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SRAM vs Shimano

1K views 25 replies 16 participants last post by  SHIVER ME TIMBERS 
#1 ·
just switched over to shimano derailer and shifter and noticed a more crisp and fast difference in my shifting. i have a sram derailer and shifter also but now that i have shimano i am thinking about doing a full shimano drive train. any opinions on the brands?

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#3 ·
Why switch to a full shimano drivetrain? As far as brands go try to stay at the LX or higher level for cranks and XT or higher for drivetrain stuff. What RD and shifter do you have from shimano and what sram RD and shifter did you have? Most "think" they have an improvement when switching to SRAM.
 
#8 ·
The difference is probably either that you went to a higher end Shimano drivetrain (I see you were using X.7), or that it's just that the Shimano is brand new, or both. I don't see any reason to jump to Shimano just because. Wheels would be the first thing I upgraded on that bike (depends a bit on hubs though), and then brakes.
 
#12 ·
XSL_WiLL said:
I had to mess around with my XTR all the time to keep it perfect. I've only adjusted my x9s once to compensate for cable stretch. The lower end stuff did not feel as nice, and if it had developed slop, or gunked up cables; that could explain the poor shifting.
Ditto on X9. Only adjusted for cable stretch and even then not because it was shifting bad. I just checked if my cable(s) had stretched. My previous Shimano was finiky and needed tweaking. So I think the SRAM 1:1 ratio is a help here.

Also my SRAM seems to hold chain tension better. I once saw a video someone made on SRAM vs. Shimano. They actually mounted a camera on the side of the bike looking at the deraileur from the side and pedaled through some baby heads. The Shimano parallelogram and arm were flopping all over the place. On the SRAM the parallelogram was steady and only the arm flopped around some.
 
#13 ·
NormanPCN said:
Ditto on X9. Only adjusted for cable stretch and even then not because it was shifting bad. I just checked if my cable(s) had stretched. My previous Shimano was finiky and needed tweaking. So I think the SRAM 1:1 ratio is a help here.

Also my SRAM seems to hold chain tension better. I once saw a video someone made on SRAM vs. Shimano. They actually mounted a camera on the side of the bike looking at the deraileur from the side and pedaled through some baby heads. The Shimano parallelogram and arm were flopping all over the place. On the SRAM the parallelogram was steady and only the arm flopped around some.
That is crap, Shimano and SRAM designs are different and that video just shows that Shimano has one upper pivot which moves much more than SRAM. This can compensate when you hit a branch the Shimano whill move up and probably save itself while the SRAM will get stuck and break off..

Only real advantage from SRAM to Shimano is a bit stronger spring and 1:1 ratio. I am very happy with my XT and with a chainguide I have vey very little chain movement.
 
#14 ·
tacubaya said:
That is crap, Shimano and SRAM designs are different and that video just shows that Shimano has one upper pivot which moves much more than SRAM.
Right. All that video shows is that they're designed differently. I just blew up the XT dereilleur on one of my bikes, so I made the jump to X.9/ X.0 since I like the ergonomics of the Sram trigger a bit better than Shimanos, and I liked the idea of a stiffer return spring. The new bits should be here in a day or two, so I can't really comment on shifting performance yet.
 
#15 ·
I love the set it and forget it feature of SRAM. My old XT would get out of tune during 1 ride. I have raced on my X9 stuff twice and practiced a few more times and I haven't had to adjust anything.

I'm sold.
 
#18 ·
I have both, xtr on my XC bike, and x.o on my FR. The xtr is good but always needs adjustment. the X.O is way more reliable and almost never needs adjustment. The X.O also is far more tolerant to dirt and mud due to the 1:1 cable ratio. As far as durability both are very strong and have taken quite a beating.
 
#19 ·
rollertoaster said:
I have both, xtr on my XC bike, and x.o on my FR. The xtr is good but always needs adjustment. the X.O is way more reliable and almost never needs adjustment. The X.O also is far more tolerant to dirt and mud due to the 1:1 cable ratio. As far as durability both are very strong and have taken quite a beating.
I agree with ya. Just replaced my xtr with a xo... could not be happier. :thumbsup:
 
#20 ·
i dont get i go to one bike shop and they say sram shifts way better and it is a fact not an opinion. then another guy at the bike shop says shimano shifts way better and its a fact not an opinion. maybe they both shift different ways and it depends on what you like. but my opionion is sram.
 
#23 ·
Any new drive train will feel better than what you were running if it was old. Apples to oranges. SRAM is easy to set up doesn't need near as much adjustment as Shimano & is easy to get when you need it. X.0 or X.9 shifters + X.9 derailluer = sweet crisp setup.
 
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