Sram Force 11 vs Shimano Ultegra

ai_1

I considered SRAM Force when choosing my current bike. On paper Force seemed like a good a choice. This was last year and the 10 speed version. Prices of Force versus Ultegra were pretty similar. Force is lighter, Ultegra is more familiar. I took a test ride on a Force equipped bike and that made my mind up. I quite liked the double tap changing, more than I expected. However, I found the hoods very uncomfortable. It's possible that with some playing around with orientation and with familiarity I could have got used to them but it wasn't worth the risk so I crossed Force off the list.
In the end I didn't get a new bike until this year and went with Ultegra 6800. I find it excellent. Shifting is very smooth, brakes are great and hoods are comfy (for me!). In particular I like the front changing. This is superb in my opinion, less lever movement is required and it's far smoother and more reliable than the Shimano Tiagra and Ultegra groupsets I've used before.

As many other shave said, there's not much to choose between Force and Ultegra. I haven't used Force 11 so don't know if it's kept up with the improvement in Ultegra 6800. I'd be impressed if it has. Functionally they both do the job of shifting and braking very well. I think the main criteria for choosing should be whether you find the hoods comfortable, whether you like the shifting method and of course price.

StillGoing

davefox wrote:

philthy3 wrote:

Bosstanaka wrote:

Mix and match the 2...they work with each other fine

Err no, the SRAM shifter and rear derailleur operation is totally different.

I would be inclined to agree, an educated guess to me would be that two competing companies would make it difficult to do anything but use their own specific kit.

From a bike build point of view, I'd prefer to use kit that's designed to work together, you'd not have any problems that way. Not to mention from an OCD perspective, it'd look a mess with different makes all over the place.

Keep it simple and straightforward! 8)

SRAM's front shifter will work a Shimano FD, but the SRAM rear shifter and RD are throw specific. SRAM and Shimano brake callipers, chainrings and cassettes are all interchangeable. I agree with you though about keeping things to one manufacturer other than chainrings of course or until SRAM do their own osymmetric rings.

DKay

philthy3 wrote:

SRAM's front shifter will work a Shimano FD, but the SRAM rear shifter and RD are throw specific. SRAM and Shimano brake callipers, chainrings and cassettes are all interchangeable. I agree with you though about keeping things to one manufacturer other than chainrings of course or until SRAM do their own osymmetric rings.

It's doubtful that 11spd. front shifting components are compatible between SRAM and Shimano, since the former introduced their Yaw front mech and the latter totally changed their pull ratios. I'd bet money that they wouldn't work correctly.

secretsam

Campagnolo

<<runs>>

drlodge

SecretSam wrote:

Campagnolo

<<runs>>

*sticks leg out to trip you over* ;-)

rolf_f

Bar Shaker wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Bar Shaker wrote:

..........and the double tap shifting system is the best mechanical system out there.

Oooh - link me to the detailed and comprehensive independant review that proves this!

That's the only review you need, Rolf.

Oh, wait, I just remembered, you like systems with buttons in obscure, unreachable places

We're still talking about groupsets right?!

secretsam

drlodge wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

Campagnolo

<<runs>>

*sticks leg out to trip you over* ;-)

For the record: #drlodge loves Campag. And he thinks SRAM and Shimano are for kids' bikes and knobblies only

drlodge

SecretSam wrote:

For the record: #drlodge loves Campag. And he thinks SRAM and Shimano are for kids' bikes and knobblies only

let me see about that...
- CX bike: SRAM
- kids bike: Shimano
- old 531 bike Shimano
- Winter bike: Shimergo

Not far from the truth then :roll:

StillGoing

And Campag is for men that smell of wee.

davefox

Well my mind was made up by a ride on a bike kitted out with Force, felt much better than Shimano with the shifting, no time at all to get used to the double tap.

Force = Clear winner!

Thanks for all the comments and advice!

Bar Shaker

I would have been very surprised if a back to back test had come up with any other conclusion.

Enjoy.

Bozman

Bar Shaker wrote:

I would have been very surprised if a back to back test had come up with any other conclusion.

Enjoy.

Crock of 5hite.

Having used both, I would!

mfin

davefox wrote:

Well my mind was made up by a ride on a bike kitted out with Force, felt much better than Shimano with the shifting, no time at all to get used to the double tap.

Force = Clear winner!

Thanks for all the comments and advice!

Good man, Sram is a much better mechanical group. Also you have the added bonus that you won't be sick all over your bike every time you look at it.

davefox

mfin wrote:

davefox wrote:

Well my mind was made up by a ride on a bike kitted out with Force, felt much better than Shimano with the shifting, no time at all to get used to the double tap.

Force = Clear winner!

Thanks for all the comments and advice!

Good man, Sram is a much better mechanical group. Also you have the added bonus that you won't be sick all over your bike every time you look at it.

That's always good to know, I've heard the chunky bits can be a pain to get out of cassettes and rear mechs!

ai_1

Bar Shaker wrote:

I would have been very surprised if a back to back test had come up with any other conclusion.

Enjoy.

mfin wrote:

davefox wrote:

Well my mind was made up by a ride on a bike kitted out with Force, felt much better than Shimano with the shifting, no time at all to get used to the double tap.

Force = Clear winner!

Thanks for all the comments and advice!

Good man, Sram is a much better mechanical group. Also you have the added bonus that you won't be sick all over your bike every time you look at it.

Nonsense. Both are good groupsets. Nothing wrong with choosing SRAM Force over Shimano Ultegra but please quit the nonsense proclamations that either is objectively superior to the other unless you have some objective argument for that claim.
As I mentioned previously, I did test the two and in my case I picked Ultegra because the I found the Force hoods much less comfortable to my hands. I found both shifting methods, dual lever and double tap, equally satisfactory and had no clear preference regarding performance. They were different but not better and worse.
There's room for both. Use whichever you prefer. No need for the disparaging comments.

davefox

Ai_1 wrote:

Bar Shaker wrote:

I would have been very surprised if a back to back test had come up with any other conclusion.

Enjoy.

mfin wrote:

davefox wrote:

Well my mind was made up by a ride on a bike kitted out with Force, felt much better than Shimano with the shifting, no time at all to get used to the double tap.

Force = Clear winner!

Thanks for all the comments and advice!

Good man, Sram is a much better mechanical group. Also you have the added bonus that you won't be sick all over your bike every time you look at it.

Nonsense. Both are good groupsets. Nothing wrong with choosing SRAM Force over Shimano Ultegra but please quit the nonsense proclamations that either is objectively superior to the other unless you have some objective argument for that claim.
As I mentioned previously, I did test the two and in my case I picked Ultegra because the I found the Force hoods much less comfortable to my hands. I found both shifting methods, dual lever and double tap, equally satisfactory and had no clear preference regarding performance. They were different but not better and worse.
There's room for both. Use whichever you prefer. No need for the disparaging comments.

It's just a bit of fun really, and people are entitled to their own opinions at the end of the day.

I asked the question and found my answer with the help of everyone here and had a giggle at all peoples comments and opinions.

I've not found anything disparaging, but simply see them that people all prefer different things and I will respect them all for that, the same as your opinion about the hoods, which I took on board and am grateful for.

All in all, this was a light hearted way for me to find out what people thought. I wouldn't want to have caused offence, like I am sure no one else here did.

8)

drlodge

You should have bought Campagnolo ;-)

davefox

drlodge wrote:

You should have bought Campagnolo ;-)

Hahaha! Yeah might have saved some of this here silliness eh?

mfin

Ai_1 wrote:

Nonsense. Both are good groupsets.
Nothing wrong with choosing SRAM Force over Shimano Ultegra but please quit the nonsense proclamations that either is objectively superior to the other unless you have some objective argument for that claim.
As I mentioned previously, I did test the two and in my case I picked Ultegra because the I found the Force hoods much less comfortable to my hands. I found both shifting methods, dual lever and double tap, equally satisfactory and had no clear preference regarding performance. They were different but not better and worse.
There's room for both. Use whichever you prefer. No need for the disparaging comments.

Yes but I could compare two girlfriends. One was much better to look at, felt better to operate and had less problems than the other one. She was also lighter. The other one got dumped.

davefox

mfin wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

Nonsense. Both are good groupsets.
Nothing wrong with choosing SRAM Force over Shimano Ultegra but please quit the nonsense proclamations that either is objectively superior to the other unless you have some objective argument for that claim.
As I mentioned previously, I did test the two and in my case I picked Ultegra because the I found the Force hoods much less comfortable to my hands. I found both shifting methods, dual lever and double tap, equally satisfactory and had no clear preference regarding performance. They were different but not better and worse.
There's room for both. Use whichever you prefer. No need for the disparaging comments.

Yes but I could compare two girlfriends. One was much better to look at, felt better to operate and had less problems than the other one. She was also lighter. The other one got dumped.

Hahahaha! Brilliant!

drlodge

mfin wrote:

Yes but I could compare two girlfriends. One was much better to look at, felt better to operate and had less problems than the other one. She was also lighter. The other one got dumped.

Is that the girlfriend n-1 rule?