Aug 01, 2024

Stinner x SRAM Red XPLR Transmission

The days of the bicycle drivetrain as we know it are numbered.

The all-new SRAM Red XPLR AXS grouppo has received the Transmission glow up.

SRAM has been pushing the cycling industry steadily forward for some time now, with most other companies following in their wake. Transmission made a big splash when it arrived on the mountain bike scene. Transmission took the multi speed drivetrain one step closer to perfection and eliminated problems that always plagued a traditional drivetrain. Recently the SRAM Red AXS road grouppo received a much-needed overhaul. Ergonomics were improved, the brakes are now second to none, but it was still a drivetrain.

Today we see SRAM Transmission start its quest to erase the word drivetrain from the cycling dictionary.

Matt Phillips, Senior Test Editor at Bicycling Magazine, was one of the lucky few chosen to get his hands on the new Red XPLR AXS T-type grouppo before its official launch. Matt knew that we made one hell of a gravel bike because he sung its praises in a 2018 review. The new Refugio has certainly evolved from what it was in 2018, but we have made sure it retains the same "soul" that Matt wrote about. Matt saw that our new Refugio was UDH compatible and knew this was the perfect bike to put the new SRAM Red XPLR AXS Transmission through its paces.

Yes, we offer custom sizing, but our stock sizes cover 80% of riders. Matt gave us his bike fit dimensions and we confirmed that our stock 50cm Refugio frameset would fit him perfectly.

Matt used the Refugio paint configurator to select the schemes and colors he was most interested in, and then asked for our input. He was going in a very purple direction, one that I can always get behind. James, the creative mind behind every Stinner paint job, thought that this bike needed something bolder, something that he wanted to evoke the rich history of California based design. Matt didn't hesitate to put his faith in James' idea. We are all glad he did.

Basecoat Color // Surf

Accent 1 // Meyer

Accent 2 // Clementine

Accent 3 // Wildfire

The last Refugio we made for Matt featured our premium steel, this time he went for our standard Titanium tube set. We predominantly build Titanium frames these days. Titanium has an incredibly smooth ride quality due to its ability to dissipate energy but remains stiff when you need to put power down. Couple the ride quality of Ti with the fact that it does not corrode, and you have a perfect material for making a frame that will last a lifetime.

To find out what Matt thinks about his new Refugio and the SRAM Red XPLR Transmission grouppo check out his review in Bicycling:

SRAM Red XPLR AXS 1x13 Review - Best Gravel Drivetrain 2024 (bicycling.com)

Zipp 303 XPLR SW Review - Best Gravel Wheels 2024 (bicycling.com)

We will proudly be displaying this bike at the upcoming MADE bicycle show in Portland, OR August 23-25th.