Version one of SRAM's Red HRD met an early demise with a late season recall that left many a cross racer out in the cold and wondering if the company could recover. First back with Force hydro, and now with the Red HRD Shift/Brake Lever & Flat Mount Caliper, SRAM has silence the skeptics and brought its brakes back to the front of the road disc game. With calipers designed to integrate cleanly on flat-mount equipped frames, this lever and caliper combo delivers excellent modulation and confident stopping power that's been extensively tested to handle all the heat, cold, sunshine, rain, mud, snow, and even slop-covered yoga balls you may find in your way to the day's finish line. Red HRD boasts the versatility to bring SRAM's top-tier componentry the rapidly growing expanse of disc-equipped cyclocross, road, gravel, and all-road machines for a no compromise build and clean, streamlined aesthetics. Traditionalists may clamor in aesthetic affront when faced with the lever hood shape, but we've found the additional height to be exceptionally functional when traversing the roads less traveled. Navigating steep descents and chattery surfaces are a breeze with that bit of extra leverage and grip, and it nearly eliminates the possibility of your hands getting thrown forward off the hoods (and you following over the bars) after a particularly jarring pothole encounter or stealthily wash boarded section of gravel.The levers incorporate all the adjustability and smooth shifting functionality we expect from componentry bearing the Red designation. A slight redesign from the original version sees a more comfortable hood-top hand positioning, which is much appreciated on long gravel epics and through particularly finicky 'cross course sections. Adjustable reach accommodates a variety of hand sizes so you can further dial in the comfort, and a low initiation force makes for easy lever actuation and leaves more energy to drop into the pedals.The flat-mount calipers' two-p...