SRAM Red XPLR AXS review: A 13-speed groupset that further refines gravel performance

SRAM Red XPLR AXS launched today, becoming SRAM’s new top-tier gravel-specific groupset. It’s been a busy year for the American brand, it launched the Red AXS groupset in March, at the same time as the third-gen Hammerhead Karoo. 

A few months on, the brand has now announced the gravel-specific version of the RED AXS groupset. If you aren’t familiar, ‘XPLR’ arrived back in 2021 and consisted of a collection of components from SRAM and SRAM-owned brands RockShox and Zipp, that had a gravel and off-road focus. For clarity now, Red AXS is the roadgoing groupset, while the new Red XPLR AXS is the new 1x gravel-specific groupset which has launched today.