SRAM's Red eTap is one of the exciting drivetrains to come along in recent history. The system is so elegant and simple it borders on sublime. The right paddle upshifts. The left paddle downshifts. Pushing both paddles simultaneously shifts the front derailleur. That's it. It is virtually impossible to mistake a front shift for a down shift.

A big question SRAM asked when developing their electronic shifting componentry was, "do we really need wires?". What electronics these days even have wires? So SRAM went full wireless. Power is supplied with interchangeable battery packs light enough to attach to the derailleurs themselves. The battery packs are exactly the same for the front and rear derailleurs. The batteries charge just like any modern electronic and the charge lasts at least a thousand kilometers. There is no concern about interference because the wireless algorithm is encrypted more securely than any cash machine.

The Lithium-Ion Polymer rechargeable are only 24 grams. Since the front and rear are identical you can swap the front battery to keep the higher priority rear shifting functional. The eTap shifters are also battery powered, but use simple CR2032 coin-style versions. The coin batteries are critical because they keep the weight of the shifter very low and allow the most usable hood shape possible since they take up such a small space. Battery life of the lever batteries can be expected to exceed two years.

Flashing indicators on the derailleurs after a shift gives indication of time remaining. A green LED on the rear derailleur rear derailleur indicates 15-60 hours of ride time remaining. A red LED means 5-15 hours of ride time remaining while a flashing red LED indicates less than 5 hours of ride time remaining. A green LED on the front derailleur advises 22-90 hours of ride time remaining while a red LED means 9-22 hours of ride time remaining. A flashing red LED indicates less than 9 hours of ride time remaining.

Kit includes: Shift/Brake Levers, Front/Rear Derailleurs and Batteries, Charger, USB Stick and Quick Start Guide. Plug and play remote eTap Blip Shifters can be added (available separately).