Interbike 2013: SRAM's Force 22 benefits from big brother Red

Tuesday morning at Interbike 2013 started with a ride from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center out to Boulder City for the Outdoor Demo. My ride for the morning was a Specialized S-Works Roubaix equipped with an all new SRAM Force 22 gruppo.

Apart from the complete overhaul, SRAM Force also provides twenty-two usable gears, Yaw™ shifting speed and precision that can only be matched by SRAM RED, and a new sleek finish.

SRAM's Force group now has 22 speeds as well — SRAM’s Force group now has 22 speeds as well

The levers, while made from slightly different materials than Red, have the same excellent ergonomic shaping. Like Red, the reach of the levers can be adjusted invidually, the ErgoBlade lever makes it easier to shift from the drops, and a new clamp allows better fit and adjustment for modern carbon and ergo bars.

The rear derailleur also benefits from the Red 22 improvements. A larger B-knuckle allows up to 28t cassettes to fit. Finally, a new chain pulley cage adds precise chain management.

Instead of multiple shifts using trim, the SRAM Force 22 Yaw™ Front Derailleur actually rotates to maintain a consistent angular relationship with the chain. Not only does the Yaw technology eliminate trim, it makes the full range of 22 gears available to the rider with no rasping or rubbing. Like Red, the Force 22 FD includes an integrated chain spotter.

The new Force 22 crankset gets unidirectional carbon in the crank arm matched to a forged alloy spider and . And the hidden bolt pattern makes better use of carbon fiber to further improve stiffness and shed weight. Those that struggle to find short enough crank can now find arms down to 165mm with Force 22.

The SRAM Force Brakeset does not get much change from its 20 speed version. Like its predecessor, it was designed with light weight, performance, and streamlined aesthetics as our guiding principles. Featuring Dual Pivot performance and a proprietary pad compound, the SRAM Force Brakeset delivers high power with low weight.

The all new SRAM PG-1170 Cassette and PC-1170 chain take the reliable characteristics of their twenty speed siblings into a package optimized for 11 speed gearing.