*NEW GEN* SRAM Force Groupset March 2023

[century]

I wanted to pass this along in case anyone is agonizing over purchasing an outdated groupset with SRAM. I had a conversation with a reliable source, who has access to supply chain ordering for new bike builds at a well known company. He advised me not to order any SRAM Force, as they are being updated in March 2023. I hope this helps someone with their buying decisions, as I was probably going to buy SRAM Rival or Ultegra or Dura-Ace, just because they had been updated more recently.

**Some rumors are it is going to have better hoods, like Rivals. That's as much as I know.

PS: I don't know about Red, as I wasn't in the market for those, but I would assume they are getting updated as well.

[fa63]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I just bought SRAM Force AXS for my gravel bike, so I will be curious to see what the changes are. Whatever they are, it shouldn't bother me too much as long as the new groupset doesn't go to 13-spd :-)

[buckfifty]

with all the axs shifters being able to use the wireless blips, there isn't much need to include the ports that force and red have. so I cab see how the new rival shifter shape will be an across the board change going forward

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by fa63

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I just bought SRAM Force AXS for my gravel bike, so I will be curious to see what the changes are. Whatever they are, it shouldn't bother me too much as long as the new groupset doesn't follow Campagnolo again and go to 13-spd :-)

FIFY..




.......RELAX, just some Sunday humor...

[fa63]

I have SRAMnolo on my gravel bike currently; SRAM shifters converted using the Ratio Technology 1x13 kit to shift an Ekar cassette It works really well actually, but I miss having 2x. I think 2x13 would be amazing for range and jumps between cogs, one can dream right?

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

FIFY..

.......RELAX, just some Sunday humor...

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by century

.**Some rumors are it is going to have better hoods, like Rivals. That's as much as I know.
.

Better hoods on Rival? By far my least liked part of the rival kit. The transition to the bars with those hoods is terrible, there's a giant gap/ledge.

[Dave]

I have three bikes with this year's Force AXS hydraulic levers. I have small hands and the brake hoods seem fine to me - no comfort issues. Rival levers don't have contact point adjustment, so hopefully that won't be the case with revised Force and Red.

[century]

Rivals are more similar to Shimanos hoods. A lot of the market thinks Shimano hoods are more comfortable by a wide margin, I'm in that camp. Rival closed the gap on that feel. Fit and finish I haven't examined too closely.

[martinez]

Originally Posted by batman1425

Better hoods on Rival? By far my least liked part of the rival kit. The transition to the bars with those hoods is terrible, there's a giant gap/ledge.

I’ve heard lots of people comment on the rival hoods being a big improvement compared to force and red.

But aside from that, I’ve been ok with the rival hoods. I have rival axs on my nicest bike for longer/climbey rides and generally am not too stoked to be using the shifters for more than a couple of hours. They’re fine but my steel bike with ultegra is leaps closer to ergonomic heaven compared to anything sram has made (I’ve also used sram force axs, mechanical rival and force). But the axs stuff is pretty great with ergonomics of the hoods being my only complaint.

[century]

Originally Posted by martinez

I’ve heard lots of people comment on the rival hoods being a big improvement compared to force and red.

But aside from that, I’ve been ok with the rival hoods. I have rival axs on my nicest bike for longer/climbey rides and generally am not too stoked to be using the shifters for more than a couple of hours. They’re fine but my steel bike with ultegra is leaps closer to ergonomic heaven compared to anything sram has made (I’ve also used sram force axs, mechanical rival and force). But the axs stuff is pretty great with ergonomics of the hoods being my only complaint.

I'll second that.

[FriarQuade]

This is the kind of thing that people have been fired over for leaking. Might rethink sharing this stuff to random people on the internet.

[Coffee Rider]

Other than the OP's post on this subject on Weightweenies, this is the first I've heard and WW is usually the place to hear the earliest rumors of things.

[century]

Originally Posted by FriarQuade

This is the kind of thing that people have been fired over for leaking. Might rethink sharing this stuff to random people on the internet.

Sheeshh, pretty tough crowd here.

And considering I'm a nobody, I wasn't told in confidence but advised as a customer, and I've not mentioned anything about my source... I don't think anyone is going to be fired. BTW, it's a 2-3 year old groupset, this isn't exactly surprising news. I think most suspected an update was coming after the Rival refresh.

[FriarQuade]

Originally Posted by century

Sheeshh, pretty tough crowd here.

And considering I'm a nobody, I wasn't told in confidence but advised as a customer, and I've not mentioned anything about my source... I don't think anyone is going to be fired. BTW, it's a 2-3 year old groupset, this isn't exactly surprising news. I think most suspected an update was coming after the Rival refresh.

Of course it's not a surprise but the consequences are that you've just attempted to devalue millions of dollars of bikes with a single internet post. Sure you didn't name your source but these things have a funny way of getting back to people that make decisions.

[sg8357]

The wireless cat is out of the bag, the day of doom for cable shifting.

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/sr...set-way-297865

I'll go wireless when they make d/t shifters.
Still waiting for oft promised Abbey Centennial Cotter Pin Press.