Our test whip was this stealth Cannondale SuperSix Evo with SRAM Red eTap drivetrain and the very high end ($3100) Zipp 404 NSW carbon fiber wheels. Hard not to enjoy the ride.

Our test whip was this stealth Cannondale SuperSix Evo with SRAM Red eTap drivetrain and the very high end ($3100) Zipp 404 NSW carbon fiber wheels. Hard not to enjoy the ride (click to enlarge).​

The first thing you notice about a SRAM Red eTap equipped bike isn't how smooth or easily it shifts, nor how light it is. What you notice is how great it looks. But utilizing a wireless system, SRAM has cleaned up the two-wheeled aesthetic like never before. Gone are the cables or wires that connect shifter to derailleur, replaced by an unseen proprietary 128-bit encryption system called Airea that literally communicates its rider's intentions through thin air. It's beautifully simple and clean, like what a bike looks like on a designer's computer screen before the realities of functionality are drawn in.

My first up-close encounter with the new group came at the Sea Otter Classic, where SRAM was kind enough to loan me a high-zoot Cannondale SuperSix Evo carbon fiber race bike for the annual Sea Otter Gran Fondo, a difficult 92-mile ride on the ever-rolling rural roads that surround the Laguna Seca Raceway.

Brake hood ergonomics are similar to standard SRAM Red. The lever delivers an audible click when engaged.

Brake hood ergonomics are similar to standard SRAM Red. The shift lever delivers an audible click (click to enlarge).​

I picked up the bike the day before the event, intent on getting at least one "practice" outing in before the big ride. And even then I was worried that the new shifting logic might be hard to get used to. SRAM PR man Daniel Slusser assured me otherwise. "Honestly it takes most people about 5 minutes to get used to," said Slusser. "The right button makes it harder (smaller cog), the left makes it easier (larger cog). Both buttons shift the front derailleur. It's just like the paddles on an F1 race car."

It sounded easy enough on paper, which is probably why the new group has met with such rapid consumer adoption. Slusser claimed it was selling so well SRAM couldn't make it fast enough. "Customers are starting to get angry," he said. That's not necessarily a bad problem to have, especially considering some of SRAM's other recent product releases (road disc brakes, for instance), which engendered a different kind of anger.

Unlike the days of old, SRAM's front derailleur shifting was essentially flawless.

Unlike the days of old, SRAM's front derailleur shifting was essentially flawless (click to enlarge).​

Find out how to install SRAM Red eTap wireless electronic drivetrain system.

It takes one hour to charge the system's two derailleur batteries from full dead. You can ride an estimated 1000km or about 60 riding hours on a single charge. And the batteries are interchangeable, so if your rear derailleur goes dead, you can move the front battery to the back and still have a 1x11 set-up to get home. Meanwhile, smaller disc-style batteries inside the shifters last an estimated two years based on a 15-hour-a-week average ride time. Point being, you don't have to worry about always plugging your bike in after you ride.

The eTap system's other highlight feature is what are called Blips. This is SRAM's answer to Shimano's sprint and climbing shift buttons, but with more customization options. Users can place Blips anywhere on the handlebars. For instance, Slusser said he'd located his sprint shifters farther down his bars than most just because that's where he likes to place his hands when going all out.

The Blips remote shifter buttons plug into these ports and can be located anywhere on your handlebars.

The Blips remote shifter buttons plug into these ports and can be located anywhere on your handlebars (click to enlarge).​

The Blips buttons are about two centimeters in diameter and require slightly more force than the Shimano counterparts, which helps assure no mistake shifts when changing hand positions. SRAM offers four lengths of Blips wires (no, the system is not completely wireless). Each Blip plugs into a port in the back of the shifter under the brake hood, and can then be routed under the bar tape to wherever you want it. "You wont feel the wire under your tape," assured Slusser.

Continue to page 2 for of our SRAM Red eTap first ride review »


Get rid of shifting cables (or wires) and you get a very clean front end.

Get rid of shifting cables (or wires) and you get a very clean front end (click to enlarge).​

Out on the road it indeed took about 5 minutes to get used to the new shifting logic. And while, I wont say it's better or worse than traditional set-ups, it's certainly easy. I also think that for riders new to the sport, it will be easier to grasp, requiring incrementally less thought than a mechanical set-up or four-button electronic system such as Shimano Di2.

The larger difference is eTap's feedback. Instead of the sometimes vague feel and subtle sound of Shimano Di2 buttons, the SRAM set-up essentially doesn't allow miss-shifts (just one button on each side), and delivers an audible click when a shift is actuated, assuring its user that action netted outcome.

The batteries remove easy and are interchangeable between front and rear derailleur.

The batteries remove easy and are interchangeable between front and rear derailleur (click to enlarge).​

Just like with Di2, eTap allows you dump numerous gears, but we did notice the action felt a tiny bit slower than what we've experienced with the Shimano system. That probably wont make a difference on the road, but might cause issue in a cyclocross race, where rapid terrain changes can necessitate high speed gear changes. (Note, that SRAM has since released a hydraulic disc brake version of eTap, which will surely mean it gets spec'd on some 2017 model year 'cross bikes.)

Hear about how SRAM Red eTap came to be.


As for the gran fondo, it was a hot, hard day. But that had nothing to do with the drivetrain. During five-plus hours of ride time, shifting was smooth, precise, and intuitive. The system also delivered on SRAM's claim of true 22, meaning you can completely cross-shift your chain without ill effect. In fact, both derailleurs have built-in auto trim functionality, all but eliminating chain rub even when your in the 39x11 or 53x28.

Yes, I miss-shifted from time to time, but that had more to do with fatigue than any system shortcoming. And I really appreciated the tactile feel and audible feedback, which helped keep me engaged as the day wore on. Call it a 5-out-of-5 first ride review.

It takes one hour to charge the system's two derailleur batteries from full dead. The groupset comes with a plug-in charging station.

It takes one hour to charge the system's two derailleur batteries from full dead. The groupset comes with a plug-in charging station (click to enlarge).​

In the bigger, picture the new system has the potential to make things easier for bike designers and mechanics (home or otherwise). No longer do bike frames need wiring ports, though this is just a theoretical advantage for now. Until Shimano and Campagnolo bring wireless systems to market, frames will continue to accept all three systems. Set-up of eTap is a different story, though. Instead of routing cables or wires, you simply press a few buttons to pair shifter and derailleur. This is welcome news to anyone who's ever struggled with feeding wires through a frame.

Of course all this technology comes at a price. A full groupset is a pricey $2758 or $1250 for just the shifters and derailleurs, which will work with existing SRAM 11-speed setups. But expect lower tier groups to come to market in the next year or so, which will make an already attractive package that much more desirable.

For more information visit www.sram.com.