Originally Posted by
markrj
I read hear at BF and other places that Force is the same a Red just different materials and weight and of course the Red FD is not as reliable as the Force which now I learn is the same exact part as Rival and that the entire group is the same as Force except for material.
So Rival = Red (except for weight?)
Is the additional cost really all about weight?
How "almost identical" are they?
I am genuinely curious as I am doing my first build and have decided to go with Sram.
Red has 'zero loss' shifting on the front and rear. Force, Rival and Apex have it on the front only. That is the biggest functional difference. This is built into the shifters, so if you are going to splurge, that is where to do it. It's also a place to save some weight, it that's your thing. The next place would be the crank, where getting at least Force will make a difference. With all other Sram part you might as well get Rival/Apex.