It’s fair to say that, over the past decade or more, Sram has been the most consistent instigator of new groupset technology. More often than not those innovations have been introduced on the road by the brand’s Red platform, yet in the years since its last overhaul in 2019, Red has found itself in danger of being shown up by newer, lower-tier siblings, most notably in terms of ergonomics.
The 2019 Red eTap AXS may have introduced plenty in the way of techy new features, but its controls left something to be desired: their oversized, blocky shapes were a hangover from the brand’s early HRD (Hydraulic Road Disc) system combined with mechanical rim-brake Red22’s ‘Double Tap’ shifter and lever designs. A revised control shape was arguably top of the list for any new Red AXS, and in this area the latest generation has not only stepped up to the design of the lower groupset tiers, but stepped beyond it.
2019’s Red eTap AXS may have
