The new SRAM Force 10-30 cassette brings a wide-ish range gearing option to their 2nd tier road group. It slots in between the original 10-26, 10-28, and 10-33 cassettes, and the more recent 10-36 cassette that requires a different rear derailleur.
Fortunately, this one falls well within the capabilities of the original AXS rear derailleurs for both Red and Force groups, so you can swap it in anytime you want to tweak your gear ratios slightly. Tooth counts for all cassettes are:
- 10-26: 10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/19/21/23/26
- 10-28: 10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/19/21/24/28
- 10-30: 10/11/12/13/14/15/17/19/21/24/27/30
- 10-33: 10/11/12/13/14/15/17/19/21/24/28/33
- 10-36: 10/11/12/13/15/17/19/21/24/28/32/36
The recently introduced Rival AXS group got a 10-30 cassette at launch, but in terms of weight savings by piece-mealing a group, the cassette is one of the easiest areas to drop a lot of weight. So, consider this along with the Rival shifters and derailleurs for a more cost-effective all-road build, and their power meter cranks are some of the most affordable on the market.
This new Force XG-1270 10-30 cassette uses their mini-cluster design and is for XD-R freehub bodies only. It also gets the latest. The retail price is $185 (€190 / £170, both including VAT), available starting August 2021.
As a reminder, the original 10-26 Force cassette has been discontinued, so you might still be able to find it in the original all black colorway, but not with this nickel-chrome finish with a dark alloy large cog backplate. Red level components will still offer that 10-26 option.
