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PRODUCT REVIEWS: 5000 MILES ON SRAM RED
June 5, 2008
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SRAM Red hit the road world with a bang. High-profile Pro Tour teams, high-end bikes, an ingenious marketing blitz—welcomed the groups arrival. The product was a bit late getting to excited people, and bike manufacturers and editors were frothing at the mouth trying to get their hands on a Red-equipped bike.
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SRAM’s Red rear derailleur retains the vintage standard cable-routing. Fresh graphics and a lightning fast front derailluer make SRAM Red a sought after group.
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In the hallowed pages of RBA we were one of the first to show you an exposé of both Force and Red, and thankfully, we were one of the first to get a few test bikes to put Red to the test. Three editors on two continents put a total of 5000 miles on SRAM Red. Here are seven things we love about SRAM Red and four things we don’t:
THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT SRAM RED
1). It’s light. Very light. (Sub 2000 grams).
2) Crisp and quick shifting. Very crisp.
3) The Hoods: Anatomical. Ergonomic. Comfortable.
4). SRAM Red looks great, the graphics are great, the styling is great.
5) Compact crankset availability.
6) The stellar performance of the SRAM Red front derailleur.
7) Reach adjustments on the levers.
THINGS WE DON’T LOVE ABOUT SRAM RED
1) The Chain: throw on a Whipperman Connex and your shifting will improve noticeably.
2) The Cassette: as much as we love the very light-weight concept and the largest range in the industry (new for 2009 is an 11/25, 11/28, a 54/42 and 55/42), it’s a bit loud and not quite there yet. Wheel changing can be a minor struggle with some frames due to the close proximity of the cassette retainer to the inside dropout face.
3) The housing loop on the rear derailleur is old-school just like Dura-Ace and Campagnolo. We expected a more modern design like SRAM’s X.O mountain bike derailleurs.
4) Cables: the Ride-On cable-housings don’t sit completely inside the housing caps. Try a different brand and the problem is solved.
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