A new Sram Force AXS groupset has just been launched, but why isn't it much better? Sam Gupta takes a look at the latest update to Sram's second tier road groupset.
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00:00 SRAM has just released the latest version of their second-tier road groupset Force AXS.
00:06 The 12-speed wireless groupset has seen a number of changes, which we will get into.
00:11 And I've also been lucky enough to have ridden the new shiny bit, so stay tuned to
00:15 hear about the good and the not so good.
00:19 Let's start off with one of the most obvious changes from the last iteration of Force,
00:24 and that's the new look of it.
00:27 Firstly, the chainrings. To my eye, these are a huge step forwards in terms of aesthetics.
00:33 They obviously mimic the same design language that is found on the range-topping red, but
00:39 with slightly less bling.
00:40 The glossy black finish of the chainset is very clean and now looks like one inner set.
00:46 The move to these new chainrings has also saved a decent chunk of weight off of the
00:50 groupset, but we'll get into that a little bit later.
00:54 You'll also notice the silvery, rainbow-esque stickers that now appear on most of the components.
01:00 While these aren't practical, I guess they do look pretty cool.
01:04 Another aesthetic change, which does double as a practical one, is the shape of the new
01:08 lever hoods. Not only are they longer, providing more space for your fingers behind the brake
01:13 lever, but they also have bigger shift paddles.
01:17 The tops of the hoods have also shrunk and mirror the same design as used on SRAM's
01:22 third-tier level groupset, Rival.
01:24 I will say, it is pretty rare to have trickle-up technology, but in this case, it was the right
01:30 call.
01:31 In terms of looks, that's about it.
01:34 But it doesn't matter if something just looks good, it also has to work well.
01:39 So what has been done to improve user interaction?
01:43 As mentioned, the hoods have changed shape to improve ergonomics.
01:46 The extra space does mean that when you're gripping the hoods in the normal riding position,
01:51 they feel incredibly comfortable.
01:52 I've also not got the largest hands, so I imagine for those that do, this will be
01:58 a very welcome improvement.
02:00 The shrinking of the reservoirs should also, in theory, make the tops easier and more comfortable
02:05 to cup when riding aggressively.
02:07 The new force axes can be paired with up to six blip shifters, or better put, three sets
02:13 of shifters.
02:14 And these are all wireless and can be programmed via the SRAM app.
02:18 Now the cool thing is, because they're wireless, you can basically put them wherever you like.
02:22 So if you wanted to put a shifter on one of your bottles, in theory, you could definitely
02:27 do that.
02:28 I only have one set attached to my bike and I have them positioned either side of the
02:32 stem, or better described as in the climbing position.
02:36 And I use them quite a lot.
02:38 Going up and down the cassette was nice and easy and smooth.
02:41 And when you press both at the same time, I have them programmed to switch chain rings.
02:45 And quite frankly, they were faultless.
02:47 The groupset is now around a hundred grams lighter compared to the old version, but this
02:52 does vary depending on which setup you go for.
02:56 Of course, most of this weight saving does come from those new integrated chain rings,
03:00 which have come down from red.
03:02 There is also only one rear derailleur, which is built to work with all cassette sizes up
03:07 to 36 teeth.
03:08 If you want to go bigger, then you can opt for the Explore rear derailleur, which can
03:12 go up to 44 teeth, but that is for one by drivetrains only.
03:17 In terms of actual improvements, this is where things start to run a little dry.
03:22 When you look past the new chain set, the shifters, the fresh glossy black finish and
03:27 shiny stickers, there doesn't seem to be a great deal more.
03:31 Given the lack of any considerable steps forwards in terms of functionality, the points of comparison
03:36 between the old and the new groupset are fairly far and few between.
03:41 The biggest step forwards, of course, is that new chain set, but let's dive into why that
03:46 might not be the best thing.
03:48 I'm sure the vast majority of you will agree that it does look better.
03:51 However, the cost of those aesthetic improvements may have meant practicality has suffered.
03:57 We all know that chain rings are a wearable part, and after a certain amount of mileage,
04:02 they will need replacing.
04:03 Given the new one-piece nature of the rings, when you change one, you now have to change
04:08 both, much like how you have to do on SRAM Red.
04:11 That's nothing new.
04:12 Of course, it is slightly annoying, especially if you'd only worn down one of them and you
04:17 still had a bit of life left in the other that you thought you could extrapolate.
04:21 You're now forced into replacing both at the same time.
04:25 The real kicker here, though, is that if you have the power meter version of the chain
04:29 set, much like the one I have here, the power meter itself is built into the rings.
04:36 SRAM say this is for maximum weight reductions and increased power accuracy.
04:41 This then means, if you need to change your chain rings, you also need to buy a new power
04:47 meter and simply throw the old one away.
04:50 To me, that doesn't sit so well, and rightly or wrongly, puts a serious onus on the rider
04:55 to religiously clean and replace their chain to ensure maximum life out of their rings.
05:00 SRAM say that these rings are made for extreme longevity, and with the care and attention
05:05 I've already mentioned, you should get a lot of life out of them.
05:08 They also say that the chain should be replaced at 0.8mm of wear, which, quite frankly, isn't
05:15 a lot.
05:16 So, be ready to get through a serious number of chains.
05:19 I will be the first to say that staying on top of your cleaning and maintenance is absolutely
05:24 critical to getting the most life out of your bike and your components.
05:28 However, now, it feels like the stakes and risks associated in not doing so have been
05:33 disproportionately heightened.
05:36 While this new chain set does look seriously cool, and in my opinion, has definitely boosted
05:40 the curb appeal of the new Force group set, it does seem like it's going to generate
05:45 a fair bit of wastage.
05:47 Not only in riders throwing away chain rings which have valuable quark power meters attached,
05:51 but also in the sheer amount of chains that one would end up getting through.
05:55 It would have been great to see SRAM launch a recycling service where, rather than throwing
05:59 your old chain rings away, they can remove and recycle the power meters and also recycle
06:04 the rings as well.
06:06 Waste of course has its own impact, but there's also the immediate cost to us, the riders,
06:12 which does mean that servicing the group set is more inflated than that of Ultegra and
06:17 other competing group sets in the space.
06:20 I mentioned at the start of the video that I had been lucky enough to have ridden the
06:24 new Force, and there are a lot of things to like.
06:27 I think this is because the old Force was already a really good group set, so SRAM were
06:32 starting from a really good place.
06:34 The brakes also feel good and powerful, again, they never felt bad before.
06:39 The rear shifting is a delight, it's smooth, crisp, silent and doesn't falter when making
06:44 strange shifts under load.
06:46 During my first ride with the group set, I did actually crash when I hit some oil on
06:50 a corner, and I ended up coming down on the drive side.
06:54 Now while the rear derailleur did take an impact, it's still working seamlessly and
06:58 shifting as well as it did before.
07:00 And lastly, I do like the slightly larger shift paddles, you aren't left searching
07:05 for them and the small bits of texture really add to the interaction with them.
07:10 But now, onto some of the things that maybe aren't so great.
07:14 While the hood shape is an improvement and I like being able to get my hands behind the
07:18 levers more comfortably, the reservoirs, which have been shrunk down to allow better grip,
07:23 do slightly limit the number of positions that you can adopt.
07:26 They force you into holding the tops of the hoods like this when riding aggressively,
07:30 but it's not quite as comfortable to cup them like this.
07:34 Yes, I know it's a tiny problem to have, but when you think about the shape of the
07:38 Shimano Ultegra hoods, you aren't limited at all.
07:42 Also, when you are holding the force hoods like this, it's a real shame that they don't
07:46 have the shifter buttons on the tops of the reservoirs, allowing you to fine tune your
07:50 gears when you're tucking up into the most aero position.
07:53 On the same tangent as shifting, the front mech is still one of the biggest weak points
07:58 of the Force groupset.
07:59 It's just not as fast as Shimano.
08:02 You have to take a more considered approach when you shift.
08:05 I will say, it never shuddered or struggled to shift when I wanted it to, even under load.
08:12 I never dropped a chain or heard any crunching or branching of any kind, but it's just
08:16 not as fast as what I've become accustomed to from Shimano.
08:21 Like I've already mentioned, the situation with the chainrings is a tough one to navigate.
08:26 It really is a case of performance versus practicality.
08:30 While this setup isn't new, as this is how things have been done on SRAM Red for a while,
08:34 I believe that a Red customer would lean in the favor of performance over cost, given
08:39 the fact that they've opted for a range-topping groupset.
08:43 However, since Force is a product for a much wider market and arguably is a market that
08:48 wants Red performance but doesn't want to pay as much for it, perhaps this move by SRAM
08:54 may not sit so well with that customer base.
08:57 Let's just hope that they don't do the same for Rival when it's time comes for
09:02 an update.
09:03 Finally, on to pricing and this is where things get really, really interesting.
09:10 It's almost as though SRAM knew I wouldn't be too happy about the cost of running the
09:15 groupset and then compensated for that in the purchase price.
09:19 Because ladies and gents, for a 2x non-power meter groupset, the list price here in the
09:25 UK is £1,751 or $2,115 over in the USA.
09:33 Now, I will tell you why that is significant and that's because Shimano 105 Di2 costs
09:40 £1,730 or $1,890.
09:46 It's remarkable that a second-tier groupset can come in only £21 more expensive than
09:51 the like-for-like third-tier equivalent from Shimano.
09:55 This really is a rather large statement to make.
09:58 But don't get too excited.
10:01 I even said when I reviewed Shimano 105 Di2 that I thought it was on the expensive side
10:07 and when you look at the price in the US, the gap does stretch out to $200.
10:13 This could be down to the pound regaining some strength but whatever the cause, if you
10:17 are a customer looking to purchase a new groupset by itself, then SRAM has made the decision
10:23 just that little bit more complicated.
10:26 Of course, the majority of people don't upgrade the groupset on their current bike,
10:31 but they do, however, choose their next bike based on what groupset it comes with.
10:36 So will manufacturers be pitching their new SRAM Force bikes at similar money to those
10:40 with 105 Di2?
10:43 Probably not.
10:44 They won't want to confuse their own pricing structures.
10:47 The new SRAM Force is certainly a facelift groupset and not something that's drastically
10:51 new.
10:52 It does address some key sticking points of the previous generation and while performance
10:56 has been prioritised, practicality has suffered.
11:01 Upgrading your bike to this groupset doesn't make a great deal of sense unless you were
11:05 considering upgrading to Shimano 105 Di2.
11:08 For anyone who does choose a new bike with this groupset fitted, just be aware of the
11:12 associated costs in running it.
11:15 The price in which Forces enter the arena doesn't represent value when you consider
11:20 the commitment a consumer has to make when it comes to replacing chainrings and chains.
11:25 And there isn't a tangible improvement in front mech shifting.
11:29 Sure, it does look very cool, but the shifting just doesn't feel as fast as Ultegra or
11:34 even 105 Di2.
11:36 While the fewer customers for red may be more agreeable to dealing with those servicing
11:40 costs of running a top-level groupset, the larger base of Force might not.
11:46 What do you think of the new Force groupset?
11:48 Is it something you could foresee yourself running in the future?
11:51 Or do you think that actually it is a groupset that you would like to upgrade to?
11:55 Let me know down in the comments below.
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