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Upgraded SRAM Apex 1 improves the affordable 1x experience

Written by Tyler Benedict
20 Comments
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2017-sram-apex-road-commuter-drivetrain-group01

Just introduced last year as their base (budget) level 1x road group, the SRAM Apex 1 found its way onto a number of flat bar urban speed machines and a few entry level cyclocross bikes. Now, the group gets even getter thanks to a new, asymmetric four-arm crankset and other updates.

It’s available with an integrated chain guard for city bikes, or remove it for more performance oriented bikes. The cranks and X-Sync chainring are both aluminum, available with 40, 42 or 44 tooth chainrings that work with 10- and 11-speed chains. The new design improves chainring/frame clearance and works with both 130mm and 135/142mm rear axle spacing. Claimed weight is 807g for the GXP spindle with 172.5mm arms and 42T ring. It’s also available in BB30, pricing from $110-$118. Available in October.

2017-sram-apex-road-commuter-drivetrain-group04

The rest of the group carries over…

2017-sram-apex-road-commuter-drivetrain-group03

…and can be paired with either drop-bar shifter levers for hydraulic and mechanical brakes (disc or rim) or flat bar shifters as shown above.

2017-sram-apex-1-price-and-spec-list

SRAM.com
Tyler Benedict
11,282 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com, where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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20 Comments
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2pacfan187
2pacfan187
8 years ago

When did SRAM switch over to the new 4-bolt BCD?

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CK
CK
8 years ago
Reply to  2pacfan187

I don’t believe that they did. It probably is their regular hidden bolt spider

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whynot?
whynot?
8 years ago
Reply to  2pacfan187

That looks like an older Via GT series crank re-worked for Apex1…

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Reid
Reid
8 years ago

More info on the crank? Is it the same 110 asymmetric as Shimano or different?

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Marin
Marin
8 years ago

Shouldn’t SRAM release like 12sp 1x road group? Say 10-38 casette and etap rear mech. They could simplify road gearing a lot.
Same range with close enough grouping for most people, less parts, lighter and cheaper than higher end 2x stuff.

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mateo
mateo
8 years ago
Reply to  Marin

I’m waiting for this too. I also think a 10-36 or 10-38 11 speed XD cassette would make sense if SRAM wants to push 1x road.

A 10-36 (360% range) would split the difference nicely between the 11-36 (327% range) and the 10-42 (420% range).

As it stands, the 11-36 to 10-42 jump (28% increase in range) is by far the largest gap in the 11 speed offerings. The next biggest gap is from the 11-32 to 11-36 (13% increase in range).

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Jacob
Jacob
8 years ago
Reply to  Marin

Eagle for the road could kill off the (mechnical) FD imo.
A 12s 10-40 will give a range comparable to a 2×11 setup and have eight gears in the 11-28 range. I think most could do with that.
And for flat crits you switch to a 11-32/36 and maintain all but one/two gears compared to an 11-28.

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Dinger
Dinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Jacob

The 1x road thing is interesting to me. As for gear jumps, I don’t like an 11-36 (or even 32) on the road, gaps between gears are too large for me and I always feel like I’m in the wrong gear. I also wonder if invested road riders have a problem with a front shifter/derailleur. It’s familiar and well understood.

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stephen
stephen
8 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

The road 1x thing is probably there mainly to appeal to mountain bikers and the technically challenged. One can achieve both closer ratios and a wider range with a FD, and most people have been fine with these for 50+ years now.

This is IMHO all about marketing and product differentiation, not about practicality. SRAM seem to have trouble making FDs that actually work too…

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CL
CL
8 years ago
Reply to  stephen

spot on Stephen

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1xsatan
1xsatan
7 years ago
Reply to  stephen

re: “technically challenged” – I converted one road bike, two gravel bikes and two mountain bikes myself to 1x using parts that should never work together (shimano road STI, shimano MTB rear mech, SRAM chain and cassette and a bunch of wolftooth components that make it all possible), and it is simply the most reliable, quietest and quickest shifting setup I’ve used in 10 years riding. That’s how much I hate chainslap, chaindrops, ugly ass FDs and clunky ass front shifting in general. It’s not that it is technically challenging. It’s that it is entirely unnecessary for all but the fastest most dedicated racers and proseurs of the most serious nature.

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Spangley
Spangley
8 years ago
Reply to  Marin

I think price is still the limiting factor there. Honestly, if you want a lot of range for cheap on the road and can do without the simplicity of 1x, I’m surprised more people don’t run their DD3 hub with a ten-speed cassette. You can get like 600% range and avoid that apparently. unmanageable double chainring setup.

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Tim
Tim
8 years ago

Non-rhetorical question: what is good about asymmetrical bolt patterns?

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bbb
bbb
8 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Exactly what I was thinking.
It offers no benefits and just restricts selection / increases the cost of replacement chainrings.

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David V Dye
David V Dye
8 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Shimano claimed that they were able to reduce weight and maintain stiffness with the asymmetric four arm cranks

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David V Dye
David V Dye
8 years ago
Reply to  David V Dye

It also means that they only produce one crankset, with varying rings instead of compact / standard BCDs

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CL
CL
8 years ago
Reply to  Tim

When you pedal you exert power mostly on certain areas of the chain ring, say, 1 o’clock to 5 o’clock. If you have all the bolts equally spaced, there will be more stress in some areas than others. But if you close up the space between the bolts that sit in said “stress areas” or when the pedal stroke actually happens, then you can either be more efficient in the stiffness coefficient or build a relatively lighter system whilst conserving the same structural efficiency. That’s why Shimano and Campagnolo switched over to an unevenly spaced 4 bolt pattern.

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TheKaiser
TheKaiser
8 years ago

Yes, I echo the request for more info on the chain ring bolt pattern. Is it the same as Shimano?

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Gary
Gary
8 years ago

At the bike company level, where total build price point is key and small savings add up over large numbers of units, Apex 1 may make sense. For those looking to upgrade, however, the “street price” difference between Apex 1 and Rival 1 is so small, Apex seems hard to justify.

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Chris
Chris
8 years ago

The new SRAM Apex1 4 bolt asymmetrical crankset has a slightly different BCD to Shimano, so no compatibility with Shimano or the aftermarket (i.e. Praxis, Wolf Tooth etc)

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