Originally released in 2006, Force was Sram’s first road groupset. While Red AXS now sits at the top of the brand’s performance tree, Force retains a critical position in Sram’s range, as it aims to offer much of the same technology as its bigger sibling but at a more accessible price.
Force’s last major update in 2019 aligned it in a technological sense with the then-newly minted Red AXS’s wireless 12-speed drivetrain, adopting the eTap shift logic of tapping the right shift paddle for a harder gear, left for easier and both together to switch chainrings. However, in detail and appearance there was a distinct
