Being There: SRAM 22 Launch

A new year and another gear. 

Only a year after a complete re-design of SRAM Red, the Chicago-based company’s highest-end road group, comes Red 22. The 22 refers to the gears (2×11), joining Campagnolo who’s had an 11-speed setup for the past few years, and Shimano who just recently added an 11th gear to their Dura-Ace 9000 and 9070 Di2 groups. Also on the receiving end of an extra cog in the rear and getting the 22 designation is SRAM’s more affordable Force group. 

SRAM’s Red 22 group will probably not be remembered for its increase to 11-speed, partly because it’s already been done before, twice; it’s something else that will leave Red 22’s lasting mark. SRAM becomes the first of the big-three component giants to offer a fully hydraulic disc brake with their road shifter mechanism integrated. Not only is there a disc brake option, but also a hydraulic rim brake that uses the same brake/shift lever as the disc version, as well as the Aero Link mechanical rim brake that was a new addition in last year’s overhaul. Three brake caliper options for Red 22 is indeed the group’s defining point.

We’ve known it was coming: a hydraulic brake/shifter combo from one of the component giants, and SRAM beat everyone to the punch. The Hydro Shifter maintains SRAM’s Double Tap mechanical shifting, while delivering fully hydraulic braking. Other than the front of the hood growing vertically by 1cm to make room for the hydraulic reservoir, the lever maintains the same ergonomics and lever contours as the previous Red hood, as well as the independent reach adjustment of the carbon brake and shift levers. 

Two versions of the Hydro Shifter are available, the Red 22, and the S-700. The S-700 shares all of the Red’s design features, except for using an alloy brake and shift lever instead of carbon, and is 10-speed, for use with any current SRAM group (10-speed) on the market. An 11-speed standard Red shifter will still be available for those not wanting to toy with the hydraulic brake options. 

Disc brake applications on cyclo-cross bikes have boomed over the past two years; and now with brands like Colnago, Specialized, and Volagi making disc-specific road frames, the writing’s on the wall. 

SRAM initially tested the waters with the Avid BB7 Road SL mechanical disc, but have now jumped in head first with the HRD (Hydraulic Road Disc). Forged aluminum disc calipers encase a 19mm piston in the front and a 18mm piston in the rear in order to be ‘optimized for the road and cross’ according to Avid’s Paul Cantor. He went on to say, ‘It’s not just about achieving more power; contact with the road can become a problem with too much power. That’s why we use a smaller piston on the rear.’ 

There are already a number of people on-board for road disc. But due to an approximately 140-gram weight increase per wheel (not counting any additional wheel weight) over a standard Red shifter and Aero Link caliper (with brake cable and housing), and the fact that disc brakes are banned from road racing and time trials, it will find the most popularity on the road in areas with a lot of rain, and with riders wanting added security and braking consistency on long or steep descents. 

The fully hydraulic system uses DOT brake fluid and is bled from the caliper up to a port atop the Hydro Shifter. Two rotor sizes are available, 140mm for cyclo-cross, and 160mm for the road. Available in both center lock and six-bolt mounting. 

Red 22 HRD-$561 per wheel (HSX rotor is an additional $72), Weight: 449 grams per wheel (lever, caliper, hose and 160mm HSX rotor)

S-700 HRD-$398 per wheel (HS1 rotor is an additional $44), Weight: 493 grams per wheel (lever, caliper, hose and 160mm HS1 rotor)

SRAM’s HRR (Hydraulic Road Rim) caliper was probably the biggest surprise coming out of the press event. Last year Magura made a splash with their RT8 C hydraulic rim brake that uses a converter box, similarly to TRP’s Parabox, mounted underneath the stem to change from cable pull to hydraulic. Thanks to SRAM’s Hydro Shifter, the HRR brake maintains a sealed, hydraulic system throughout, something that Magura’s road version can’t deliver. Aesthetically, SRAM nailed the HRR brake, giving it a sleek look that’s hardly any larger than the svelte Red Aero Link brake. Adjustments are easy to make with the four-position quick-release lever borrowed from the Aero Link. As for weight, the Red 22 Hydro Road Rim system comes in at 387 grams per wheel; that’s 62 grams lighter than the Hydro Road Disc, and approximately 77 grams heavier than Red shifter/Aero Link caliper combo. 

Although the claims of increased stopping power with less hand effort, a sealed, maintenance-free system, and the ability to fit on just about any bike (unlike disc), give it a clear performance advantage over a mechanical rim brake (except for weight), we think the best application for it is in the time trial/triathlon bike segment, where funky cable routing and limited room for caliper movement is the norm. Unfortunately, SRAM will miss out on this market in the short term since they do not have an aero brake lever option yet. SRAM wouldn’t say when one would be available, but reading between the lines it’s safe to assume one is in the works. Just like the HRD, the HRR comes in both the Red 22 version and the S-700. 

Red 22 HRR-$484 per wheel, Weight: 387 grams per wheel (lever, caliper, housing 600mm)

S-700 HRR-$286 per wheel, Weight: 422 grams per wheel (lever, caliper, housing 600mm)

To the naked eye, the transition from 10- to 11-speed is merely the additional of another cog in the rear and one more index in the shifter. In reality, nearly every component gets re-oriented to meet the requirements of the 11-speed system. The only holdovers from 2012 Red are the Aero Link brake calipers, crank arms (not including chainrings), and bottom bracket. We can only imagine this will cause much dismay for everyone that went out and bought a Red group within the past year thinking that it’d be up-to-date for the foreseeable future; they probably didn’t think that the future would be at hand so quickly. Why wasn’t 11-speed just incorporated with last year’s Red release? We asked SRAM Road Manager, Charles Becker. His response: ‘At the time of the 2012 Red release we didn’t feel that the market was ready for it. We didn’t want to have a new system before wheel options were available. Shimano just came out with theirs, and now there are enough wheel options out to support it.’

Due to the cassette gaining 1.85mm in width, spacing between chainrings has been reduced in order to maintain an acceptable chainline when cross-chaining. This allows the Yaw front derailleur to keep its ‘True 22’ design, which is rub free in every and any gear without the need of trim. The rear derailleur’s parallelogram receives a tweak for the additional cassette width in order for it to maintain the same shifting effort from bottom cog to top cog. Of course the chain also changes, both in name and design. Just as Shimano has done with their 11-speed chains, SRAM maintained the same roller width for durability, while reducing rivet and sideplate thickness. Rather than continuing with their numerical name designation, the chain now goes by Red 22. SRAM believes this will help reduce customer confusion between 10-speed and 11-speed chains. Oh, and one last thing. You probably know it by now, but an 11-speed rear wheel is a requirement.  Thankfully, just as SRAM has always done before, freehub body compatibility with Shimano has been maintained.

One thing that sets SRAM’s 11-speed application apart from Campy and Shimano is the Wifli gearing option of 11-32 that has helped make triple chainring road cranks obsolete. Shimano’s largest 11-speed cassette offering is a 28-tooth, while Campy goes up to a 12-29 in their Super Record line. Alberto Contador’s win on the steep slopes of the Angliru during the Vuelta a’Espana proved Wifli’s merits as more than just a low-gearing option for the casual cyclist; and its inclusion makes SRAM’s Red 22, and Force 22 the most practical 11-speed groups on the market for those that enjoy seeking out the most challenging terrain. Red 22 should be immediately available, with the exception of the Wifli cassette. 

Shifter-$625, Weight: 280 grams w/o cables (pair)

Rear Derailleur-$375, Weight: 145 grams

Yaw Front Derailleur-$144, 69 grams (chain catcher is an 10 additional grams)

Crankset-$517, 557 grams (BB30, 53/39)

Quarq Power Meter-$2,045, 778 grams (GXP, 53/39)

Aero Link Brakes-$368, 240 grams (pair)

Cassette-$351, Weight: 151 grams (11-25)

Chain-$63, Weight: 242 grams (114 links)

SRAM didn’t just haul journalists from all over the world out to Westlake Village, California because they got a good rate on the hotel (well, maybe they did), it was because this launch was going to be about riding, riding, and more riding. With some of the best riding terrain and weather in California, two things that are really important when you schedule four rides in two days, it’s easy to see why Westlake Village is always a hotspot for pro teams holding training camps. 

Over the course of the launch each of us would have an opportunity to ride three different bikes, all equipped with Red 22, but one would have Aero Link mechanical rim brakes, the second Hydro Road Rim brakes, and the third Hydro Road Disc brakes. There’s no better way to feel the difference between the three than having the ability to do back to back to back testing. 

Ride two was on a Cannondale Evo with Hydro Road Rim brakes. Cruising along out of town, well before needing to use the brakes, I couldn’t help but think that the Hydro Shifters felt enormous in my hands when on the hoods. The vertical height difference in the front between the Hydro and standard shifter was substantial, and I swore the overall diameter had to be larger, too. Turns out I was wrong; after mentioning my first impressions to SRAM engineer Mark Santurbane, he informed me that where I was positioned, the hoods were exactly the same size between both the Hydro Shifters and standard Red shifters. It seemed that, between spending most of my time over the past four weeks testing Dura-Ace Di2 9070, which has a slightly smaller hood than Red, and the larger frontal area of the Hydro Shifter, my mind was playing tricks on me.

What goes up must come down, and after heading uphill for a while it was finally time to use the brakes. If I had been expecting something dramatic I’d have been disappointed, but I figured it would be a subtle difference between the Aero Link brakes, which were already quite powerful. Once engaged, the Hydro Road Rim rear brake had a more consistent powerful feel. Lever pull was easy, but so too is a mechanical brake with good cable and housing; but maybe on a five hour ride, or a really cold day, I would have been able to feel more subtleties in hand effort. 

For the big ride I was on the HRD brakes, allowing me to get in plenty of time on them going up and down Malibu Canyon. 

Force 22 receives many of the same upgrades that Red has seen over the past two years, such as ‘True 22’ thanks to a Yaw front derailleur (with optional chain catcher), and 11-speed. Just like Red 22, Force 22 will have an 11-32 Wifli cassette available, in addition to 11-25, 11-26, and 11-28 options. Brake calipers are unchanged, while new X-Glide chainrings come in four sizes: 53/39, 52/36, 50/34, and 46/36, along with a shorter 165mm crank length option. Force 22 should be available by mid-May. 

Price: $1,358 (complete group)