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 the grind that means the pads are done. You search for replacements and find three SRAM road pads that all claim to fit. Only one 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 take a different, road-specific shape. Sort out your generation 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

One small shape covers the AXS road family and the Level line, including the newer Force AXS D2 flat mount calipers. Yes, your road brake shares a pad with a mountain brake.

If the old pad looks a bit different but your brake is on the list, it's probably the OE version. Ours are direct replacements, and we stock an OE Match pad type in Sintered.

Riding pre-AXS SRAM road brakes?

The mechanical-shift and early hydraulic generation takes 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 is where mix-ups happen. I've had riders order pads for their Rival AXS and end up holding the previous-gen part. It will not go in. Rival eTap AXS takes the small AXS shape, same pad family as Force and Red AXS. The road shape is only for Rival 22 or Rival 1 HRD (up to 2018).

Not sure which you have? Pull one pad. The AXS pad hangs from a hole in the middle of the backing plate. The road pad mounts at one end. Compare the photos on both product pages, or send us your model year and we'll confirm before you spend a dollar. Order the wrong shape anyway? Mail the unused set back and I'll send out the right ones on my dime.

Best compound for road and gravel AXS brakes

All three of our compounds come in the small shape:

Sintered is the pick for gravel, wet weather and winter commuting. Longest-wearing compound we carry and the most at home in grit and rain, which is coastal road riding from October to April. Also the loudest of the three. Check your rotors aren't resin-only first; bikes that came with resin pads often have rotors to match.

Trail beds in fastest and runs quietest, which matters on a road bike where every sound carries. Wears quicker than Gravity. Dry-season pavement riders, this is your pad.

Gravity is the longer-life pick. Slower, noisier bed-in, then a longer life than Trail. Worth it if you put in big kilometres and want more time between swaps.

Trail and Gravity feel very close at the lever, so choose on bed-in speed, noise and lifespan, not power. Wet-coast riders: pads that sound rough on a cold wet morning usually go quiet once rotors and pads warm up. Give them a descent before judging. 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 eTap AXS, same SRAM Small pads as Force and Red. Pre-2018 Rival 22 and Rival 1 HRD take the road shape.
  • 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, same shape as the Level family.

What brake pads fit SRAM Rival AXS?

Rival eTap AXS takes the small AXS shape, same as Force and Red AXS. Only Rival 22 and Rival 1 HRD (up to 2018) use the road shape. Middle mount is AXS, end mount is road.

Are SRAM road and mountain brake pads interchangeable?

Sometimes, which surprises people. The AXS road calipers share their pad with SRAM's Level mountain brakes. The older 22-series road shape 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.

My new pads feel really snug. Is that normal?

Snug is normal, forcing is not. Push the pistons all the way back before fitting new pads, something plastic against the old pads, never metal on the pistons. Still won't spin? Don't sand anything. Message me.

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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