Cyclist
Gravel groupsets reviewed: Shimano vs SRAM vs Campagnolo
Gravel groupsets continue to innovate and provide different functionality to road bike groupsets. While the original gravel bikes predominantly used road groupsets, the emergence of gravel-specific groupsets has opened up a new world of easier travel over increasingly more extreme off-road terrain.
All the major groupset makers – Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo – now have a range of gravel-specific options. They offer lower ratios and wider gear spreads than their road-going groupsets (although road groupsets too now offer wider ranges than a few years ago).
Gravel groupsets also include clutched rear derailleurs to encourage chain retention and smoother running over bumpy ground. Plus, there’s an increasing emphasis on single-chainring 1x groupsets, even if many gravel groupsets still offer a double chainring 2x configuration as an alternative. All offer top-notch hydraulic disc brakes in-series.
Below, we’ve picked out gravel groupsets that we’ve reviewed from each of the major vendors. Lower down we have a selection of other gravel groupsets that we’ve not yet reviewed or, in the case of SRAM, where we haven’t reviewed a gravel-specific configuration.
Gravel groupsets at a glance
- Shimano GRX RX820: RRP £1,240 – Buy now from Tredz (£1,240)
- SRAM Apex XPLR: RRP £1,026 – Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£599)
- Shimano GRX RX815 Di2: RRP £2,065 – Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£1,399)
- Campagnolo Ekar: RRP £1,645 – Buy now from Swinnerton Cycles (£1,455)
- Shimano GRX RX600/400: RRP £835 – Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£440)
- SRAM Red AXS: RRP £2,423 – Buy now from Tredz (£1,100)
- SRAM Force/Rival AXS: RRP £2,299 – Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£1,699)
- Campagnolo Ekar GT: RRP £1,212
Why trust our advice?
Gravel has become as important a discipline as road cycling in the past few years. Cyclist has kept abreast of the trend, with extensive coverage of gravel tech and gravel bikes, alongside its road bike coverage. We’ve regularly featured gravel routes among our Big Rides in Cyclist magazine and on our website.
We’ve ridden and reviewed a wide range of gravel bikes and components too, so you can be assured that we’re taking an objective view of gravel bike groupsets and can give you unbiased advice on their performance and function.
Gravel groupsets reviewed
Below, you’ll find a summary for each of the gravel bike groupsets that we’ve reviewed here at Cyclist. We’ve covered groupsets from Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo. Further down, you’ll find entries for other gravel groupsets that we haven’t yet reviewed, so you can get a picture of other options to consider.
Shimano GRX RX820
£1,240 | View offer
- Pros: Wider range than Shimano’s 11-speed groupsets, Great lever feel
- Cons: 1x options need a Micro Spline freehub, Mechanical shifting only
Shimano’s 12-speed GRX RX820 groupset divides into three options. All (currently) offer mechanical shifting only. There’s a double chainring option, RX820, with a 48/31t crankset and choice of 11-34t or 11-36t cassette.
Then there are two single chainring possibilities. The RX822-GS rear derailleur can handle a 10-45t cassette, while RX822-SGS will work with a 10-51t cassette for extra range. You can swap derailleur cages to adjust your gear range. The 1x variants use a Micro Spline freehub.
We’ve reviewed the wider range 1x RX822-SGS option with a 10-51t cassette. We liked the lever feel, with plenty of grip and a slightly narrower body than GRX 11-speed. The lever blades are comfortably angled and non-slip, so that they’re easy to operate in wet conditions.
We found shifting smooth and accurate, with little running noise from the groupset. The brakes include Servo Wave non-linear lever response, which makes for excellent braking.
- Read our full Shimano GRS RX820 groupset review
SRAM Apex XPLR AXS
£1,026 | View offer
- Pros: Crisp reliable electronic shifting, XPLR components compatible with other SRAM road groupsets
- Cons: 1x only, Eagle and XPLR components not mutually compatible
As with Shimano GRX 12-speed, SRAM’s fourth tier Apex 12-speed electronic groupset needs some explanation, as there are four distinct flavours, all single-chainring only.
Apex divides first into Apex XPLR and Apex Eagle. Apex XPLR follows road groupset standards, with a 10-44t cassette and XPLR derailleur. In contrast, Apex Eagle is more akin to a mountain bike groupset. It offers a maximum 10-52t cassette for a wider gear range, but works with an MTB-style chain and cassette spacing and so is incompatible with SRAM’s road groupset components.
Both Apex XPLR and Apex Eagle are available either with mechanical shifting or AXS electronic shifting.
Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s turn to our review of the SRAM Apex XPLR AXS electronic groupset. We rated the groupset’s crisp and reliable shifting, as well as its braking. Compatibility with SRAM’s other AXS groupsets allows you to mix and match and you can fit wireless electronic Blips satellite shifters so that you can shift from the drops or tops, not just the levers.
If you’re content with a 1x groupset for your gravel bike, it’s an impressive option at a more affordable price point.
- Read our full SRAM Apex XPLR AXS review
- Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£599)
Shimano GRX RX815 Di2
£2,065 | View offer
- Pros: 1x and 2x options, Precise shifting
- Cons: Not as wide a gear spread as other gravel groupsets, Only 11-speed
For the moment, GRX RX815 11-speed is the only Shimano GRX gravel groupset available with electronic shifting. We reviewed the 1x option, but it’s also available 2x. For 1x use, we would have liked to see a twelfth sprocket at the rear to offer smaller jumps between ratios.
We rated the groupset’s levers, which provide extra leverage when braking, with wider and flatter blades than on Shimano’s road groupsets. They’re also comfortable to ride on over rough ground. Shifting is rapid and precise as well and Shimano’s clutched derailleur helps avoid mis-shifts, chain slap or a dropped chain.
- Read our full Shimano GRX RX815 Di2 review
- Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£1,399)
Campagnolo Ekar
£1,645 | View offer
- Pros: Good spread of gears with narrow mid-range jumps, Low weight
- Cons: A little more temperamental than alternatives, Thumb shifters not as easy to use on gravel as rival systems
Campagnolo has taken an innovative path with its Ekar gravel groupset, with cassettes starting with a 9 or 10 tooth smallest sprocket. The largest 44 tooth sprocket ensures a wide gear range and the 13 speeds avoid over-large jumps between ratios. Ekar is lighter than competitors from Shimano and SRAM too. The Ekar cassette requires a rear wheel fitted with a N3W freehub, although this is now standard on Campagnolo wheels and is backward-compatible with its 12-speed road cassettes, once an adapter is fitted.
Ekar offers 1x mechanical shifting only. We found it smooth, although needing a little more adjustment to keep it sweet than its rivals. The Ekar brakes work well with plenty of leverage and Campagnolo has redesigned its thumb shifters to make upshifts from the hoods a little easier than with its road bike groupsets.
- Read our full Campagnolo Ekar groupset review
Other gravel groupsets
There’s a wide range of gravel groupsets now available across the big three groupset brands. Here are a few options that we haven’t yet reviewed, or at least not in a gravel-specific configuration, but which are worthy of your attention.
Shimano GRX RX600 and Shimano GRX RX400
£835 | View offer
- Pros: Cheaper entry points to Shimano GRX
- Cons: RX600 is not a complete groupset, RX400 is 2x only
Alongside its RX820 series 12-speed and RX810 series 11-speed GRX groupsets, Shimano offers two other tiers.
GRX RX600 series components offer lower priced 11-speed components, such as the crankset and shifters, but not a full groupset, so they need to be paired with GRX810 components on your bike. They offer slightly different gearing than RX810 too.
In contrast, GRX RX400 is a full 10-speed groupset, although you may see RX400 brake callipers fitted to 11-speed bikes. It’s Shimano’s entry-level gravel groupset and 2x only.
SRAM Red AXS
£2,423 | View offer
- Pros: 1x and 2x options with wide ratios, Can spec a power meter
- Cons: Expensive, No Wide options
SRAM’s premium Red AXS groupset offers a range of options for gravel riders. The standard double crankset configuration allows you to fit a 46/33t chainring combination which, paired with a 10-36t cassette, may give you enough range for gravel riding, particularly if you plan to use it for gravel racing.
SRAM Red AXS also offers a single chainring XPLR configuration. This uses a different rear derailleur which works with a 10-44t cassette to provide a reasonably wide 1x set-up. Both 1x and 2x can be specced with a power meter.
- Read our SRAM Red AXS review
SRAM Force/Rival AXS
£2,299 | View offer
- Pros: Broad range of 1x and 2x gravel options, Wide options for extra tyre clearance
- Cons: No really low gearing options except with a mullet build
As with SRAM Red, Force and Rival both offer 2x and 1x 12-speed options with electronic shifting for gravel riders. The 2x configuration options are similar to Red and there’s an XPLR 1x option with the same 10-44t range.
But Force and Rival add an extra possibility with Wide cranksets. These shift the chainline 2.5mm outboard and allow gravel riders to fit either a 2x or 1x Wide crankset while offering extra frame clearance for wider gravel tyres. For the 2x Wide configuration, you’ll also need a Wide front derailleur.
All SRAM’s road groupsets allow you to set up an extra-wide gear spread by pairing them in a 1x mullet build with a SRAM Eagle AXS MTB derailleur and cassette.
- Read our SRAM Rival AXS review
Campagnolo Ekar GT
£1,212
- Pros: Lower price than standard Ekar, 10-48 cassette provides extra range over Ekar
- Cons: Mechanical only, Heavier than Ekar
Campagnolo Ekar GT is a lower priced 13-speed option from Campagnolo than its original Ekar. It substitutes alloy for Ekar’s carbon crankset and has other changes to simplify manufacture and hence lower costs.
It’s not all about price reductions though, with Ekar GT including a new 10-48 tooth cassette and 36 tooth chainring, offering a wider range and lower gearing than the original Ekar. The shifters are also a little smaller than original Ekar, while still retaining the familiar Campagnolo thumb shifter.
- Read our Campagnolo Ekar GT launch story
Now read our guide to gravel bike gearing.
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