Red versus Record
15/06/24 22:03 Filed in: Riding
After three years of doing all my riding on Record (both commuting and racing/training), I have now had a year on Red for commuting while still having Record on the race bike. The other day I had to pick up my car and the race bike is far easier to stick in the back of the car without mudguards than the game of Tetris required to get the commuter in there. I was noticing the stark differences between the two bikes during my ride and thought I’d comment on those here.
The Checkpoint SL is a “cheap” carbon frame made out of more, lower-grade carbon whereas the Madone SLR is an “expensive” carbon frame built out of top-of-the-line high-grade carbon. That they weigh roughly the same amount is due to the different intentions of the two bikes. The gravel bike has a massive fork to endure the rough roads while providing clearance for nearly MTB sized tyres. The racing bike has a massive fork to make it as aero as possible. So the two frames ride quite differently. And that isn’t what I want to write about.
When you touch the shift button on the SRAM AXS system, the derailleur instantly slams a gear change in the indicated direction. It is silent and barely requires the flick of a finger to achieve. Shifting mechanical Record requires a deliberate and forceful movement of the appropriate finger (unlike electronic shifting, there has to be unique movements for up and down shifts). The gear changes with a loud and satisfying thunk. While some people have complained about the delay in the wireless shifting to transmit and engage the command, there is to my perceptions a larger delay in the cable moving the mechanism and getting the change. With AXS the shift happens as I touch the button. With Record it happens slightly after.
There is never any question of achieving the shift in Record. It is proving very robust to adjustments and the audible indication that the shift has occurred leaves zero doubt. AXS can shift so imperceptibly that I sometimes look at the gear position indicator on my Garmin to see if it actually shifted (it always has).
I read in several places that the Campag hydraulic discs were the best of the big three on the road. When I first went to Red I thought they were “just as good”. After a year and riding the Record again the other day (I admit to not having ridden the Madone as much as I would like in the past few months - it is either commuting duty or MTB time) I noticed there is a subtlety to the Record that the Red lacks. They are perhaps only 1/2 a point out of 10 better, but they are that bit easier to modulate. The rotor/pad combo is a little quieter too. SRAM brakes all seem to make a certain noise that the Campag (and really I should call them Magura because they are really just the Magura MTB brakes for the road - right down to using the same pads) do not make.
I found the Record levers a nice change from the Rival/Force levers they replaced. The Red electronic levers are enough different to the mechanical SRAM levers I used before that they are an all-new thing. They are at least as nice to use as the Record ones. The hood area where you park your hands riding along is great on both, perhaps a bit flatter and big hand friendly on the Red. The lever itself perhaps a tiny bit better shaped on the Record side.
Gearing is actually pretty close. The Record more traditional with 39/53 rings and 11-29 12-spd cassette. The Red uses the SRAM 13 tooth gap with a 37/50 ring pairing and a 10-28 12-spd cassette. Low gear on the Madone is not quite 2% taller than on the Checkpoint. High gear on the Checkpoint is not quite 4% taller than on the Madone - but that 10T sprocket is inefficient. Since Red was released in 12-spd form around 3 years ago, the pro teams have requested even larger rings than I have (the largest at release) not because they felt they needed larger gears overall, but to avoid using the 10T. A massive pair like 43/56 means not having to use the 11 or the 10 most of the time, and the 11 is there when needed.
I ride almost everywhere on the Checkpoint in the big ring. AXS will permit all 12 gear choices in the big ring (it forbids the small:small combo in the small ring) and a 50:28 is plenty low enough for most of my riding. Then I have the 37 to fall back on if I need lower.
Actually, because the Madone is the race bike, if I’m “on” it, I will do most of my ride in the big ring as well. I’ve done numerous Uriarra loops (if you ride in Canberra you must have done the loop before) in the big ring. I will often drop to the inner ring for the climb up from Uriarra Crossing if I’m going anti-clockwise because it is so steep - it is faster for sure - but I can easily push up that climb in the big ring.
Time on both groups solidifies how good they both are. But the digital goodness of Red can’t overwhelm the mechanical goodness of Record.
[Note: I put this under riding and not gear because even though the conversation is about the gear, it is really about rider perceptions and use.]
The Checkpoint SL is a “cheap” carbon frame made out of more, lower-grade carbon whereas the Madone SLR is an “expensive” carbon frame built out of top-of-the-line high-grade carbon. That they weigh roughly the same amount is due to the different intentions of the two bikes. The gravel bike has a massive fork to endure the rough roads while providing clearance for nearly MTB sized tyres. The racing bike has a massive fork to make it as aero as possible. So the two frames ride quite differently. And that isn’t what I want to write about.
When you touch the shift button on the SRAM AXS system, the derailleur instantly slams a gear change in the indicated direction. It is silent and barely requires the flick of a finger to achieve. Shifting mechanical Record requires a deliberate and forceful movement of the appropriate finger (unlike electronic shifting, there has to be unique movements for up and down shifts). The gear changes with a loud and satisfying thunk. While some people have complained about the delay in the wireless shifting to transmit and engage the command, there is to my perceptions a larger delay in the cable moving the mechanism and getting the change. With AXS the shift happens as I touch the button. With Record it happens slightly after.
There is never any question of achieving the shift in Record. It is proving very robust to adjustments and the audible indication that the shift has occurred leaves zero doubt. AXS can shift so imperceptibly that I sometimes look at the gear position indicator on my Garmin to see if it actually shifted (it always has).
I read in several places that the Campag hydraulic discs were the best of the big three on the road. When I first went to Red I thought they were “just as good”. After a year and riding the Record again the other day (I admit to not having ridden the Madone as much as I would like in the past few months - it is either commuting duty or MTB time) I noticed there is a subtlety to the Record that the Red lacks. They are perhaps only 1/2 a point out of 10 better, but they are that bit easier to modulate. The rotor/pad combo is a little quieter too. SRAM brakes all seem to make a certain noise that the Campag (and really I should call them Magura because they are really just the Magura MTB brakes for the road - right down to using the same pads) do not make.
I found the Record levers a nice change from the Rival/Force levers they replaced. The Red electronic levers are enough different to the mechanical SRAM levers I used before that they are an all-new thing. They are at least as nice to use as the Record ones. The hood area where you park your hands riding along is great on both, perhaps a bit flatter and big hand friendly on the Red. The lever itself perhaps a tiny bit better shaped on the Record side.
Gearing is actually pretty close. The Record more traditional with 39/53 rings and 11-29 12-spd cassette. The Red uses the SRAM 13 tooth gap with a 37/50 ring pairing and a 10-28 12-spd cassette. Low gear on the Madone is not quite 2% taller than on the Checkpoint. High gear on the Checkpoint is not quite 4% taller than on the Madone - but that 10T sprocket is inefficient. Since Red was released in 12-spd form around 3 years ago, the pro teams have requested even larger rings than I have (the largest at release) not because they felt they needed larger gears overall, but to avoid using the 10T. A massive pair like 43/56 means not having to use the 11 or the 10 most of the time, and the 11 is there when needed.
I ride almost everywhere on the Checkpoint in the big ring. AXS will permit all 12 gear choices in the big ring (it forbids the small:small combo in the small ring) and a 50:28 is plenty low enough for most of my riding. Then I have the 37 to fall back on if I need lower.
Actually, because the Madone is the race bike, if I’m “on” it, I will do most of my ride in the big ring as well. I’ve done numerous Uriarra loops (if you ride in Canberra you must have done the loop before) in the big ring. I will often drop to the inner ring for the climb up from Uriarra Crossing if I’m going anti-clockwise because it is so steep - it is faster for sure - but I can easily push up that climb in the big ring.
Time on both groups solidifies how good they both are. But the digital goodness of Red can’t overwhelm the mechanical goodness of Record.
[Note: I put this under riding and not gear because even though the conversation is about the gear, it is really about rider perceptions and use.]