Sram today announced an update to Force, its second wireless road groupset, positioned as a slightly more affordable sibling to the flagship Red model.

Accordingly, the name has undergone a minor change, and the newest edition of Force will only be called Force AXS, rather than the previous Force eTap AXS. According to Slam, the "eTap" name is no longer necessary now that it is almost non-existent in the lineup and will be phased out from all products.

The slight change in name is actually a little clue as to how much the groupset itself has changed. To use a favorite phrase, "evolution, not revolution," and it is clear that Sram has looked to other products for inspiration.

Overall, the logo is smaller, with holographic details throughout that catch the light, giving it a more subtle and luxurious look. This is by no means intentional, and Slam specifically markets the new version of the Force as "Superbike-ready."

But it is more than just an aesthetic update. Redesigned shifters, new gearing options, rear derailleur integration, and a new power meter structure are the main topics.

The new hood shape is the most significant difference between the old and new Force. This design was borrowed from the lower Rival groupset with a thinner hood and reshaped shift paddles, and was widely praised as an improvement over the bulkier Force and Red. Interestingly, the space between the hood and lever has also been widened, making it more comfortable for those with larger hands. It's a win-win in my book.

With the step up from Rival to Force, the materials used have also stepped up. Specifically, the brake levers are now carbon instead of alloy and are slightly lighter in weight. With the smaller size from the Force, the new shifter lost the ability to adjust pad spacing, but according to Sram, not many people actually use this feature. Given that Sram's blips are wireless, this makes sense, but it may be a deterrent for owners of wired blips who are thinking about upgrading. All other technology remains, including lever blade reach adjustment.

Interestingly, the opening weekend tech gallery highlighted the new Rival-style Sram lever.

Another major change to the Force 2023 is the chain set. Even though the base color has been changed from silver to black, Sram clearly has Red in mind. Chainring sizes have also been made more race-specific, with the addition of a 50/37 in addition to the previous 48/35 and 46/33.

In addition to these, a variety of chainset configurations are available, including 1x and 2x, with or without power meters, standard or wide axles, and crank lengths in 2.5mm increments from 165mm to 177.5mm.

Notably--and unfortunately in my opinion--those who want to benefit from the Spyder-based Quarq power meter integration will find themselves in the same predicament as Red owners: like the Red, the Force also has what Sram calls a direct-mount power meter integration. This means that when the chainrings wear out, the power meter needs to be replaced.

According to Sram, this has the main benefits of weight savings (94 g for 1x chainset, 104 g for 2x chainset) and improved stiffness and shift feel. Sram also claims a reduced "shift error rate" compared to the previous configuration, inheriting the same error rate as Red.

To offset the obvious negatives associated with this design, Sram says its rings are "incredibly long-lasting" and offers a discount and recycling program for those who need replacements, although no mileage figures are stated.

In more positive news, announced at the same time as the Rival, a DUB spindle-based power meter that fits into the crankshaft is also available. So for those who don't mind the loss of accuracy (3% vs. 1.5%) and one-sided measurement, there is an alternative. [The new Force AXS derailleur is a single cage length for all standard cassette options (up to 10-36T); the XPLR remains as a separate option for wider cassettes, for 10-36T or 10-44T sprockets.

Like the rest of the groupset, the new derailleurs are black with a small holographic Force logo.

Cassettes also remain the same as before, with a choice of 10-28, 10-30, 10-33, 10-36, and 10-44 XPLR.

Prices start at $1,832.00/£1,533.00/€1,715.00 for the 1x groupset without power and go up to $2,640.00/£2,228.00/€2,515.00 for the 2x groupset with built-in chain ring-based power Rising.

Apart from this, the new Force shifters are different from those used in Movistar's December training camp. Therefore, rumors abound about the possibility of a new version of Red.

Speaking of Red, while not a new groupset, there is news today concerning the "oil slick" or "rainbow" effect component of the Sram Red. This was originally only given to Sram-sponsored world champions, and recently components with this finish have become available for purchase in SRAM's mountain bike category. Now, however, road cassettes and 12-speed flat-top chains are available for road bikes.

Elsewhere, there is a new 4-dock charging unit for eTap batteries. This is an earful for those with multiple SRAM bikes in the family and can charge four batteries at the same time. The dock supports USB-C charging and has a larger capacity, so it takes less time to charge one battery than it takes to charge one battery with an existing stand-alone charger.