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Written by Jesse Stevens
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Wednesday, 20 September 2006 |
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Tester: Jesse Stevens, Team Bikeman.com Rider, Certified Bikeman Product Tester
Conditions: Sweet West Virginia blacktop.
SRAM FORCE SHIFTERS:
Here is the lowdown on the Force Shifters. I have been using them for a little more than a month now and I can’t think of anything bad to say about them. Ok I lied, while they are super intuitive and very very easy to use and understand they are not great for people with small hands (not that Dura Ace is much better). I have found that up shifting on a hard climb can be a little hard if you need to do it in a big hurry and your not prepared, but having the ability to skip up rapid rise style 3 or 4 gears definitely helps.
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And the fact that the hoods are more comfortable than even Shimano is definitely a plus for us climbers. For the sprinters out there you will love these things, the down shift is quick and easy from the drops as well as from the hoods. If you have normal sized hands and a pang for something new and light I would highly recommend these bad boys, they not only work like a charm but they cause quite a stir every where you go. The rumor is that you can rebuild these (like Campy shifters) which is very nice, although I can’t confirm this just yet thankfully.
SRAM FORCE REAR DERAILLEUR:
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You can’t give a good review of the shifters without mentioning the derailleurs. The fact that the shifts are 98% accurate even under extreme load, and that in combination with the shifters it feels quicker and more accurate than even Campy make this the best rear derailleur that I have used. I have used the new SRAM 10 speed chain and Dura-Ace chains, as well as Ultegra and KCNC cassettes and everything works perfectly. It’s nice that a company comes out with new products and actually makes them compatible with something that’s widely used. Bottom line on the rear mech is that it’s cheaper than Record or Dura-Ace and works just as well.
SRAM FORCE FRONT DERAILLEUR:
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There isn’t much to say about a front derailleur, it works and that’s all you need to know. It’s strong like a Shimano front derailleur and shifts are accurate. On a couple of occasions I have needed extra trim and it was frustrating not to have it. I have only dropped my chain 1 time and it was my fault for messing around with my limit screws. I would rather have Campagnolo’s front shifting for its adjustment, but this stuff doesn’t feel bargain basement either.
SRAM FORCE BRAKES:
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These are absolutely the best brakes I have ever used on a road bike, and there is nothing bad to say about these things. They are very powerful and the pads have shown little wear even though I have put over 1200 miles they still feel like new and I have yet to adjust re-adjust them. I don’t use carbon rimmed wheels so you're on your own as to whether or not they will feel good with those, but I imagine changing the pads to a carbon rim pad would be necessary.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
My overall impression of the group is that it works fantastically in nearly any condition under all kinds of loads and stress (believe me I am doing my best to stress the system). I wouldn’t say it’s “better” than Record or Dura-Ace necessarily. But it is new, it’s light and it looks very cool and works just as well as any other high end group set. If you are really into new and cool stuff BUY it, you will not be disappointed. I’m going to give the group a 4.5 bikeman rating because the value and quality are both very high. What else could you ask for??
Jesse Stevens
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