Why SRAM Red derailleurs suck.
 

I finally got around to cleaning my bike today, and while the chain was off I figured it was a good time to switch out the Red FD to the Force FD I've had laying around. I meant to change it sooner because I've had very inconsistent performance with the Red FD ever since I installed the Red gruppo.

I don't think the Red FD sucks because it's titanium. I think it sucks because of the stupid cage design. I just took some pics with my phone and if you look you can see how the inside of the cage curves away from the chain ring. There are scratch marks all over this area that indicate where the chain is getting hung up. I think this is why the chain doesn't want to positively jump up to the big ring.

The Force FD, OTOH, is shaped much more like an Ultegra FD. The inner plate is more vertical and has a lip that looks like it's meant to positively pop the chain on to the teeth of the big ring.

So why the hell does SRAM insist on producing this stupid Red cage when it clearly doesn't work as well as Rival, Force, Ultegra, DA, etc?? It's the only one that has this stupid cage design, and it's the only one that gets bad reviews. They could easily keep the cage titanium and just shape it like the Force FD. Why they don't beats me.

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pretty interesting, I've heard many times of pro's and others using Force over Red because of the titanium cage, you never hear anything about a different cage design

there must be some technical reason that they designed the cage in that fashion, even if it was a flawed one

I got a Force FD when I switched frames (clamp on to braze on) and I didn't want to drop the major coin for Red a second time. Haven't noticed much difference. I've heard the best bang for the buck is Red shifters and Force or Rival everything else. Of course, I've heard that on BF so take that for what it's worth.

i read a known pro in the TDF switched his front derailler to force because of somthing, i forget who it was.

I have heard this time and again. Guys riding Red with Force FD's.

No problems here.

Why not test your theory by tweaking the RED cage into a more appropriate shape?

Maybe you can come up with a simple fix.

I am going to print this thread and bring it across the street to the SRAM facility and see what they say. I think they are a bunch or engineers, so what better place to get a response?

He switched to Di2.

what are you waiting for. GO, do it.

SRAM knows the titanium cage isn't as good as the steel. Hence, why you can buy the steel cage Red version FD now. The pro teams have switched them a long time ago for more consistent shifting to the big ring. The titanium flexes too much, it isn't necessarily the design and the curves, more the material.

Put a steel cage on there, it will be golden. Also, mine shifts fine pretty much 90% of the time. Once in awhile going up to the big ring, it takes two attempts...but that could be many things, like the chainrings themselves etc...

But, I'm going to switch to a steel cage and test it anyway and see if it helps.

Somebody said if you call SRAM and complain, they will send you a steel cage no charge. I'm going to give that a try, but the titanium, although saves a few grams, isn't as good as the steel one.

Also, the thread title is misleading, you make a blanket statement that all SRAM derailleurs suck....which I guess all the pros and major wins they have on SRAM Red is a miracle and their stuff didn't shred and fall apart during a race.

The thread title specifically calls out Red FDs, not all sram. And maybe the OP didn't know there was a steel version, which is apparently what the pro's are winning on.

I ride full Red w/ an Ultegra 6700 FD and enjoy it. Only 20 grams heavier I think. Same throw ratio, but the shifter climb is much MUCH smoother. Shimano uses less spring tension than SRAM, so you don't feel like something just broke in your left shifter every time you down shift; Nor do you have to train w/ a grip master to upshift. I ran a Force FD for a bit to try it out, and I use that FD on my commuter, but I enjoy the Shimano smooth more.

I called SRAM myself and spoke to a nice woman named Danielle. If you have any questions about this, call them at 800-346-2928 - they answer quickly. It is their policy (and a good one) for vendors not to get involved in threads like this in a public forum (I haven't seen BD Mike in forever), but she said the Red Ti FD needs to be very carefully adjusted for minimal wear, but then this goes for any FD I am aware of.

You might want to read the title again...

mine shifts prefect, i'm using compact. did shift like **** with zipp cranks but with fsa rings pops up fast, my other bike has force fd and its no faster with cannondale rings. i think most of it is adjustment and using standard rings

No problems here either.

I ordered a Red FD from Bonktown recently. Figured for $75.00 I would take a chance. Will be using either a Force or Red compact crank. I bet it will work just fine.

Ah, he should have said FD. But it does specify Red and not "all SRAM".

Must... not... stoop to SRAM-fanboi's level... must... not... tout Dura Ace 7800's superiority in a SRAM thread...
http://disinfo-drop.s3.amazonaws.com/Khan!.jpg

So you have a Red brifter controlling an Ultegra 6700 FD... was there any black magic to setting it up?

The cage being made of titanium is WHY it's a crappy design. Stamping shapes into titanium is not very easy like it is with steel parts. It's just not as tough of a metal so the formability is very low. To attempt to put sharp bends in it (like you can with steel) will weaken it tremendously.

+1.

FD is not a problem. I ran a 6700 for a while as well while saving for a Red. Everyone at the LBS recommended the Force instead so I went that route anyway but the Force and Ultegra shifted very similarly.

Sorry about the title guys. Yes, it is a little misleading. It was late when I posted it and I couldn't go back and edit it to say "Why SRAM Red front derailleurs suck."

I didn't know SRAM sells steel cage Red FDs. I thought they only provided these for the pros, not the average joe.

I don't think the issue is the titanium material itself. There was a metallurgist around here that commented in a thread that ti is actually stiffer than steel. When I give both cages a squeeze, one doesn't seem to flex more than the other. Maybe the manufacturing process of the ti cage limits the shape possibilities, but again, I don't think it's because of the material itself.