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New SRAM Force AXS & XPLR Groups Updated, Now Even More Wireless!

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of entire drivetrain
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At first glance, the “new” Force AXS group looks like a shiny, completely new group. Fresh graphics with subtle-yet-shiny paint catch the eye, and the one-piece chainrings and slimmer brake hoods give it a sharper, higher-end look. Both are huge improvements to the group.

Hiding under the hood, though, are a big collection of incremental running changes that have been added to both Red and Force groups over the years and finally getting codified here.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details on a bike

As a quick background, SRAM does a great job of making continuous minor updates and improvements to its products, but, and perhaps surprising for the brand, a really bad job of talking about them. So many of the “new” things “introduced” here formally have actually been on the group for some time.

A few more noteworthy things: SRAM is (finally) dropping “eTap” from the name. It’s now just Force AXS, not Force eTap AXS. And, along with 2x Force AXS road group, the 1x XPLR gravel group becomes a proper “Force” group with the same updates, graphics, and details. Together, they’re a more cohesive collection of high-end-yet-approachable drivetrains for drop bar bikes.

2023 SRAM Force AXS Details

SRAM Force AXS

If you recall, Red eTap launched as its sole 12-speed electronic group. Then, when the AXS version came out, Force AXS debuted alongside it, giving its first second-tier electronic group.

Now, it gets its own launch, thankfully drops the eTap nomenclature, and reimagines what a second tier group can offer … trying really hard to eschew any stigma the term “second tier” might convey.

To kick that off, it gets a new premium finish. A bit of gloss and sparkle in the Unicorn Gray brings it to life in the sun. That’s accented with shiny logos that have a bit of rainbow flash in daylight too. Fortunately, beauty is more than skin deep. Here’s what’s new about each component.

Shifters

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of shifter levers

The hoods get a refined shape … which is actually the same as the latest Rival group, with a smaller diameter that tapers down toward the front to create more finger clearance, finger wrap, and easier grip, particularly for smaller hands.

The brake reservoir hump at the front is smaller too, and the levers and pivot point are a few millimeters closer to the bar, making it easier to brake with one or two fingers while riding in the hoods.

Two main things let them make the hoods smaller and bring the levers closer: eliminating the pad contact adjust (because they found that many riders never used it or even knew it was there) and removing the auxiliary Blip port.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of adjustment button

Now that it has wireless Blips, the port was unnecessary, and you can connect up to six Blips if you want multiple shift locations. Also, it now makes the system 100% wireless, and with so many Blips able to be connected, SRAM jokes it’s “even more wireless” than the competition.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of brake lever

But, compared to Rival, Force has upgraded brake levers (carbon instead of alloy) and a new shift paddle profile. The shift paddle is a bit longer but also tapered to improve clearance at the bar when you’re pulling it really far into its travel.

Brakes

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of brakes

Running changes to the existing Force over the past couple years have brought about several improvements and this group gets all of them. That means a two-piece caliper body that works better because it can better machine all the plumbing inside when it’s done in two pieces.

Better roll back of the pistons thanks to a better gland around the piston seals means increased pad retraction, which means less pad rub even if the rotors get a bit out of true. And the caliper is stiffer for a more solid braking feel.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of brakes

It comes with its Paceline rotors, which carry over unchanged.

Crank Arms & Chainrings

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of crankset

Crank arms are easy: They’re the same as before, just with a new finish.

The chainrings are new though, and SRAM had two goals: improve shifting performance and drop weight.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of crankset

SRAM achieved this by switching from a typical spider plus chainrings to a one-piece machined 2x chainring unit, same as Red, available with or without a Quarq power meter. This design makes it stiffer and lighter. With the power meter option, it saves about 85 g versus the prior version.

sram force one-piece 2x chainring unit with Quarq power meter

And that power meter is now integrated, like with Red, which means if you need to replace your chainrings, you’re also replacing the power meter. But, as with Red, it says you’ll get a lot of miles out of it before it needs replacing … and, it’s a lot less expensive than the Red chainrings.

closeup of sram force one-piece 2x chainring unit with Quarq power meter

For those with “chainring wear anxiety,” SRAM says people have largely gotten over it because the rings last longer than folks thought they would, due somewhat to its unique chainring combos, which means people are shifting the front chainring less often.

But if you’re hung up on it, SRAM still offers the standard four-bolt power meter spider that you can swap rings on and off.

It’s a bit heavier, but if you frequently swap chainrings for different courses or ride in foul conditions that grind down teeth more quickly, maybe that’s the better option for you. And if it is, SRAM has eliminated the cosmetic cover that came on the original Force eTap AXS, which could contribute to some running noise.

closeup of sram force one-piece 2x chainring unit with Quarq power meter

The chainring plus power meter unit now has a 10% discount on replacements. Not quite the 50% discount offered with Red, but Force’s chainring is significantly less expensive. Which is surprising because it’s the same piece of metal — only the finish differentiates Red from Force chainrings now.

As for sizes, it added the biggest 50/37 chainring combo, which was previously only available for Red. Others are 48/35 and 46/33.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of crankset

For gravel riders who love a 2x group, there’s a single 43/30 option for the Wide crankset (which has a wider chainline and requires a specific Wide front derailleur). It will have the same new chainring design, but it’s for bikes built around wider tires and wider range cassettes.

Available crank lengths are 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5, 175, and 177.5 mm.

Front Derailleur

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of front derailleur

The front derailleur’s architecture carries over, just with the new Unicorn Gray finish. But it gets some new setup features to make installation easier.

sram front derailleur setup guide tool

A new guide tool lets you set it on the big chainring as you tighten it onto the braze-on/clamp, essentially putting it right where it needs to be.

sram front derailleur setup guide marks

Guide marks are made a bit more visible in case you need to make fine adjustments or readjust later on, but you can also just put the guide tool back in there if you’re reinstalling or changing chainring sizes.

Rear Derailleur & Cassette

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of rear derailleur & cassette

Running changes from the past couple years are all implemented into all 1270 Force cassettes. These include a damper ring between the two largest cogs to reduce noise, and the early switch away from that awesome looking all-black finish to the current nickel chrome finish.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of cassette

SRAM says this finish is quieter, smoother, and more durable than prior finishes.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of cassette

The group has four cassette options: 10/28, 10/30, 10/33, and 10/36. There’s no more 10/26 cassette offered, mainly because no one wanted it.

2023 sram force axs road bike group closeup details of rear derailleur

The rear derailleur has the same architecture as before, but now there’s just a single model to handle all four of those cassettes. It’s compatible with anything up to a 36-tooth large cog if you’re running a different brand cassette for some reason, keeping in mind that SRAM’s Flat Top chains are optimized specifically for its cassettes, of course.

Otherwise, there’s no new tech, or even shapes, just cosmetic changes. It still has carbon outer/aluminum inner pulley cage plates, with steel bearings inside the pulleys, and the Orbit damper for chain management on bumpy roads.

2023 SRAM Force Pricing

Perhaps the best news? All of these updates and the much lighter new chainrings come with no price increase. The new SRAM Force AXS components are the same price as the prior versions.

  • Shifter/Brake Caliper, Front – $350 (€255 / £228)
  • Shifter/Brake Caliper, Rear – $350 (€255 / £228)
  • Rear Derailleur AXS – $377 (€360 / £302)
  • Rear Derailleur XPLR – $369 (€343 / £306)
  • Front Derailleur – $243 (€222 / £198)
  • 1x Crankset w/ spindle PM – $585 (€632 / £565)
  • 1x Crankset – $275 (€330 / £295)
  • 2x Wide Crankset w/ spindle PM – $585 (€632 / £565)
  • 2x Road Crankset w/ PM – $800 (€865 / £772)
  • 2x Crankset – $275 (€330 / £295)
  • 2x Power Meter Chainring – $410 (€443 / £396)
  • 2x Chainring – $245 (€265 / £236)
  • Cassette – $195
  • XPLR Cassette – $222
  • Chain – $50

The good news is you can upgrade these one-piece chainrings onto any crankset that accepts SRAM’s eight-bolt mounting standard. It’s not compatible with its three-bolt DM standard, typically found on its MTB cranksets.

Force eTap vs. Force AXS Weight Comparison

2023 sram force axs weights compared to prior version

Compared to the prior Force eTap group (D1), the new 2x Force AXS (D2) road group with power meter saves about 94 g. The new 1x Force XPLR AXS group saves 101 g with a power meter. Exact savings will depend on chosen chainring size/combo.

Weight savings come mainly from the new one-piece, direct-mount chainrings, and new shifter lever bodies are significantly lighter.

2023 SRAM Force XPLR Gravel Group

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details

Taking most of the road group’s features onto gravel roads, the Force XPLR group has a few key differences.

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details of crankset

It gets its own new carbon crank arm, which has a left-side, spindle-based power meter option. It’s the same power meter as Rival, but with a lighter carbon crank arm.

This saved 45 g over a spider-based power meter and allows you to easily swap through the new direct-mount chainrings. And that’s good, because gravel riders are more likely to change a chainring size based on the course.

And, it gets new one-piece direct-mount chainrings, which save a lot of weight too. Standard and Wide cranksets and chainrings are available.

Standard chainring sizes are 38/40/42/44/46 tooth. There are also 48T and 50T aero chainrings for those using a standard 1x crankset for its TT or triathlon bike.

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details of brake lever and shifter paddle

Brake levers and shifter paddles are the same as road, and the textured shift paddles and easier reach are much appreciated on rougher terrain.

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details of cassette and derailleur

The derailleur is different from the road ones but carries over the same shapes and materials as the prior XPLR group I reviewed, but with the new finishes.

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details of cassette and derailleur

It’s compatible with the XPLR 10/44 cassette, and also the largest 10/36 road cassette, but is specifically designed for 1x use only; you can’t pair it with a 2x front chainring.

2023 sram force xplr axs gravel bike group details of cassette and derailleur

Here are a few photos to show the key differences, illustrating why you can’t run the road and gravel derailleurs interchangeably:

sram force axs and xplr rear derailleur comparison

The road derailleur is on the left, XPLR on the right. Note the taller B-knuckle on the XPLR, whose mounting bolt is also positioned further back.

sram force axs and xplr rear derailleur comparison

The cages are different, with the XPLR getting an offset upper pulley that allows for the increased rotation and movement required to move across a wider range of gears.

sram force axs and xplr rear derailleur comparison

The road derailleurs have “MAX 36T” etched on the back of the B-knuckle, and the XPLR is branded as such, making them easy to identify.

The Takeaway

If you have a current SRAM Force group or XPLR group, don’t sweat this release. It looks great, but the biggest update are the one-piece chainrings, and you can retrofit those to your current Force group. Heck, you can even save a few hundred dollars on your Red group when it’s time to replace those rings by getting these new Force ones.

Same for XPLR. The new one-pieces are backward compatible, and you can upgrade just the arms if you want to add the single-sided, spindle-based power meter.

The one thing that’s a more demanding upgrade is the brake levers. These are more comfortable with better ergonomics for both shifting and braking. Functionally, they’re the same, so if you’re happy with what you’ve got, great. If you need to replace your whole group, also great, you’ll probably like these a bit better.

Stay tuned for first impressions, and check out the new Rainbow Red cassette and chain, plus a four-battery AXS charger, in this post.

SRAM.com

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Neo
Neo
1 year ago

I thought Sram would learn that the one piece powermeter chainring and the 10 sprockets are bad ideas and not continue them onto the next gen. Yet, here we are

mtbinavl
mtbinavl
1 year ago
Reply to  Neo

how are they a bad idea? I’ve never seen one go bad unless once where the customer REALLY didn’t take any care about cleaning or lubing their drivetrain.

Joe
Joe
1 year ago
Reply to  mtbinavl

10 cog is fine. it’s more than just “take care of your chainrings”. What if you want to throw on a new gear ratio? also, keep in mind some people ride their bikes for a whole lot of miles and many years. people also want good resell value on their bikes, and a power meter with half its chainring life left isn’t a good sell.

TimE
TimE
1 year ago
Reply to  Joe

Every second hand bike I’ve serviced has had very little chainring life left. Replacement rings are always on the cards. In this case the chainrings are available with or without power meter and you can opt for a power meter in the spindle or a crankset that takes separate rings. There are options. All your points smack of ignorance and wanting to make a statement for the sake of it .

Joe
Joe
1 year ago
Reply to  TimE

You lost me and I’m looking for a conversation, not personal attacks. lets recap. So you support my point with the first two sentences. Then you flip because there are “options”. Options or not, a bike from the factory comes with limited options and if that option includes a force PM there is a good chance they take the marketed route (integrate rings). yes, you can buy the spindle or a spider (the old ones work with these cranks) but you don’t always build or buy a bike in pieces. The availability of options is also a consideration. I know the options and backward compatibility but I disagree with them doubling down on disposable power meters.

FritzP
FritzP
1 year ago
Reply to  Neo

I upgraded from 50/34 11-30 11 speed (Red 22 mech rim brake) to 50/37 10-33 12 speed (Red AXS rim brake) which is both faster and every so slightly easier. Here’s how i rationalized the 10t cog: with my 11 speed drivetrain i would be spun out in the 50-11 combo when i’ll still be pedaling with the 50-10 combo (which is equivalent to a 55-11). Yes, the 10t cog is less efficient but i’m now pedaling instead of coasting. On the climbing end of the 12speed group the chainring and cogs in use are all larger than my 11 speed setup & therefore more efficient going uphill when I really appreciate it. Going to 12speed added 45g to my bike.

mud
mud
1 year ago
Reply to  Neo

The 10t cog is great, imo. As a gravel cyclist, I’m rarely using it and generally in tailwind/downhill scenarios, so not a high torque situation. Wear doesn’t worry me, that is.

STS
STS
1 year ago
Reply to  Neo

Sram did it first for RED AXS, and now four (?) years later they’re going the same way with the more affordable groupset.
No matter how you and I think that it’s a really bad solution for a number of reasons Sram has obviously no reason to conclude that this will reduce their sales volume. So people either don’t care or believe Sram’s marketing BS.

FritzP
FritzP
1 year ago
Reply to  Neo

What nags me more about SRAM AXS 12 speed is the flat top chain with its larger rollers which locks one into a complete SRAM group. In the 10 & 11 speed groups the way to better shifting and better efficiency was to switch to a shimano chain and cassette. Can’t do that now. Don’t really believe SRAM’s justification either with Shimano, Campy & Rotor issuing conventional dogbone chains for 12 & 13 speed groups and SRAM having dogbone 12speed Eagle.

Sean
1 year ago

I love these detailed product update articles. Far more information and comparisons between previous models than the manufacturers ever put out.

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago

I’m surprised to see that Sram left so much unchanged…..I had suspected they’d re-do the crankset to drop some grams….the difference between Force and Red is quite severe.

…that said, the new Force Chainrings will be a welcome change for most. I’m curious about what the 2-piece Chainrings look like (for those of us with AXS PM Spiders) – I hated the aesthetics of the current gen rings with the cover.

Also interested to see that they now say that the ‘regular’ derailleur is compatible with the 10-36 Cassette….. previously they’d said 10-33T Max (although I’ve been running mine with 10-36 with no problems)

Seraph
Seraph
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

SRAM has had two versions of their road AXS derailleurs for a while now. One is claimed to be a 33t max, and the other is a 36t max but incompatible with the smallest ratio cassette.

Mayhem
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

Pretty sure BikeRumor misinterpreted whatever information they got from SRAM and that there are no new regular chainrings.

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago
Reply to  Mayhem

Sadly I’m now under the impression that you’re right 🙁

Seraph
Seraph
1 year ago

Error in your history: “If you recall, Red eTap launched as their sole 12-speed electronic group.” Incorrect, original eTap was 11-speed.

wwm
wwm
1 year ago

Will there be rim brake compatible levers? What integrated buttons for controlling a bike computer?

Dinger
Dinger
1 year ago
Reply to  wwm

Nobody is producing rim brake bikes in meaningful numbers anymore and take rate on modernizing old bikes with new spec is really low so probably very little likelihood that SRAM would pursue rim brake levers/calipers going forward.

massarob
massarob
1 year ago

Still DOT oil or Mineral? I guess still DOT, but I did not find this information yet (anywhere).

Billy
Billy
1 year ago
Reply to  massarob

They wouldnt change this and cause huge confusion issues on their second tier group. Likely will not change this ever because of this.

mud
mud
1 year ago

Sram Force is my dream group, love these updates. Sram XPLR should just drop the regular chainline and go with wide alone. And 38t chainrings are still too tall for those on hilly routes, although plenty of options after market.

blahblahblah
blahblahblah
1 year ago

its the same groupset as before just painted differently, that is not new

Andrea
Andrea
1 year ago
Reply to  blahblahblah

My thoughts exactly. New cranks looks cool tho.

Andrey Stoyanov
Andrey Stoyanov
1 year ago

And YES ,
YOU CAN PAIR THE XPLR RD with a 2x drivetrain.
I have it for over a year, works great, B GAP bolt is very sensitive and chain length is CRUCIAL.

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago

So, will the chain stays up this time ? Uh, and does it finally actually brakes ?

calculator
calculator
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

If you have those problems you need a new mechanic

Fitness
Fitness
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

If you have those issues check the user manuals and find a professional mechanic who can set it up properly

Pm732
Pm732
1 year ago

13t chainring diff bc they still cant do FDs right. 10t cogs are a waste of space and energy.

Dinger
Dinger
1 year ago
Reply to  Pm732

Their reasoning for the 13T ring difference is optimizing the ratio jump but I agree, I don’t think anybody noticed that before they presented it. Also agree 10t is effectively useless. I have never considered these to really be 12-speed groups because of it.

Seraph
Seraph
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger

The smaller cogs make more sense on 1x drivetrains. I have an E.13 9-50 cassette on my gravel bike and I love the 9t for pedaling on descents.

Chuck Warnock
Chuck Warnock
1 year ago

Looks great, but no on has them in stock. Why come out with a product no one can get?!

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