I changed out my Force rear derailleur for an Apex so I could use a climbing wheel with 11x32. It is just as smooth as my force set up but thre is a reasonable jump between the last three rings. However on those very long climbs it is nice to have the 32 when you need to rest your legs. As far as shifting while climbing I find it as easy of not easier than my Shimano shifters on the Jamis. I do like being able to pull the shifters in while in the drops but the double tap did take some getting used to. I am considering converting the Jamis to Apex shifters.