SRAM supports 11spd E-Tap again

[BigBoyND]

They won't ship to USA, but thanks for the effort.

You should consider mail forwarding for stuff like this. It's worth the extra $20 or whatever when there is no reasonable alternative

[bobones]

My Force AXS shifters got a firmware update today. Changelog reads interisting:

"... eTap 11-speed derailleur compatibility added – RED and Force eTap AXS 12-speed shift-brake levers can now be paired with legacy eTap 11-speed front and rear derailleurs."

This is actually quite big. 1) There's now a supported upgrade path to hydro for 11 speed etap rim brake users. 2) SRAM are back supporting 11 speed with current tech since Red A2 derailleur can now be slotted in AXS drive train. 3) New replacement shifters for 11speed eTap users should now be easy to find.

Just wondering if AXS Rival FD will work with standard sized 11 speed chainset?

SRAM should be applauded for this move.

[TobinHatesYou]

I noticed that the other day when I was looking at the A2 RD product page.

"Now forwards compatible with 12-speed RED and Force eTap AXS controllers and eTap AXS Blipbox"

[Nickldn]

My Force AXS shifters got a firmware update today. Changelog reads interisting:

"... eTap 11-speed derailleur compatibility added – RED and Force eTap AXS 12-speed shift-brake levers can now be paired with legacy eTap 11-speed front and rear derailleurs."

This is actually quite big. 1) There's now a supported upgrade path to hydro for 11 speed etap rim brake users. 2) SRAM are back supporting 11 speed with current tech since Red A2 derailleur can now be slotted in AXS drive train. 3) New replacement shifters for 11speed eTap users should now be easy to find.

Just wondering if AXS Rival FD will work with standard sized 11 speed chainset?

SRAM should be applauded for this move.

I think this is great news for etap 11s users and actually makes really good business sense for sram as well.

This is because all of the early adopters who wanted 12s AXS have already bought it and those still on etap 11s want to stick with it for longer and would surely jump ship to Shimano if they can't get sram parts. Now they can and also will be closer to an AXS upgrade if they buy new AXS shifters, so less chance of defecting to Shimano.

All we need now is an 11s FD option. This worries me, as if my FD goes I'd have to scour fleabay for a reply and it won't be cheap and could also be cr*p.

[TobinHatesYou]

Shifters are quite exposed, so I wonder if they're simply acknowledging that shifters get smashed in crashes pretty frequently. I know I've had to replace one shifter after a crash.

[CustomMetal]

I wonder if this would make for a very light disc brake build? AXS shifters/callipers and etap gen 1 A2 RD in 1x?..

[TobinHatesYou]

I wonder if this would make for a very light disc brake build? AXS shifters/callipers and etap gen 1 A2 RD in 1x?..

Well the A2 RD is identical to a Red AXS RD other than the pulley wheels, so unless you already own the A2 RD, you're better off just going full AXS. The main use case for this is replacing busted 11spd shifters.

[bobones]

They just need to release an A2-like version of the FD and this thread title becomes completely false. I wonder if the old shifters could control an AXS FD with just a firmware update to the FD?

As it stands 11 speed etap users are now back in the fold and their groupsets have a viable future. I suspect this has come about because something twigged with SRAM bigwigs that leaving etap users out in the cold has really harmed potential sales and brand loyalty.

[TobinHatesYou]

They just need to release an A2-like version of the FD and this thread title becomes completely false. I wonder if the old shifters could control an AXS FD with just a firmware update to the FD?

As it stands 11 speed etap users are now back in the fold and their groupsets have a viable future. I suspect this has come about because something twigged with SRAM bigwigs that leaving etap users out in the cold has really harmed potential sales and brand loyalty.

The supply chain is also so f'ed up that SRAM is selling out of everything they make instantly so they don't need to worry about cannibalized sales. Maybe this hints at next-gen AXS coming sooner than later, which could be similarly crippled in terms of backward compatibility until later in its life-cycle.

[eurostar]

Veeerrry interesting. If you have 11 speed derailleurs and levers and the AXS blipbox, do you get all the freaky AXS semi-auto shifting modes? Or is the blipbox just for adding satellite shifters?

[TobinHatesYou]

Veeerrry interesting. If you have 11 speed derailleurs and levers and the AXS blipbox, do you get all the freaky AXS semi-auto shifting modes? Or is the blipbox just for adding satellite shifters?

Nah. The intelligence is in the RD and the 11spd derailleurs didn't get a firmware update. All SRAM has done here is enable a legacy pairing mode on the "controllers" aka the shifters/BlipBox.

Now the A2 version of the 11spd RD could definitely do it if SRAM decided to switch it on...

[eurostar]

SRAM has updated the FAQs and done a compatibility map. https://www.sram.com/globalassets/docum ... ty-Map.pdf
I reckon the intelligence is in the controllers/shifters, because if you add the AXS blipbox to an 11s group, you can't add satellite shifters unless you swap the 11s shifters for AXS ones.

They also say in the new FAQs that there will be no firmware updates for the 11s derailleurs to provide more AXS compatibility https://support.sram.com/hc/en-us/secti ... h-eTap-AXS

So if your 11 speed RD breaks, you now have the option of replacing it with a 12 speed one. But to make it all work you'd have to get a pair of AXS shifters and the AXS FD. Which is no different from before. The only good news is that if one of your 11 speed shifters breaks you now have the option of replacing it with two new AXS shifters. Your derailleurs would still work, but they'd always be 11 speed and they'd never have any AXS functions.

[bobones]

So if your 11 speed RD breaks, you now have the option of replacing it with a 12 speed one. But to make it all work you'd have to get a pair of AXS shifters and the AXS FD. Which is no different from before. The only good news is that if one of your 11 speed shifters breaks you now have the option of replacing it with two new AXS shifters. Your derailleurs would still work, but they'd always be 11 speed and they'd never have any AXS functions.

You've got this wrong. The Red eTap A2 RD is a currently available replacement RD, so there never has been a problem with obtaining a replacement 11 speed RD! Shifers and FDs were the problem, and now it's only FDs.

Also, there is now an upgrade path to disc from Red eTap rim by buying AXS shifters and calipers, which is also good news.

Further good news is that if you want currently supported wireless in an 11 speed set up you can buy an 11 speed A2 RD instead of the AXS one. One caveat with this is the peformance of the AXS FD with non-AXS chainsets. (I have Red eTap, Red AXS and Force AXS so I may play around with this).

All we need now is for SRAM to release an Red eTap A2 FD or provide a firmware update to the AXS FD to make it controllable by the 11 speed shifters.

Rumours of Red eTap's death have been greatly exagerrated. Long live Red eTap!

[expatscot]

So if your 11 speed RD breaks, you now have the option of replacing it with a 12 speed one. But to make it all work you'd have to get a pair of AXS shifters and the AXS FD. Which is no different from before. The only good news is that if one of your 11 speed shifters breaks you now have the option of replacing it with two new AXS shifters. Your derailleurs would still work, but they'd always be 11 speed and they'd never have any AXS functions.

You've got this wrong. The Red eTap A2 RD is a currently available replacement RD, so there never has been a problem with obtaining a replacement 11 speed RD! Shifers and FDs were the problem, and now it's only FDs.

Also, there is now an upgrade path to disc from Red eTap rim by buying AXS shifters and calipers, which is also good news.

Further good news is that if you want currently supported wireless in an 11 speed set up you can buy an 11 speed A2 RD instead of the AXS one. One caveat with this is the peformance of the AXS FD with non-AXS chainsets. (I have Red eTap, Red AXS and Force AXS so I may play around with this).

All we need now is for SRAM to release an Red eTap A2 FD or provide a firmware update to the AXS FD to make it controllable by the 11 speed shifters.

Rumours of Red eTap's death have been greatly exagerrated. Long live Red eTap!

Great news. My stash of eTap 11 and associated 11 speed cranks, cassettes and wheels can continue to be of service.
Now to try and find actual stock of AXS blipbox or AXS hydraulic shifters (or indeed TRP Hylex brakes)

[TobinHatesYou]

SRAM has updated the FAQs and done a compatibility map. https://www.sram.com/globalassets/docum ... ty-Map.pdf
I reckon the intelligence is in the controllers/shifters, because if you add the AXS blipbox to an 11s group, you can't add satellite shifters unless you swap the 11s shifters for AXS ones.

They also say in the new FAQs that there will be no firmware updates for the 11s derailleurs to provide more AXS compatibility https://support.sram.com/hc/en-us/secti ... h-eTap-AXS

So if your 11 speed RD breaks, you now have the option of replacing it with a 12 speed one. But to make it all work you'd have to get a pair of AXS shifters and the AXS FD. Which is no different from before. The only good news is that if one of your 11 speed shifters breaks you now have the option of replacing it with two new AXS shifters. Your derailleurs would still work, but they'd always be 11 speed and they'd never have any AXS functions.

No, the intelligence is in the RD as I have indicated. That’s why there is a reference at the bottom mentioning how the 11spd derailleurs don’t need an firmware update, but also won’t be visible in the AXS app or have any advanced config options. The shifters are basically momentary switches with radios and a bit of flash memory.