Good news for the road bike market: American component giant SRAM is finally preparing to release a road bike component group to compete with high-end offerings from Shimano and Campagnolo.
A close examination of the spy photo above gets me pretty excited about the possibilities. SRAM has chosen Campagnolo's more comfortable (to me anyway) flat-topped hood design. The brake lever has an obvious pivot bolt, so I don't think it can shift sideways like shimano. But there's no release lever on the inside of the hood like Campy, either. My guess is that the shift lever moves both directions! Push it inward to shift up, outward to shift down. This would take some getting used to, but the simplicity of the lever would be worth it. SRAM's mountain bike shifters and components, which have gained favor over Shimano for lots of off-road riders, are famous for their simplicity and reliability. I hope we can say the same for their road group. The group will come out sometime in late '06, and include shifters, front and rear derailleurs, bottom bracket, crankset, 10-speed chain and cassette, and BRAKES!
click the link to go to Velonews' scoop on the new prototype
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