SRAM

Red 22 Front Derailleur

While SRAM's Yaw technology was arguably the most defining attribute of the 2012 re-introduction of Red, the 11th gear makes this claim with the new Red 22 group. But that doesn't mean the front derailleur gets bumped to the back burner with the new group -- quite the opposite. The Red 22 Front Derailleur brings this innovative Yaw design to the 'True 22' system, calibrated to provide you with every gear combination possible -- without any chain rub and no trim necessary across all 22 gears.

So what exactly is SRAM's Yaw technology, and how does it apply to their new Red 22 Front Derailleur? Borrowing from the principles of an aircraft's rotational movements across a single axis, yaw dictates fore and aft lateral movement, pitch is the opposing vertical movement, and roll is the definitive vertical lean, from one side of the axis to the other. Rather than simply moving back and forth across the singular plane like that of a conventional derailleur, the new Red Derailleur is designed to rotate—like an airplane—along its axis in conjunction with your shifts, preserving an optimal angular alignment with the chain at all times, no matter your gear combination. Because of this, the new SRAM Red 22 Derailleur has done away with the concept of front derailleur trim. This is a revolutionary design that actively maintains perfect chain alignment while still providing the crisp and punchy actuation that SRAM riders have grown accustomed to.

In the past SRAM saw some of its sponsored riders using the heavier Force Front Derailleur with its stiffer and slightly heavier steel cage that inspired better front shifting confidence under load. So for the new Red 22, SRAM has maintained that hybrid aluminum cage to preserve the gruppo's weight savings, but has added steel to the alloy blend to provide stiffer, more confident shifts. And as an added precaution, the included Chain Spotter can be elegantly mounted to the derailleur body without any detriment to weight or shifting precision, but the derailleur will function normally without it. Today, a chain keeper is the quintessential illustration of the old adage, 'better to have one and not need it, than need one and not have it.' It adjusts independently of the derailleur, so you'll only know it's there when summoned by a rough patch of road, a possible errant shift, or a completely unfortunate stroke of misfortune at the hands of cycling's powers-that-be.

The SRAM Red 22 Yaw Front Derailleur gets a slight cosmetic upgrade in some new laser-etched graphics and installation markers, and is available in a brushed, gunmetal finish. Please bear in mind that due to the redesigned pivots and change in cable pull, this derailleur is not compatible with previous generation SRAM Red Shifters. Also, the Red 22's profile is slightly narrower than the 10-speed version, meaning that it's optimized for use with SRAM X Glide R Chainrings and the complete Red 22 system. It is available in braze-on style.