It was only a matter of time before SRAM's fantastic, pro-level Red 22 and Force 22 drivetrains trickled down into the technological pool that would become the sport-level Rival 22 groupset. The SRAM Rival 22 Front Derailleur captures many of the same design features that make those more expensive derailleurs so great, only without breaking the bank.

The most critical element to understand about SRAM's new 22-speed front derailleurs is what they call their Yaw feature. SRAM's Yaw means that the derailleur adjusts its yaw relative to the chain line. In other words, the derailleur cage rotates to align perfectly with the chain in any given position. This not only improves shifting accuracy and speed, it eliminates the need to "trim" the derailleur to prevent the maddening chain rub that can occur toward the back of the derailleur's cage, regardless of what chainring/cog combination you select — a welcome improvement over virtually all previous drivetrains on the market.

All of SRAM's 22-speed front derailleurs, including this Rival version, also feature the revolutionary integrated Chain Spotter, which protects against chain drop, against scratches, and against frustration. The Chain Spotter can be removed, or adjusted independently of the derailleur's position, so it's configurable to any frameset. The derailleur's steel cage is stiff, tough, and has precision alignment markings in the appropriate areas to help with proper installation.

The SRAM Rival 22 Front Derailleur's cage has a silver finish, while its hardware and the Chain Spotter are black. It is designed exclusively for use with SRAM 22-speed X-Glide R chainrings and SRAM 22-speed shifters and drivetrain components. It comes only in a braze-on version, with clamp adapters available separately.