A year ago at Press Camp, SRAM unveiled its latest 22-speed drivetrain: the Rival, designed with some of the latest trickle-down technology from the Red and Force groups. While we were able to get a first ride on the new equipment during the event, we have spent a full year with the workingman's group, giving it a full review in Issue 28.
Since then, Rival has entered the realm of more options, now being offered as a single chainring drivetrain as SRAM released at 2015 Sea Otter. While the single chainring set up is becoming popular for cyclocross, many riders find the benefits of a double, especially when training on the road, and the Rival 22 remains one of the more affordable and versatile groups on the market.
Today, we offer Clifford Lee's full review from Issue 28, including the our observations for the weight of the set as well as a final verdict. For more quality content like this, be sure to order your backcopy today, which is also available on Uberflip, in the App Store on iTunes, and on Google Play for Android.
Use the slider below for the detailed review on each part. More info: sram.com
Rival 22 Crankset
This is where the biggest difference exists between the Rival 22 and its brethren. The Rival is the only sibling that has aluminum arms, and though they are hollowed out on the back side, the overall crank weight, 836 grams, is more than 300 grams heavier than the top of the line, but the Red crankset is $300 more and is really in a different design category. The Force crankset, which is more comparable, utilizes the same two-piece arm/spider design, with the difference between the two being the carbon arm of the Force versus the Aluminum arm of the Rival. The Rival crankset is 176 grams heavier and $150 less expensive. Otherwise, the chainrings are the same design: SRAM X-Glide 46/36 chainrings which are identical to those that are on a Force crankset.
The SRAM Rival 22 cranks are the most noticeable addition of weight, but it also makes the group more affordable. © Cyclocross Magazine
