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SRAM’s much-anticipated 10-speed group, dubbed “Force,”is now on the road. It was used by one sponsored rider in the recent Tour of California, and it’s expected to be under a dozen more at the April 6-9 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA.
That will also be the first time consumers are able to see and touch the new stuff, which is tagged for the 2007 model year and probably won’t be for sale till next winter.
Force features lots of carbon and alloy to make it competitive in weight with Shimano Dura-Ace and Campagnolo Record.
Group weights (according to the companies) are 2,138 grams for Force; 2,181g for Dura-Ace; 2,039g for Record. A pair of Force carbon brake/shift levers weighs 307g compared to 420 for Dura-Ace and 324 for Record.
For a refresher on Force features and functions during the group’s prototype stage, click here. You’ll also see a photo depiction of how SRAM’s unique DoubleTap brake/shift levers work.
No price for Force has been announced, but it seems certain to be in the Dura-Ace and Record stratosphere. SRAM reportedly is developing a lower-cost 10-speed group, yet to be named, to compete with Shimano Ultegra and Campy Chorus.
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