Originally Posted by
kimconyc
Your beliefs mislead you.
Only Red has ZL on the rear.
+1, this is what I gathered as well. I currently ride Rival on my other bike, so if Red is significantly better, I may have the upgrade the old bike as well
Seriously though, the differences I could find were as follows:
Red: 280g, Zero Loss on Front and Rear
Force (2010): 303g, Zero Loss on Front
Rival (2009+): 330g Zero Loss on Front
Unless I find Force for only a small premium over Rival, my main decision is whether to go Red or Rival. It's $150 more, but without having ridden Red, it's hard to justify whether it's forth the premium (50% more than Rival, is it 50% better). If I don't spend the money on the Red shifters, it will probably go to better wheels. FD/RD will be Force or Rival, Brakes are Rival, Cranks are Red.
So, go Rival and put the $150 towards the wheels, or go Red simply because it's the "Top Shelf" group?