AXS POD Controller [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Throughout the years SRAM has continuously strived for improvements with their AXS Shifting. The new T-Type system has brought a lot of new ways of thinking when it comes to the drivetrain, especially the new AXS controller. See what our customer has to say about it!  

Overview

I am fairly new to Axs, but have now ridden with this Axs T-Type pod shifter and an Axs XX1 derailleur(not the new transmission) for about 2 months. At first the setup was a little different than I was used to. However it was pretty simple and straight forward after watching a quick youtube video. There is a b-adjust tool similar to the standard eagle drivetrain, however it's slightly easier to use than the standard eagle tool, as there is a little triangle point that needs to line up in the middle of a pulley. It's easier to see than the teeth on the bottom of your largest cog. Then the app makes it easy to do fine tuning if needed, I love this feature!

Now putting it to use. I bought this shifter because it was supposedly the latest and greatest and had better ergonomics and such compared to the previous Axs shifters. To be honest, I didn't like it at first. Don't get me wrong I was excited about the electronic shifting and getting rid of the cable that can sometimes cause inconsistent shifting, but I didn't like the lack of tactile feedback and the motion as you press through the shifter while changing gears. I also didn't like how the up and down shift buttons are quite close to each other. I am used to the traditional placement of the up and down shift levers and one being recessed back further than the other. I have ridden with a normal cable shifter for 25 years. I missed having that resistance and the satisfying feeling of the click while transitioning through the gears. For the first couple of rides the shifter kept sliding out of place around the bar. This was frustrating as I would have to stop and swing it back into place. This was due to a combination of it being mounted slightly too loose and me being so used to punching my thumb through while shifting gears. The movement was and the position of the buttons seeming to be out of place was annoying, and I even considered going back to my traditional set up. However I decided to give it a bit more time, and I'm glad I did! After about a month I got some updated muscle memory in my right thumb. I stopped pushing so hard, and got used to the different feel and button locations. My shifts became consistent, and I was no longer pushing with extra force as I neared the punchy climbs.

Final Thoughts

I have only had to charge it once in about 2 months, which is nice, however on my last ride the battery level was in the red. This caused a little anxiety, and I tried to limit my shifting for the remainder of the ride not knowing how much longer the battery was going to last. I made it back shifting without any issues, and when I got home I popped the battery out and dropped it on the charger. Now I should be set for the next month or two! Taking everything into account including the aesthetics and reducing my cable count by one, I love riding with my Axs setup, and definitely don't want to go back!