Why I switched from SRAM AXS electronic to Shimano GRX mechanical

In this video I describe why I got rid of my SRAM AXS groupset in favor of Shimano GRX mechanical.
Apologies in advance for the mic clipping!
Be sure to subscribe for videos detailing the adventures had with this setup, for which there's a tiny preview at the end :)
#shimanogrx #sramaxs #gravel

[@wademt]

It’s sad that your front mech wasn’t set up correctly, and you might have been able to micro adjust to improve. I have a SRAM Force Wide groupset and love it. I just finished a 12 week ride from Istanbul to Barcelona (3,000+ km) with it, and had a great experience. I wouldn’t have anything else. My cassette is 36/10 12 speed, and my chainrings are 30/43. I love my gears. Another thing that helps is having your gears displayed on your bike computer, that helps avoiding errant shifting, and choosing sequential shifting programming. So the front chainring changes happen at optimum points. Getting easier, that’s going from 2&2 to 1&4. Getting harder it’s going from 1&8 to 2&6. And you can program to have a long press change 3 gears at a time. So a long hold to shift to an easier gear at 2&5 results in a 2&2, and a 2&2 results in a 1&2, for example. But you can change that programming, and it works great. Oh, and cables suck! They stretch over time. This is fact. No problems like that with wireless AXS. Much cleaner setup.

[@GR1979]

Which bike computer do you have? Or which one is compatible with SRAM axs?

[@justinbell5696]

Thank you for this. Really good insights.

[@StephL8]

Thank you so much for the review! I've been debating whether to go for electronic shifting but it does seem counterintuitive to a long adventure ride (in the wilderness, where you shouldn't need to charge stuff), and this provided more good reasons to go for GRX mechanical.

[@ozgurinsan]

Very good points. So true

[@kinkyform]

You should definitely check out GRX Di2. I went from SRAM to GRX Mech to GRX Di2 and it's amazing. Even the non-electronic operation of the bike is not really something to worry about with Di2, as a charge of the battery lasts thousands of km (I can ride for about 3000 km on one charge, even at temps around 0°C). The shifting with Di2 is instant and precise and the levers are even better than mech GRX. Once you have installed Di2 it is basically maintenance free.

[@Widur42]

Does di2 work reliably for longer periods of riding at -20°C? Because li-ion batteries don‘t like it very cold.

[@kinkyform]

@@Widur42 Maximum I've been riding at was -14°C and I didn't notice any quicker battery drain. Might be because the Di2 battery is inside a rubber sleeve, inside the seat post, inside the frame and has a crazy long life anyway.

[@carly200]

Thanks for the video and the experience and opinion. I am thinking between Ultegra Mech vs Fore AXS for road bike, but lean towards the Ultegra Mech. I like the DI2 in operation, although the Shifter Buttons are close to each other and in those few days riding (rental) I didn't 100% store it in my muscle memory. Whereas in Mech, you feel which lever you try to push. Good point about clicking both buttons and accedentaly switching to the wrong chainring; I know the feeling when you think you are in the other Chainring and it is just wrong in memory...

[@PatrickLino]

Your accent tells me you're from the Midwest. Chicago or Milwaukee. Takes one to know one ha...thanks for the video!

[@iamlyam79]

I started out with GRX 810 2X and just prefer not having a front derailleur. I now have a GRX 812 RD and have a two wheel set-up for road and gravel. I wanted to sort of match the GRX 2x range but tailor to either road or gravel. So, I have a 38T up front and a 10-42 for gravel and 9-39 for road. Honestly, couldn't be happier with that for my needs. The 9-39 is the e*thirteen XCX+. Thanks for making this video. Cheers!

[@dgbekkeli]

Are those cassettes from shimano? I think shimano grx cassettes are 11 for the lowest. Thanks for youre comment . I love the look and feedback of the grx but i have a lot ofdoubts about the gear range. Im in love with the Mason bokeh with grx but i dont know what to do.

[@cosmicheretic8129]

Coming from MTB I was never a fan of Sram setup or ergos so I will be getting GRX 2x on my gravel bike. Useful honest review!

[@JamesRoth]

I have two AXS bikes and just bought a GRX bike. GRX is amazing and the only problem is trying to get a nice bike that offers GRX. They're pushing AXS really hard right now. Also, the 1x fad has caused a lot of annoyances for riders, just like it did a decade ago when they tried and failed to push 1x.

[@HandfulOfHypercubes]

I found this video while thinking about switching from the GRX 810 1x11 to the SRAM Force/XX1 mullet 1x12. Reason? Terrible performance of the drivetrain. Despite a narrow-wide chainring, the chain is dropping all the time when going over bigger bumps. The clutch makes creaking noises, and either makes shifting impossible or (when loosened up a bit) not doing anything. The shifting is unpredictable. It fails to shift down at the lower end, and it fails to shift up at the upper end as well. The derailleur and the hanger were completely straight, but I actually had to bend the hanger a bit to make shifting possible at all... On the other hand, the GRX brakes are great. Now after watching this video I am completely puzzled.

[@JeffGonzales]

great points! grx all the way

[@jamiehiggins1462]

I have a specialized diverge which I have a grx rear mech derailleur (replaced the 105 deralleur that it came with) with a 105 front derailleur. Since I put the grx rear deralleur on, I have several dangerous chain drops. A couple of times I have dropped the chain trying to shift up and the chain gets caught between the frame and the crank, which causes you to immediately stop pedaling. I have almost fell a couple of times. I have the rival etap axs on a 2022 specialized roubaix (been riding it for a year) and have not had one chain drop. I do not find the shimano shifting in the front derailleur crisp. In fact, it seems very sluggish while the rival etap is so automatic. I go back and forth between the shimano mech and sram etap without problems. I found your video while trying to figure out the best and cheapest way to convert my diverge to a mullet type electronic shifting because I love the sram etap so much!

[@nissinferrada6373]

There's a lever that you have to pull in the rear derailleur to avoid the chain drop

[@vongdong10]

I went from the new mechanical 105 to the new Rival AXS and would never go back. The Rival shifters feel better and more ergonomic, the 105 shifters were just too long and bulky. The brake feel is MUCH better, when I pull the levers on the 105 there's just that bit of pull before you feel the brakes grab(happens on my Ultegra Di2 as well). The shifting of Sram AXS is more intuitive imo

[@mireia3208]

Have you tried a 9t or 10t cog with the shimano? does that worg (assuming you have the XD hub)?

[@shineygoldpicks2582]

On my old training bike with 9 speed shimano never drop a chain for 2 years of having it got and on my new bike with axs drop 3 chains in a month

[@tamasvarga67]

Good breakdown, there is a reason why SRAM pushes 1x on everything. 😀 I’m not a fanboy, but Shimano just works, I really like the 2x GRX group set on my gravel bike. Ergonomics, shifting is awesome and the brakes have the same ‘Shimano feel’ as on MTBs. I had the same issue with SRAM brakes on my enduro bike, as the pad was wearing the lever came closer to the grip. I had to do some bleeding tricks time to time to fix it but only switching to Shimano brakes solved the problems completely.

[@CB-ld8no]

Now 2022. Times have changed. SRAM Force eTap AXS 43T/30T and Shimano GRX 800 46T/30T owner. SRAM flawless shifting. Never a dropped chain. App also flawless and ease of updates. Choice of shifting option. I have mine set when shifting between front chainrings the rear derailleur adjusts so less large jump in gear ratio. Simplicity to optimize the best cadence gear selection. Both SRAM and Shimano have very good brake control. Prefer SRAM shifters feel, simplicity and ergonomics. Shimano shifters seem somewhat loose to me. Get out and ride!

[@EricPeelMusic]

Why are you are dividing the cog teeth by the ring Teeth to get the gear ratio? The ring drives the cog. For example, 46/11, not 11/46.

[@pedalingprimemover]

In most other mechanical systems, lower gear ratios are expressed with larger numbers.

[@EricPeelMusic]

In cycling it’s all about chainring teeth / cog teeth. A low gear on a gravel bike could be a 30t ring and 36t cog. 30/36 = 0.83. Less than 1, being an under-drive gear. A high gear could be 46t ring and 11t cog. 46 / 11 = 4.2. Over 4 times higher than 1, a tall gear. It’s so common to see low gears around or below 1 and high gears around or above 4 at least on gravel and touring bikes.

[@MW-df2fm]

Don't know how you ride and how bad u can treat your drivetrain(s) - I ride and have ridden a GRX System, an Ultegra System and Rival ETap and in 15.000km didn't drop a chain with any of these 😅 with one simple rule I guess this was achieved "never switch the front chain rings under force" SRAM won't be perfect and Shimano won't be either - both have its advantages and disadvantages. And mechanical is always easier to tune then electronical gear 🙃

[@user-zu4nl7bm9e]

at least, keep the sram big cog cassette, sram cog combination is a little bit better than shimano.

[@fennec13]

wants huge range of gears without gaps - - - - - gets a 1X - um..... a 2X will always have less gaps and greater range both at the top and bottom. As a GRX mechanical 2X user myself, its just too good and too bulletproof, i wouldn't use anything else. Not Di2 or and other brand. I do not want to worry about software, firmware, apps and batteries while going out on a ride. the whole concept is just backwards to me. sorry.

[@cosinus_square]

Mechanical Sram fanboy checking in. Shimano's brake lever side movement almost made me shit my pants a few times at high speed. Electronic, no difference as they can be customised. 11 speed is cheaper than 12 speed for consumables.

[@stefanvederuscalon67132]

Having ridden both SRAM and Shimano I can honestly say SRAM is crap.