SRAM Force XPLR AXS E1 Power Meter

SRAM's Force XPLR AXS E1 Power Meter Crankset is the mid-tier gravel option for riders who want left-leg power data without stepping up to the spider-based Red version. The power meter is hidden inside the DUB spindle, so nothing is bolted to the outside of the crankset and the chainring interface stays clean. If you're building a 1x13 XPLR drivetrain and want power data baked into the crankset rather than pieced together from a separate unit, this is where Force lands in the hierarchy.

The spindle-based approach measures your left leg and doubles the number to estimate total output. The power meter is accurate to +/- 1.5% and runs on a replaceable AAA battery that delivers 400+ hours of battery life, which for most gravel riders translates to a full season of training and racing before you're digging through the drawer for a new cell. No charging cables, no docking stations — when it dies mid-season, you swap the AAA and keep riding. It's worth understanding what left-side measurement gives up: riders with meaningful leg imbalances will see less precise total-power numbers than a dual-sided system would report, so if you're chasing that data point specifically, the Red XPLR spider-based unit is the step up.

The crank arms are carbon fiber, and the crankset uses the DUB Wide spindle standard with a 47.5 mm chainline — the spec that separates gravel-specific cranksets from their road counterparts and gives you clearance for wider tires and boost-adjacent rear ends. Arm lengths run from 160mm to 175mm across five options, so fit isn't a compromise. The chainring uses SRAM's X-SYNC narrow-wide profile with a direct-mount interface to the crank arm, keeping chain retention sorted over washboard, roots, and everything else gravel throws at a drivetrain.... Read More