SRAM Shifters...

Meatfox

Howdie you helpful bunch

Anyone else running SRAM shifters have a problem with their thumb knuckles knocking the gears (without wanting to) on bumpier/steeper terrain?

I've used shimano all my life but have just ordered new bike with Sram.
Demoed it a couple of times and while normal shifting was all fine, i found this happened when things hotted up!

Particularly annoying was the left shifter which would obviously knock it down to the middle and granny rings - NOT good for when you trying to pedal at speed etc (and never right to have yer knuckle anywhere near grannys ring...)

Any advice or similar experiences?
Is this just a set up thing where i can adjust them to not get in the way?

Cheers

nicklouse

nope never had that problem. sounds like they are too close to the grips.

move the brake and gears away from the grips.

Anonymous

I have the same problem. I just cannot for the life of me get the shifters in a position that's within comfortable reach, without being in the way.

nicklouse

http://www.sram.com/_media/pdf/avid/AVI ... SetUp1.pdf

Note: This is the part of the process that people get wrong more than any other. Because it looks tidy, people tend to position the brake lever against the grip. That actually creates a problem because it positions your fingers too close to the pivot of the lever. The closer your fingers are to the pivot on the blade, the less leverage you have...which translates into dramatically less power and more hand fatigue. You are much better off using the end of the lever, because that gives you the best leverage. If you follow the steps above, your grip and lever clamp will likely be further apart than you are used to. That's okay though. It's just the sign of someone who knows exactly what he or she is doing.

Step 6:

Position Shifters

Your brake levers are in position—now it's time to move the shifters into place. It's very easy. All you need to do is grip the bars like you are riding again, and extend your thumb like you are going to shift. With your thumb extended, just move the shifter until it touches it in a comfortable spot. It's okay for this to feel like a little bit of a stretch, because you don't shift as often as you brake, and you still have four fingers on the bar anyway.

Ok if you are not using Avid or Formula brakes you may have issues.

Anonymous

Juicy 3s and SRAM shifters here, Nick. Whilst I can get the brake levers positioned just fine, there is just no way the shifters can be set properly (with my hands, and by the sounds of it, Meatfox's either)

They're either within easy reach, but always poking my thumb the rest of the time, or they're a hell of a stretch, and not poking my thumb.
Conversely, Shimano XTs on my other bike are fine.

I really don't understand how the SRAMs should even work in theory. Both triggers are thumb-activated (grumble grumble moan moan, you know my feelings about this), yet they're in totally different positions, and totally different sizes, and stick out totally differing amounts from the shifter body.

Anonymous

Ah, I knew I had a picture of it uploaded somewhere.
right, the problem is, that I need the brake levers at this angle, to suit my arm/hand/finger position.

I also need to have my shifter pods that far away from the grips to avoid them constantly digging into my thumb. Actually, I could do with them a bit further away from the grip in reality, but the brake levers get in the way, preventing that.

the shifter pods are rotated in such a way that the upshift trigger is roughly acceptable, but I nearly have to double my thumb back on itself to reach the downshift trigger.
I can't rotate them further, to "split the difference" as it were, because the brakes are in the way.

If I DID rotate them so that the downshift trigger was comfortably located, then I could barely reach the upshift trigger.

So, a multitude of problems - which just weren't an issue (for MY hands) using Shimano.

The Northern Monkey

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Juicy 3s and SRAM shifters here, Nick. Whilst I can get the brake levers positioned just fine, there is just no way the shifters can be set properly (with my hands, and by the sounds of it, Meatfox's either)

They're either within easy reach, but always poking my thumb the rest of the time, or they're a hell of a stretch, and not poking my thumb.
Conversely, Shimano XTs on my other bike are fine.

I really don't understand how the SRAMs should even work in theory. Both triggers are thumb-activated (grumble grumble moan moan, you know my feelings about this), yet they're in totally different positions, and totally different sizes, and stick out totally differing amounts from the shifter body.

EXACTLY the same here.

I've always said that the ergonomic shape of SRAM shifters is shite.

stubs

My new bike has SRAM X9 on and I keep c0cking up the upshift. Exactly what shape hands does the SRAM designer have he must have the skinnest bloody thumbs ever or never wear gloves. Seemingly every time I go to shift up I accidentally hit the downshift paddle or end up pushing both paddles at the same time.

Going to give them one last tryout tommorow and if they gets on my tits again then they are history and its back to my lovely scuffed and battered XT kit.

Anonymous

Rise my brothers, we shall descend upon the headquarters of SRAM and burn the fu**ers down, and reclaim Sachs as our own

Meatfox

glad im not the only one although i feel that surely they must be fixable otherwise SRAM shifters wouldnt exist in this form.

hmm...i guess when the bike arrives i will play about with the set up....although i reckon i would rather pop them off and sell them the lot as new and pick up a set of shimano which seem to work with less fussfor all hand types (i dont have mutant hands, FYI)

anyone selling a good set xt/slx set?
haha

njee20

I used to have the same problem, Ended up running the shifters so far in board to counter it they were harder to reach. Less of a problem with XX, think the release levers were smaller.

Shimano FTW!

phz

Twist.

slainte rob

davewalsh

Meatfox, what do you have inboard, the brakes or shifters ? I run my shifters inboard with the brakes on the outside, however it seems most other people run them the opposite way around. It works for me !
Also, bear in mind that of you swap the shifters for shimano you'll have to change the rear mech as well.

getonyourbike

I'm quite happy with the ergonomics of my X5s, never had a problem both with Juicy 3s and now Formula Oros. I'm that impressed that I'm upgrading to X9

Anonymous

davewalsh wrote:

Meatfox, what do you have inboard, the brakes or shifters ? I run my shifters inboard with the brakes on the outside, however it seems most other people run them the opposite way around. It works for me !

I can only do that if the brake levers are set such that I use 3-finger braking. Which sucks.
I cannot get the brake levers in the right position, AND the shifters.

bennett_346

yeehaamcgee wrote:

davewalsh wrote:

Meatfox, what do you have inboard, the brakes or shifters ? I run my shifters inboard with the brakes on the outside, however it seems most other people run them the opposite way around. It works for me !

I can only do that if the brake levers are set such that I use 3-finger braking. Which sucks.
I cannot get the brake levers in the right position, AND the shifters.

I'm using elixir brakes and sram x5 shifters and i've managed to get 1 finger braking and a good position for the shifters, but i have abnormally long fingers such to the extent where shops never have a large enough size of gloves for me, usually XL or XXL! I can see where you'd have trouble.

Anonymous

Are you saying I have small fingers? you cheeky little #@!@##!


Like I said, certain hand shapes seem to be totally unsuitable.

Out of interes,t bennet, have you ever used a Shimano setup, and did you have any problems getting them to fit? The ergonomics of them seem very different.

tom_howard

davewalsh wrote:

Meatfox, what do you have inboard, the brakes or shifters ? I run my shifters inboard with the brakes on the outside, however it seems most other people run them the opposite way around. It works for me !
Also, bear in mind that of you swap the shifters for shimano you'll have to change the rear mech as well.

+1

I tried my brakes inboard on the thinking that if i had more leaverage id have more power, but got massive arm pump after 2 runs due to only being able to use 1 finger on the brakes. Also kept hitting my thumb on the trigger (though its a massive lever, Shimano Alfine). switched them round and both problems solved, no arm pump as i was using 2 fingers on the levers, and the lever was far enough inboard

to the OP, if you cant find a good position with the shifters inboard, would it be a problem the file a mm or two off the end of the lever to give the extra clearance you need, keeping them outboard?

The Northern Monkey

Tom Howard
What if you want to use 1 finger braking? Some people (myself included) prefer it!

Danny-T

Interesting stuff (wtf, seems I'm an ergonomics nerd), I switched my avid5 levers and x7 shifters so I could use one finger braking and it seemed perfect. I also have xt shifters on another bike that I was also very comfortable with but haven't ridden that in ages.

would be good to see brake and lever mounts standardised for ultimate compatibility and adjustability. Seems mtb manufacturers standardise on about 1% of all the setup on the bike (grumble grumble tapered headset grumble bottom bracket moan whine)

bennett_346

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Are you saying I have small fingers? you cheeky little #@!@##!


Like I said, certain hand shapes seem to be totally unsuitable.

Out of interes,t bennet, have you ever used a Shimano setup, and did you have any problems getting them to fit? The ergonomics of them seem very different.

Never used shimano, nope, so can't comment on how different they would feel for me. I have used a push pull setup when sram used it on their lower end shifters but i don't know how this compares the the ergonomics of proper shimano ones.

Anonymous

Aaaaaaah, but Shimano these days can be used either push-pull or push-push. The trigger releases both ways, which in my mind is awesome.

sheepsteeth

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Aaaaaaah, but Shimano these days can be used either push-pull or push-push. The trigger releases both ways, which in my mind is awesome.

but unfortunately they still operate with that wishy washy vagueness.

ddraver

stubs wrote:

Exactly what shape hands does the SRAM designer have he must have the skinnest bloody thumbs ever or never wear gloves. .

MY SHAPE!!! Mwah ha! Both road and MTB SRAM stuff feels like it was made for me personally!

Do you have the shifters with two positions (old x9) I can get them perfect and I ve got loads of lateral movement space on the bars...I think you guys must have bannanas for fingers or something!

Anonymous

My hands look like this, is that not normal?

bennett_346

yeehaamcgee wrote:

My hands look like this, is that not normal?

I thought it was just me!

The Northern Monkey

mac_man

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Aaaaaaah, but Shimano these days can be used either push-pull or push-push. The trigger releases both ways, which in my mind is awesome.

Agreed...

I much prefer Shimano shifters.

I end up having to operate the X5s on one of my bikes using my index/middle finger to try and flick the lever from behind the bar. No way can I push/push using my thumbs.... stupid levers just get in the way. Only advantage over the Deore shifters is I can run the brakes inboard.

Do Shimano have some patent on the push/pull action perhaps?

Anonymous

mac man wrote:

Do Shimano have some patent on the push/pull action perhaps?

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure SRAM used to do it too.

diy

I use attack with Juicy 7 levers and don't have the problem, it could be because I like narrow bars which may affect the angle of my grip.

nwmlarge

i had this issue and now i run mine inboard of the brakes as per this photo.



ps. those big superstar grips are awesome to use, i was put off by the large width of them but it makes so much more sense on the trail