Advantages of direct mount (attach) shifters?

coursemyhorse
coursemyhorse Posts: 192
edited December 2011 in MTB workshop & tech
What are the advantages of a direct mount (direct attach) shifter like the Shimano M980? I gather this is to combine it with a compatible Shimano brake lever directly with a direct bolt, rather than have it clamp fit around the bars. Is this to save weight? Is this to give some sort of different position during use? To look nicer? What is the benefit since it is the same cost as a normal clamp mount and restricts brake choice?

Comments

  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    2 reasons Saves weight as it removes a clamp and frees up bars space for lights, fork lockouts and post lockouts ect...and yes you're correct, limits the combienations of shifters and levers you can use.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I would assume that like Matchmaker with SRAM kit, you have a choice of either direct mount to the shifter/brake or can clamp independent and just use different brands next to each other.

    Anyway, such systems in the main gives you more space and is good for a single finger braking layout with thumb shifting. Not that you can't do it with individual mounts, it's just neater and a bit easier in some cases.

    Saves weight, but you've really got to be a major weight weenie obsessive to notice the difference. If you've got carbon bars it's one less clamp to be digging into those nice bars.
  • coursemyhorse
    coursemyhorse Posts: 192
    Cool. Thought as much. Cheers guys. Sorry for all my threads...more will follow no doubt. :)
    I am surprised to read in searches of so much hate for Avid compared with XT brakes. It makes me think to get XTR direct mount shifters and change the brakes to XT at the same time. I have Avid 5 on mine and they seem ok, but I haven't ridden with XT brakes yet.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Depends. Avid Juicy... awful. Elixir stuff can be quite nice though. Get what you pay for basically.

    Got X0 (variant of Elixir essentially) with one of my recent purchases just because it was part of the deal, and really like it, and then found a cheap deal for X0 online so got more of them for my 456 build.

    X9s are supposed to be almost the same. Below that and they're not so comparable to XT/XTR kit probably, but I don't have much experience of Shimano brakes.
  • coursemyhorse
    coursemyhorse Posts: 192
    So to confirm with SRAM it goes like this UP the range:

    X1 > > X3 > X5 > X7 > X9 > X0 > XX

    And Shimano:

    LX > SLX > XT > XTR

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