SRAM

74 Main Street Middlebury Vermont (802) 388-6666

Will You Make the Leap?

Imagine a viable third party in American politics, and you'll get a sense of how much impact the SRAM road groups have had on a market once dominated by Shimano and Campagnolo.

After just three years in the Protour, SRAM Red swept the podium in the 2009 Tour de France.

What Are the SRAM Road Groups Like?

If you're looking for performance, light weight, great ergonomics, and reasonable prices, you can't beat SRAM. Here are the SRAM gruppos at a glance, with two composite groups we added on our own initiative, Fred and ForXX:

Red

	BB30 and standard versions
	One of the stiffest production cranks available
	Incredibly light all-steel cassette lasts much longer than cassettes that use titanium cogs
	Advanced materials include carbon, titanium, and ceramic bearings
	Lightest group on the market
	$300 less than Shimano Dura-Ace 7900

Force -- See cyclingnews.com review and roadbikeaction.com reviews of of 2010 Force

	BB30 and standard versions
	Improved -- 2010 Force is essentially a Red group with standard bearings instead of ceramic
	Lighter than Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
	$1000 less than Shimano Dura-Ace 7900, $100 less than Shimano Ultegra 6700
	Smooth-shifting Rival cassette (there is no Force cassette)
	Elegant gun-metal polished finish

Rival

	Elite-level performance
	Lighter than Shimano Ultegra 6700
	$400 less than Shimano Ultegra 6700
	Black anodized finish

Apex -- See bikeradar.com review of the new SRAM Apex economy gruppo

	SRAM's newest, most economical road group, coming soon
	Features long cage rear derailleur and 11-23 through 11-32 cassette

Fred = a Red group with the following substitutes, for a net savings of $350 on Red, while coming within a few grams of Red weight (Force derailleurs are slightly heavier):

	Force front and rear derailleurs
	Force bottom bracket (non-ceramic)
	Lighter than Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
	$600 less than Shimano Dura-Ace 7900

ForXX = the Force group modified for extreme hillclimb events like Burke, Equinox, Ascutney, and Mount Washington, or for customers who want a gear lower than 34-28. We do this by substituting two components in SRAM's new XX 10spd mountain group:

	XX Cassette, 11-12-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32 or 11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32-36
	XX Rear Derailleur

Shifters

SRAM shifters have similar ergonomics to Campy Ergo Power. Like Campy, the shifting is completely independent of the braking. Unlike Campy, the shift lever both upshifts and downshifts:

	A short shift (one click) drops you onto a smaller cog, while a longer shift (two clicks) lifts you onto a bigger cog (or chainring).
	Three clicks on the rear derailleur shifts two cogs at once, and four clicks shifts three at once.
	Compatible with SRAM's new XX rear derailleur and XX cassette, so hill-climb competitors in events like the Mount Washington Hillclimb can use gears as low as 34-36

The shifting is precise and intuitive -- it won't take you long to get used to these levers.

All SRAM shifters have adjustable reach, for riders who have smaller hands.

Derailleurs

The rear is very quick and very precise. The front is not quite as quick on the upshift as Shimano.

Cranks

SRAM cranks are not the lightest in class, but they are exceptionally stiff. Since cranks are about power transfer, stiffness is definitely better than saving a few grams, and keep in mind, each of the SRAM groups taken as a whole is lightest-in-class. Visit this link for a great comparison of high-end cranks, including SRAM Red.

Brakes

Excellent modulation and stopping power, and Red, Force, and Rival brakes are lightest-in-class (does not include after-market brakes like Zero Gravity).

Cassette

SRAM cassettes shift well under load (when you're out of the saddle), and they work great with Shimano drive trains.

SRAM Red offers the lightest all-steel cassette on the market. The first eight cogs are machined from a single piece of top-quality steel. This unit is then hollowed for light weight.

Chain

We've liked SRAM chains for years, but the Power Lock on the SRAM 10spd chains can only be used once. When you remove the Power Lock, you need to replace it with a new one, not reuse it.