SRAM

Rival 1 Type 2.1 Rear Derailleur

Alongside the rebranding of SRAM's Force CX1 groupset to Force 1 this year and an expansion of its one-by drivetrain to road and gravel applications, SRAM introduces a Rival 1 drivetrain for those of us on a budget who have been pining over CX1 since its launch. Featuring much of the same technology as its more expensive sibling, Rival 1 delivers impeccable functionality for cyclocross, road, and gravel adventures. Clocking in a hair heavier than the Force 1 equivalent and with a significantly lower price point, the Rival 1 Type 2.1 Rear Derailleur brings up the tail of this group, facilitating precise gear changes over all types of terrain.

SRAM dropped a boatload of technology into this little derailleur to create a pleasant riding experience. Roller Bearing Clutch is a fancy way of saying this derailleur stabilizes the chain over even the bumpiest terrain. It reduces annoying derailleur bounce and chain slap for a quieter, more solid ride that helps avoid chipping your frame on all-terrain day trips. X-Horizon boosts this stability by limiting movement to the horizontal axis, so its large upper pulley maintains constant chain gap and tension across the cassette. This effectively reduces shift initiation force and eliminates ghost shifting, so you'll drop into the right gear with minimal effort the second you want it.

Cyclocross and gravel inevitably come with their share of mechanicals, and few mechanicals interrupt the ride more than a flat tire. To alleviate this, the Rival 1 Type 2.1 Rear Derailleur makes wheel swaps a breeze with Cage Lock functionality. Just push the derailleur forward and it locks into place for quick and easy rear wheel removal or installation to get out of the pit and back on the course in a snap.

Last but by far not least, SRAM adds in its Exact Actuation technology. Exact Actuation addresses the issue of different gear changes requiring different amounts of cable pull, which leads to loud cassettes and inefficient shifting. With Exact Actuation, each gear shift requires the same amount of cable pull, resulting in a predictable click and shift no matter where the chain sits in the cassette. This also means an overall quieter, better adjusted drivetrain.

The SRAM Rival 1 Type 2.1 Rear Derailleur is compatible with 10- and 11-speed one-by road systems. The medium cage version supports a cassette range from 11-26t through 11-36t, and the long cage version supports a 10-42t cassette.