Why There is No “Best” Groupset: Finding Your Drivetrain Personality

It’s a SRAM vs. Shimano vs. Campy vs. TRP cage match for drivetrain supremacy. But in a time when all four high-end groups perform almost flawlessly, I’ve realized that asking which one is “the best” is actually the wrong question.

Today, it is all about the details. You aren’t choosing a groupset because one works and another doesn’t. Instead, you are choosing a personality—or maybe just displaying yours. To dig into those distinct identities, I assembled four dream bikes that specifically highlight the best of each groupset I looked at. One uses SRAM Red AXS, one uses Dura-Ace, one is Super Record 13, and the final TRP Vistar // Classified.

I spent months obsessing over every detail during the build then I spent months riding them all and obsessing over the experience. The ergonomics, the tactile click of the shift action, and the headaches of day-to-day maintenance. This was not a couple of weeks on a press bike but a deep dive into what happens when the marketing ends and the reality begins.

On today’s podcast, I argue that there is no perfect choice. Mostly, they are perfect in their own way, but each one has a specific “deal-breaker” that might make it the wrong fit for how you ride. The best groupset only exists in the context of how you want to interact with your bike.

Mike, Lisa, and I also talk about her early impressions of Trek’s genre-bending Check-Out gravel bike and if it’s a race bike or a mountainbike? We dive into the fallout of that terrifying 100kph crash at the Alula Tour and the growing, controversial debate over imposing speed limits on the pro peloton. And we’ve even brought back a listener Q&A. Jump in at particular moments or listen to the whole discussion.

00:00 Introduction

03:30 Alula Tour Crash

06:30 Fan Q&A

20:30 First Look: Lisa’s Early Impressions of the Trek Check-Out

28:50 The Big 2026 Drivetrain Comparison