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TECH NEWS
Rotor’s 13 speed 1x13 groupset launches: Prices, weights, availability and everything else you need to know
SRAM and Campagnolo might have gone 12-speed, but Rotor has made the leap to 13-speed with its brand new 1x single ring groupset. We first saw Rotor’s new 1x13 groupset at Eurobike last year - Dave did a first look video - and now we can furnish you with more details including prices, specs and claimed weights.
A quick recap before we get stuck into details. Rotor has been developing its Uno hydraulic groupset for a number of years, we first saw it back in 2015, never really made it to market, but last year Rotor launched a new version based around a 1x13 configuration.
The company reckons the new groupset “offers you a choice of chainring and cassette sizing combinations for more range at high speeds, more range at low cadences and perfect sequencing of gears for every situation.”
How much does it cost then?
But first, let’s give you the prices. It starts at £1,750 for a 1x12 upgrade kit and between £2,999 and £3,999 for the 1x13 versions depending on whether you want a power meter, a lightweight option or one tailored towards adventure riding.
Here are the groupset prices at a glance:
- 1x13 Ultimate Performance 2Inpower / £3,999
- 1x13 Super Light £3,050
- 1x13 Adventure £2,299 / $2,800
- 1x13 Compatible Groupset Kit 12 Speed £1,750
What’s the 1x12 upgrade kit, I thought it was 13-speed?
As the new 13-speed cassette requires new hubs and wheels, Rotor has decided to develop a 12-speed groupset that offers an easier upgrade path, letting you use your current wheels and hubs. It uses the same hydraulic gear/brake lever hoods but a specific chain.
So you could upgrade to the 12-speed groupset using your current wheels, and then make the leap to 13-speed in the future if you wanted. It’s an interesting decision to offer two routes into the new groupset compared to the wholesale approach by SRAM with its new Red eTap AXS groupset.
The 1x12 cassette offers, according to Rotor, a comparable range to a 2x11 setup but with “a lighter, more aero and reliable combination without changing chainrings at any time.”
There are four 12-speed cassettes to choose from, they are:
- 12s Cassette 11-36 / 11-39 £299
- 12s Cassette 11-46 / 11-52 £309
But you’ve come here to read about 1x13 haven’t you?
Why 1x13? Good question, and one that helpfully Rotor attempts to answer. IT claims the reason to adopt 1x13 offers weight, aerodynamic and reliability benefits as well as being adaptable to different styles of riding from road racing to gravel bashing.
There are three 1x13 groupsets to choose from. They are 1x13 Ultimate Performance (£3,999) for racers and performance focused cyclists and includes carbon fibre wheels and a power meter. The 1x13 Super Light (£3,050) version is obviously for weight weenies and combines the carbon wheels with an ALDHU crankset. And lastly, the 1x13 Adventure (£2,299) setup uses aluminium wheels and an ALDHU crankset and is designed for comfort and durability focused riders.
To ensure the four cassettes couple to a single ring provide the ideal performance with minimum gaps, it developed what it likes to call True Cadence technology. This boils down to an extensive analysis of power meter date from a wide range of cyclists which is used to hone the exact sprocket count of each cassette.
The first seven sprockets offer a closer range while the six larger sprockets have large gaps, the idea being that when you’re at the meaty end of the cassette you have small cadence changes, yet you still have necessary range for dealing with hills where arguably the size of jumps isn’t as critical.
There are four 13-speed cassettes to choose from, they are:
- 13s Cassette 10-36 / 10-39 £339
- 13s Cassette 10-46 / 10-52 £359
Whether you choose 12- or 13-speed, the same hydraulic shifters and brake levers/callipers and rear deraiareeur is used. There’s a specific chain for 12- and 13-speed but the same Aldhu crankset or 2INpower if you want a power meter.
The crankset uses a Direct Mount interface to allow easy chainring changes and is offering sizes from 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54.
Rotor makes some impressive weight claims for the new groupset, just 1,785g for a rear derailleur, shifters, flat mount callipers, chain and a 10-36t cassette with all necessary hardware such as hoses and disc rotors. Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, by comparison, is a lardy 2,322g.
Hydraulic mech
Wheel changes with disc brakes can be slower (as I experimented with recently in this video) so to reduce this penalty Rotor has developed some interesting technology for its funky rear mech. There’s a “Go to Origin” button which instantly puts the mech into the smallest gear, while a “Quick Extract” system lets you easily unlock the cage with a single hand to easily whip out the wheel.
The other big talking point is hydraulic shifting. By adapting disc brake hydraulic technology Rotor has created “Pulse Hydraulics” which it claims “provides precision, power of actuation and safety” and there are the claimed weight benefits as well, with the complete groupset significantly lighter than Dura-Ace and eTap. The system uses mineral oil and can be internally or externally routed.
New hubs and wheels please
Rotor has had to developed new hubs to accommodate the 13 sprockets using the Rvolver hub it launched a few years ago.
This hub comprises radial pawls that engage a floating ratchet ring, which Rotor says means friction when coasting is reduced, while a 15-degree engagement angle ensures instant pickup when you start pedalling.
It has also developed new wheels specifically designed for 13-speed hubs and cassettes. There’s a choice of carbon or aluminium rims to suit different budgets and style of bikes.
When can I buy it then?
It'll be hitting shops in April 2019. We'll hopefully be getting our hands on it soon because we're really keen to find out how it performs and if 13 is the magic number for making a 1x drivetrain a viable alternative to a 2x setup.
More info at https://rotorbike.com/
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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32 comments
Well it’s not really a “standard”, campy just went with a longer freehub body about a decade before everyone else. It took shimano to get to 10 speed before they hit the limit and matched the campagnolo size. Now rotor and sram have each brought their own freehubs with even more dished DS spokes, and I can’t see shimano or campagnolo following suit so we’re stuck with a buggered up wheel market for the foreseeable future
I like it. You have to admire the innovation in the industry in general at the moment and specifically from a small company like Rotor. It's astronomically expensive, make of that what you will but inevitable for a brand new platform. It's very light and looks well, much more pleasing on the eye than the Sram AXS in my opinion. I wish them all the best with it, I would be tempted for a 1x build for 2020 and this could be the one.
Things are definitely cheaper if you can get given stuff cheaply
Yep. You can even get yourself a whole used pro-bike for about £1.5-2k these days.
#HumbleBrag
Even forgetting the power-meter, you're missing the point entirely, but hey - whatever floats your boat.
okay, add in my carbon wheels with tubs that cost me £330 from an ex german racer that are lighter than the carbon ones in with the £3999 kit, so it's still £2900+ for less than 260g worth of weight saving, or circa £2300 for 260g.
My point still stands, you can argue about a few quid all you like.
No it doesn't. Not in the slightest. No way Jose. Nada. Nunca.
LOL.
It's good to see local boys done good.
Not sure it's aimed at those looking to replace a triple - rode an Orbea Gain (e-bike) to work today and wondered why it didn't have 1x on it...
"just 1,785g for a rear derailleur, shifters, flat mount callipers, chain and a 10-36t cassette with all necessary hardware such as hoses and disc rotors. Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, by comparison, is a lardy 2,322g."
Is that an error that you forgot to include the chainset and BB, because if not then adding the c/set will bump that over no?
As it is, my DA9001 + FSA Carbon c/set (50/36) including a heavy 11-28 Ultegra cassette comes in at 2043g. three grand for 260g saving is a bargain.lol
Totally illogical unless your groupset was free.
1x13 Ultimate Performance 2Inpower / £3,999
I didn't pay anywhere near a grand for my groupset, the only thing that wasn't new was the 50 mile old carbon c/set which set me back £104, I spent less than £700 in total, all from UK retailers though the front mech was a bit of a steal as it was offered for £20 with the team frame I bought direct from the teams sponsers as they had a few new parts left over as well as the unused framesets.
So actually £3300 for a 260g saving, and not illogical!
The Rotor package you mention also includes a mid-section carbon wheelset and a dual sided power meter - so hardly an apt comparison. There is also the matter of whether anyone would actually buy one of these for the weight saving alone, which is highly doubtful.
.
I actually think it looks pretty cool. Good on Rotor, competition is good.
This is getting ridiculous, no?
I'll just wait for 14-speed groupset.
Shouldn't take too long...
Isn't 13 unlucky? You'd think they would think about that and do another skip and go for 14!
Not that any of this is a issue for me considering the price tag.
Absolutely insane. £300-plus for a cassette? You could almost buy a 105 Groupset for that.
I bet they don't sell many.
I wish manufacturers would concentrate on making components last longer and making them more reliable rather than constantly adding cogs to the cassette, making the chain thinner and dishing the wheel to more and more extreme angles.
Hopefully at least one of the manufacturers will sensibly realise the "sweet spot" of a reliable groupset - Something like 105 or Tiagra - about £250 to £400 and just continue to make them for years to come.
As long as I can keep up with my mates on a Sunday ride I couldnt give a monkeys about 13 speed.
Why would they want to do that? They would sell far fewer groupsets for a lot less money and make bugger-all profit. The shareholders won't be impressed!
For every ordinary joe like you and me there are a number of upgrade junkies just itching for an excuse to burn some cash replacing their perfectly serviceable components for something shiny with a bit more brag-appeal when they discuss it with other similarly afflicted individuals.
I believe you have it a bit backward. For every "brag-appeal" joe like you there are a number of "ordinary" joes who are happy with something not so cutting edge and expensive. I get your point that manufacturers won't want to sell a product that lasts for years because they only make one sale. That's what drives the industry. The rest of us can look forward to the trickle-down when our gear finally breaks down.
They said that about Q-rings too. I like this and good to see Rotor succeeding.
I don't know why, but I prefer the look of this to the Sram new groupset. Underdog status perhaps. Liking their new ideas for wheel swaps, however I'm wincing at the prices of cassettes..
Also the weight weenies will love this.. imagine a hill climb bike already at the very limit of what's possible with a single ring, losing a further half a kilo!
Also I like the idea of hydraulic shifting, no more annual cable changes! I wonder what maintenance will look like annually with a system such as this?
Bit concerned about the new hub spacing.. have they narrowed the flange spacing, if so, that'll mess with wheel stiffness?
Still overall, great to see all this new innovation coming through.... 2017 year of the disc, 2018 year of the gravel, 2019 the year of the groupset?
I read these articles and I can't help thinking of 'Big Jim' who at nearly 60, turns up on his old 9 speed 9.5kg Bianchi each week, in shorts no matter the weather and smashes most of us for an hour and half. The only thing he ever complains about is spinning out on rollers, but doesn't see the need to upgrade just for roller sessions. Big Jim and others like him probably deserve a suitable chuck norris'esq hashtag in response to all this new tech. #bemorebigjim
Did they fire the design team halfway through as that is a super fugly groupset!?
Sram Excess didn't last long as 'most expensive group', lol. And another new hub type, outstanding.
Still, looks interesting in a weird way. I read that the Rotor front hydro shift was awful so not a surprise they've given up on that.
I get the concern about a new hub standard, but how long can the latest groupsets and increasing range so many people desire be held back by a freehub standard introduced 30 years ago?
whats different about it other than a new freehub body and length? It’s barely more than 6 years since Shimano asked their users to buy new wheels for 11 speed
Meanwhile people with 1999 9-speed Campag hubs can use 2019 12-speed cassettes, if they want. And without the cassette biting the freehub. Some standards don't hold back upgrades
Thanks for that hint, I had no idea that my hubs were that useful!
I think like-for-like, Dura Ace Di2 disc was still (marginally) more expensive than AXS, ditto SuperRecord EPS 11-speed and can't imagine SuperRecord EPS 12-speed will be vastly cheaper. No-one will ever pay any of those prices though of course.
Bring back 7 speed blocks and triple chainsets!
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