After several months of only seeing it on the bikes of certain riders, Nino Schurter in the lead, the new Sram AXS paddle is finally available to the public! Here is everything you need to know about this new interface, adaptable to the AXS Pod and compatible with all AXS components:
Ergonomics, what a vast subject. The arrival of electronics in the world of mountain biking offers a lot of freedom to the brands’ engineering and design teams, and designing controls that please everyone is almost mission impossible, especially for something this important. as the derailleur control.
Sram quickly noticed this with the first generation of its AXS transmissions and its famous control which tried to imitate as much as possible the operation of a mechanical shifter… going through an almost confusing operation, and which required a little time to adaptation so as not to make a mistake. The American brand subsequently developed a second palette to respond to feedback from users, but the very shape of the controller limited the possibilities for development.
With the second generation of AXS presented at the beginning of 2023, we saw that the American brand had learned its lesson: the new control is much more modular, with an interface that can be separated from the “electronic block”… and changed to adapt easily to individual preferences. Jochen Bierwerth, the designer in charge of the subject at Sram, confirmed to us at the time that this was one of the main areas of development and that several interfaces should see the light of day in the future (read Sram Eagle AXS 2023: behind the scenes of development).
This new interface, here it is! Called Rocker Paddle, it adopts a shape which is reminiscent of a mixture of the first two paddles of the old control (still compatible with the new transmissions, let’s not forget). In front, instead of the two buttons we knew until now, we have a large welcoming space for the thumb with two facets to act on the buttons hidden below.
This is already a development that should please some people, but the best is yet to come: you can also use it with the index finger! The new Rocker Paddle actually has a small protrusion which allows you to reach for it from behind, when you don’t have your finger on the brake lever. Details? Perhaps, but once we have tasted this operation (whether on old AXS controls or in cable transmission with certain competitors), we often appreciate finding this possibility.
We haven’t had the chance to get our hands on it yet but we hope it won’t be long before we do. If the current AXS Pod is very comfortable in quiet use, some people within the editorial staff find it some limitations when the pace is more intense and appreciated the shape of the very first AXS command. Will this Rocker Paddle solve this problem?
If you want to try for yourself and you already have recent AXS elements (transmission, RockShox Flight Attendant suspensions, RockShox Reverb AXS seat post, Sram Powertrain assistance), Sram offers the paddle alone (so to be mounted on the AXS Pod in place of the two-button interface) at €22, in right or left version. And if you ride with an AXS group equipped with the old shifter, the AXS Pod Rocker assembly (electronic box + paddle) is priced at €170, or €10 less than the AXS Pod with the two buttons.
More information: sram.com
