Awesome Pricing on Rival Drivetrain Stuff

[cucumber19]

Not necessarily on-topic for this site, but I know alot of people are doing builds here in the US.  bikecloset.com has some killer deals on SRAM components, especially Rival ... everything except batteries, cassette and rotors for $460.  Check their "Builder's Corner": https://bikecloset.com/product-category/builders-corner/

Note they have 2 different FD's, one for $59, one for $129, just a head's up!  I have no relationship with them, but have ordered from them a few times and they've been perfectly reliable.

[Serge_K]

i wish we had these prices in europe, i'm sitting with 2 broken ltwoo ER9 out of the 5 i've installed, if Shimano / Sram prices made any sense in Europe, i may not have gone down the chinese route.
I wouldn't run these small chainrings and 10T cassettes though, efficiency wise, they're retarded. You can run normal 11-X cassettes and whatever cranks on SRAM groups, right?
If anyone knows of good prices on Sram / Shimano in Europe, i'm all ears.

[jonathanf2]

I'm confused. For the SRAM Rival AXS shifters it's listing them both as right hand. Is that an error? Also do I have to run the SRAM crank and chain? Can I run a regular 12 speed chain and crankset instead? Tempted to try this out!

[coffeebreak]

Both right shifters but with long and short hoses. Right shifter with front caliper is a pretty strange combination though.
A couple threads on ww and some comments on Reddit mentioned that flat top SRAM chains are different and without those shifting isn't optimal. Same with cassettes. Although one person vehemently denied having any issues with shifting using Shimano cassette.
I'll play safe and stick to everything SRAM the 12s stuff is sensitive as it is.

[kbernstein]

I'm confused. For the SRAM Rival AXS shifters it's listing them both as right hand. Is that an error? Also do I have to run the SRAM crank and chain? Can I run a regular 12 speed chain and crankset instead? Tempted to try this out!

I recommend this thread - people have tried tons of combinations.
Edit: better if i include the link
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1865485#p1865485

[coffeebreak]

The biggest hurdle for me will be my wheelsets all of which are Shimano HG type freehub and I don't know how many of those can be easily converted to SRAM (or on the cheap).

[jonathanf2]

The biggest hurdle for me will be my wheelsets all of which are Shimano HG type freehub and I don't know how many of those can be easily converted to SRAM (or on the cheap).

Same here, I only have HG freehubs even though I can swap them out for XDR. Plus I'm the worst when it comes to spilling hydraulic fluid. It's probably a bad idea for me to work with DOT fluid. I think for now I'll keep gambling with the ER9. Even with the spotty QA, it's still the most open electronic system. With SRAM I'd be stuck with proprietary chains, cranksets, batteries, etc.

[Sakizashi]

RE: Bike Closet as a retailer. They are close-outs dealer so their customer service is slightly less than would be ideal but decent. My purchases from them have all eventually shown up and their descriptions are accurate.

RE: The SRAM rival stuff. Most of it appears to be OEM packed so they might be missing bolts and adapters. Be careful of the Wide FD. That will limit generally your use of cranks to GRX / SRAM wide / Rotor with the longer spindle / and some other gravel focused cranks.

You can use other chainrings with the flat top chain. Stone makes some, Praxis makes some that work, A lot of people have had success with Shimano and Campagnolo too.

I wouldn't try aftermarket cassettes with flat top, you could always run a shimano 12 speed chain and their cassettes. I do think the 10t thing is overblown. Its not a gear you sprint in if you have your ratios setup right and it pulls your 14, 15, 16, 17 which are the close ratios most of us use the most to the center of the cassette. The cassette progressions are also really good. Particularly the 10-33 which gives you fantastic range and jumps with a 48t or 50t big ring. Hope this helps someone!

[Noladutch]

Yep the ten tooth thing is super overblown. That cog is for down hill any watts given up are gravity assisted watts. If you are in that cog on flat ground buy bigger front rings.

Hell I run a e thirteen 9 46 on my gravel rig but that 9 tooth is for down hill only.

[Serge_K]

Yep the ten tooth thing is super overblown. That cog is for down hill any watts given up are gravity assisted watts. If you are in that cog on flat ground buy bigger front rings.

Hell I run a e thirteen 9 46 on my gravel rig but that 9 tooth is for down hill only.

An inferior design is an inferior design. And speak for yourself. I have a 52/36 and i routinely use the 11T at the back on the flat, once i'm going above 40kmh. And given i use the bike on steep hills too, i don't want to run 53/39. And i'm not going to swap cranks between flat and hilly days.
Sram's small cogs and small chainrings are mechanically an inferior design, plain and simple. Doesn't mean they dont work adequately for most. But it's a new design that's worse than what it replaced. aka, an inferior design.
Flat top chains suck too, zipp lost their edge so long ago that nobody's talking about them anymore, batteries that last a fraction of shimano's.
Sram engineers are the goats of poor engineering. They do however have very strong marketing.