If you're maintaining or building out an 11-speed SRAM road drivetrain — Force 22, Red 22, Rival 22, or a mixed group — the Force 22 rear derailleur is the workhorse option that lands one step below Red in the hierarchy without giving up the shift quality that made SRAM's mechanical road groups worth running. Carbon outer cage, aluminum inner cage, and a magnesium inner link keep the weight down without the Red price tag, and the shift feel is close enough that most riders won't notice the difference once it's dialed in.

Two cage options cover the 11-speed cassette range you're likely running. The short cage handles up to a 28-tooth largest cog with 33 teeth of chain wrap capacity , which is the pick for standard 11-25 or 11-28 race cassettes. The medium cage — SRAM calls it WiFLi — bumps that up to a 32-tooth max cog and 37 teeth of chain wrap , giving you the headroom for an 11-32 cassette when the terrain gets steep or the compact crank needs more range out back.

Compatibility is the piece to pay attention to before ordering. The derailleur pairs with SRAM Red 22 and Force 22 rear shift/brake levers using SRAM's Exact Actuation 1:1 cable pull ratio, which is a different pull ratio than Shimano's 11-speed road system — these two are not cross-compatible. Within the SRAM 11-speed road family (Red 22, Force 22, Rival 22, Apex), the Exact Actuation groups all speak the same language and mix without issue. It will not work with SRAM AXS wireless shifters or with SRAM's 10-speed road double-tap levers.... Read More