I am considering getting the 2009 Sram Red group for my road bike. The shop I usually go to is offering them to me for $1499. Is that a good deal? Also, if I do not upgrade my road bike, I may pick up some Hed Jet 6’s. Which upgrade would you recommend? Thanks!
We’re working through an exhaustive (and exhausting) analysis of SRAM Red compared to the other top two 2009 name brand component kits. At this time, one of them appears to be quite underwhelming. The other, very good, and SRAM Red the best of them all.
We’ve been oon SRAM Red for nearly a year now and the more I use other component kits the more impressed I become with SRAM Red. IMO, the other two big names in components have a serious competitive deficit to make up. SRAM has really built a series of subtle nuances into their Red component kit that make it truly race-capable. It’s little things, like the report of the drivetrain in shifting, the capability of the dual control levers to shift from any point in the braking range of motion, the angle and size of the shifter paddles themselves, the ergonomics of the levers on most popular handlebar bends, the weight of the component kit, the precise alignment of the one piece machined cogset… the list goes on.
SRAM deserves credit for Red. It got two other enormous names in bicycle racing components off their laurels and back into the design labs. In at least one of the cases, the result fell well short of our experiences with SRAM Red- Red is the category leader in my opinion among the component “super groups”.
Additionally, Red has a new set of shifters coming for triathletes that “ratchets” or returns to the center like a paddle shifter with every shift, I thin they call it “Return to Zero” or something. I haven’t tried it, but it may be novel.
SRAM deserves credit for setting a new standard for high end component kits in my opinion, especially compared to the other companies’ component offers for 2009.
Tom,
Please let us know when that review is up - definitely interested in your thoughts. Thanks!
p.s. - I hope that underwhelming group is not 7900!
Tom, will you make a comparison of the kits in a TT setup as well?
Yes, the TT capability is part of the commentary/evaluation. It’s a big task. We did it just for the Shimano F & R derailluers on Ultegra, Ultegra SL and Dura-Ace 7800. It was a lot of work.
The new supergroup review will mimic the look and feel of this:
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/dura-ace-ultegra.shtml
Hi Tom, really looking forward to your review.
A quick question: Does the '09 Red include new stiffer chainrings and/or cranks?
I noticed that the Astana team was running full Red setups, instead of using DA cranksets (I think) as they did in '08, on their bikes at the '09 ToC.
I have started using the SRAM Red TT set up on my QR Lucerno and the shifting is absolutely fantastic. There is an issue with the pre 2009 TT FD shifter is so far as the end of the cable comes too far around the shifter which when one puts the FD in the small ring it will pinch the cable, which over time will cause the cable to snap. I know cause it happened to me, however what you need to do is just limit the travel so that the cable doesn’t get pinched. This has been corrected in the newer version. I know some have reported problem with the RED FD can’t recall the issue and they moved back to Dura ace, this maybe a road issue not TT.
The name of the TT shifters that return to the middle are called “RTC Return to Center” don’t know if they are out yet.
GREAT GROUPO!!!
It depends…what groupo and wheelset are you running now?
$1499 isn’t a steal, but it’s a good price for the LBS to be offering. Is install free?
When looking at SRAM, esp from Shimano <7800, you might end up needing a new bar with less (or more) reach…depending upon how you hold the shifters.
To jump on Tom’s comments…I’m not sure folks realize how much of an impact SRAM has made into the component market. When talking to a SRAM exec (this is 3 months ago), they estimated market share around 30% (hey, I don’t know how they define this nor have I cracked open Bicycle Retailing lately to find out if it’s accurate, so take that as tongue/cheek). Amazing considering it’s only been on the market for several years. East coast saturation is higher while west coast is a bit behind. Either way, that amount of penetration is way beyond the forecast and only growing by the day. Can you imagine 50% market share is just around the corner? Wow.
Who is the next Nintendo, Atari or ColecoVision of the bike component industry?
I put full Red on my road bike last summer, and like it quite a lot. I then put a full Rival setup on my cross bike in the fall. It, too, is very nice. If I had to do my road bike over again, I’d get Red shifters, Force for the rest of the drivetrain and probably Rival brakes. The Red is nice, but I worry about its durability, as I will ride in just about anything this side of a plague of frogs, and I’m not made of enough money such that cost of replacement components is no object.
This is my second season on Red and I like it. The shifting is a bit more mechanical, and the front Derailleur could be a bit stiffer, but overall a very nice group. The lightest and the cheapest of the three as well.
I upgraded my road bike last year to SRAM red and I love it. It’s so smooth with it’s shifts.
In another month or so I will be upgrading my P2C as well. The pricing doesn’t look bad if it includes the install as well.
Loving the leap so far. Full Red road gruppo since November, though just a handful of rides on it because of work schedule. Only drawback is no FD trim in the small chainring, but that hasn’t really been an issue.
The RTC shifters have my eye as well, but I wonder if you can throw a lot of gears all at once, or whether you have to do 9 clicks to get all the way to the bottom or top of the cassette.
Bob
I’m torn right now between a Red/Force build and Chorus 11. The prices on Campy items are in a free fall coming out of the UK.
The RTC shifters have my eye as well, but I wonder if you can throw a lot of gears all at once, or whether you have to do 9 clicks to get all the way to the bottom or top of the cassette.
Bob
I’ve been wondering the same thing.
Yes, the TT capability is part of the commentary/evaluation. It’s a big task. We did it just for the Shimano F & R derailluers on Ultegra, Ultegra SL and Dura-Ace 7800. It was a lot of work.
The new supergroup review will mimic the look and feel of this:
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/...ra-ace-ultegra.shtml
Tom,
Looking forward to this review. What’s the ETA?