Best Brake Pads for SRAM Force, Rival & Red AXS (Road & Gravel)

Long wet descent on the gravel bike, Force AXS levers pulled halfway to the bar, and that grinding sound that means the pads are done. You get home, search for replacements, and find three different SRAM road pads that all claim to fit. Only one of them does.

SRAM's AXS road calipers use a small 2-piston pad, the same shape as SRAM's Level mountain brakes. The older 22-series and HRD road brakes use a different, road-specific shape. Sort out which generation you're running and the rest takes 30 seconds.

Know your caliper already? Our SRAM Small 2-piston pads cover the AXS road family, shipped from North Vancouver, BC.

Which pads fit SRAM Force, Rival and Red AXS?

The AXS-era road calipers take the small SRAM 2-piston pad. Our SRAM Small pads fit:

  • SRAM Red eTap AXS
  • SRAM Force eTap AXS
  • SRAM Rival eTap AXS
  • SRAM Level Stealth (2-piston), Level T, TL, TLM and Ultimate
  • SRAM S-300 and S-900 HRD, plus older XX, X0, X7 and X9 mountain brakes
  • Avid DB1, DB3, DB5 and Elixir models

Yes, your road brake shares a pad with a mountain brake. SRAM consolidated on this small shape across the AXS road groups and the Level family, which makes finding replacements easier, once you know that's the shape you need.

If the pad that came out of your caliper looks a little different but your brake is on that list, it may be the OE version. These are direct replacements, and we also stock an OE Match pad type in Sintered that matches the original-equipment design.

Riding pre-AXS SRAM road brakes?

The mechanical-shift and early hydraulic generation uses a different, larger road shape. Our SRAM Road 2-piston pads, available in Sintered, fit:

  • SRAM Red 22 and Red eTap HRD (up to 2019)
  • SRAM Force 22 and Force 1
  • SRAM Rival 22 HRD and Rival 1 HRD (up to 2018)
  • SRAM Apex 1, CX1, S-700 and 700 B1 HRD
  • SRAM Level TLM and Level Ultimate (up to 2019)

The two shapes are not interchangeable. A 22-series pad won't seat in an AXS caliper, and vice versa.

The Rival AXS wrinkle

Rival eTap AXS takes the small AXS shape, the same pad family as Force and Red AXS. SRAM groups all three under one AXS and Level pad shape. If you're on the older Rival 22 or Rival 1 HRD (up to 2018), you want the road shape instead. Not sure which generation you have? Pull one pad and compare it against the photos on both product pages, or send us your model year and we'll confirm the shape before you spend a dollar.

Best compound for road and gravel AXS brakes

For the AXS-era calipers, all three of our compounds are available in the small shape:

Sintered, The pick for gravel, wet-weather riding and winter commuting. Longest-wearing compound we carry and the most at home in grit and rain, which describes most BC road riding from October to April. It's the loudest of the three, and you should confirm your rotors aren't resin-only first.

Trail, Beds in fast and runs the quietest, which matters on a road bike where every sound carries. Wears quicker than Gravity. A good match for dry-season pavement riders.

Gravity, The longer-life semi-metallic. Slower, noisier bed-in, then a longer lifespan than Trail. Worth it if you put in big kilometres and want more time between pad swaps.

Trail and Gravity feel very close at the lever, so choose on bed-in speed, noise, and lifespan. For the pre-AXS road shape, we stock Sintered.

Our SRAM road and gravel pad recommendations

  • Force AXS / Red AXS, SRAM Small pads. Sintered for gravel and wet riding, Trail for quiet dry-season pavement.
  • Rival AXS, Confirm your shape first (see above), then order with confidence.
  • Red 22 / Force 22 / Rival 22 / Apex HRD, SRAM Road pads in Sintered.
  • Gravel bike that sees real winter, Sintered, whichever shape your caliper takes.

One order is 2 Pairs (4 Pads), enough for front and rear, and every set is covered by our 60-Day Guarantee. See the full SRAM brake pad collection for the mountain side of the lineup.

FAQ

Do SRAM Force AXS and Red AXS use the same brake pads?

Yes. Both take the small SRAM 2-piston pad, the same shape used by the Level family.

What brake pads fit SRAM Rival AXS?

Rival eTap AXS shows up on both our small-shape and road-shape fitment lists depending on year and spec. Compare your old pad to the product photos, or message us with the model year and we'll confirm.

Are SRAM road and mountain brake pads interchangeable?

Sometimes, and that surprises people. The AXS road calipers share their pad with SRAM's Level mountain brakes. The older 22-series road shape is road-specific and doesn't cross over to modern mountain calipers.

Which compound should I run for gravel?

Sintered. Gravel means grit, water and long braking on loose descents, exactly what sintered handles best. Just confirm your rotors aren't resin-only.

Still not sure which generation your calipers are? Send us a quick message with your groupset and model year and we'll sort you out.

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