SRAM Red front derailleur time trial bike fail. The Rival was perfect!
Most of the bicycles that roll out of KGS Bikes have Campagnolo componentry. Campagnolo does not currently have an 11 speed bar end shifter for time trial bikes, however, though rumors abound regarding a shifter to be introduced this fall. The first SRAM Red equipped KGS / Parlee custom triathlon bike was completed recently and the owner wanted the new R2C (return to center) shifters. The big discovery was the fact that the SRAM Red front derailleur would not shift with those new shifters!
I built the bike and cussed the shifters at first because I could not get the bike to shift smoothly from the small to the big chainring. It did shift and I was under pressure to deliver the bike, which was being built on a Saturday stretching late into the night, for a Sunday morning ride. The bike was completed and when the owner got on it, the blasted thing wouldn’t shift at all under riding conditions. What was happening is the lightweight titanium cage on the front derailleur was flexing and the R2C shifters did not have the ability to overshift and correct.
I was mortified to deliver a bike that wouldn’t shift and the following Monday I found a SRAM Rival derailleur from our friendly competitor Gotta Ride Bikes and they were kind enough to let me have it so I could quickly put it on the bike. Eureka! With the stiffer cage, the Rival front derailleur shifted beautifully and we were back in business.
Every day is an opportunity to learn and this lesson was counter intuitive, but a good one. I have heard that SRAM now has a Red / Black front derailleur that is really a Force model, labeled a Red / Black, so it can match. Sounds like a plan to me.
I still am waiting on Campagnolo who is disappointingly behind the curve in supporting triathletes with 11 speed drivetrains.
Thanks for looking and of course we appreciate your comments.
