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A light blue S-Works Tarmac SL8 sits on a feecback stand in a parking lot. The bike has a full SRAM RED groupset

First Impressions: The All New SRAM Red AXS, Hammerhead Karoo, and S-Works Tarmac SL8 LTD

May 5th, 2024 - Article by Matt Peterson, Photos by Nate Cannon

The newest, top of the line groupset from SRAM has been the most exciting and worst kept secret in cycling for a while now. Those in the know had spied photos of it in the pro peloton and it seems SRAM was using the leaks to build hype for the “lightest electronic groupset ever.” Naturally, we’ve had some high expectations and were incredibly excited to get our hands on it.

For this article, we won’t go into too much into detail about the specs. There are tons of articles across the internet outlining all the weight differences and new features in detail. Instead, we’re going to discuss the changes which made the biggest impressions on us and the updates we're most excited about.

The Lever: Lighter, New Ergonomics, and Better Braking

The star of the show on the new Red is the levers. Right out of the box we weighed them at an impressive ~32 grams less (per lever) than the previous generation. The shape of the new lever has a longer reach, allowing more room for your fingers to wrap around the hoods comfortably.
There is a steeper rise on the hood itself, and the lever blade has more flare than the previous generations. The levers themselves are made of a very stiff but light feeling carbon and features two new buttons on the inboard side of the hood. Although we are still big fans of the Force levers released last year, the new Red controls feel fantastic in your hands. They are noticeably more comfortable and the flare makes braking much easier. The new blip buttons are nicely positioned for use as a secondary shifter, but we think it would be more useful paired to a head unit. 

The braking power of the new lever/caliper combo is maybe the best we’ve ever experienced on a road bike. While it still has the great modulation that SRAM brakes offers, the strength of braking and force needed to slow have both improved considerably. SRAM claims that the levers are up to 80% easier to pull (how that’s measured, we don’t know) but we’re inclined to agree. 

Close up on the new SRAM RED cassette and rear derrailleur

Derailleurs and Cassette: Crisp

So how’s the shifting? Two words: crisp and quiet. In the past when comparing SRAM vs. Shimano, one of the biggest pulls for Shimano was the smoother and faster shifts. Now I’d be hard pressed to say which system is fundamentally better in that respect, and would say it more so relies on the skill of the mechanic setting it up. Most importantly, the front derailleur has been re-designed for those who have griped about dropping chains. Overall it feels like the front shifts a bit quicker, but only time will tell if SRAM has perfected the design. The 10-36 cassette is offered now at the Red level as well which has been a long time coming. 

hammerhead karoo hero image

Hammerhead Karoo 3

Though we haven’t been able to put this to a real test yet and dive into the new features, as a current Hammerhead user I personally appreciate the brighter display and button configurations. Though I don’t think the battery life of the K2 was necessarily as bad as others claim, better processing power and battery life are welcome upgrades. A companion app is now offered as well which makes the already intuitive UI of Hammerhead even easier to customize. Specialized also provided a polished silver K-Edge mount which matches the aesthetic of Red beautifully.

First Ride Impressions

Our introduction to Red came on a new, limited edition colorway of the Tarmac SL8. Paired with the Roval Rapide cockpit, the stiffest race bike in town gets even more comfortable and powerful. The SL8 is noticeably more stiff than the previous generation but the Aethos inspired seat stays soak up road vibrations. The flare of the new shifters makes an aerodynamic hood position possible without sacrificing ergonomics, and lends stability to a race caliber bike. However, the real wow factor is the braking power. It feels as powerful as a mountain brake with the perfect amount of modulation.

Conclusion

Although these are only first impressions, we can solidly recommend the new Red as possibly the best road groupset on the market. If nothing else, upgrading to this generation of levers and brakes would be extremely worthwhile for the serious cyclist, as SRAM continues to offer compatibility on all 12 speed systems. We hope that the new ergonomic improvements also trickle down into the lower tiers, but until then we expect to see Red be the most popular cycling product release this year.