Review of the SRAM Red TT groupset

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This article originally featured in February 2009’s “Cycling Weekly” Magazine

In the beginning many were sceptical about SRAM’s ability to cut it against the might of Shimano and Campagnolo, but it has shown steady progression and taken a larger than expected market share. This season, several top pro teams are using its flagship Red group, and the combination of big stars riding big tours meant a time trial groupset warranted attention.

The best inventions are often the most obvious and SRAM’s R2C shifter falls into this category; it’s amazing that no one has done it before. R2C basically says what the lever does – it ‘returns to centre’ after each shift. This has two clear benefits. First, and quite significantly, the lever always returns to its most aerodynamic position, instead of pointing up or down and catching more wind. That’s pretty vital given it’s one of the leading edges of the bike. Second, the rider never has reach for the lever to change gear, it’s the same small movement every time, and the hands and arms can remain almost completely still.

Perfect Positioning

The shifters can be rotated from a central bolt through 40 degrees of adjustment, making it possible to fine-tune a preferred position, or maintain a horizontal position even if the aero bar extension points up. In this way the levers can always be as aero as possible.

So, there’s at least a couple of significant positives, but the R2Cs may not appeal to those who use the lever position to know what gear they’re in; a small point, but relevant nevertheless. The lever shape is significant, and the R2C levers are carbon, sculpted into a super-thin aerodynamic and very minimalist shape. It’s nearly half the size of the Campagnolo bar-end shifters that are widely used by pros. You can’t argue with the benefits this must deliver in terms of drag.

The R2C shifters weigh 175g a pair compared with 178g Shimano and 163g Campagnolo. There’s no significant weight penalty for having the R2C mechanism, mainly thanks to the carbon and titanium hardware. They are also compatible with all leading brands of aero bar extensions.

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