SRAM X7?

Mr OCD

I've got SRAM X7 rear mech on my Fury and note the front mech / shifters are SRAM X5 ... Is it worth upgrading to X7 at all?

Or would I be better off buying something better?

Not really considering it yet was just thinking from a longer term...

omegas

As you move up the range to X7 or X9 they are slicker and lighter . Smooth and precise gear changing is down to keeping your cables clean rather than upgrading to better shifters.

nicklouse

not really worth it. the current X5 is the same as the early X7.

Stuy-b

i would save the money for a whil then upgrade the shifter and rear mech to X9 and the front mech to XT

geoff93

Get the X9 or XO, no real point in just going one up, won't make a big enough difference to pay the extra. Wait for x5 to break and get X9

d3matt

There's a lot of new SRAM stuff for sale on eBay at the moment. I've just upgrade my X7 rear shifter to an X9. Ignoring the fact that it was a new cable and I also lubricated the cable outers, the shifting is no different. My X7 shifter was identical to the new X9 shifter - the only difference was casing materials. See here for full details.
However, as others have said, there would be an advantage for you to go from an X5 to a 2011 X9 (or X7). But I still think that a new cable inner and outer will have a bigger effect and only cost a few pounds.
I've got an 2010 X7 and a 2009 X9 for sale! Both 9-speed.

bails87

The bike's pretty much brand new isn't it?

X7 and X5 are fine functionally, just keep using it, if you have a spill and smash it then yeah, I'd replace it with something higher up the range, but don't worry about it for now.

Mr OCD

Thanks for advice guys ... yeah its brand new ... itching to fiddle

d3matt

I'm the same. I've upgraded all sorts of things - grips, chain, shifters. And this weekend will be cable outers and a new cassette.

bails87

Cables might not be a bad idea actually. I've got XTR ones and they've stayed clean and snappily-shifting for pretty muich a whole year (1500 miles) with virtually no maintenance. The ones that came as standard on my Boardman were gunked up and rusting in a few weeks.

d3matt

That's what I thought. I've got new inners with my new shifters, so I've recently purchased some Shimano XTR outers. Very cheap at £1.95 each.

Mr OCD

My cables are un-protected on down tubes...

d3matt

Yes so are mine. The rear mech cable has a total of 3 sections of outer cable. There's a whole debate as to whether a sealed single run is better than sections, but I've decided to keep to sections as:
1. It is so easy to clean and lubricate as you pull off the frame and you can then slide the outers far enough to expose all the inner cable, where you can clean and oil it.
2. It fits properly in the frame cable holders/stops. A single run will need cable ties and not be so neat.

bails87

I found the whole-outer setup to feel a bit 'vague', like there was just a bit too much flex/give in the system. A 'normal' setup, with decent seals to keep muck out (like XTR) worked better.

d3matt

Good to hear. My XTR outers have just arrived.