiple issues with etap 11 speed, mainly the RD. Enough that its put me off AXS

[mike]

Sram electric is not in same level as campy super record eps or dura ace di2 in terms of performance or aesthetics. Sram mechanical though is reliable and the lightest

[jellejanssen]

That sounds bad, hope the response is low as inhooenthis is not a design flaw or anything ...

[moyboy]

No issues with AXS since it was first released last year. Have both the MTB and Road versions.

[Tamu8104]

I only have AXS on the MTB, still the older 11 speed on the other bikes but the MTB AXS including the dropper have been flawless so far.

[justonwo]

Yeah, I should mention my AXS MTB setup is flawless.

[young]

only issue I've had so far is not being able to update firmware to newest version, sram knows the issue.

besides being slightly louder than 11sp, i've haven't had any issues likes of op on any of my 1x road axs setups. have red and force.

so far mileage wise I have 1100 miles on red and 2000 on force.

[justonwo]

Great feedback, all. If you could list the number of miles you have and the frame, that would be helpful.

[andychampionsound]

have around 400kms on new force AXS (TCR AdvancedSL) and have had a few dropped chains, but have learnt a few things in the process. I'm not a mechanic nor an engineer, but I think I can put my issues down to the fact that the 12sp chain is much stiffer laterally, in that there is almost zero flex side to side, given it's narrow structure. aaaaaaaand a little bit of user error...

So I've had a total of 4 dropped chains: 1 was me shifting the FD big-small-big in rapid succession (pure stupidity) = dropped outside, and 3 were me doing something lazy that DA9000 was very forgiving on, which is being up near the pointy end of the cassette and dropping to the small chainring to granny at an intersection, so massively cross-chained, and dropping inside, despite a chain catcher! And here's where i'm my own worst enemy! With compensation mode on, I suspect the RD is trying to drop further cogs at the back to counter the FD movement resulting in a ridiculous angle on the chain, that can't be maintained. In the case of the first example, i mis-shifted/corrected/realised i was right the first time, re-corrected and the RD was throwing the chain left and right to 'compensate'. And really if I think about what i'm doing, I don't have any issues.

[justonwo]

Good feedback. Most of my dropped chains are doing things that aren't out of the ordinary. Most have been chain drops on the inside. I might be in gear 3 or 4 on the cassette and then dropping from big ring to small ring at a reasonable cadence. I'm not doing anything that I wasn't used to doing on old mechanical or Di2 systems. I can actually do a complete cross-chain shift from big to small with no problem. It's a few gears in that generates issues. I've only had the chain drop once on the outside. I think I was in gear 2 or 3 on the cassette and had just crested a hill. I shifted to the big ring and off it came.

My LBS said SRAM is sending them a special tool they just developed to help set the front derailleur. They said Campy offers dealers something similar and it works wonders. We'll see if I can eliminate this pesky chain drop issue with SRAM's tool.

[andychampionsound]

My LBS said SRAM is sending them a special tool they just developed to help set the front derailleur. They said Campy offers dealers something similar and it works wonders. We'll see if I can eliminate this pesky chain drop issue with SRAM's tool.

Be interested to see how that works out. Whether the optimum setting for the FD ends up being something different to what they preach online!

[TobinHatesYou]

I almost hate the FD setup issues enough to switch off eTap to Di2. If Di2 had true eTap shift logic, I would switch in a heartbeat.

[justonwo]

My LBS said SRAM is sending them a special tool they just developed to help set the front derailleur. They said Campy offers dealers something similar and it works wonders. We'll see if I can eliminate this pesky chain drop issue with SRAM's tool.

Be interested to see how that works out. Whether the optimum setting for the FD ends up being something different to what they preach online!

I'll let you know. I'll try to get a photo of the gadget so we can get an idea what it does.

[justonwo]

I almost hate the FD setup issues enough to switch off eTap to Di2. If Di2 had true eTap shift logic, I would switch in a heartbeat.

I hear you. I'm frustrated as well. I remember setting up my Di2 Dura Ace system in 2015 one time and never touching it again. It never dropped the chain. No fine tuning or special tools were needed.