"...do you think this applies to the RIVAL group as well?"
Pretty much.
The Rival derailleurs don't break as easily (or as often) as the Red, but the levers still/also stop working when they get muddy or sandy, kind of mid-way between 8 and 9 speed DA in terms of how easily and how badly, if that makes any sense.
I know a bunch of folks who loved Rival until the weather got bad, and then they weren't so happy. One of my teammates was testing it early this season, and took it off as soon as he could - hated it, had to change bikes twice as often on the Rival bike.
... in response to another post; it isn't just the solid construction of the Red cassette that's a problem, the other cassettes in the line do the same thing. It just looks like it's really hard to make a good cassette that isn't a copy of the Shimano, and while the missing tooth thing is fine on the road, it just doesn't seem to cut it for cross.
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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
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