Early in 2024, SRAM’s massive information was a brand new model of their top-tier street group, RED AXS. That new group is lighter, simpler to make use of, and encompasses a considerably totally different shifter/hood form. Now it seems these modifications could possibly be headed to their middle-tier Drive group within the close to future.
As traditional with all these leaks, there may be one grainy image posted to the Weight Weenies discussion board of what seems to be a brand new SRAM Drive group. The Shifter profile appears to be of comparable form to the lately launched RED shifters, and the brake calipers look to be very related albeit with out the machined holes by way of the caliper sides and totally different rotors.
Notably absent is a cassette from the picture. SRAM RED continues to be utilizing 12-speed cassettes which might be backwards suitable with current SRAM 12-speed AXS teams, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Drive go the identical route. Clearly, SRAM RED XPLR cranked it as much as 13-speed, but it surely primarily requires a 1x cassette to make it work by angling the biggest cogs out over the spokes to make the most of the identical XDR freehub physique. By preserving the brand new SRAM group 12-speed, riders ought to be capable to use current chains, cassettes, and chainrings whereas getting the improved ergonomics and brakes launched with RED.
SRAM has been fairly good these days at launching new teams with trickle-down tech pretty shortly after their halo teams, so it wouldn’t be stunning to see this on bikes this yr – which might be nice for SRAM, since suggestions on the brand new lever form and brake efficiency has been overwhelmingly optimistic.
