Ribble has announced a completely new range of gravel bikes, with the new Ultra-Grit featuring tech borrowed from the Ultra Race.

The revamped range includes aluminium, titanium, alloy and carbon electric and non-assisted gravel bikes.

There is no steel option in the range, a surprise from Ribble – a brand with a long history of producing great-value steel bikes.

However, Ribble’s head of product, Jamie Burrow, told BikeRadar a new steel model will be coming later in the year.

Ribble Ultra-Grit

The Ultra-Grit has been developed with input from Ribble’s pro-gravel Outliers team, alongside material and aero-design lessons learned from the development of the Ultra Race.

The new frameset is made from a combination of T1000 and M46 fibres, like the lightweight Ultra Race. Here, the materials are combined with an asymmetric seat tube and seatstays designed to provide flex.

With a claimed weight of 900g, it’s one of the lighter gravel framesets we’ve seen.

The frame’s aero-optimisation comes from the aerofoil tube shapes, and a fully integrated cockpit and full internal routing.

Tyre clearances are generous, measuring 53mm at the fork and 50mm at the rear.

Ribble hasn’t stripped back the features to get the Ultra-Grit down to a racing weight either, with triple bottle mounts, down tube storage (in collaboration with fellow British brand Restrap bags), top tube mounts and mudguard eyelets.

The frame uses a BSA threaded bottom bracket and a UDH-compatible rear dropout. It can be built with either 1x or 2x drivetrains, although only 2x is available at launch.

Gravel-racing geometry

Ribble’s approach to geometry on the Ultra-Grit is very much race-oriented and informed by the brand’s pro riders. The bike has a steep 74-degree seat angle and a 71.5-degree head angle. With a low stack and long reach, it looks very much the gravel racer’s option on paper.

The Ultra-Grit has already been posting the fastest times in both the men’s and women’s categories at this year’s Dirty Reiver and gained a podium in the UCI Gravel World Series, too.

The Ultra-Grit is available in both a standard model and the Team edition.

Build options start with SRAM Apex AXS for £2,599 with DT Swiss G1800 wheels. Next comes a Rival XPLR AXS model with DT Swiss G1800 wheels at £3,099, with SRAM Force AXS XPLR and Vision SC45 i23 wheels costing £4,399. The range is topped by a SRAM Red XPLR AXS model with Zipp 303 XPLR wheels at £7,499.

Ribble AllGrit range

The AllGrit is Ribble’s new all-round gravel bike. The range starts with the AllGrit AL, then steps up to the AllGrit Ti with 3D-printed junctions. The range is completed by two electric gravel bikes – in aluminium and carbon.

The AllGrit AL is made from 7005-series aluminium, hydroformed and smooth-welded throughout. It shares a D-shaped carbon seatpost with the AllGrit Ti and features full internal routing and a full-carbon fork.

The down tube uses the same bottle-shielding profile as the Ultra-Grit and Ultra Race, and employs a UDH rear dropout and threaded T47 bottom bracket.

The frame features triple bottle bosses, rack mounts, full-length mudguard mounts, and mounts on the top of the top tube.

AllGrit geometry

The geometry is similar to the Ultra-Grit but with a few subtle changes to the stack, reach and wheelbase. It shares the same large 53/50mm tyre clearances.

The AllGrit AL comes in two standard models: a SRAM Apex XPLR 1×12-speed mechanical bike with DT Swiss G1800 wheels for £1,699 and a SRAM Apex AXS bike with the same wheels for £1,999.

Ribble’s range-topping AllGrit is a new titanium model that uses the same 3D-printed tech as found on the AllRoad Ti.

The new AllGrit Ti-X shares the same geometry as the AL and has the same generous 53mm front and 50mm rear tyre clearances.

The sculpted titanium tubing is aero optimised and the frame comes with provision for three bottle cages, top tube mounts, a rear rack and mudguards. The fork has triple anything mounts.

The frame is compatible with 1x and 2x drivetrains, and has a threaded T47 bottom bracket and UDH dropouts.

The AllGrit Ti-X has three models: SRAM Apex AXS at £3,499, SRAM Rival AXS XPLR at £3,999, and the range-topping Force AXS XPLR model at £5,298.

AllGrit E electric gravel bikes

Ribble has launched two electric-gravel models, both using Mahle’s ebike motors. The AllGrit E AL shares the same hydroformed 7005 alloy tubing as the AllGrit AL, complete with smooth-welded junctions. Only the down tube has been reshaped to accommodate the internal Mahle 250Wh battery.

The rear-hub motor is Mahle’s X30 drive, with 45Nm torque and a controller built into the top tube. Like the standard AllGrit, the alloy electric model has generous 53mm and 50mm tyre clearances.

The AL E gets two options: a SRAM Apex XPLR 1×12 mechanical bike at £2,899 and a SRAM Apex AXS bike at £3,199.

The range-topping electric gravel option is the AllGrit E Carbon-X, with a carbon frame made from the same high-grade T1000 and M46 fibres as the Ultra-Grit.

The rear end of the Carbon-X shares the same aero design as the Team bikes. The motor is Mahle’s minimal lightweight X20 system, with a powerful 55Nm of torque and a 350Wh battery secured in the down tube.

It has the same large tyre clearances, fork luggage mounts, rear rack and anything fork mounts as the non-electric AllGrit models.

Prices start at £3,999 for the SRAM Apex AXS model, rising to £4,499 for the SRAM Rival AXS XPLR and £5,299 for the new SRAM Force AXS XPLR drivetrain.

Upgrades on everything

The new gravel range will also showcase Ribble’s expansion of its online Bike Builder service, with many options to upgrade across every model.

The biggest of these is undoubtedly the ability to upgrade any of the gravel bikes to a RockShox Rudy Ultimate 30mm-travel fork (the new models are geometry-corrected for a gravel suspension fork) for £300. That’s a good deal for a fork that retails at £779.

You can upgrade the wheels with a selection of options from Hope, Vision and Zipp. Ribble will also offer three handlebar options: integrated aero gravel, aero road and gravel riser.

There are six saddle options and a whole suite of accessories designed specifically for the bikes, including a range of bags from Restrap.

Cervélo’s new Áspero 5 is a radical departure from the Áspero template that debuted in 2019. While last year’s update was more of an evolution, the 2025 overhaul sees the premium Áspero 5 model join the R5, S5 and P5 as an aerodynamically optimised pure-bred racer.

The new Áspero 5 has already had an outing under the rainbow jersey of 2024 UCI gravel world champion Marianne Vos and will feature in this year’s UCI Gravel World Series.

With two premium SRAM XPLR-equipped bikes available at launch, plus a frame kit, and another model joining the ranks later this month, the Áspero 5 range is concise and somewhat premium. The Force XPLR bike is priced at £8,000 / $8,700 / €8,299 / CA$11,500 / AU$12,900.

The RED XPLR version is £10,000 / $12,500 / €11,499 / CA$16,950 / AU$18,00 and the frame kit (frame, fork, headset, HB16 bar, ST31 stem, SP27 seatpost) is £5,000 / $5,500 / €5,499 / CA$7,500 / AU$7,900.

The SRAM builds both use a mixture of AXS components, with SRAM Red AXS shifters, SRAM Eagle XX SL rear derailleur, SRAM Red 1x aero crankset and a power meter.

The gearing combines a large 48-tooth chainring and 10-52t 12-speed cassette on the premium Red AXS model. The Force AXS model gets the same gearing, but the Red components are replaced by new Force parts and an X0 derailleur and cassette.

All models use Reserve’s turbulent aero wheelsets with a 40mm-deep front rim and 44mm-deep rear.

• Read more: Cervélo Áspero 5 review: a rapid gravel racer that I wouldn’t take out in the mud

Aero is everything

The new bike was designed to be the fastest gravel bike on the market.

The Áspero 5’s aero-optimised design sees full integration at the front end, while not resorting to a one-piece bar and stem. Instead, it uses a combination of the ST31 stem and a new carbon gravel bar called the HB16, which takes its inspiration from the AB04 bar seen on the 2015 S5.

The bar’s deep wing-shaped top section includes an aerofoil section in front of the stem clamp that mimics a one-piece design, yet has the adjustability and choice of a standard two-piece setup.

Cervélo claims this detail alone results in a 6-watt drag reduction over the previous Áspero and Áspero 5.

Out has gone the twin-tip adjustable fork dropout, with the new fork having a deeper bladed shape and the crown of the fork locking into the head tube in a much smoother transition.

Instead of the twin-tip fork providing geometry adjustments, the new Áspero 5 was optimised to be run with different tyre sizes front and rear.

In the more aggressive racing position, the front runs a 40mm tyre and the rear 44mm. However, consumers will get the bike with the 42mm tyres front and rear, with the geometry slackened slightly, and the stack and reach growing by a couple of millimetres.

The rear-end frame shape takes far more inspiration from the current Cervélo S5 than it does the outgoing Áspero 5, with a truncated aerofoil tube shape and a deep curve that wraps and shields the rear wheel.

This flows into an oversized bottom bracket shell that blends into a deep-section down tube that incorporates a down tube storage compartment, as found on the P-Series triathlon bike and, more recently, the Caledonia 5.

Wind-tunnel proven

The new frame design and cockpit result in an improvement in aero efficiency by a huge 37 watts. Cervélo claims its wind-tunnel tests show the Áspero 5 is 36 watts more efficient than its nearest competitor, Ridley’s Kanzo Fast, and 46W more efficient than Trek’s latest Checkmate.

New Cervélo Áspero 5 geometry

The Áspero 5’s geometry falls as you’d expect, very much in the race-ready category: a low stack, longer reach and steep seat angle. Cervélo says the Áspero 5 geometry is based on its racing all-rounder, the Soloist, ridden by Wout Van Aert in this year’s Paris-Roubaix.

However, it has a slightly relaxed head angle and short fork offset. When using the same 42mm tyre sizes front and rear, which Cérvelo calls ‘balanced geometry’, the bike gets a little more of an endurance bent.

In the ‘mixed geometry’ incarnation, with different front and rear tyre sizes, the stack lowers, reach grows and the angles steepen for a more race-ready setup.

Balanced geometry

Mixed geometry

New Cervélo Áspero 5 frame details

The Áspero 5 comes with the same stripped-down ethos as the original Áspero, which launched with the mantra of ‘Haul ass not luggage’. That means no fork mounts, mudguard or fender provision, two bottle mounts, down tube storage, bento box mounts on the top tube – and that’s it.

The bottom bracket uses Cervélo’s threaded T47 BBright standard, and the rear dropout is SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger. The aerodynamic seatpost is the SP27, the same design as found on the current Soloist.

Cervélo claims the frame kit is 66g lighter than the previous generation’s 990g frame and 496g fork.

The frame is heavier, at 1,023g, due to its inclusion of down tube storage. The weight savings come from a lighter fork (393g), bar, stem and seatpost, according to Cervélo.

The frame and fork have clearance for 45mm tyres, up from the 42mm of the previous generation. However, that looks a little conservative in light of the current trend for ever-wider tyres of 50 mm+ and even the adoption of mountain bike race tyres for events such as Unbound.

SRAM’s new Force and Rival AXS 2x road groupsets bring the improved ergonomics of Red AXS along with updated component design. The second- and third-tier SRAM groups have lost significant weight in the process, too.

It’s not only the weight that has been cut, though. SRAM’s pricing looks competitive, too, with Force AXS and Rival AXS both undercutting their Shimano equivalents.

New Force AXS is £160 cheaper than Ultegra Di2, with new Rival AXS undercutting 105 Di2 by £154 in standard guise – or £9 for the power meter option.

Every component of Force and Rival AXS has seen an overhaul. Each has a new shifter design, a faster-shifting front derailleur with built-in auto trim, and a new crankset, chainring and lighter chain. There’s also a new power meter option on Force that brings the thread-mount chainring design from Red.

Improved ergonomics

The most important part of each group’s update is the inclusion of the new hood dimensions and lever shape that made Red AXS such a positive step forward for SRAM’s premier road offering.

The new, more compact hood shape combines with a curvier and subtly flared brake lever. This results in an improvement to braking feel, especially from the hoods, where Shimano had taken the lead thanks to its updated lever shape and Servowave braking – tech that first debuted on the previous-generation GRX Di2.

The hood covers are distinct between Force and Rival, but both share a set of moulded-in indicator lines that will help you set up the hoods on a bar. When the indicator marks are set horizontally, it gives the levers a 7-degree upward pitch, which is how SRAM’s designers intended the shifters to fit.

Force AXS gets the same bonus button on the inner face of the hood that can be customised through the AXS app. That brings Force in line with Shimano Ultegra Di2, which shares the same bonus button atop the hood as Dura-Ace Di2.

In a move that also mirrors Shimano, Rival AXS doesn’t get the bonus button addition, much the same as 105 Di2 doesn’t have the hood-top buttons.

Shifting smoothed

Red AXS’ other major improvement came in the speed and accuracy of the front shifts, with a new front derailleur design that brings faster shifts thanks to a combination of improved architecture and a new narrower cage.

There was also an automated-trim function that set out to eliminate chain rub and rasp at extremes of the gear range. It’s this design that has been adopted across both Rival and Force AXS.

This is combined with new direct-mount one-piece chainring designs, with highly machined tooth profiles. SRAM also claims the new Force and Rival chainrings are significantly lighter and stiffer than their predecessors.

The crank arms on Force are a new carbon design, with SRAM claiming both less weight and improved stiffness.

At the rear, the Force derailleur gets the same design updates as Red, With a new, lighter forged carbon pulley cage and oversized pulley wheels. It’s designed to work with both 1x and 2x drivetrains, and a single-cage option can be used with cassettes from 10-28 up to 10-36 teeth.

The cassette gets a new matt nickel chrome plating that SRAM claims brings quieter running and improved durability.

Even the chain has had a makeover, with a new ‘hard chrome’ plated inner link plate and cut-outs in both inner and outer plates to reduce weight over the previous Force-level chain.

Force AXS launches with a limited-edition full group that includes rear derailleur, front derailleur, shift-brake controls, chain, disc brake calipers, rotors, battery charger and special-edition Hammerhead Karoo finished with a livery to match the Force components.

SRAM has also put together an upgrade kit for existing AXS riders. It consists of the Force AXS shifters/brakes and a Hammerhead Karoo (£949/$1,099). 

Rival AXS gets the same lever and hood design as its more expensive cousins. The lever is upgraded to carbon over the alloy of the previous generation, resulting in a weight loss of 64g.

The new Rival crankset looks far more premium than the original Rival version. The new crank arms, with their machined backs and cut-out (taking inspiration from SRAM’s X0 aluminium crankset), also result in a weight drop of 50g on both the standard and spindle power meter options.

The front derailleur gets the same Yaw cage design as Red and Force, and includes the same auto-trim function, too.

Even Rival’s chain gets a makeover, with new cut-out outer links and a ‘hard chrome’ finish for a 12g reduction in weight. The rear derailleur has had more of a facelift. Being based on an update to the previous Rival design, SRAM has still managed to shed 20g thanks to upgraded material choices.

That means, in total, Force AXS 2x with a power meter weighs in at 2,776g – 183g lighter than the previous generation.

Rival AXS 2x with a power meter weighs 2,993g – 213g lighter than the original Rival AXS 2x drivetrain.

Both the new Force and Rival AXS components are compatible with all existing AXS groupsets.

Weight comparisons

SRAM Force AXS with power meter (46/35, 10-30): 2,776g

SRAM Force AXS (46/35, 10-30): 2,689g

Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 (52/36, 11-30): 2,716.5g

SRAM Rival AXS with spindle-based power meter (46/35, 10-30): 2,993g

SRAM Rival AXS (46/35, 10-30,160mm rotors): 2,960g

Shimano 105 Di2 (50/34, 11-34,160mm rotors): 2,992g

Component details

Force AXS shifters

The new Force AXS shifters feature the hidden bonus button on the inner face of the shifter.

This can be configured through the AXS app to suit your needs. Either use it as a secondary shift button or to switch between screens on your GPS.

The new levers are a reprofiled carbon and the new design has led to a 70g weight saving over the previous Force AXS shifters.

Force Flattop chain

The new chain features the same slotted link plates as Red, but uses solid rather than hollow pins. SRAM claims it is stronger and more durable than the previous design, thanks to new ‘hard chrome’ plated inner link plates and rollers.

It comes with a claimed 20g weight saving over the previous chain. It’s also available in a special-edition purple chain – Prince would have approved.

Force AXS front derailleur

The design is based on the 2024 Red AXS derailleur and shares the same SRAM Yaw technology, which auto trims the shifting for quiet performance even when cross-chaining.

A new, narrower cage improves both accuracy and speed, and the derailleur is designed to work across a wide range of chainring options – 46/33T, 48/35T or 50/37T.

Force AXS rear derailleur

The new rear derailleur combines the pulley cage design and oversized pulley wheels from Red AXS with a new slimmer body compared to the previous version.

The result is a 12g saving. The Force derailleur comes in a single-cage option designed to work with cassettes from 10-28 up to 10–36 teeth and is compatible with both 1x and 2x drivetrains. It features chain-management technology using a spring clutch rather than the orbital fluid damper of old.

Force AXS cranksets and power meters

The new crankset uses the same direct-mount tech as SRAM Red and is available with three standard chainring combinations: 46/33, 48/35 and 50/37 teeth.

Aside from this, there’s a spider-based power meter option with the same thread-mount interface as Red AXS (with the same chainring combinations available). There is also a 1x crankset option with both direct-mount aero-rings and a direct-mount aero-ring/power meter combination.

The aero rings come in 44, 46, 48 and 50-teeth sizes.

The 1x options are in addition to the recently announced 1x XPLR versions. All the cranksets now come in a wider range of crank-arm lengths, with 160, 165, 170, 172.5 and 175mm options.

Force XG-1270 cassette

The XDR driver-body compatible Force cassette gains a new matt nickel chrome finish. The cassette’s X-Range gearing options are 10-28, 10-30, 10-33 and 10-36. The 10-28, 10-30 and 10-33 tooth cassettes all come with at least five one-tooth jumps.

Rival AXS shifters

Rival gets the same ergonomic upgrades from RED as Force. All three shifters now have the same hood shape and lever profiles. Rival omits the hidden bonus button found on Red and Force for cost reasons, much like Shimano left its bonus buttons off 105 Di2.

Rival also sees an upgrade to carbon fibre brake levers for the first time. That has led to a 64g reduction in weight over the old shifter design.

Rival chain

The new Rival-level Flattop chain gets cut-outs on the outer links and a hard-chrome finish. The changes have led to a 12g reduction in weight over the original Rival chain.

Rival crankset

SRAM claims the new Rival crankset is the most advanced aluminium crankset it has ever produced, with a new cut-out crank arm design that optimises the stiffness-to-weight ratio. 

In a first for SRAM’s third-tier group, the crankset is paired with a one-piece direct-mount chainring design, available in 46/33t and 48/35t combinations.

The new crank-arm design shaves 50g off the previous Rival crankset.

Rival also gets a power meter option using the same spindle-based design as the previous Rival AXS, with a single AAA lithium battery for more than 400 hours of use.

Rival AXS front derailleur

Rival’s front derailleur uses the same SRAM Yaw cage movement and auto-trim as found on both Red and Force.

The narrower cage shape helps increase shift speed and the auto-trim is designed to cut out any chain rasp, even when cross-chaining gears. The new derailleur is compatible with 46/33T, 48/35T and 50/37T chainring combinations.

Rival AXS rear derailleur

The Rival rear derailleur is based on the same architecture as the previous Rival design, but updates to materials and construction have led to a 20g weight reduction. It’s compatible with both 1x and 2x drivetrains, and cassettes from 10-28 to 10-36 teeth.

Paceline rotor

Both Rival and Force use the latest Paceline disc brake rotors, with brake-track venting and a new aluminium carrier that sheds 20g compared to the previous generation.

Prices

Complete groupset prices are somewhat irrelevant because significant discounts can be found online. However, Force AXS with a power meter retails at £2,528 / $2,842. Standard Force AXS is £2,168 / $2,432, compared to Shimano Ultegra Di2 at £2,328.88.

Rival AXS comes in at £1,721 / $1,929 with a power meter, or £1,576 / $1,764 without, compared to Shimano’s 105 Di2 at £1,730 / $1,890.

We’ve yet to see how that will pan out in complete bike prices. In the past, Shimano’s original equipment prices have been far more competitive than SRAM’s, thanks to Shimano’s larger market share and economies of scale.

SRAM’s new Force and Rival XPLR groupsets adopt the direct-mount design of Red XPLR, while featuring the improved ergonomics seen in the 2024 Red AXS shifters.

The newly launched gravel groupsets see both Force and Rival XPLR use the full-mount design that fits directly to the UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) dropout.

SRAM claims the combination of full mount with the new straight-parallelogram design gives improved shifting accuracy and more resilience to impacts.

The new architecture also aids chain management in conjunction with the clutch spring tensioning and narrow-wide tooth profiling, according to SRAM. Both the Force and Rival XPLR derailleurs are fully rebuildable.

Should you trash your rear derailleur, spares are available, including the mounting assembly, outer link, cage, damper and pulley assembly, battery latch and skid plate.

The new shifters used on Force and Rival have also been inspired by Red AXS, with a new lever shape that allows for comfortable, progressive one-finger braking from both the hoods and the drops.

The same ergonomic hood and lever shape is now shared across the top three SRAM AXS tiers: Red, Force and Rival, for both road and XPLR gravel groupsets.

Force and Rival also get new hood covers, with distinct patterns for each model and moulded indicators showing the horizontal to help position the shifters on your bars in the optimal 7-degree pitch. This, SRAM claims, provides a neutral wrist position.

Both shifter designs also get reach adjustment for the brake levers.

Force AXS and Rival AXS shifters can also be combined with SRAM’s Eagle Transmission AXS components, should you prefer to run a 10-52t cassette.

Force AXS shifters

The new Force AXS shifters work across both road and gravel. They feature a hidden bonus button, as seen on Red AXS, on the inner face of the shifter.

This can be configured through the AXS app to suit your needs. You can either use it as a secondary shift button or to switch between screens on your GPS – or even to operate an AXS dropper post.

The new levers are a reprofiled carbon and the new design has led to a 70g weight saving over the previous Force AXS shifters.

Force XPLR rear derailleur

The new full-mount derailleur bears a strong resemblance to the Red XPLR unit, sharing the same skeletal design, straight-parallelogram pulley assembly and oversized jockey wheels. That means the same simple fitment and no need for adjustment screws.

Just like the Red XPLR derailleur, it’s designed to work with the 13-speed 10-46t XPLR cassette in conjunction with any SRAM Flattop chain.

Force XPLR crankset

The Force XPLR crankset now comes in more crank-arm sizes, with 160, 165, 170, 172.5 and 175mm options.

The direct-mount chainrings are available with 38 to 46 teeth, and are joined by 44, 46, 48 and 50-tooth direct-mount aero options for gravel racers.

The carbon crank arms also come with silicone end cap protection covers.

There is a spindle-based power meter option for the Force XPLR crankset, although you can use a 1x option with a spider-based power meter using the thread-mount system, as found on Red AXS.

Force XPLR cassette

The 13-speed Force cassette is based on the same design as the 13-speed Red cassette and shares the same 460% range 10-46 tooth pattern.

The gear progression of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 28, 32, 38 and 46 teeth keeps the gear jumps tight through the most-used range, only widening the jumps as it gets to the upper end.

Force Flattop chain

The Force chain for XPLR is the same as the new Force Flattop chain for standard Force AXS.

The new chain features the same slotted link plates as Red, but uses solid rather than hollow pins. The chain weighs in at 12g less than the previous chain, and as well as the standard chrome finish, it is also available in a special-edition purple.

Rival XPLR

Rival XPLR has undergone the biggest change and could be the smartest choice of SRAM’s gravel offerings.

It employs the same full-mount rear derailleur and shifter design, and a new crankset that drops significant weight and, more importantly, looks far more premium than Rival’s more modest level would suggest.

Rival shifters

Rival shifters are the same across road and gravel. They get the same ergonomic upgrades as Force, to the extent that all three shifters (Red, Force and Rival) now have the same hood shape and lever profiles.

Rival omits the hidden bonus button found on Red and Force for cost reasons. The new design replicates the 80% reduction in force required to activate the brake lever.

Rival also sees an upgrade to carbon fibre brake levers for the first time. That has led to a 64g reduction in weight over the old lever design.

Rival XPLR rear derailleur

Rival XPLR’s rear derailleur uses the same direct-mount UDH-compatible design as Force and Red. However, the pulley wheels on Rival are a pair of 16-tooth wheels, rather than Force and Red’s oversized bottom pulley wheel.

Rival uses a spring clutch derived from SRAM’s mountain bike offerings to deal with chain management.

Rival XPLR cassette

Rival XPLR’s cassette gets a high-polish nickel chrome plating and shares the same 460% range with its 13-speed 10-46 ratio.

Rival chain

The new Rival-level Flattop chain gets cut-outs on the outer links and a hard-chrome finish. The changes have led to a 12g reduction from the weight of the original Rival chain. The same chain is used on both 12-speed road and 13-speed XPLR groupsets.

Rival XPLR crankset

SRAM claims the new Rival crankset is the most advanced aluminium crank it has ever produced, with a new crank-arm design that optimises the stiffness-to-weight ratio.

With material only used where it’s needed, that means the cranks have hollow cut-outs in the centre of the arms.

SRAM’s latest X0 Eagle crankset has obviously inspired the design. To me, it is also very reminiscent of the original Austrian-made Roox cranks from the 1990s that still adorn one of my retro bikes.

That’s a good thing, because those cranks were impressively stiff and light. The crank arms are paired with a single direct-mount chainring, available in sizes 38 to 46 teeth with SRAM’s X-Sync wide/narrow-tooth profile.

The DUB crank spindle can accommodate bottom brackets in both road and mountain bike widths. That means 135mm, 142mm and Boost rear spacing, which gives unmatched compatibility for a gravel crankset. The new Rival XPLR crankset looks to be a great option for anyone looking to convert a mountain bike frameset for gravel.

The new crank-arm design shaves 50g from the previous Rival crankset.

Rival also gets a power meter option, using the same spindle-based design as previous Rival AXS, now integrated into the hollow crank arm. That means the same AAA lithium battery powers the meter for up to 400 hours of use.

Weight comparisons

Force XPLR with a power meter weighs a claimed 2,686g. That’s 84g lighter than the previous version with a power meter (2,770g).

• Force XPLR claimed weight: 2,648g complete
  • 10-46 cassette, DUB BSA BB, 172.5mm crankset, 44t ring, Force shifters, Force 114-link chain, 2x 160mm brake rotors, SRAM AXS battery, Force XPLR rear derailleur

Compared to Shimano’s latest 2x GRX Di2 12-speed groupset, the new Force XPLR is 244g lighter, with the power meter Force XPLR option 206g lighter than Shimano’s offering – although Shimano, of course, has a front derailleur.

• GRX Di2 12-speed 2×12 claimed weight: 2,892g
  • 48/31 crankset, 11-36 cassette, front and rear derailleurs, 140/160mm rotors, 126-link chain, battery and wires, shifters

Rival XPLR with a power meter (2,961g) is 23g lighter than the previous groupset with a power meter (2,984g).

• Rival XPLR claimed weight: 2,923g complete
  • 10-46 cassette, DUB BSA BB, 172.5mm crankset, 40t ring, Rival shifters, Rival 114 link chain, 2x 160mm brake rotors, SRAM AXS battery, Rival XPLR rear derailleur

That makes Rival XPLR 31g heavier than GRX Di2, with the power meter option rising to 69g heavier.

Prices