Best shifting drivetrain I've ever used

[Captain Slow]

My new bike has SRAM Rival eTap AXS and I've put about 600-700 kms on it since I got it.

It is the best shifting I've experienced and it's not even close. It's so smooth, silent, no missed shifts - ever. The other thing I really like is the 13 tooth gap between the chainrings, results in a smaller jump and it's easier to maintain a good cadence. Even better is the sequential shift mode so if you shift several cogs quickly it will automatically shift the front chainring for you.

Not looking forward to the replacement cost on chains and cassettes as I imagine it's more expensive, but wow the shifting is amazing.

On top of that, the frame feels super stiff in the bottom bracket area. Maybe I'm imagining it, but it just feels that each pedal stroke translates into more forward motion than on my Cervelo. This Aethos is the best bike I've ever owned and I'm loving it.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Considering how often we shift gears I don't mind spending more money on a more expensive shifter kit.
I have Di2 on my Giant Defy and I absolutely love the shifting on that bike. If I had to describe the Di2 shifter in one word it would be 'smooth'.

On the other hand, the shifting on my Cannondale e-gravel bike is anything but smooth. It's course and clunky. There's no joy in using this shifter (mountain bike Deore setup).
The GRX shift kit that came with the bike wasn't much better.
When I went from a drop to straight handlebar I had the option to go with Di2, but the electronic unit was WAY more expensive, so I went with the Deore setup instead.
I wish I'd spent the money and gone with the Di2 kit.

 

[Captain Slow]

I've been told that Di2 is even better than AXS. If that's true it must be sublime, because I find the AXS to be superb. I didn't know shifting could be this good. The interesting thing is reading the stats and seeing how many shifts I've made during a ride, how much time I spend in each gear, etc .....

 

[fooferdoggie]

I would love electronic shifting but its not going to work yet with flat bars and a big drive train change.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I would love electronic shifting but its not going to work yet with flat bars and a big drive train change.

Have you taken a look at @6zfshdb 's thread about Archer Components E shifter? It would work for you.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Have you taken a look at @6zfshdb 's thread about Archer Components E shifter? It would work for you.

yes but it does not really seem its made for serious shifting. like when starting off I may shift two gears at once as I get going several timed. when stopping I need to get inthe largest cog fast I can shfit 3 gears at once now. I want instant response. I shift all the time as the road changes. maybe on the tandem but I dont want to have to turn it on each time I ride. I would have to hop off and turn it on as I would forget.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I'm considering the Archer electronic shifter, but as Fooferdoggie mentioned, it has some drawbacks. Having said that, 6zfshdb seems to be happy with its performance.

 

[6zfshdb]

yes but it does not really seem its made for serious shifting. like when starting off I may shift two gears at once as I get going several timed. when stopping I need to get inthe largest cog fast I can shfit 3 gears at once now. I want instant response. I shift all the time as the road changes. maybe on the tandem but I dont want to have to turn it on each time I ride. I would have to hop off and turn it on as I would forget.

The D1X Trail will shift two cogs at once. It will also "rapid fire" shift if you press the buttons quickly. The biggest advantage, especially with large cogs is, the "overshift" feature which lets you temporarily adjust the derailleur to go farther than normal. This hastens getting into larger cogs and makes the shift much smoother. After the shift, the derailleur returns to automatically to it's proper alignment for that cog.

I was skeptical at first and fully expected to take advantage of the 30 day no questions asked return policy. Now, after over 1000 miles, I'm still on the first battery charge and happy enough with the product. So much so in fact that I removed the mechanical shifter & cable from the bike completely.

I'm sure the D1X won't compare with the high end shifters though and I have to admit, I do occasionally forget to turn it on. I have it mounted to the seat stay though so I can reach down to turn it on without dismounting.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Thanks for the info. I turn 70 in September and will probably buy an Archer electronic shifter as a birthday present to myself.
Interestingly, the original GRX shifter and the replacement Deore shifter both shift fairly smoothly when going from a smaller cog to a larger cog, but both kits really 'clunk' when going the other way.

@Captain Slow, if you had it to do again and could choose between the Creo and the Aethos which would you still buy the Creo?
I took my Giant Defy out for my senior's group ride yesterday. Half the riders have ebikes and I was able to keep up with the ebike group and didn't get too far behind on the hills.
The ride was very enjoyable. It felt great riding such a light, nimble bike.
I don't dare go to my local Specialized dealer and test ride an Aethos. The last time I went for a test ride, with no plan on buying a new bike, I ended up buying a new bike.

Having said that, I spent five days last week RVing in Victoria and did the scenic loop on my e-gravel bike. I have to admit it was very nice having a motor on some of the hills.

 

[RabH]

My last bike (acoustic) had Di2 and it was sublime, super smooth and no cables to break! My current bike (Giant Road E+1 Pro) has Ultegra mechanical shifting and when I first got the bike my chain was forever jumping off but once I got it dialled in properly it has been shifting like a dream so I don't feel the need to add the expense of electronic shifting! I did have to replace my rear shifter cable once but it was due to the bike falling over on the drive side and it damaged the outer cable right at the derailleur, which in turn caused the cable to fray at the bars!

 

[Asher]

Why the clickbait headline?

 

[Captain Slow]

Deacon, I think the choice is fairly fact specific to one's circumstances. For the group I ride with now, I'm probably the fastest one in the group so riding a Creo with that group doesn't make sense. As it is with my Aethos I'm the first up climbs, and some by a big margin. So I ride up and wait for the others. Riding the Creo wouldn't make sense in that scenario.

But if I were riding with my friends who were Cat 3 racers then the Creo makes a lot more sense and if I were riding with that group regularly then I'd want the Creo to help me stay with them.

But let's stay I'm just riding solo, what do I prefer? I have to say the Creo is a nice bike and I've really enjoyed it, but the Aethos just has a fantastic ride quality. For an ebike the Creo handles great and is responsive, but the Aethos is just that much more responsive and handles even better. The shifting on the Creo is meh, but the Rival eTap is just simply the best I've ever had. So if I was only going to do solo rides then it would be the Aethos.

The other thing to consider is my current level of fitness. I've spent a winter on Zwift and it estimates my FTP at around 223 watts which is about 3.2 watts/kg, so I'm finding that I'm easily riding up hills that a few years ago with poorer fitness and being heavier were quite hard. I was probably more like 2 - 2.3 watts/kg then and that would certainly tilt things more towards the Creo.

So many considerations, but for me today, I'm picking the Aethos but I can see how a couple of changes and the Creo could be the choice.

 

[Alaskan]

I have great fun tweaking and customizing the drive trains on my bikes.

I wish I could put the AXS X01 derailleur and shifter that I upgraded on my Trek Allant 9.9s with the XTR 10-51 12 speed Shimano cassette on my Cannondale Topstone Carbon Neo Lefty. The rated maximum cog for the BRX 812 derailleur is 42 tooth but I found that with taking the b screw to near the max it will shift just fine with a 46 tooth cog. I have gone as far as I can with the existing GRX groupset by swapping out the original 11-42 cassette for a Sunracec 11-46 and changing the front chainring from a 44 to 48 tooth, has boosted the gear range adding taller final high gear. I also added an Onyx hub with instant engagement, silent coasting and ceramic bearings which gives the whole drive added smoothness easier coasting and minor speed improvement.

I would love to add electronic shifting. The only real electronic shifting option without changing out the brakes and everything is the GRX Di2 1x. I like riding fast and doing 40-50 mile rides regularly but live up a steep 500 foot hill and do logging road gravel rides in the near by foothills and mountains. Thus a 1/12 with a 10/51 cassette is really attractive but Sram shifter/brake levers do not play well with Shimano brakes so the entire groupset and drive train would have to be scrapped as Shimano does not make a di2 12 speed drop bar shifter than plays well with their great 12 speed XT 12 speed cassettes. Too many choices and none of them low cost.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Richard, I think I'll let you do the experimenting and when you find something that improves the shifting for our Left 3s I'll buy the same thing.