SRAM ROAD GROUP SET

I have been waiting for this for a long time. SRAM have waited a long time to enter the road market with a complete group set. They have had cassettes and chains in the pro peloton for a while and are very well known and respected in the MTB market. But they wanted to wait until they had everything right before they attempted a complete group set for the road market. The result is two groups; the Force and the Rival.

Superstore had the chance to ride the Force group, for a couple of hours around Rowville and Mt Dandenong. Here are our first impressions of the long awaited group.

This is the main plus for the SRAM groups. They have pitched the lever between Shimano and Campagnolo. Concealed cables are a biggest thing you notice compared to shimano and the overall feel of the lever is somewhat smaller and less bulky that Shimano, a bit fatter than Campagnolo but with the same flat shaped top hood like Campagnolo.

The obvious similarity to Campagnolo is the fixed brake lever. The SRAM lever design sits perfectly into the hand and allows the fingers to fall straight onto the brake levers which kick out slightly. This is also improved by a bigger space behind the lever for your hands and a fatter lever hood which is comfy for climbing and sprinting. The result is popular with both Shimano and Campagnolo users. The Force levers use magnesium, titanium and carbon parts, the Rival less exotic parts with an aluminum lever. There are less working parts than Shimano and like Campagnolo they can be rebuilt.

Double Tap. It sounds simple and when we tested them it really was. A shift up into lower gears requires you to 'push' the gear stick inboard three gears at a time. To shift into higher gears it's a simple 'one' click. The only thing that takes some getting used to, is to shift either way the lever goes the same direction. The brake lever doesn't move at all and the gear lever can be moved and held in the fingers for a "sprint" position. The feel is very positive with a 1:1 ratio shift a bit like the XO mountain bike derailleur. The front shift is indexed but the pick up and drop down is very crisp. There is also one derailleur for both compact and standard size chain rings, with two fixing bolts for braze on fittings.

The brakes are smaller to Dura Ace. The Force brakes have titanium hardware and a nice nickel finish. The action is good and the spring tension a bit stiff at first. The pads are soft compound and we found the new set a bit grabby at first, however the calipers are stiff and responsive and best of all the levers are easy to reach when riding in the drops.

A great start for SRAM. They have made a group that works really well and makes sense when you first get on the bike. Only having the group for a couple of hours it was hard to become really familiar with the shifting. The front shift took some getting used too we'd like to ride the group a bit more to see how it shapes up. The braking isn't as good as Campagnolo and Shimano.

With Shimano and Campagnolo you have very different options. SRAM have taken these options and made a point of difference. The shifting is a good idea as a weight saving group it could be combined with lighter cranks and brake calipers to more than satisfy the weight weenies out.