Simpler, Lighter, and More Durable SRAM Rival 1 Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Brand New 1x11 SRAM Rival 1 Groupset Revealed

SRAM first ditched the front derailleur and offered a dedicated 1x11 single ring and wide-range cassette drivetrain to mountain bikers a few years back, where it has been well received.

Initially available for the cyclocross market with Force CX1, it is now offered to road cyclists with Force 1, and as featured here, Rival 1, with a wider choice of chainring and cassette options.

SRAM reckons there are many applications where the new groupset will be well suited. It’s in the emerging gravel and adventure markets that this new groupset will most likely find its fans, but also fitness, commuting, touring and triathlon bikes too will find this 1x suitable.

The Rival 1 groupset features several key bits of technology. The X-Sync chainring has alternating wide and narrow teeth that provide a more secure engagement with the chain. The rear derailleur houses a clutch mechanism that controls chain slap, and works with the chainring to (hopefully) avoid the chain dropping, handy when tackling gravel paths. The technology has been proven in the mountain bike world, so there’s no reason to suspect it won’t provide similarly impressive results on the road.

SRAM is offering a wide range of chainring sizes, from 38 to 50 on Rival (up to 54 on Force). There's a choice of cassettes as well, up to and including the 11-36 that we’ve got on test here, which is compatible with a regular 11-speed freehub. There’s even a whopping 10-42t cassette, but that requires a special XD freehub body, so a new set of wheels is needed. With this cassette and an 46t chainring though, SRAM reckons it provides a slightly wider gear range than a 50/34 compact double with an 11-25 cassette.

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We are located at 1038 W. 4th St in Ontario, CA.
You can reach us by phone at (909) 984-9067

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