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TECH FEATURES: ON TEST: 2010 SRAM FORCE
Philip Booth
February 10, 2010
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Three years ago, Force was launched as SRAM’s first foray into the road market. The group made a big impact, but was soon overshadowed when SRAM replaced it at the top of their component line with their professional-level Red group. Borrowing technology and graphic elements from Red, the 2010 Force has been completely reworked and upgraded at every turn. Unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber is heavily used, and aluminum parts are now forged, providing more strength, lower weight and are anodized with what SRAM is calling ”Zephyr Silver” to add a high-end look. SRAM truly went back to the drawing board with the new Force group, and while it still sits below Red, it is hardly in its shadow.
CRANKSET
Along with the brake levers, the crankarms have also moved to unidirectional (UD) carbon. The new white graphics give the cranks a professional look and are easily mistaken for SRAM Red. The SRAM Force crankset uses SRAM’s hard-anodized, PowerGlide chainrings. For 2010, the Force cranks are available in either GXP and BB30 bottom bracket options. The 2010 Force GXP uses an external bearing system. The GXP system locks the non-driveside bearing between the spindle and the left crankarm and allows the drive-side bearing to float axially on the spindle, eliminating the need to side-load bearings during adjustment. The SRAM GXP is available with optional ceramic bearings. The 2010 Force group is also available in BB30 setup with optional ceramic bearings. Force cranksets come in 170-, 172.5-, 175-, or 177.5-millimeter lengths with 55-42, 54-42, 53-39, 52-38, 52-36, 50-36, 50-34 chainrings. Weight: 791 grams (GXP), 645 grams (BB30) (*weights include bottom bracket).
SHIFT/BRAKE LEVERS
SRAM has carried over all of its signature technologies including DoubleTap‚ ZeroLoss and Exact Actuation. The big change is the new lighter-action shifting that not only gives the shift levers a lighter feel, but also makes for quicker shifting. The Force front shift lever also receives a big ring trim feature that allows micro-adjusting of the front derailleur when using lower gears in the back. For 2010, the brake levers get upgraded to unidirectional carbon, with the shift levers remaining magnesium. In addition to the upgraded shift lever, the 2010 Force comes with Gore RideOn low-friction gear cables. The stainless steel cables are coated in a low-friction polymer and are mated to another polymer coating inside the cable housing. Weight: 302 grams.
REAR DERAILLEUR
The rear derailleur uses unidirectional (UD) carbon pulley plates to
save weight and increase stiffness and shifting performance. Both the
front and rear derailleurs are finished in SRAM’s Zephyr Silver. The
Force rear derailleur uses SRAM’s Exact Actuation, an actuation ratio
that delivers exactly 3-millimeter shifts for every gear to provide
precise shifting throughout the gear range. Weight: 178 grams
FRONT DERAILLEUR
The front derailleur differs from Red only with the use of a steel
shifter cage, and the Force derailleurs get titanium anchor bolts and
limit screws. Weight: 88 grams (braze-on), 102 grams
(clamp-on).
BRAKES
The brakes are a significant upgrade over previous editions with a Red-styled skeletonized Dual Pivot design featuring spring tension and centering adjustment. SRAM Force brakes are lighter than last year’s models but have increased stopping power and easier adjustability. The Force brakes are essentially the same as Red brakes except for the Zephyr Silver finish and lack of machined brake pad holders found on Red. Weight: 280 grams.
CASSETTE
The PG-1070 cassette uses a semi-spidered design, and the top three cogs are mounted to the spider to lower weight while maintaining durability. The PG-1070 cassette is available in 11-23, 11-27, 11-26, 11-28, 12-25, 12-26, 12-27. Weight: 210 grams (11-23).
ON THE ROAD
The biggest change from 2009 is the ample use of unidirectional carbon fiber, forged aluminum parts, lighter action shifting and the new styling. So much of Force’s performance and styling upgrades are borrowed from SRAM’s top-level Red group that it is virtually impossible to tell them apart while on the bike. It is even difficult to tell them apart off the bike, as Force borrows Red’s styling with the revised Force logo overlaid on black carbon as its main graphic element. Another visual carry-over from Red is that the SRAM logo is featured on the inside of both crankarms as well as the Force logo spanning the brake and shift levers.
After riding the 2010 Force group, the big question became, “Why would anyone buy Red?” SRAM has taken the best parts of their top-flight Red group and put it in a package that is every bit as good at a much lower price. Installation was easy, and all the components fit perfectly. Out of the box, the shifting was spot-on. Despite the Gore RideOn cables being pre-stretched, we did experience some stretch after the first ride. Aside from a couple turns of the barrel adjuster, the shifting was solid throughout the test.
Shifting performance was quick and reliable. The quality of shifting was on par with SRAM Red and other top-level groups. The rear derailleur never missed a gear, and with the new lighter action shifters and Gore RideOn cables, there was a marked improvement over previous versions. Our group came with a 11-26 cassette, which we loved. With a high gear of 11 and wide gear spread, we were able get the most out of the bike on descents and still have plenty for steep ascents. Unlike Red, the Force group doesn’t use SRAM’s one-piece PowerDome cassette, but instead uses a semi-spidered design. Shifting performance was every bit as good and was actually quieter than the hollow PowerDome. Just as when we first rode Force back at Sea Otter, we were impressed with the quality of the front shifting, which was super fast and required minimal lever throw. Some of the front derailleur’s performance can be attributed to the use of a steel cage. While this adds a bit of weight over Red’s titanium version, it also adds stiffness. The addition of the front derailleur’s big ring trim feature is welcomed and solves one of the biggest complaints from the previous version.
TO DOUBLETAP OR NOT TO DOUBLETAP
SRAM’s DoubleTap system tends to draw mixed reviews, with some riders loving it, while others hold true to the two-lever designs from Shimano and Campagnolo. Even those who love DoubleTap noted two drawbacks to the design. One is that while you can upshift multiple gears at once, the lever throw is quite long, and a lot of wrist and hand motion is required. The second drawback is that if you don’t realize that you are in the biggest cog in the rear and you and you down-shift, the DoubleTap shifter becomes maxed out and will up-shift since you have already moved past the first click. This is not what you want when struggling up a hill.
Braking performance was great with controlled modulation and good lever feedback. The levers continue to feature reach adjustment, although the default setting seemed to work for most riders. The brakes are extremely powerful and again drew comparisons to Red. During our test, we used both the standard brake pads as well as carbon specific and felt no discernible difference in performance or lever feel, giving the impression that SRAM has done well in engineering a solid brake that will perform regardless of wheel choice.
VERDICT
SRAM Force is a winner. Overall shifting and braking performance is as good as anything on the market. Add in the weight, which is 84 grams lighter than Dura-Ace—2181 grams versus 2097 grams—and you have a group that is going to push other manufacturers to rethink the performance standards and price of their top-level groups.
PRICE: $1399
INFO: www.sram.com
WEIGHT: 2097 grams (GXP) 1951-grams (BB30)
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