SRAM RIVAL Info and Opinions

djhermer

I have a chance - unexpectedly - to grab a bargain Supersix Hi-Mod. It is a bargain and the only thing which is making me hold fire is that its supplied with SRAM RIVAL groupset.

This may not be a bad thing of course. I just don't know and despite being a relative bargain, it's still a lot of cash to fork out. I have a test ride booked but have a couple of days to do some research.

I've been a Shimano user all my riding life, bar a few times when I've hired bikes overseas with Campag. But SRAM I know nada about. Not a jot.

Would appreciate any feedback or info. Any opinions, particularly in comparison to Shimano (105 and ultegra - never tried DA). Any quirks, foibles etc.

From brief searching it would appear to sit between 105 and Ultegra in price. Does that translate to performance?

Thanks in advance.

ck101

I picked up a secondhand Boardman with Rival a year ago. I also have Tiagra 10, Red and Force on my other bikes, I can't tell the difference between the different versions of SRAM other than weight.
Rival is as light as Ultgra, I prefer the shifting over Shimano. Apex is also excellent.

styxd

I prefer it to shimano, some people seem to struggle with it though. From what I can see, if you get on with the shape of the hoods and the shifting action, then there are no downsides to SRAM, only benefits.

careful

I have SRAM Rival r/d with Red shifters on one bike; all excellent. Only problem is that my other bikes use Shimano so it does take the first hour of each ride before the "double tap" becomes intuitive.

djhermer

Thanks chaps that's encouraging.

The double tap - is that on every gear change up/down and on both mechs??

djhermer

I've just done what I should have initially and checked the SRAM website....

I get it. I really have never paid any attention to this system. I like the idea of one lever. I am going to have a mix of SRAM and shim to get used to. Tough life.

passout

I moved form shimano to sram. A little adjustment was needed but a few rides in, it was fine. I like both systems equally.

I must say though that the Rival groupset is the toughest I've had - it's really been banged about and has very rarely needed any adjustment at all & no major replacements needed. I've had it three years and I'm still on the original cables - this is unheard of for me but there's just no sign of wear.

freddiegrubb

sram- great, one thing to watch though you have to know when you're in the biggest sprocket, if you forget & attempt to go 1 higher it drops down to the next largest sprocket. Can be awkward on a hill.

luv2ride

Love my Rival groupset - it's got carbon levers!

luv2ride

Oh, and you can easily alter the reach of the levers respective to the bar using a simple cam mechanism, great for really nailing the riding position...

paul64

It's not difficult getting used to groupsets, I am spoiled with 3 different set-ups. 1 with 9-speed Dura Ace, another with 9-speed Campag Record Ti and the third with SRAM Rival.

The DA is timeless, beautiful shifts which are easy on the hands (i.e. as I get older my hands are more sensitive to the effort of changes), the hoods are my least favourite in terms of comfort.

The Campag is again beautiful in feel and mechanical precision, the hoods are comfortable for me and I have not had it long enough to comment on reliability.

The Rival was great when I got it and has incredibly comfortable hoods. After 3 years I couldn't stand the crudeness and effort of changing compared to the other set-ups and when I rode a mate's bike with Apex shifting better than mine it confirmed mine needed some TLC. It had a complete cable change of inner and outer with Shimano and is transformed. Shifting is back to where it was.

Good luck with whichever you go with.

londoncommuter

I've also got Shimano on one bike and Rival on the other and love SRAM (I'm putting a mix of Red and Force on a new build). Have to agree about the bizarre lack of maintenance needed for Rival as it still shifts perfectly after three years with no adjustment.

Can you let us in on the deal on the Supersix Hi-Mod or is it a one off?

djhermer

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm now wondering how on earth i've paid such scant attention to SRAM.

londoncommuter wrote:

Can you let us in on the deal on the Supersix Hi-Mod or is it a one off?

It's a one-off. It's a 2011 model, but brand new bar a couple of cosmetic marks - it's obviously circa 2 years old and has been in a warehouse. It's the Hi-Mod frame and normally came with the RED groupset, but for some reason this one was built with RIVAL. All other components (wheelset, saddle, cranks etc) are as the Hi-Mod RED setup. If it is what they say it is, it's a bargain.

Sort of stumbled across it by accident. I'm test riding Sunday morning and all being well I'll have my paws on it there and then. To be fair only a case of it not being what I'm told it is will stop me now...