SRAM FORCE BB30 2.2 Crankset Review

With every new generation of SRAM FORCE, it gets harder and harder to distinguish it from RED. And believe us, the FORCE BB30 2.2 Crankset skews the line more than ever. With an integrated carbon fiber spider, carbon crankarms, and chainrings that are a spitting image of 2011 RED, the FORCE 2.2 is just as ready to race as its older brother. For the construction of the FORCE 2.2 crankset, SRAM continues its use of unidirectional carbon fiber on the arms and spider. The reasoning for this is simple — it provides the stiffest, lightest, and most vibration-absorbent ride quality possible. When examining the load paths, SRAM found that the single-direction of the fibers transmit force with more clarity and less dissipation. So, when you drop the hammer, you’re going to experience a clean and precise transfer of your energy to the rear wheel. And with the BB30 system, this is amplified even further. Just like the RED crankset, FORCE BB30 2.2 benefits from the system’s 10% increase in rigidity, 20% lighter weight, and 300% greater ankle clearance over SRAM’s GXP bottom bracket. And new to the 2.2 iteration of FORCE, you can expect trickle-down, RED-like PowerGlide chainrings to enhance all of the characteristics above. These broad and stiff chainrings are the perfect mating to the 2.2’s integrated, carbon fiber spider. They provide a stiff transfer of power while the gates and ramps ensure flawless shifting from ring to ring. Each aluminum ring has also been given a hard-anodized finish to guarantee longevity over multiple seasons. Compared to the prior generations of Force PowerGlide rings, there is no comparison. The SRAM FORCE BB30 2.2 Crankset is available in both a compact 50/34t and standard 53/39t chainring configuration and in 170, 172.5, 175, and 177.5mm crankarm lengths. Please note that the compact ring configuration still operates perfectly with a standard Force front derailleur.