SRAM groupset and components reviews and buying advice

A brief history of SRAM components

Founded in 1987, SRAM Corporation entered the cycling market with the introduction of Grip Shift. Over thirty years later, SRAM still offers Grip Shift shifters even at the top-end of the brand’s offerings.

Grip Shift became wildly popular and SRAM began to dabble with producing its own drivetrain components to compliment it. However, it was not until 2001 when SRAM purchased Sachs that it began to make real waves in the drivetrain market.

Since then, SRAM has acquired, among others, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Zipp and Quarq, meaning it can offer pretty much everything required to build a full bike.

SRAM 2019 component range

While SRAM also produces just about everything under its aforementioned sub-brands, it is best known for its road and mountain bike groupsets.

SRAM components are available widely as aftermarket options and are also commonly seen as OEM spec options. This is particularly true of mountain bikes where the popularity of its 1x-specific drivetrains has mushroomed in recent years.

We’ve only covered whole groupset packages here. On the mountain bike side of things, brakes are considered a separate package and are sold under both SRAM and Avid banners.

2019 SRAM mountain bike groupsets explained

• Best mountain bike: how to choose the right one for you

SRAM Eagle groupsets

Eagle, which sees wide-range 12-speed cassettes paired with a single chainring, is SRAM’s headline mountain bike technology.

• SRAM Eagle: how the groupset has evolved in six years

The two top-tier groupsets are now also available in wireless electronic versions.

• SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS
• SRAM X01 Eagle AXS
• SRAM XX1 Eagle
• SRAM X01 Eagle
• SRAM GX Eagle
• SRAM NX Eagle

Other SRAM mountain bike groupsets

Alongside its flagship Eagle groupsets, SRAM also still produces a number of older generation mountain bike groupsets. This includes everything from budget-focussed groupsets to downhill-specific options.

SRAM also produces EX1, an 8-speed e-bike specific groupset that borrows much technology from Eagle and repurposes it into a harder-wearing package.

• SRAM XX1
• SRAM XX
• SRAM X1
• SRAM NX
• SRAM EX1
• SRAM X01 DH
• SRAM GX DH

2019 SRAM road bike groupsets explained

• Best road bikes 2019: how to choose the right one for you

SRAM eTap AXS groupsets

As with its mountain bike groupsets, eTap AXS is SRAM’s headline technology for 2019.

The 12-speed modular wireless groupsets are compatible with both road and mountain bike components.

• SRAM Red eTap AXS
• SRAM Force eTap AXS

Other SRAM road groupsets

SRAM’s previous generation road groupsets are still widely available, including its original eTap groupset.

It’s 1x-specific Force, Rival and Apex groupsets are also still very common spec options, particularly on gravel and adventure bikes.

SRAM Red eTap
SRAM Red
SRAM Force 1
SRAM Force
SRAM Rival 1
SRAM Rival
SRAM Apex 1
SRAM Apex

SRAM S-Series components

SRAM wraps all of its time trial and triathlon components under its ‘S-Series’ banner. This includes components such as bar-end shifters, bar-end levers and non-series components such as its Omnium track crankset and direct-mount brakes.