SRAM's Force AXS E1 rear derailleur is the mid-tier road option in the refreshed E1 lineup, sitting between Rival E1 below and Red E1 above. The E1 revision isn't cosmetic — the cage is redesigned to be lighter and pairs with a larger pulley wheel to increase drivetrain efficiency, shedding 12 grams from the previous generation Force . If you want Red-level AXS shifting behavior without stepping up to the top tier's carbon and titanium hardware, this is where Force earns its place in the hierarchy.

The derailleur runs on the full AXS wireless ecosystem, which means no cables, no housing, and no barrel adjusters once it's paired and dialed in. Setup happens through the SRAM AXS app — assign buttons, adjust shift behavior, monitor battery life, and push firmware updates from your phone. It works with both 1x and 2x configurations out of the same unit, so a rider building a 1x aero setup and a rider running a 2x climbing build both end up with the same derailleur on the hanger.

Cassette compatibility is where the E1 update matters most for anyone with a mixed parts drawer. The Force E1 now works with cassettes from 10-28T up to 10-36T, which covers the full SRAM AXS road cassette lineup . SRAM AXS 12-speed road rear derailleurs are cross-compatible across Red, Force, and Rival AXS E1 road and gravel drivetrains , so mixing an E1 derailleur with an existing AXS shifter, chain, and cassette is a direct swap. The AXS battery is sold separately — if you're coming from a previous AXS build you can move your existing battery over; if this is your first AXS component, plan on adding a battery and charger to the order.