It s tempting to upgrade for the better braking and increased pad clearance as well as better ergonomics. Has anybody done it?
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Yup…just had my first rides with the E1 shifters last week. An expensive upgrade but worth every penny, IMO.
I never liked the braking feel of my Force D1 shifters…the ergonomics were also OK, but not great. The new E1 shifters have a brake feel like Shimano, which IMO is still the gold standard for brake feel. Easy action, great modulation and very little force required.
The ergonomics of the E1 shifters are superb…I wrap my hands around them, split fingers with the brake lever and my thumbs resting on the blip buttons. From mile 1, I could just stay in that position very comfortably.
I did NOT upgrade the calipers, however, just the shifters. You still get the much better braking performance and feel at a substantially lower price.
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I’ve got a Force shifter that’s been acting up a bit and I’ve been considering upgrading to the E1’s. I’ve only had a quick chance to try them and the braking feels much stronger and the buttons are a big plus for me as well. A significant upgrade from prior versions in my opinion.
That said, the current rumors are that a new version of Force and Rival will be dropping in Q2 and there is a reasonable chance they get the new hood shape, buttons, and plunger orientation. Obviously a lot of speculation there on timing and whether they will have all the Red E1 features, but I’m planning to wait and see as long as my current shifter holds up. With AXS, all levels shift the same (and the weight difference is nothing), so I struggle to find a reason to buy RED shifters (or derailleurs) unless I just can’t wait for the new stuff to trickle down.
100%. Mrs Lama rode my bike with Red E1 levers… That was my 2nd most expensive bike loan ever… because then I had to upgrade her gravel bike with them.
(The 1st most expensive bike loan was when she found out gravel was fun and I had to buy her a gravel bike. 
)
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Yall are killing me. I am trying so hard to hold out to see what an upgraded force looks like, but I am so tempted. (News of deals welcome.)
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Pretty easy to find SRAM stuff for 15-20% off online. I seldom see much better than that unless it’s clearing out old versions for new. For the pair of E1 shifters, it’s about $750. Which is just stupid for a couple shifters, but far from the dumbest $ I’m spent on cycling stuff.
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Not to add fuel to the fire, but there is likely gonna be a massive demand for the new Force….so unless your dealer has a SRAM hookup, you may be waiting awhile to find it somewhere,
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I’m hoping Force E1 exchange kits will be like $275 each max.
Yep, my expectation as well based on price of current Force. And I’d expect Rival to be <$175 each. Agree with @Power13 that availability will likely be an challenge for a while if they include the E1 features. I failed in my attempt to delay the Flight Attendant upgrade on my XC bike, trying to hold strong on this one.
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Thank you for the reply. I’d like to do the upgrade with calipers too as I’ve fought with my front caliper many times over the past 2+ years and would like the extra pad clearance they offer but I am encouraged by your feedback on the feel and ergonomics. Only need to find a deal on them
I need a whole group (new build) and my dealer/sponsor(ish) (err, drug dealer?) is pretty savvy so I’m trying to be hopeful on availability.
Hm. Yeah don’t ride the new stuff unless ready to buy it.
I’ve been looking for a few weeks and have yet to find any discount at all.
Best bet is to take advantage of a “20% off any purchase” day on sites like Bike Tires Direct.
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Did you see the link I included above for 15% off?
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Even the old Force stuff is hard to get. It took five months to get a replacement for my first-gen Force AXS shifter.
I’d consider that a win, actually. Next time you claim “I must upgrade to x, because of [insert reason].” your wife is more open to the argument.
One of the best cycling purchases ever was a violin case for my wife. She heard me go on about carbon this and carbon that, and the astronomical prices these bits typically cost. And then she upgraded from her old-school violin case to a carbon violin case. “Oh, I get it now.”, she said.
I saw the new E1 shifters in person a few months ago. I was wise enough to not ask to touch them, because I knew, I would be screwed. I had just gotten one of my first-gen Force AXS shifters replaced (had to wait 5 months for the delivery). If my wife were on the E1 bandwagon, I could have asked her for her ok to an upgrade … 
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The reach of the E1 lever is approx. 7-9mm longer. If you’re sensitive to reach adjustments I’d factor in a new stem that’s 10mm shorter.
anecdotally: I use my Garmin Fenix as a bike computer. The frontbrake is so powerful that the vibrations trigger the incident detection. Or maybe my headset isn’t correctly preloaded… anyhow, braking from the tops is much improved compared to the D1 and I’d upgrade again (I only upgraded the levers and left the D1 calipers).
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I just bought a Red D1 upgrade kit for my new build for this reason
I have small fingers and this was a struggle until I got the Force refresh in 2023. Adding 7-9mm will affect braking when I’m on the drops
That’s great advice. Thank you for posting.
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