Gravel goes to 13: SRAM launches Red XPLR AXS

After first appearing at Unbound gravel earlier this year, SRAM’s 13-speed gravel groupset is finally available to the public.

To do this, SRAM has finally applied its direct mount derailleur standard to a gravel groupset. Whether you’re excited to see UDH used to its full potential or have been awaiting this change under the lukewarm weight of inevitability, the component giant is now prepared to do away with derailleur hangars in gravel as well as mountian biking. The groupset that will do it? SRAM’s top-end Red XPLR AXS.

SRAM Red XPLR AXS: Gravel goes its own way

Up to now, XPLR has existed as an off-shoot of the Red road groupset. While SRAM says you can use Red XPLR on the road, this is very much its own system. With 13-speeds and a derailleur that only works with its matching cassette, and only one cassette, it has limited appeal on the road, making this very much a gravel groupset. As an aside, every other part of the new groupset is backward compatible with existing SRAM options, it is just the rear derailleur and cassette that will only work as a pair.

About that cassette, it offers a 13-gear range from 10-46-tooth cogs, and will work with chainrings from 38-tooth to 52-tooth. Red XPLR only works as a 1x drivetrain, so there’s no front derailleurs allowed. It’s not quite the same range as SRAM’s mountain bike 12-speed cassettes, but it does offer closer steps that better suit gravel riding.

Is this just Transmission for gravel?

Those of you familiar with SRAM’s mountain bike drivetrains will note some similarities to Transmission, it’s 12-speed direct mount system released last year. Is this just Transmission? Well, no. The most obvious difference is that Red XPLR has 13 speeds. That makes the Red derailleur and cassette completely incompatible with Eagle T-Type (and all other drivetrains). The Red XPLR cassette will only work with the Red XPLR rear derailleur, and the other way around.

All this also means you only have one cassette option with Red XPLR. SRAM also says the flat-top mtb chain should not be used with Red XPLR. The same is true of Transmission, but that’s less of a concern with mountain biking where 1x drivetrains have been the norm for years now.

This is, of course, a change from the old AXS system, which allowed more mix-and-matching between road and mountain bike groups. Due to the limitations of direct mount, there are more strict chainring size restrictions on…