Hey everyone, I talked to a guy at SRAM this morning and he informed me of a couple of websites that have some information regarding the new road gruppo, prices, and a release date. A recording on the SRAM 800 number said the group should be out this fall, and the guy told me around Interbike time. He also said the MSRP will be $1600 for the Force group and around $1000 for the Rival group (only around 100g difference in weight, too). Anyway, here is SRAM's official website about the group:

http://willyoumaketheleap.com/

And:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9723.0.html

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2006/features/sram_road_launch


Hope this isn't a repost!

$1600 for the group? They can keep it. For $1000 you can get the full DA10 gruppo. Why wold I get SRAM for $600 more?

$1600 for the group? They can keep it. For $1000 you can get the full DA10 gruppo. Why wold I get SRAM for $600 more?

Thanks for crapping! Did you even look at any of the information provided or did you just see the price and automatically discount it as a bunch of garbage, especially compared to your $1000 DA gruppo? I posted this information because I know there have been people anxiously awaiting any news of the new road offering from SRAM, even though that might be hard for you to believe. And to answer your question, I would (not wold) get SRAM for $600 more because, judging by the performance of their mountain bike line, the $1600 version will outperform DA, and the $1000 version will probably give DA a run for its money. No one here is trying to make you go SRAM, I was just trying to post some helpful information.

Thanks for crapping! Did you even look at any of the information provided or did you just see the price and automatically discount it as a bunch of garbage, especially compared to your $1000 DA gruppo?

He didn't call it garbage, and he has a point, why buy a gruppo that doesn't have all of the bugs worked out of it, when you can get a Dura-ace or Record gruppo for less?
Remember, the $1600 doesn't include hubs or headset. That makes it closer to $1900! Now, I'm glad Sram has introduced a gruppo, and it sounds good. However, at that price, it's going to be a tough sell.

He didn't call it garbage, and he has a point, why buy a gruppo that doesn't have all of the bugs worked out of it, when you can get a Dura-ace or Record gruppo for less?
Remember, the $1600 doesn't include hubs or headset. That makes it closer to $1900! Now, I'm glad Sram has introduced a gruppo, and it sounds good. However, at that price, it's going to be a tough sell.

I understand his point, I just wish he would have made it in a less abrasive way. I am sure that SRAM understands the implications behind launching a new product line at such a high MSRP, and as a result, I am sure that they will make sure the product is pretty well tested before launching it. Also, since the actual product release date is going to be nearly a year after the first introduction of the group, I am sure that alot of development has gone into this group and it hasn't just been thrown together. Anyway, I don't want to start any arguments or flamefests. To answer the question as to why spend more for something not Shimano or Campy? Well...the answer is in the question...because it's not Shimano or Campy. I have faith in it.

I would have to agree that the price is steep (for me at least, unless they throw in a free frame). Perhaps they will be able to continue their efforts into more affordable groupos. The one thing of interest was a new 5.9mm chain with a connecting link. Perhap a better alternative to Campy UN or Shimano10s chains?

I would have to agree that the price is steep (for me at least, unless they throw in a free frame). Perhaps they will be able to continue their efforts into more affordable groupos. The one thing of interest was a new 5.9mm chain with a connecting link. Perhap a better alternative to Campy UN or Shimano10s chains?

One thing about their chains that I don't like is that the "connecting link" is effectively a permanent one, according to one of the sites I originally listed. They said that if you break the chain apart, you have to use another connecting link to put it back together, leading me to believe that you cannot un-connect the chain at the connecting link. Bummer. I'll probably stick with my Wipperman Connex chains anyway.

One thing about their chains that I don't like is that the "connecting link" is effectively a permanent one, according to one of the sites I originally listed. They said that if you break the chain apart, you have to use another connecting link to put it back together, leading me to believe that you cannot un-connect the chain at the connecting link. Bummer. I'll probably stick with my Wipperman Connex chains anyway.

I just read that at the Zinn site. I don't understand why Shimano, SRAM and Campy can't make a connecting, removable 10s link but Wipperman can. Are Connex engineers just extra smart?

I just read that at the Zinn site. I don't understand why Shimano, SRAM and Campy can't make a connecting, removable 10s link but Wipperman can. Are Connex engineers just extra smart?

Not extra smart, just extra German. ;)

When somone asks "Shimano, Campy or SRAM" for my new build? :rolleyes:
Or which is better tread....

The STAM files can be just as bad as the Campy folks. Take a look on the WW board on MTBR with the 07 XTR stuff ans the SRAM vs Shimano flame wars....

It's going to be fun! :D

It's nice to have more choices now. Looks like SRAM chainsand cassettes will be compatibale with Shimano. Smart move on SRAM's part. Too bad as I love SRAM chains as I am now a Campy guy and my KMC is doing well.

I think SRAM is goig high wit thier MSRP for preception as it's going to be a higher end product than DA or Record.
it's goin to be lighter, but you better be able to back it up, as these are BOTH well proven systems!

I amsure there will be mnay sites offering SRAM below MSRP and close to Shim/Campy unless SRAM gives them the strong arm.

One thing about their chains that I don't like is that the "connecting link" is effectively a permanent one, according to one of the sites I originally listed. They said that if you break the chain apart, you have to use another connecting link to put it back together, leading me to believe that you cannot un-connect the chain at the connecting link. Bummer. I'll probably stick with my Wipperman Connex chains anyway.

I just walked out to my garage and un-connected my SRAM connecting link and reconnected it, proving that your beliefs are wrong. I run SRAM chains on all my bikes and if I hadn't gotten such a stinky good deal on my full XTR Blur I would much rather have had SRAM X.O. Why buy DA when you can buy Ultegra for less and in some areas get better gear? Why do so many guys on these boards spend way to much money on stuff they don't really need? I guess it's because they can. The new SRAM groups sound interesting. The price will come down, and who pays MSRP anyway?

I just walked out to my garage and un-connected my SRAM connecting link and reconnected it, proving that your beliefs are wrong. I run SRAM chains on all my bikes and if I hadn't gotten such a stinky good deal on my full XTR Blur I would much rather have had SRAM X.O. Why buy DA when you can buy Ultegra for less and in some areas get better gear? Why do so many guys on these boards spend way to much money on stuff they don't really need? I guess it's because they can. The new SRAM groups sound interesting. The price will come down, and who pays MSRP anyway?

I'm glad you could disconnect your Power Link...I'm really proud of you...but perhaps you should have used that time to read one of the articles I originally linked to in which the new Power Lock master link is described:

"The PowerChain has hollow pins, and, like other SRAM chains, a master link, but in this case, the new PowerLock link is not removable. Pippin credits an engineer in SRAM's Portugal facility for coming up with PowerLock and says, "the linking system is always the weakest link, but our 9-speed PowerLink is as strong as the surrounding links. We wanted to do the same with the connector link in our 10-speed chain, but because of the constraints of the narrow chain, we made it a permanent connection."

It locks in by hand like the PowerLink, but if the rider wants to open the chain, he must do so at a different link and then install another PowerLock link to close it up again. The 1070 chain is the base model, the 1090 chain has hollow pins, and the 1090R also has hollow outer plates. "

My beliefs are not wrong. We aren't talking about PC-99 chains or any of the current SRAM chains, we are talking about the new 10-speed chain that is going to be released with the rest of the gruppo. Sorry to sound like a jerk but freakin' A...

I'm glad you could disconnect your Power Link...I'm really proud of you...but perhaps you should have used that time to read one of the articles I originally linked to
.

Jeez, you complained about Fondriest being abrasive......

Jeez, you complained about Fondriest being abrasive......

I'm sorry, I just think that if someone is going to come into my thread and start telling me I'm wrong then the least they could do is actually read the content of the thread first. If he had done so, then he would have known that we were talking about the new 10 speed chain and that I was correct with the information I provided, and I wouldn't have had to have been abrasive. Anyway, I am usually a nice guy but it's been a long day of work and class with beautiful weather and I haven't been on the bike, so I'm going to blame my lack of patience on that...

Yeah, I read the article after I posted. Don't worry, Jerks are people too!

Yeah, I read the article after I posted. Don't worry, Jerks are people too!

Sorry for harping on you...I promise I am usually a nice guy...

. Anyway, I am usually a nice guy but it's been a long day of work and class with beautiful weather and I haven't been on the bike, so I'm going to blame my lack of patience on that...[/QUOTE]

I guess I was too tired to read the article right away after my 2 hour post work ride in the nice beautiful spring weather we had today!!!!!

No worries. I'm just messing with ya. I should have read the article before commenting. Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

. Anyway, I am usually a nice guy but it's been a long day of work and class with beautiful weather and I haven't been on the bike, so I'm going to blame my lack of patience on that...

I guess I was too tired to read the article right away after my 2 hour post work ride in the nice beautiful spring weather we had today!!!!![/QUOTE]

perhaps my previous abrasiveness was justified afterall...:mad: :D ;)

Who's to say the pricepoint of $1600 (Force) $1000 (Rival) is not some type of marketing strategy for them? Zinn, over at velonews, reported that the Force group had a MSRP of $1800 and Rival at $1200. Why the $200 difference? Perhaps they are inflating the costs so that Shimano, in particular, will feel "safe" and less likely to get into a pricing war. We will not know the "final" price until the groups are actually released to the public.

I've had wonderful experiences with my SRAM MTB stuff, but to charge $1600 for the gruppo doesn't entice me too much. My DA group shifts fine. Maybe, as a Cat 3, I don't notice all the nuances that some of the Cat 1s on here do, but the DA10 seems to work fine for winning grand tours. And, given that you can buy the DA10 group for under a grand, I'd say SRAM better really be the bee's knees if they want to enter at that price point.

Hope this helps:

Record = Class of its own
DA = Chorus
Ultegra = Centaur
FORCE = Veloce

Hope this helps:

Record = Class of its own
DA = Chorus
Ultegra = Centaur
FORCE = Veloce

Sure it helps!
For trolling, flame bait, etc.
Pathetic really.

Hey, I wish SRAM fans all the best, but this Double Tap business sounds very hinky to me. I can sweep up or down several gears in either direction with Campy, with one push. Now with Double Tap, I not only have to shift multiple times to shift by several gears, but I have to be careful how far I push the lever so that I don't go up instead of down, or vice versa? It probably was tough for them to come up with brifters that didn't infringe Campy or Shimano's patents, but this looks destined to become the Biopace chainrings of this decade.

Hope I'm wrong, since more competition is usually a good thing. I used to ride a mostly Sachs gruppo, and my wife's old steel Trek was decked out with Suntour Superbe, and I'd love to see another viable option.

Like 633, I think the actual shifting action is going to be the hardest sell. I'm not so sure I want to give up how my Campy stuff works. I really like being able to mash that thumb lever down to drop 3 or 4 gears after cresting a hill with a fast group.

Plus I just like having each lever responsible for only one type of shifting action.

I was actually hoping that SRAM would come in and try to undercut the big two. I spent $1600 on my last 7 piece group, and that is a bit pricey if you ask me.

I guess I'd consider the Rival brifters and ders and cassette for my next build if they're silver. I think the titanium or whatever annodizing on the Force stuff is ill, and the price is WAY too high.