Wireless shifting and hydraulic disc braking, front and rear, in one box.
This is the complete control package for a SRAM AXS road or gravel build: left and right shift-brake levers, both hydraulic calipers, and pre-bled hoses. Bolt them on, pair them to your derailleurs, and ride.
Rival is SRAM's entry into the AXS ecosystem, but "entry" is doing a lot of misleading work in that sentence. It shifts with the same wireless protocol, the same app, and the same eTap logic as RED. It just costs a fraction of it.
SRAM redesigned these controls around one problem: braking from the hoods used to take real effort. Moving the brake lever pivot higher changed the leverage ratio, and the result is roughly 80% less hand force to stop from the hoods than the previous generation.
If you ride on the hoods most of the time — which, on gravel and endurance road, is most people most of the time — that's not a spec-sheet improvement. It's the difference between one-finger braking and grabbing a fistful.
The redesign also closed the gap that used to pinch fingers under hard braking, and widened the Reach Adjust range so smaller hands can actually get to the lever without a shim kit.
If you've never ridden AXS, the logic takes about thirty seconds to learn and then disappears:
No cable tension. No trim. No indexing that drifts out over a season. The levers talk to the derailleurs wirelessly, and every shift is the same shift whether it's the first ride or the two-hundredth.
Pair the system to the SRAM AXS app and you can check battery levels on every component, reassign what each paddle does, set up sequential shifting on a 2x setup, get service reminders, and push firmware updates. Reassigning buttons means a left-handed rider, a rider who wants the paddles reversed, or a 1x build can all set the system up the way they want in about a minute.
Check your hose lengths before ordering. Hoses measure 850mm front and 1500mm rear. That covers most road and gravel frames, but if you're on a large or XL frame, running full internal routing through the headset, or building an unusual cockpit, measure your existing hose runs first. You can shorten a hose. You can't lengthen one.
Rotors are not included and are sold separately. SRAM recommends Paceline rotors for this system; Centerline rotors also work.
This is the control end of the system, not a complete groupset. To finish the build you'll need:
Mixing tiers is fine. Rival levers run a Force or RED derailleur without complaint — they all speak the same wireless protocol. Plenty of good builds pair Rival controls with a nicer derailleur.
Two separate systems, and people mix them up constantly:
Flat mount calipers only. If your frame or fork uses post mount, this won't bolt up without a converter, and post-mount conversion on a flat mount caliper is not a clean solution — order the post mount version instead. Rotor size adapters are frame-specific and sold separately.
The hoses arrive pre-bled, which removes the ugliest part of a hydraulic install — but you'll almost certainly need to cut them to length for your frame, and cutting means re-bleeding that line. Budget for a bleed kit and mineral-free DOT fluid, or hand it to a shop.
Pairing is done by pressing the AXS button on each component. It takes about a minute and doesn't require the app, though the app is worth setting up anyway.
Full installation documentation, torque values, and bleed procedures are available in SRAM's service hub for this model.
Not intended for retail sale. This is original-equipment product supplied for dealer service, warranty replacement, and complete-bike build applications.
OE product is the same component that ships on complete bikes — identical specification, identical performance. What differs is how it's supplied:
Warranty. SRAM's consumer warranty program does not apply to original-equipment components. Warranty and defect claims on this item are administered by State Bicycle Co. Contact our support team with your order number. Crash damage, wear items, and installation damage are not covered.
If you want factory-sealed retail packaging with the full retail small-parts kit and SRAM consumer warranty coverage, order the retail-pack version instead.
Original equipment service item. Supplied in OE packaging for dealer service, warranty replacement, and complete-bike build applications; not a retail-packaged consumer product and not intended for retail sale. SRAM consumer warranty does not apply to original-equipment components — warranty administration on this item is provided by State Bicycle Co. Professional installation required. Hydraulic disc brake systems require correct hose routing, cutting, and bleeding; improper installation can result in brake failure, serious injury, or death. SRAM, Rival, AXS, eTap, HRD, Paceline, and Centerline are trademarks of SRAM LLC. State Bicycle Co. is not affiliated with or endorsed by SRAM LLC. Specifications subject to change without notice.