SRAM Red Etap reliability - cracked battery
05-12-19, 07:07 PM
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When batteries crack / break during normal use there is a problem - there is no wild speculation there. Otherwise my bike or my riding must be at fault - though I find that harder to believe.
Why is it so hard to imagine that it works for many / most but there is still a problem? Poor design doesn't mean a design that never works. It can be just "Good enough for many / most" yet problematic.
Why is it so hard to imagine that it works for many / most but there is still a problem? Poor design doesn't mean a design that never works. It can be just "Good enough for many / most" yet problematic.
The fact is that your battery may have broken due to issues during manufacturing, which is a completely different failure mode than the "bad design"/"my riding broke my battery" that you are speculating about.
05-12-19, 08:52 PM
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I just purchased a Specialized Diverge Comp and I am thinking about having the SRAM eTap installed. First of all, does that makes sense, or am I putting Ferrari Wheels on a Lexus? In addition, if it is a good idea to upgrade to eTap, any thoughts on AXS versus Red?
05-12-19, 10:56 PM
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Whichever it may be - it doesn't matter.
42$ battery should do better - or if you (Sram) can't assure the quality of a 42$ battery, then have a decent design where batteries don't break like this; account for the fact that cheap plastic can break. With the current ETap it's possible to lose a battery while riding. This is a poor design, no speculation there. I will have to carry a spare battery and make sure it's always charged. Didn't expect this. I don't think Dura Ace Di2 customers carry batteries with them.
Last edited by Boerd; 05-12-19 at 11:16 PM.
05-13-19, 09:47 AM
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Also you shift the rear way more than the front so they won't run down the same.
05-13-19, 09:53 AM
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Summit, North Gate, and South Gate aren't rough roads. Maybe you should descend Morgan Territory heading North, or better yet, skip NG or SG and descend off the mountain via Mitchell Canyon, BBQ Terrace, Wall Point, Pine Canyon, etc. as they are much more harsh (and those high speed descents haven't had any effect on my eTap batteries...).
So yeah, you got a defective battery or ham fisted it. Its failure had nothing to do with your riding. As expected.
"I will have to carry a spare battery and make sure it's always charged." So much fear. That's sad.
05-13-19, 03:44 PM
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Is it possible the battery case cracked after it was accidentally hit by something? I guess it could still speak to a poor design, but I'm just throwing this out there as a possibility 
Mine has luckily been solid so far.
Geoff
Mine has luckily been solid so far.Geoff
05-13-19, 10:47 PM
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Maybe I didn't clip it in correctly or I forced it; that is a possibility (I like to believe I clipped in correctly but...).
Last edited by Boerd; 05-13-19 at 10:53 PM.
05-14-19, 06:18 PM
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Update: took the battery to the local Sports Basement and they contacted SRAM. No hassle - the replacement battery is coming next week. SRAM customer service seems fine.
11-30-19, 08:42 PM
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Another battery is broken. 55$ batteries and they are cheap and crappy. I will try to see if SRAM replaces it.
12-01-19, 07:14 AM
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2 bikes. 2 years. No battery problems at all......yet
12-01-19, 01:40 PM
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I guess this is an advantage of the Shimano system: you don’t remove the battery to charge it. Just plug in the charger to a port.
12-01-19, 02:16 PM
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12-01-19, 04:25 PM
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The charge level is easily checked even without bt...But with the bt, I get a battery readout right on my cycle computer. It's kind of hard to miss when the battery level gets low.
I do like the SRAM system, too, as it makes for a cleaner install with no wires. But with Di2, you're really not ever going to have a mid-ride battery problem unless you forget to check it for 1000+ miles.
12-01-19, 07:07 PM
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You're apparently not familiar with Di2. I probably use more battery power than most Di2 users, as I live in a very hilly area (lots of shifting) and I have the bluetooth feature (which draws a small amount of additional power.) After 500-600 miles, my battery might be down to 50% charge, so I plug it in and it's back to 100% in about ninety minutes. With that much capacity, there's not much chance of running out of power.
The charge level is easily checked even without bt...But with the bt, I get a battery readout right on my cycle computer. It's kind of hard to miss when the battery level gets low.
I do like the SRAM system, too, as it makes for a cleaner install with no wires. But with Di2, you're really not ever going to have a mid-ride battery problem unless you forget to check it for 1000+ miles.
The charge level is easily checked even without bt...But with the bt, I get a battery readout right on my cycle computer. It's kind of hard to miss when the battery level gets low.
I do like the SRAM system, too, as it makes for a cleaner install with no wires. But with Di2, you're really not ever going to have a mid-ride battery problem unless you forget to check it for 1000+ miles.
I got 700-800 miles per charge on the rear. I bet if I swap them i can easily get over 1000 total.
12-01-19, 07:47 PM
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I was getting about 800 miles per charge and it went down to about half.
I do not carry a spare. The LEDs indicate battery level. Green is good, red is below 25% and flashing red is below15%. Then since they are the same you can always swap them since the front is used a lot less than the rear.
I do not carry a spare. The LEDs indicate battery level. Green is good, red is below 25% and flashing red is below15%. Then since they are the same you can always swap them since the front is used a lot less than the rear.
12-01-19, 07:49 PM
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12-01-19, 07:52 PM
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Sram has a LED that shows green, red and blinking red. As long as it's not blinking you're still good to go on a 100 mile ride. If you don't check the lights, you have no one to blame.
I got 700-800 miles per charge on the rear. I bet if I swap them i can easily get over 1000 total.
I got 700-800 miles per charge on the rear. I bet if I swap them i can easily get over 1000 total.
Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. With Shimano, you only have to charge one battery, and infrequently. With Sram, you don’t need a ported frame and you don’t need a bunch of wires running along it and through it, but you do have to keep track of the charge level in more than one battery. I couldn’t really say which is superior… Only that it is good to have choices in the marketplace.
12-01-19, 09:27 PM
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For a bit I thought maybe I should go mechanical again... but electronic shifting is so addictive. I just have to put up with these batteries breaking down on me
12-02-19, 12:34 AM
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Dang, truly puzzled! 2 broken batteries now? How did the second one break? Is it breaking when you remove it, or does it break while being attached? From personal experience, I've seen no stressing force applied to the battery, so I'm just not sure how this would ever happen 
By the way, I finally was hit with a dead RD battery, of course due to my stupidity in forgetting to charge it So I suppose it was nice to be able to swap the 2 batteries, or else that 5000ft+ climb would have been a wee-bit painful 
Geoff
By the way, I finally was hit with a dead RD battery, of course due to my stupidity in forgetting to charge it
So I suppose it was nice to be able to swap the 2 batteries, or else that 5000ft+ climb would have been a wee-bit painful Geoff
12-14-19, 03:38 PM
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Update: as expected, Sram sent me a replacement. At least they stand by their product.
12-14-19, 03:39 PM
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Dang, truly puzzled! 2 broken batteries now? How did the second one break? Is it breaking when you remove it, or does it break while being attached? From personal experience, I've seen no stressing force applied to the battery, so I'm just not sure how this would ever happen
By the way, I finally was hit with a dead RD battery, of course due to my stupidity in forgetting to charge it So I suppose it was nice to be able to swap the 2 batteries, or else that 5000ft+ climb would have been a wee-bit painful
Geoff
By the way, I finally was hit with a dead RD battery, of course due to my stupidity in forgetting to charge it
So I suppose it was nice to be able to swap the 2 batteries, or else that 5000ft+ climb would have been a wee-bit painful Geoff
How does this happen? It beats me. I wish I knew.
Last edited by Boerd; 12-14-19 at 03:45 PM.
04-24-21, 08:00 PM
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It's been some time - I rode quite a few miles and no more broken batteries. Just had to set the record straight. If that was it (the 2 broken batteries) - I am fine with Sram. Knock on wood.
