gazelle5333

Where exactly does this new group fit into the continually growing and highly debated order of groupo's?

My allez elite got totaled after a car hit me and while I wait for the insurance company to do their thing and get me the money to replace it, I'm debating on an upgrade for a couple hundred extra. The 2011 tarmac elite is believed to be(still not released yet) fitted with the SRAM Apex. Does it equate to 105/ultegra or is it more tiagra level?

Caecilia42

I got a Roubaix elite with SRAM Apex yesterday. It's meant to compete with a 105 triple. Because of the special wide cassette, it has slightly lower and higher gears than the 105 triple with only a double upfront.

gus6464

Apex is like having a 105 triple on a double and without the added weight of a triple.

mobike_moexcite

I would say it is 105 level, it is however SRAM. Not that it is a bad thing but it will be different and you may want to make sure that it is what you want.

gazelle5333

I've been exposed to the double-tap before and loved the feel but couldn't find any bikes at my original price point with SRAM. What are the increments of the rear cog? I'm guessing they'll jump a little more than usual, not the gentle 17-16-15-14...

mikeyp.1

Apex is priced like Tiagra but lighter than 105-reviews I have read say it is a lot like Rival-I just bought my second Rival roadbike so you know I love this group.

zstjohn

I'm not sure what the jump is but the rear cassete is 11-32.

joejack951

But with huge jumps in between cassette cogs and chainrings unlike a 105 triple with a standard road cassette.

Ziltoid

What will be the actual street price of that thing?

mikeyp.1

Yes 11-32 has some jumps in it but Apex also comes in 11-28 and with a short cage dr in 11-26 and 11-23-I think anything I could climb on a roadbike I could climb in 34x28!

BluesDawg

This group would be a better alternative to a triple if 12-30, 13-30 and 13-32 cassettes were available.

Caecilia42

Pricewise, it's running several hundred bucks cheaper than 105 so I was able to step up a level in frame quality by choosing SRAM Apex as opposed to waiting for the bike to be available with the new 105.

Creatre

I love the concept of the Apex, and especially the price. On my next bike I will probably be going with the Apex set. I haven't decided yet if I want the 11-28 or 11-32 rear cassette though. I would love the 32 for the mountains, but not sure if the skips are going to be too tough on the flat lands or not. You can also drop about 200 grams if you can get a Rival crank instead of the Apex crank, but other than that the weight is close to rival everywhere else.

Gluteus

The individual cogs are 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32

Source

rail157

The more I read about Apex, the less I see the point of Rival. The same thing happened to Force when Rival first came out.

under18cyclists

Pics or it didn't happen.

intence

Rival's lighter than Apex. What's the main difference between 105 and Ultegra? Same thing. The Apex Brakes are a bit bigger/heavier to accomodate larger tires I believe (Long Reach I think), also the Apex Cassette comes in a lower grade 1030 or 1050 as opposed to 1070. The levers are aluminum (I think) instead of Carbon Fiber, and there's that medium cage derailleur. The Apex crank is also significantly heavier due to having solid arms I think.

If you're planning on running a standard double, and don't mind the added cost, then Rival is probably still the best pick. If you want wider gearing and don't mind the weight penalty, then Apex is a good choice. Again, some as 105 vs. Ultegra, functionally they've always been pretty much the same except for weight.

Caecilia42

Check out the road bike thread.

rail157

It's only 158g difference when comparing apples to apples(standard doubles, 11-23 cassettes, short-cage derailleurs for both). It gets heavier with the wide-range setup, but that's a feature Rival doesn't offer yet.

I'm not sure that aluminum is a disadvantage in this case.

It's also available in a short-cage.

Apex is also available in a standard double.

girona10

There are differences. The Rival has holow cranks and carbon fiber shifters resulting in less weight. Of couse the price is a few hundred $$$ higher.

intence

To put things into perspective, whats the difference between 105 (5700) and Ultegra (6700)?

rail157

Weight-wise, about 250g last I checked. Mechanically, I haven't looked closely enough at the new 105 to be sure.

GuineaFowl

Got a set of Apex brakes a couple of weeks back as an upgrade to the Promax junk that was on the bike before. The Apex brakes come with SwissStops as standard but are actually cheaper than buying SwissStops after market. Therefore a no brainer on the economics of the purchase for me. They're cold forged like all better quality brakes so no real skimping on quality.

gus6464

IMO 6700 shifts a lot smoother than 5700 and I find the 6700 hoods to be more comfortable. 6700 is serious bang for the buck if you are buying a complete group from scratch.

crhilton

Apex on a Tarmac? Why would you want that? Rival is like $200 more and you get a short cage derailleur and road gearing.

Apex makes sense, to me, for cross and loaded touring.

I could see Apex on an Allez to compete with triple chainring bikes (and I'd tell people to buy it over a triple).