SRAM AXS 12 Speed Red or Force Reliability - Poll

[wheelsONfire]

48/35x10-33t is what you want.

Saved me a ton of time, cheers!

SRAM has a useful chart:

https://www.sram.com/en/life/stories/x-range-gearing

To me this chart is a bit strange.
If i would go for a 50/37 and 11-28 cassette instead if 10 cog, i would be riding near same as now.
50/36 and 11-28. A 34 chainring is too small IMO.

[DaveS]

A 50/36 is an oddball combination. Most who use a compact crank usually want as much range as possible, so the standard offering is always 50/34. That's what SRAM compares their standard offerings to.

Following their example, to get more range at both ends, you would need a 48/35 and 10-33 to get more range at both ends. A 10-28 cassette would produce a nearly identical lowest gear.

It still seems to show that SRAM has no confidence in their front shifting working with more than a 13 tooth difference.

FWIW, one of my Campy Chorus 12 bikes is now using a 48/32 crank with a SRAM 10-36 to get a top gear that's like a 53/11 and low gear of 32/36. Compared to my previous Campy 11-34 cassette, I have more top gear and more low gear, but it's only because I have a 16T difference at the crank.

[tigradekat]

Pretty devastating poll results so far.

[ipenguinking]

I wonder why Sram just can't get front shifting right? I've experienced zero chain drop from riding my DA 9150 during last 2 1/2 years.

[Nickldn]

Pretty devastating poll results so far.

I wonder what a poll on 11s Etap Red would look like. Plenty more experience with that group now.

[Georgegibson]

I had random chain drops when first setting the system up early last season. Chain would drop from big ring down to the small or beyond when the chain was in the middle of the cassette and just riding along. Managed to get rid of it by some very careful tuning of the front derailleur.

This year it started doing it again. I figured maybe the front derailleur had gotten out of its very picky alignment, but eventually noticed my chain had somehow broken in two places. Also not sure if it was just an optical illusion but my front chainrings appeared just a hair wobbly, which may have been what caused the broken chain. Popping off the crank required almost no effort so I may have failed to tighten it enough initially.

Did you find out why the chain tore? you tuned it before, has this anything to do with it? I am facing the same issue too and was reading this article
https://papasroadtrip.com/how-to-tighten-a-bike-chain/ to find out a solution. I was planning to do what the author told here, but now after reading your complication - I am worried if I do something such to my chain unintentionally.

[motorthings]

Has anyone been able to find the SRAM Front Derailleur Setup tool (12-SPD) tool anywhere?
My FD is working great, but i'd love to have one of these tools on hand next time I need it.

[justonwo]

Well, after 1,200 miles on my Pinarello, the Red RD failed. The pivots on the parallelogram developed a bunch of play and the RD kept jumping out of gear when I would hit bumps. To summarize by SRAM Red AXS experience:

1) The RD on my Roubaix had to be replaced after about 600 miles. It developed the same gear-jumping problem and slop as on my Pinarello.
2) The FD on all three of my AXS Red-equipped bikes had a lot of chain dropping problems and had to be tweaked many times by various techs to make it reliable.
3) The chainrings on my Canyon developed a wobble after about 200 miles and the entire crankset had to be replaced.

This experience is quite surprising given how reliable SRAM's mountain bike groupsets are. I doubt I will ever buy another SRAM road set.

[justonwo]

Anyone else had any chain dropping issues with SRAM Red 12 speed on the FD? I continue to have drops every 5-6 rides or so. I have yet to have the FD adjusted with SRAM's FD fixture. I'm wondering if anyone else has had luck with that?

[DaveS]

I suspect that adjustment problems and chain drops can be traced to the marks on the cage not being parallel to the chain rings. Quite often, the FD rotates during the final tightening of the clamp bolt. I align the marks carefully, then carefully measure the gap between the crank arm and the tail of the cage. After final tightening, I check it again. Small gaps can be measured with feeler gages and larger ones with drill bit shanks. I've done many setups and never had a chain drop. I don't use sram cranks.

[justonwo]

I suspect that adjustment problems and chain drops can be traced to the marks on the cage not being parallel to the chain rings. Quite often, the FD rotates during the final tightening of the clamp bolt. I align the marks carefully, then carefully measure the gap between the crank arm and the tail of the cage. After final tightening, I check it again. Small gaps can be measured with feeler gages and larger ones with drill bit shanks. I've done many setups and never had a chain drop. I don't use sram cranks.

In my case, the marks are absolutely parallel to the chainrings. That marking may not be sufficient for positioning, however, because SRAM released this positioning tool. I guess I should probably get ahold of one and try it.

[DaveS]

The positioning tool won't stop unwanted FD rotation and may not make it obvious that it has occurred. I've setup the FD 7 times with no problem and no special tool.

[justonwo]

The positioning tool won't stop unwanted FD rotation and may not make it obvious that it has occurred. I've setup the FD 7 times with no problem and no special tool.

Like I said, the cage has marks are dead nuts on top of the chainring. The cage is aligned exactly the SRAM's specs.

[OnTheRivet]

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.

But my friend, Di2 can be programed to do so using shimano e-tube software. Indeed I like that setup even better than SRAM because I use the big buttons for the rear mech and the little buttons for the front mech. Left lever shifts inboard and right lever shifts outboard.

Gotta give SRAM great credit for defining that incredibly intuitive shift logic, though.

Hahaha, I did this to match it to the way my axs shifts on my gravel bike. Thought I was the only one.

[MyM3Coupe]

I wonder why Sram just can't get front shifting right?

It's not called "SCAM" for no reason. Their components are total garbage. Always been garbage since the early days of "twist shift." Expensive trash, but trash none the less.