August 6th, 2008 by 
cooper
On the road
The Rival group has been thoroughly flogged over many hundreds of miles throughout the last six weeks. Testing has included uber-hill climb work-outs, near centuries, fast group rides with the requisite sprints and short hill pack-splitters, casual coastal jaunts and day to day commutes, and even a mid-day coffee run or three with a grande latte in one hand, shifting and braking with the other. That’s diverse terrain.
As mentioned earlier, the SRAM Rival shifting takes a little getting used when compared to the Dura Ace 7800 group I’ve been riding over the last few years. “Practice makes perfect” has been the operational phrase. Rival shifts a little heavier; more mechanical, and slightly louder than Dura Ace. While upshifts are quick with a tiny tap, downshifts require you to be a little more deliberate and patient with the lever. Doing a direct shifter comparison between DA and Rival isn’t very fair (Red DoubleTaps would be though), but at least you’ll get some perspective. And though there is a difference, I’ve been riding and enjoying the Rival equipped bike a lot more than the DA bike.
How is comfort on the DoubleTaps? Every rider will have their own preference. My observations are that the levers and hoods are ergonomically shaped to permit near perfect contact points for braking and shifting while providing a stable platform for hand support. On the bends, the reach to the levers is fine. From the tops, brake actuation is easy, and with a little time invested, simultaneous braking and shifting can be mastered.
I’ve been very pleased with Rival braking performance. Even on sloppy, misty morning rides, the pads clear quickly and modulate very well. On fast steep descents down roads not much better than a paved goat path, the brakes’ stopping power provides plenty of confidence. Over time, a more aggressive set of pads will get swapped in to see if there are any significant changes in braking force or feel.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Wow, I think I’m in love with the shifter…
September 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Just installed Rival on a CX bike. It took a couple rides to get the front derailleur adjusted properly, but with that behind me, I love the build! My only other complaint is the manpower needed to shift up to the big chainring. Overall the shifts feel smoother and faster than my ultegra / DA road bike. I’m sold.
September 25th, 2008 at 5:23 am
The 2008 Rival brake/shifters are lighter than the competitors product, the build quality is good, the levers and top of hood ‘feel’ are better than most others, shifting across a Sram cassette is good, but..too much user effort/travel of left shifter lever is required to move the chain onto the large chain ring. This is the downfall of an otherwise fine setup. The 2009 Sram Rival shifters have addressed this shortcoming by incorporating the features of the Sram Red Shifters. If the extra effort and travel required to move your chain onto the big ring doesn’t bother you - save some dollars and pickup the 2008 Rival brake/shifters as they are going to be discounted as the 2009 Sram Rival brake/shifters become the more desired component.
p.s. those unfinished rivet on the reviewed Pedal Force frame look pathetic in comparison to premier frame makers such as those by Look of France.
October 27th, 2008 at 4:10 am
I have about 3K miles on a rival build. I love it. I just built another bike using Force components. i’ll never go back to shimano.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:41 am
I have swapped the Rival group (less cassette) I bought onto my Scott Cr1 SL race bike which had DA 7800. It might not have the qudos of top kit but it sure works. Front shift is not a problem worth going on about as it only happens now and then.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
With the exception of the new Doubletap levers, I wish 2009 Rival had kept the same polished finish as 2008. To me, the black actually has a cheaper look than the polished finish.
Everything else is a great improvement, and I also applaud SRAM for making an affordable 180mm crankset in the Rival group. My friend who is new to riding (and is 6′9″) got these to replace the 175mm 105 compact cranks on his Trek 2.3 this year and is happy with them. I do wish that SRAM could do this with their Red group though too, like Campy and Shimano do with their top-end groups. I’m ending up with 177.5mm Red cranks to replace the 180mm Dura-Ace 9spd cranks I had (I’m 6′4″ with a long inseam, myself).
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
The shifters on the Force sound great … The ‘Double Tap system’ seems to be well thought through and works well. SRAM chains are the best you can get and I think the cassettes are of an equal quality, they look good http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com/faq/SRAM_update.html
June 4th, 2009 at 10:32 am
came with my Bianchi. I must say, I test rode before I bought and now after having it daily, it’s even better than I thought. I was imagining I’d have to get Sram Red to have this type of feel. The Rival does it all right now. Now need for Red unless I want weight reduction. The brakes, great modulation. Shifters…they fit my smaller hands perfectly. The tester has VL hands so you can see they’re for everyone. And I love that perfect shifting action when you want it….now, instant. And to downshift 2, 3 even 4 at a time….outstanding.
I may eventually get Red to bring my bike to under 16 pounds but as it is, that may be awhile if at all. I’m in love with these components right out of the box. And to think the 09 are even better..