13 speed SRAM gravel specific electronic group set

[Katana]

Is it just me or others do feel that do we actually need a 13 speed group set? It’s a good thing that Gillette stopped at 5 blade cartridges at least for the time being😂 Considering varying levels of gradient and conditions one wonders practically speaking is there actually a need for 13 speed groupset? Or maybe it’s just a ploy for companies to upsell?

 

[Mike Ayling]

Is it just me or others do feel that do we actually need a 13 speed group set? It’s a good thing that Gillette stopped at 5 blade cartridges at least for the time being😂 Considering varying levels of gradient and conditions one wonders practically speaking is there actually a need for 13 speed groupset? Or maybe it’s just a ploy for companies to upsell?

Well Rohloff IGH is 14 speed and the bottom bracket gear box, I forget the name is 18 speed.

 

[almostvegancyclist]

It's 1x13 so that's what, equivalent to 2x8 or 2x9? I ride 2x11 and use all but 2 gears (big-big, small-small), so 20 gears. I don't feel like it's excessively many but 2x10 (18 useable gears) would be fine too. So to answer the question, 13 gears is not a lot, it's just that it's all in the rear cassette. Remind me what the point of that was?

 

[Beebo]

It does seem a bit silly.
What is the theoretical limit? There is only so much space between the hub and frame.
How narrow can chains get? The other issue is the huge difference in chain length from gear 1-13. Especially with the massive dinner plate granny gear on some MTBs.
I presume you could go to 15 but would the components be too delicate for general use.

My first proper bike in the 80s was 1x5. Then I upgraded to an MTB in 90s with 3x7. Today I don’t need anymore than 2x10.

And I still use a twin blade razor!

 

[Katana]

It does seem a bit silly.
What is the theoretical limit? There is only so much space between the hub and frame.
How narrow can chains get? The other issue is the huge difference in chain length from gear 1-13. Especially with the massive dinner plate granny gear on some MTBs.
I presume you could go to 15 but would the components be too delicate for general use.

My first proper bike in the 80s was 1x5. Then I upgraded to an MTB in 90s with 3x7. Today I don’t need anymore than 2x10.

And I still use a twin blade razor!

Couldn’t agree more with you on that buddy. Although I moved to Quattro razor while back😆

 

[chriswoody]

13 speed makes a lot of sense when you consider it's built around the 1x concept. SRAM have increased the size of the largest cog to create a 10 - 46 tooth cassette and then used the fact that they can squeeze 13 cogs in there to minimise the jumps between the gears. Also it appears to also fit onto the normal 11 or 12 speed XDR Driver hub which is great for any folk considering an upgrade.

The big issue with this though, is yet again it's aimed at the racing/smooth gravel road market. Despite being 13 speed it only has a 460% range and with the stock crankset only offering 38 teeth as the smallest size, the gearing is far too high for folk like me who enjoy the more adventurous side of gravel biking.

For those of you who favour multiple chainrings on the front, here's a comparison with Shimano's 2x GRX gravel groupset, which just like SRAM's 13 speed, is geared far to highly for series gravel adventurous riding, though overall range at 502% is much better.

Another big drawback of 13 speed is that it's only available on their top tier Red groupset and the price is accordingly high, over €675 just for a cassette! utter flipping madness.

 

[T4tomo]

Another big drawback of 13 speed is that it's only available on their top tier Red groupset and the price is accordingly high, over €675 just for a cassette! utter flipping madness.

Yes Campags EKAR 13spd is similarly reassuringly expensive, and its not even electronic!

shave with a "double edge" single blade safety razor for the record

 

[oxoman]

I'm currently running sram 1x12 gravel set which was my first bike with electronic shifting, so to see 13 spd 1x13 with the same 10 to 46 doesn't make sense assuming I read it correctly. What I would like is the ability to either change the front ring to something smaller or swap the rear cassette to 10 x 50. Because sram use the xdr driver it's not straight forward and nor is changing to a smaller chainring. Sram going to 13 spd did make me think if it's just a case of a software change and 13spd cassette and chainset to upgrade with rear mech and changers.

 

[T4tomo]

I'm currently running sram 1x12 gravel set which was my first bike with electronic shifting, so to see 13 spd 1x13 with the same 10 to 46 doesn't make sense assuming I read it correctly. What I would like is the ability to either change the front ring to something smaller or swap the rear cassette to 10 x 50. Because sram use the xdr driver it's not straight forward and nor is changing to a smaller chainring. Sram going to 13 spd did make me think if it's just a case of a software change and 13spd cassette and chainset to upgrade with rear mech and changers.

Luxury, my gravel bike has a 1x10 with 38 / 11-34 and you're complaining about 40 / 46 as a bottom gear

more seriously I thought you could get down to 38T replacement chainring on SRAM gravel stuff? or is that what you already have?

 

[oxoman]

Luxury, my gravel bike has a 1x10 with 38 / 11-34 and you're complaining about 40 / 46 as a bottom gear

more seriously I thought you could get down to 38T replacement chainring on SRAM gravel stuff? or is that what you already have?

That's what I've already got. TBH we'll see how it goes with the gearing as I'm doing the Dirty reiver in 2wks. Not enough training either 😖. It's better than my old gravel bikes 11spd 11 / 42. I tend to do rowdy stuff and I'm also about to do bikepacking on it as well so we'll soon see how it comes.