I don't really feature the SRAM Force series in this collection - I concentrate on the SRAM Red. But I wanted to include this, very first generation, 2006, SRAM Force because it sets the scene for the 2007 SRAM Red.

The first rumours about SRAM's foray into the road market swirled around the Eurobike show in September 2005. The soon-to-be-released SRAM Force groupset was squarely aimed at the very top of the market, and would be used by professional teams in the 2006 Tour de France. Force was described by SRAM as "a professional level road groupset with cutting edge technologies and race light materials, an elegant and durable finish and superior ergonomics". The target was explicitly Shimano Dura-Ace and Campagnolo Record.

This SRAM Force derailleur, when it appeared in 2006, was slightly underwhelming. Sure it weighed 179g, a few grams less than Dura-Ace or Record of the time. Sure it had a magnesium inner parallelogram plate, a carbon p-knuckle and outer pulley cage plate and titanium small parts. But people, that I spoke to, couldn't shake the opinion that it would have been a devastating competitor for Shimano Ultegra, but was merely a decent, but unproven, alternative to Shimano Dura-Ace. A reasonable try, but no game-changer.

And so, to change the game, the SRAM Red had to be conceived - functionally identical to the Force, but a full 30g lighter, with carbon here, there and everywhere.

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Some of the attributes of this, used but clean, 2006, SRAM Force include:

• The word 'FORCE' on the outer parallelogram plate is written in black and has a capital 'R'.
• The finish is polished gun-metal grey.
• The titanium adjustment screws have Phillips heads - without any Allen key fitting.
• The outer pulley cage plate is devoid of any kind of go-faster graphics.
• The, rather minimal, inner pulley cage plate has no cutout at the guide pulley.
• The sealed bearing pulleys are solid, without any racy cutouts.

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• Derailleur brands: SRAM
• Categories: SRAM - the derailleur in Red
• Country: USA, manufactured in Taiwan (the serial number begins '37T6...')
• Date of introduction: 2006
• Date of this example: week 37 2006 (the serial number begins '37T6...')
• Model no.: RD-FRC-A1
• Weight: 179g
• Maximum cog: 28 teeth
• Total capacity: 31 teeth
• Pulley centre to centre: 55mm
• Index compatibility: 10 speed
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: unsprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: aluminium b-knuckle, outer parallelogram plate and inner pulley cage plate, magnesium inner parallelogram plate, carbon composite p-knuckle and outer pulley cage plate.

Ref. 2242