An image of what appears to be a new SRAM Force AXS groupset has leaked online.
The image, which was posted on the infamous Weight Weenies forum, shows previously unseen Force AXS components, updated in the style of SRAM’s current flagship groupset, SRAM Red AXS.
This includes revised shifters, with significant changes to their shape and ergonomics, alongside updated front and rear derailleurs, and brake calipers.
At the time of writing, SRAM has not confirmed any details about this potential new groupset, but let’s take a look at what we can glean from the leaked image, and one thing we’re not sure of at the moment.
New shifters
Most notably, the leaked image shows Force AXS shifters with the remodelled hood and brake lever design used on Red AXS.
This combines a longer, slimmer body with a less prominent pommel on top of the hoods.
It’s a smaller upgrade from the existing SRAM Force AXS groupset, which was most recently revised in 2023, but the new shape is certainly less boxy than before.
With Red AXS, the repositioning of the internal hydraulic piston (which acuates the groupset's hydraulic disc brakes) from vertical to horizontal and the use of a higher pivot point for the brake lever were both key to this change.
As well as enabling ergonomic changes to the shifter body shape, SRAM claims the internal changes significantly reduce the effort required to actuate the brakes – something confirmed by our tester, Warren Rossiter.
Hopefully, then, the new Force AXS braking (more on the new brake calipers shortly) will offer similarly improved feel and performance.
Updated derailleurs
Beyond the shifters, the leaked image also shows an updated set of front and rear derailleurs.
As with Red AXS, the updates to the front derailleur appear fairly minimal at a glance, with a similar body and cage shape, alongside a single SRAM AXS battery.
It’s not clear from the leaked image, but we hope the new front derailleur adopts the auto-trim function that debuted on the Red AXS version.
The rear derailleur, though, gets a more substantial update, adopting an almost identical design to the Red AXS version.
The main difference between this new Force-level derailleur and the latest Red one appears to be simply a lack of polished aluminium, although we expect the Force version to be a little heavier (as is almost always the case).
This new rear derailleur may be a little lighter than the previous Force AXS version though, because it looks set to adopt the hollow outer parallelogram plate and SRAM’s X-Sync pulley wheels – features that helped shave a whopping 16g from the latest Red AXS one, according to the brand.
The image also shows a SRAM Flattop chain with hollow inner and outer plates – this is almost certainly a new, lighter version of the existing Force-level chain. It differentiates itself from the Red chain in its use of solid, rather than hollow pins, and likely a lesser degree of SRAM’s Hard Chrome plating (which is designed to improve wear resistance).
No skeleton brakes
One area where the new SRAM Force appears to diverge from the Red AXS design is with the brake calipers.
For a start, they’re painted black – in contrast to the polished alloy Red AXS calipers – but they also appear to forgo the skeletal design seen on the flagship brakes.
That said, there appears to be a greater element of machining compared to the current Force AXS brakes, with the area around the piston cut back more heavily.
Although we can’t tell from these images, we hope SRAM has also updated the internal structure of the calipers to add the 4mm of increased pad clearance (2mm either side of the brake rotor). On the Red AXS brakes, this feature notably decreased the amount of brake rub our tester experienced while riding with the groupset.
Beyond the calipers, the SRAM Paceline Center Lock brake rotors appear unchanged.
Hammerhead Karoo 3 included?
Last but not least, the image also shows a bike computer that’s almost certainly the third-generation Hammerhead Karoo.
SRAM began bundling this computer with its latest SRAM Red AXS groupset and it appears that deal is now set to extend to the Force level.
The move makes sense given SRAM acquired Hammerhead back in 2022 and has set about integrating its own groupsets with the various Karoo models.
What’s missing?
Conspicuously missing from the image is any hint of a new cassette or crankset, though.
Given the latest Red AXS effectively carried over existing cassette designs, and the crankset received only a relatively minor aesthetic update, we suspect the existing Force AXS designs may simply carry over to this new groupset.
Perhaps more importantly, the image doesn't show anything relating to a new SRAM Force AXS XPLR groupset.
Given SRAM’s Red AXS XPLR gravel groupset launched only a few months after its road equivalent, we’d guess a Force-level version is almost certainly in the works too.
We also don’t have any indication as to how much these new components might cost or when they might launch.
We’d assume they’ll be a decent chunk cheaper than Red AXS, though, which costs around £4,000 / $4,000 / €4,000 at RRP, without a power meter.
