It’s been more than four years since FSA launched its 11-speed K-Force WE (wireless electronic) groupset, and less than two years since the release of its disc brake version. But today, the company has announced it’s making the step to 12-speed with the K-Force WE 12 disc-only groupset. Naturally, it looks to build on the achievements of the previous iterations and compete directly with 12-speed electronic road bike groupsets from the big three – Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo.
But that’s not all. The groupset comes alongside a hoard of simultaneous product launches from the brand, across road, mountain, gravel and e-bikes.
K-Force WE 12-speed
Described as a ‘renewed drivetrain’ by FSA, most of the K-Force WE 12 components closely resemble the current 11-speed ones, but as well as the step up to 12 sprockets, there are some design and finishing tweaks to improve functionality and aesthetics.
The WE groupset has wireless shifters, which transmit shifting instructions to the control module atop the front derailleur. Both derailleurs are physically connected to a seat-tube-mounted battery, meaning the groupset isn’t totally wireless, but instead dubbed by many as semi-wireless.
Carrying forward the existing, well-received ergonomics, the shifter’s body, kinked brake lever and shift buttons look largely unchanged externally, except for new, more subtle graphics. The same is true for the disc caliper, while the shifter retains its compact master cylinder, reach adjustment of the composite lever blade, top-mounted bleed port and CR2032 coin cell battery-powered wireless transmission.
Claimed weight for each shifter and caliper, including brake hose and oil is 405g, 33g and 47g heavier than the company’s claimed weights for the 11-speed WE Disc right and left shifters respectively. The previous weight was without brake pads, but the provided weight for the new calipers doesn’t mention them.
The new rear derailleur only seems to differ from the 11-speed version in finish and weight, with new stealthy graphics and an additional 24g. It still features a 32t maximum capacity, and FSA’s gram-saving composite pulleys, and presumably still does away with a return spring, operating more like a robotic arm than a traditional parallelogram rear mech.
The front derailleur remains the brains of the operation, in that it receives the…
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