SRAM Red TT Component Group: $1799

By Cid Cardoso, Jr.

 

SRAM got into the road and TT components market about 4 years ago with the Force and Rival Groups (or Gruppos). Since then they have solidified its status as a major market player with Red Group. Red, which had its debut two years ago, is now seen on high end bikes from practically every frame manufacturer and has become a common upgrade for the weight conscious consumer. 

For the last several years, Shimano has had a strong hold on the bike component market. There have been several companies who have managed to manufacture quality cranks and bottom brackets, like FSA and TruVativ, and brake calipers like Tektro and Zero Gravity. However, none of these companies have been able to create a complete group that included what most people see as the heart and soul of components, the derailleurs, shifters, chain and bottom bracket. With these pieces, Shimano has reigned supreme. Campagnolo has held a steady market share with its heritage and artistic beauty, but mostly in high end road bikes and in the international market. So what does this mean? First of all, it shows that entering the component market is tough. Derailleurs and shifters are intricate mechanisms and engineering and manufacturing them to function properly and reach the end consumer affordably is not easy. Second, SRAM’s presence, which is viewed as permanent, signals the end of Shimano’s monopoly. Although Shimano’s components have been reliable and for the most part affordable, their prices have been virtually unchallenged with the lack of a true competitor here in the US.

SRAM’s Red road group sells for $2039 and the TT group for $1799. This includes front and rear derailleurs, crank and bottom bracket, brake calipers, chain, cassette, brake levers and shifters (in the TT version carbon bar ends shifters and brake levers are included instead of the STI type of levers). This is a healthy increase over Shimano Dura Ace 7800, which sold for $1699 and $1279 respectively, but certainly not as expensive as the new Dura Ace 7900, which sells for $2599 and $2050. Plus, the entire group set is about 266 grams lighter than Dura Ace 7800, which is a little over half a pound (and 156 grams lighter than 7900). This is a significant weight loss in bike terms and crucial if you want to have a 16 pound TT bike. 

I found that overall, SRAM Red TT components work at least as well as Dura Ace 7800. I mean this as a complement, since Dura Ace has been a tough standard to reach. The drive-train works flawlessly and the brakes are solid. SRAM offers a few other cassette ratios, like the 11-26, which have been popular with riders (plus you can still run a Shimano cassette if necessary). The Red Group uses more carbon on its parts, like the cranks and the bar end shifters, giving it a distinct high end look. The cranks also come with ceramic bearings, which for me is a noticeable difference on the smoothness of the pedal stroke. With Shimano, you have to purchase them separately for as much as $209. The Red bar end shifters offer a unique adjustment on the angle in which the levers sit in relation to the bars, allowing the rider to determine whether to have them facing more forward and down or up and a little further back. This is a nice touch since the desired angle may change whether they are being mounted on r-bend extensions or traditional ski tips. They don’t have the distinctive Shimano loud “click” and I found the right lever a little hard at first but the index is accurate and the shifting still crisp. This month, SRAM has introduced the “return to center bar end shifters”. A much talked about concept keeps the shifters in the same position as you shift either up or down on the TT set up. 

The advantages are that it keeps the rider (and the levers) in a more aerodynamic position and it requires less effort, especially in the extreme positions. Smaller riders and more novice ones should find this useful as less effort will result in less swerving and moving during shifting. In the road group, the double tap shifting found in SRAM Red will take some getting used to, whether one has been using Shimano or Campy. 

Overall, SRAM Red is a welcomed great alternative for a high end group, especially if one wants to lighten up the bike. The parts are beautifully sculpted and function like they should for the price tag. They have already helped improve choice and availability and have spurred further innovation of high end components. It is the hopes of consumers that this increase in competition will also help keep prices competitive. Nevertheless, as our mechanic Carson pointed out, sometimes in our industry, competition causes manufacturers to engage in a crazy race of who can make the priciest products, since that is often regarded by consumers as being better.

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Cid Cardoso, Jr., owner of Inside Out Sports, has been doing triathlons for oer twenty years.  Last October, he competed in his 21st Ironman – his sixth appearance at Kona.  A veteran of ultramarathons, he has competed in Team RAAm twice.  He has seen equipment evolve with the sport and continues to test new products to assess their impact in performance.  He trains, works, and resides in Cary, NC, with his wife, two daughters, and son.  You can reach him at cidjr@insideoutsports.com