Your SRAM battery (1x) or batteries (2x) play a key role in how your bike’s electronic components work. Look after them and they’ll run smoothly and last longer.
Here are 9 tips to take care of your SRAM AXS battery or batteries. 👇
Invest in an official battery
When a SRAM battery or charger fails, you might be tempted to buy cheaper generic batteries. They’re everywhere online.
However, these copies don’t meet SRAM’s very strict standards for capacity, safety and reliability. Always prioritise genuine components to ensure proper operation. On bike trips and bikepacking adventures, I recommend taking a spare battery with you (charged 😅) just in case.
Don’t be afraid to use your batteries on extreme adventures
SRAM batteries work perfectly between -20°C and +60°C. So you can ride in pretty much any weather, even in the desert if you fancy it!
The only times to be careful are when charging and when storing them if they’re not in use. Charge and then store your batteries at room temperature in a dry place.
Take care with your batteries when washing your bike
Before you start washing your bike, remove the batteries and fit the red blocks to protect the batteries and Sram components as much as possible. They don’t like cleaning products, especially chemicals, nor high-pressure washing.
Remove and store your batteries when transporting your bike
When you’re off the bike and heading to a gravel event, remove your Sram battery and keep it with your kit (so you don’t forget it). It would be a shame to drain it needlessly during transport. In a car or in an aircraft hold, your bike moves and your Sram drivetrain will wake from sleep.
👉 On a plane, keep the batteries with you because lithium batteries aren’t allowed in the hold.
Store your batteries in the right conditions
For long-term storage, keep them at 50% to 70% charge and place your batteries in a dry location at 10°C to 25°C. Avoid humid places or areas with sudden temperature swings.
If you have spare batteries, inspect them every two or three months, especially if they’re not being used. Check for swelling, cracks or leaks, and top them up slightly if needed.
Don’t wait until your batteries are completely discharged
Recharge your batteries when they’re low, but avoid full discharges. A SRAM battery performs best if you start recharging at around 20–30%. If the LED is flashing red, there’s less than 10% remaining; if it’s steady red, that means you have between 10% and 25%. And if it’s green, it’s at 100%.
On that note, for safety use the official charger. To maximise runtime, charge your battery just before a ride, rather than leaving it full for several days without using it.
Likewise, don’t leave it on charge continuously, such as overnight. The status LEDs on your SRAM battery or charger give you useful information about the state of charge. Unplug as soon as the battery is full.
- A blue LED (solid) means the charger is powered.
- The orange LED means it’s charging.
- A green LED tells you charging is complete,
- A red LED indicates an error. Likewise, if nothing lights up within 5 seconds after starting to charge your battery, check the power source and that the charger is properly inserted.
💡 Pro tip!
Your charger lights up red? It might be a faulty cable, but it can also mean the battery is simply too discharged. In that case, try reconnecting the charger at the dock around fifteen times until the LED turns orange.
Avoid partial charges
Even though SRAM batteries tolerate partial charges, longer cycles (from 20% to 100%) help recalibrate the battery’s internal electronics. On that note, if you see a blue LED flashing, the charger is underpowered and it will take much longer to charge your battery.
Learn to recognise the signs of wear
Consistently low range, abnormal charging times or frequent overheating indicate your battery is nearing the end of its life. Replace it before it fails when you need it most. That said, the SRAM battery is designed to deliver around 500 full charge cycles while maintaining its performance. After that threshold, it can still work but with reduced capacity, meaning shorter runtime.
Each full cycle corresponds to a complete discharge and recharge (from 0% to 100%). Partial cycles add up to count as one full cycle (for example, two 50% recharges).
If we assume a SRAM battery has a range of around 1,000 km, with 500 cycles, you could cover more than 500,000 km on a single battery!
Charge multiple SRAM batteries at once
Never run out of battery again thanks to Sram’s 4-battery charger. You can fully charge them all in 60 minutes. It’s even quicker if you charge, for example, only two batteries at a time.
This charger features a fast-charge function that brings your battery to 75% in no time when needed. However, I recommend not overusing this mode to preserve your batteries’ lifespan. If you’re heading off on a long trip, always keep a pre-charged spare battery with you.
👉 This 4-port charger is available here (however, the price is clearly (far) too high).
What’s that?
See these two red plastic pieces? That’s what I mentioned above in my tip about washing your bike.
The piece on the left protects your derailleur. It mounts directly onto it. The piece on the right protects your battery. It has a small adjustable dial that lets you remember that battery’s charge level.
Other details to note about SRAM AXS groupsets
- Once charged, my SRAM batteries give an average range of 1,000 km. This varies with the weather.
- The buttons in the shift levers use CR2032 batteries that last on average two years “with normal use” according to Sram. In my case, I had to change them after a little over a year.
