I had my first exposure to Rotor's drivetrain components at the Philly Bike Show back in November. They were featuring the world’s first hydraulic shifter and the first groupset that is available as a 1x13 for both road and MTB. The booth had a demo bike set up for the curious to try out the road components and a tabletop demo of the MTB groupset. I was fascinated with the idea of a hydraulic shifting groupset, so I decided to outfit one of my Marauder Cyclocross bikes with the 1x12 hydraulic shifting groupset. Rotor for me had been about high end cranks and oval chain rings. I was hoping that design approach would carry over to their drivetrains.
Unboxing and Installation:
Out of the box the components were impressive, light and well engineered. The cassette and the rear derailleur were noteworthy. The cassette, an 11-46T, had an interesting design,with a Shimano HG 11 speed compatible body but only had the alignment grooves on the top section of a two piece steel and aluminum unit. It was very light at only 282g. The groupset is built around a 11 speed spacing standard, keeping chain accessibility easier. The rear derailleur came preconnected to the right shifter with a thin hydraulic hose and had a larger form than I’d seen on derailleurs. This is due to the Rotor design which puts the shift indexing in the rear derailleur not in the shifter. This allows you to get much more accurate shifting as the shifter is just a mechanical arm that moves the derailleur via hydraulic pressure. The groupset includes cranks, shifters/hydraulic brakes cassette, rotors, and an 11 speed chain.
Overall, the Rotor groupset was very modular in its design, allowing you to pick between 12 and 13 speed with the same derailleur and shifter, and select from interchangeable crank arms, chain rings, and bottom bracket configurations. The Revolver hub is the only one compatible with the 13 speed cassette. I chose an 1x12 as I didn't want to buy a dedicated hub that is required to get the spacing needed to fit the 13 speed cassette. I also included a 42T ovalized Q ring.
Installation was pretty straight forward and similar to other internally run hydraulic brake hose set ups. Rotor provided links to videos which made cutting and bleeding the shifter and brakes easy to follow. Getting the rear derailleur dialed in was much like a mechanical set up, set lower and top limits and refining the indexing. It shifted accurately and smoothly on the first try. The brake bleeding was easier than SRAM and I like that they use the less caustic mineral oil instead of dot fluid.
The Ride:
I took out the Marauder on a shakedown ride through some mixed surface trails. The shifters operate like SRAM double tap shifters, press long for upshift to easier gear or short crisp movement to downshift . On the upshift, you can shift up 3 gears with one long motion if needed while climbing. The shifter feels a bit vague at times shifting up, but there is a noticeable click. I found the shifting to be very fast and very accurate even under power. It doesn't need much pressure to shift. It does take a little bit to get used to it as it's totally different ergonomics than what I’ve been riding lately (SRAM AXS). The Rotor shifters have wide flat tops on the hoods, giving you plenty of support and on-the-hood braking capability. The derailleur clutch is really effective and its quietness was noticeable on the rough gravel roads of Virginia. For easy wheel removal, they've developed a ‘return to origin’ button on the derailleur, a single button push moves the derailleur rather quickly to the lowest rear cog. There's also a lock out on the derailleur cage that allows you to disengage the upper pulley wheel to ease wheel removal.
This was my first experience with ovalized rings since my KHS had bio-pace back in the late 80s. I found the Q rings to be smooth with a subtle but noticeable improvement in the feel of crank rotation, especially on hills. It was easy to get used to it but more noticeable when I went back to a standard ring immediately after on my road bike. I may have to rethink my chainrings. I have not tested it with a power meter or compared it to a known segment to see the difference in power output or faster times, but there are many reports that argue its efficiency and benefits. I think you have to be all in on the ovalized rings.
The hydraulic brakes are done in collaboration with Magura, even the rotors are labeled Magura. The brakes had a really nice feel, modulation as good and the levers have a nice shape. Plus there's room for your fingers if you're a fan of braking from the hoods. I felt the braking power could have been stronger, however.
Weight and cost. Rotor 1x12 groupset retails for $2200, so it's within reach for many riders who are looking for the reliability and uniqueness of a hydraulic shifting groupset. The Rotor 1x13 is a bit more at $2800, but you have to buy the hub or the complete wheel for cassette compatibility. The weight claimed for the Rotor groupset is 2555g with SRAM RED AXS 2518g for a 2x12 to get the equivalent gear range.
Overall, I was very happy with the performance and weight of the groupset. The drivetrain is very unique. If you want a very reliable, well working groupset with the option of a 1x13, that none of your friends have, this is the groupset for you.
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