SRAM’s top-tier highway groupset, Pink eTap AXS, was final up to date in 2019. Regardless of quick approaching its fifth birthday, it is nonetheless among the many finest highway bike groupsets out there at present, however it seems SRAM has its alternative lined up.
Following patents surfacing final 12 months, there have been loads of rumours suggesting a brand new model is on the best way in 2024. The rumours look like true after images had been leaked on X (previously Twitter) on Friday by person @MoBaohua.
The three images present the rear cluster, together with the rear derailleur with cassette and chain; a entrance shift/brake lever fitted to a highway handlebar, and a disc brake rotor and caliper. All photographs function not less than one occasion of SRAM Pink branding, and not one of the merchandise proven seem to match any product from inside SRAM’s present groupset hierarchy.
We reached out to SRAM, however the model selected to not touch upon the matter, so at this stage, SRAM hasn’t confirmed the authenticity of the merchandise within the images, and their origin stays unclear.
They look like from a studio photoshoot. Regardless of being low decision, the lighting and high quality is of a studio stage. Curiously, the rear cassette and derailleur are mounted to an ‘invisible bike’ utilizing a studio trick generally adopted by groupset manufacturers to indicate off their product with out the chainstay detracting from the product on present.
The photographs additionally seem to match the patents which leaked late final 12 months, in addition to the images of the prototype groupset that Movistar used at their December coaching camp again in 2022.
There have been no descriptions or promote sheets within the leak, so these three footage are all we now have to go on thus far, however there are a handful of issues we are able to discern and decipher in regards to the new groupset and the route SRAM is taking its top-tier highway groupset.
Nonetheless 12 pace, and the 10T cog stays
One of many largest issues given away is that SRAM is sticking with 12-speed, quite than pushing as much as 13. It is sensible, and maintains the spectacular stage of compatibility throughout SRAM’s highway and gravel groupsets. This implies customers of latest SRAM Pink, assuming these images are in actual fact reputable, will proceed to have the ability to spec a Pink derailleur with, say, a Drive cassette and presumably Rival shifters.
Additionally noteworthy right here is the 10-tooth small sprocket, as this cassette seems to be a 10-36T choice, as exists within the present vary. SRAM caught loads of flak when switching from 11 to 12 pace, with criticism primarily aimed on the effectivity of the smallest 10-tooth sprocket. Regardless of bigger rings being broadly accepted as extra environment friendly, this picture reveals us that SRAM is sticking to its weapons and holding the 10-tooth sprocket.
It additionally means that SRAM will retain the XDR freehub normal.
Lastly, it means that SRAM has remained acutely aware of weight, with what look like holes milled out of the physique of the parallelogram.
New hoods, brake levers and shift paddles
The second picture reveals a completely new shifter form, with what seems to be a smaller hood, a much less cumbersome lever, and a sleeker shift paddle, in a design which matches these leaked in 2022 on the Movistar coaching camp.
When SRAM launched Rival in 2021, the model spoke lots in regards to the new lever form and the way it was smaller, extra refined. A handful of SRAM’s sponsored professionals had been even seen utilizing it, albeit with a carbon fibre lever that you simply could not purchase. That lever was then carried over into the launch of Drive final 12 months, and much more of SRAM’s sponsored professionals had been seen utilizing it in favour of the bulkier Pink lever. The impression SRAM gave off was that it knew the Pink lever was too cumbersome, however that it had nailed the answer. If it weren’t for the nagging doubt of the Movistar workforce camp leak after which the patents, we might have assumed the Rival/Drive lever would carry by means of right here.
Evidently it hasn’t although, and the brand new design has been likened by just a few as akin to Shimano’s GRX, with the high-pivot brakes, kinked lever and steep upward ramp of the hood itself.
The one button means that SRAM is sticking with the DoubleTap shifting logic, and the button itself seems shallower, which ought to assist to negate the issue discovered by these with small arms. Adjusting the lever attain inward in order that small arms may attain the lever extra comfortably would usually imply the big paddle both hit the bar, or hit one of many fingers nonetheless wrapped across the bar when attempting to brake.
The third picture reveals a tightly cropped picture of the brake lever and brake rotor mounted to the fork of a Specialised Tarmac. The rotor seems to have had a complete overhaul. It nonetheless makes use of the CenterLine XR design with the rotor itself mounted to the separate black centre, however each elements have bigger cut-outs in what are presumably weight saving measures.
The caliper additionally seems to have two holes reduce out on both aspect of the pad retaining bolt, though that might be a trick of the sunshine in these images.
When will new SRAM Pink be launched?
Briefly, we do not know!
On the belief that these images are reputable, given they present a nearly-finished groupset, it might appear more likely to anticipate a launch this 12 months.
We now have just lately been on the Tour Down Underneath – the primary WorldTour race of the season – and as proven in our tech gallery from the race, not one of the SRAM-sponsored groups had been utilizing it there, which suggests it is not coming immediately. The following massive races to look out for it is going to be the Spring Classics, however we’ll be on the bottom at varied early-season races so we’ll remember to preserve a watch out.
