SRAM Force cranks are made from unidirectional carbon-fibre with a machined alloy spider. Unlike Shimano and Campagnolo, SRAM has stuck with a five equally spaced bolts to hold its chainrings in place, one of those bolts behind the crank. SRAM has stiffened up the chainrings.
SRAM Force – Force is often looked at as an equivalent to Shimano Ultegra but this is a groupset which has been used by pro teams. It is available in 10 or 11-speed versions and in disc and rim brake versions. Force is also available from SRAM as a 1x setup which can be used on road, cyclocross and adventure bikes.
SRAM Force is top of the mechanical groupset hierarchy and roughly comparable to the old 11-speed Shimano Ultegra. All SRAM's groupsets are available with a single ring 1x option at the front and every model in the range is also available with disc brakes.
Weight for Ultegra and Force is remarkably similar: Ultegra weighing at 2,313g for the whole groupset, and Force only 10g heavier than that.
Both groupsets have wide gear ranges, but the Force 1 has a broader range of chainrings to choose from. Functionally, the Rival and Force 1 groupsets are the same, but the Rival is slightly heavier due to the materials used. For example, the Rival uses aluminum brake levers, while the Force uses carbon fiber items.
Many parts are cross compatible between SRAM RED, Force, and Rival eTap AXS such as: 12-speed Flattop chains, 12-speed cassettes from 10-28T all the way up to 10-36T, 1x cranksets, 2x cranksets (be sure to use the correct wide spindle crankset with the wide version front derailleur), shifter controls, and power meters.
Sram Force 22 is the best overall kit available, balancing shifting performance, ergonomic shifters, weight, and price. As the owner of one Sram Red 2013 (10 speed) group and two Sram Force 22 groups, I highly recommend the Force 22.
SRAM claims a Force 22 brake weight of 280g (pair), while Shimano claims 317g for its Ultegra brakes. SRAM Force 22 is also available with hydraulic braking (see 'Shifters', above) for improved power and control, especially in wet conditions.
In terms of overall performance, they're very similar. “Shimano's units feel a bit more powerful overall but the SRAM brakes (above) are a bit more progressive through their range of power, so it's swings and roundabouts,” said Dave Atkinson. “If I had to choose one or the other, the SRAM brakes would probably edge it.
SRAM (static random access memory)
Buyers are free to use a SRAM chain and cassette with their Shimano groupset, and vice versa, just as a SRAM chain can be paired with a Shimano cassette, and vice versa. SRAM's cassettes and chains are compatible with all of Shimano's groupsets, and vice versa.
The most obvious difference between Di2 and eTap AXS is the wires (or lack thereof.) Shimano's Di2 groups connect the derailleur(s), shifters, and battery pack together with wires. You may not see them, because on higher-end bikes the wiring and battery are typically hidden inside the frame tubes, but they're in there.
SRAM Corporation is a privately held bicycle component manufacturer based in Chicago, USA. SRAM is an acronym comprising the names of its founders, Scott, Ray, and Sam. Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.
Shimano's Tiagra is, however, the relative equivalent of SRAM Apex.
There are a couple of problems using a road group on an MTB frame. If you have a frame with 130mm rear spacing and a 68 or 73mm BB shell, you can fit a external BB, road crank and rim brake hub. (I checked: 105 5700 and R7000 cranks both work with 68 and 73mm shells.
SRAM LLC is a privately owned bicycle component manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, founded in 1987. SRAM is an acronym comprising the names of its founders, Scott, Ray, and Sam, (where Ray is the middle name of the company's first CEO, Stan Day).
The SRAM cassettes are lighter because of the lack of spiders connecting the different cogs, and the smaller driver. That's why they are so expensive too. and at least the highest end stuff (like eagle, possibly some of the 11spd stuff) is machined from a single piece, and isn't an assembly component.
SRAM's cassettes and chains are compatible with all of Shimano's groupsets, and vice versa. Likewise, Shimano and SRAM buyers have the freedom to mix different levels of chains and cassettes so long as they are designed for the same kind of transmission.
Compatibility between different drivetrains
SRAM and Shimano cassettes, on either road or mountain bike, are interchangeable with each other as the spacing is the same between the sprockets.
SRAM launched Red eTap in 2015 and followed up in 2019 with 12-speed Red eTap AXS. The two biggest differences from Di2 are that Red eTap shifting is wireless, and the AXS incarnations has 12 sprockets on the rear hub, with a significantly different approach to gearing centered on its 10-tooth smallest sprocket.
The number of cogs in the cassette must match the shifters in groupset (i.e. 8/9/10/11). Buyers normally get a choice for the range in cog sizes, which are specified according to the size of the smallest and largest cogs. Common ranges include 11-23, 11-25, and 11-28.
SRAM uses DoubleTap across all of its mechanical road groupsets. The mechanical Red groupsets offer SRAM's WiFLi technology. This means that with a long cage rear derailleur you can use sprockets up to 32-tooth for some really small gears to get you up tough hills.
Force 22 uses an 11-speed cassette in line with other top-end groupsets.
No, SRAM RED, Force, and Rival eTap AXS are not backward compatible with SRAM RED eTap 11-speed.