WHEN THE FIRST PHOTOS OF SRAM'S NEW COMPONENT GROUP LEAKED ONLINE, my mind ran wild with visions of 13-speed cassettes and direct-mount rear derailleurs, à la the brand's mountain bike offerings. There is a precedent for these flights of fancy: Historically, a new Red group incorporates innovative features and technology. In only slightly over a decade, the Chicago-based brand introduced features that changed the road drivetrain landscape.
SRAM was the first component brand to wholly incorporate power meters (2012), disc brakes (2015), wireless shifting (2015), wide-range gearing (2016), 1x systems (2019), and pulley-cage dampers (2019) into its top-level road group.
Of the three major drivetrain manufacturers-Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM-it is not an overstatement to say that SRAM now sets the standard for road groups. The American brand is better at anticipating the evolution of drop-bar riders' needs, and it pays close attention to (and develops parts for) how and where cyclists ride.
But, surprisingly, SRAM's new Red group is more of a refresh than a redesign. Certainly, there is newness in the group, but viewed from a high level, the underpinnings of this group are the same as the Red AXS group that launched in 2019.
Which means almost all Red 2024 parts can be mixed with Red 2019 (except for a couple of cassette sizes). While the gear geek in me wants groundbreaking, new everything in all-new parts, I applaud SRAM's compatibility approach.
The big benefit of backward compatibility is that anyone with Red 2019-or 12-speed Rival and Force AXS groups-can seamlessly upgrade their existing groups with the best bits from Red 2024. (See "Should You Upgrade?" p.59.) By sticking with 12 gears and many of the brand's existing technologies and philosophies, SRAM greatly eases the task of finding repair and replacement parts-for Red 2024 and Red 2019.
This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
