SRAM 2019?

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istigatrice
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Location: Australia

by istigatrice

So we've spotted a new Venge and a new Madone, it's making me think we should be spotting new SRAM components if they have a release for 2019 planned? I haven't seen anything myself but their Red eTap is almost 3 years old now (and their mech groupos are ancient), so surely it's due for an update? Surely Force eTap is in the pipeline too (though I doubt we'd see that on any pro bikes)... Maybe we'll see something at the Tour?
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by Weenie


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ParisCarbon
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Location: Winnipeg Canada

by ParisCarbon

Probably the push to 12...

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Beaver
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Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:06 pm

by Beaver

The consumer demands incentive to buy - boon and bane. ;)

eTap could get smaller and have a longer battery life and so on. Force eTap would be a logical step.

But with mechanical Red they it's hard to find a real flaw. The first generation front derailleur cage was to soft, the levers too short, both was fixed. The brakes can fit 28mm wide rims already. There should be a lighter Direct Mount brake on Red level - but what else? It just works the way it is.

I always fear pseudo innovation. ;)

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kerplunk
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Location: New York City

by kerplunk

I recently started a similar thread about dura ace and what the new XTR group points at.
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/foru ... 3&t=151954
I think both SRAM and duar-ace will go 12 spd next. I'm putting my money on RED next year and Dura ace in 2020. One big question for SMAM is will their road bikes utilize the XD standard for their freewheels, stay with the old 11spd splines (like Campy has done) or use Shimano's new micro spline. Brake calipers need to be re-designed to keep up with Shimano. Or perhaps SRAM will concentrate on discs and electronic and let mech wither?

octave
Posts: 188
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:47 pm

by octave

i had this very question-- i wanted to set up my second bike with SRAM Red mechanical like my primary bike, but i worried they'd have something new out soon and i would have the wah wah jumped the gun blues... i set the second bike up with the new ultegra r8000 and i MISS the sram so much!

something so reassuring about that heavy industrial click snick thunk of sram. and i like being able to pull the shift paddles (mostly just the right paddle) back and hold them with a knuckle when i am in the hooks...

TobinHatesYou
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

I think all 3 levels of SRAM will be upgraded at the same time.

- Red/Force/Rival all get 12-Speed.
- Rival goes 1x12 exclusive
- Force gets 2x/1x12 mechanical
- Red gets 2x/1x12 mechanical and eTap
Last edited by TobinHatesYou on Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ancker
Posts: 164
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 9:29 pm

by ancker

Here's my Guess(es):
- Rival/Force/Red/eTap - 12-speed. Both Shimano 11-speed/XDR spline versions of cassettes.
- Rival - Possibly 1x Only, includes 10-40 XDR cassette
- Force - eTap (Mechanical/Hydro)
- Red/eTap - Incremental upgrades, maybe slightly lighter, maybe some app to customize shifting, maybe eTap Clutch RD.

- Stretch Guess - Current eTap upgradable to 12-speed with firmware

dcorn
Posts: 427
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2017 4:21 pm
Location: NoVA

by dcorn

Beaver wrote:
Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:49 pm
The consumer demands incentive to buy - boon and bane. ;)

eTap could get smaller and have a longer battery life and so on. Force eTap would be a logical step.

But with mechanical Red they it's hard to find a real flaw. The first generation front derailleur cage was to soft, the levers too short, both was fixed. The brakes can fit 28mm wide rims already. There should be a lighter Direct Mount brake on Red level - but what else? It just works the way it is.

I always fear pseudo innovation. ;)
Honestly, I have to agree here. I still have first gen Red 10spd on my Tarmac and it works perfectly. I did replace the FD with an upgraded unit with Yaw technology (because the original one snapped), but it works with the original shifters.

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kkibbler
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by kkibbler

I’m happy to be wrong but mech improvements are probably far and few between. The last notable improvement in my view was the DA/Ultegra FD with barrel adjuster built in.

Betting another year at least for new SRAM road stuff. 2018 will probably see CX (maybe MTB?) eTap go live.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

kkibbler wrote:
Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:23 am
I’m happy to be wrong but mech improvements are probably far and few between. The last notable improvement in my view was the DA/Ultegra FD with barrel adjuster built in.

Betting another year at least for new SRAM road stuff. 2018 will probably see CX (maybe MTB?) eTap go live.

SRAM Road and SRAM MTB releases should never be staggered for the sake of it. SRAM Red and Force are 5 years old. Rival is 4 years old. No one is including Force/Rival mechanical as an OEM option and hardly anyone is including Red mechanical. They are stale options in the face of recent updates from Shimano. Retail sales of groupsets is just a blip on the radar...they care about OEM.

I'll give you that SRAM is like a shark attracted to blood in water, so they are definitely more interested in the gravel market lately, but road and gravel are tied to each other. Expect big announcements soon.

Also SRAM would do well to improve their Yaw FD design, because right now it is a pain in the ass to get perfectly set up. The running joke is that SRAM was so quick to jump on the 1x train because they gave up on their own FD.
Last edited by TobinHatesYou on Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

chunky666
Posts: 128
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 12:01 pm

by chunky666

I just hope when they do go 12speed they stick with the 1:1 pull ratio so I can just upgrade to 12speed without actually having to buy a complete groupset

Hexsense
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Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:41 am
Location: USA

by Hexsense

if cable pull is the same,
the question will be what still needs to be change to accomodate narrower chain?
-can we use the same pulley wheel and chainrings?
-can we use the same front derailleur? or the cage needs to be narrower?

Swannie
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by Swannie

and yet nothing new seen from Sram MY2019?

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MayhemSWE
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by MayhemSWE

It sure seems like forever since Sram last refreshed their road groupsets. With Dura-Ace R9200 expected within the year and most likely being 12-speed, surely Sram has got to show something right about now in order to stay relevant. Perhaps 1x12 groupsets will finally show up ridden by the pro's once cyclocross season starts?

by Weenie


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Hexsense
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Location: USA

by Hexsense

I'm really liking Shimano's latest derailleurs.
-Built in cable adjuster on FD
-No big loop cable entrance on RD (Sram MTB also doesn't have big loop. But their road...)
-Low profile derailleur that is more protected against the crash

Surely they can do something similar too?

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