Planet X dumping Shimano

handful

I got an email from Planet X today offering the Pro Carbon Ultegra 6800 for £899 which is seriously cheap but I was surprised to read they are not ordering any more Shimano groupsets and will be building only with Campag and Sram. As a Sram fan myself I'm not worried but I would imagine it's a risky decision excluding the Shimano fans from their ranges? :?

arthur_scrimshaw

Well this is probably an exclusivity deal, probably won't be the last. I always suspected the lower range SRAM groupsets were overpriced at rrp given the prices of the bikes they were fitted to as OEM. I don't think SRAM would consider Campag as their main competition?

handful

I guess it must be something like that, Ribble did something similar some time ago when they stopped building bikes with Sram. I just think it's a bit of a gamble for Planet X moving away from the groupset with the largest fanbase.

markhewitt1978

I guess they are getting a good deal on SRAM bits?

The risk is that nearly everyone understands the Shimano groupset levels. But Sram; I'd have to look it up.

dj58

They must be fairly confident that it will not affect their overall sales figures.

term1te

DJ58 wrote:

They must be fairly confident that it will not affect their overall sales figures.

They must be fairly hopeful that it will positively affect their overall sales figures, or more probably their bottom line.

markhewitt1978

I can't imagine not using Shimano would increase sales, I think the best they would hope for is that it doesn't decrease sales, and because of reduced costs mean they make more profit.

cougie

They were doing a carbon bike with ultegra for 899 yesterday. I'm thinking the price points are probably more important to their customers than what brand groupset is on it.

markhewitt1978

But just saying that "Carbon, Ultegra" brings to mind a level of bike. Whereas saying "Rival" or "Force" just doesn't, but maybe that's me?

drummer_boy

They've probably cut a big bulk price deal with SRAM, that Shimano can't match. They'll order across sveral shipping containers of components, and build bikes with these until they run out (probably end of the season next year), and then talk to the manufacturers about who's offering the best deals again, and go from there.
I suspect it's entirely cost based, and not technology based. Cheaper deal to be had ordering 20,000 gropups sets from one manufacturer, than 10,000 each from 2 different manufacturers, as well as making stock management easier.

alan_sherman

I was expecting to see a London Road 105 equipped deal at some point. Seems the obvious build to get cyclescheme sales.

Seems a shame to me, but of course they sell framesets for good prices so parts can be sourced elsewhere and self-built. My TT bike was bought as a frameset and used parts bin specials!

jimmythecuckoo

Agree with post above. For me Planet X is all about offering carbon fibre at a set price point (which is coming down).

The kit is always upgradeable

drummer_boy

Funnily enough, I built my winter bike with a Dolan Preffisio frame, but all the componentry from PX, when they sold off the 20 speed Rival kit t make way for the new 22 speed stuff!!

Ended up with a bike of a nearly comparible spec to the one they built in Cycling Active (I think it was) this month, but for a grand total of £650. Biggest difference was I got Mavic Aksium wheels rather than Gotthard, and a PX saddle.

sloppyschleckonds

The only Shimano gruppo I'd have over its Sram equivalent is 9070

bendertherobot

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

The only Shimano gruppo I'd have over its Sram equivalent is 9070

Like what you did there

arthur_scrimshaw

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

The only Shimano gruppo I'd have over its Sram equivalent is 9070

First post to start the SRAM vs Shimano slagging - the groupset equivalent of Godwin's law goes to you.

Manc33

I have never used anything made by SRAM apart from chains and cassettes.

I never would buy it over Shimano, but that's just me.

I am not comparing one to the other, I am saying I am sticking with what I know and the SRAM stuff might work really well, hell maybe even better than Shimano with some stuff, but I am not likely to blow money on any of it when I know Shimano stuff works already. Its just that HG cassettes are so heavy you sort of have to get the SRAM.

ugo.santalucia

I suspect in most people brain there is capacity to acknowledge the existence of at least other two manufacturers of components other than just Shimano.

For instance, if you take Joe average on the street, you will find he can probably name 3 or 4 different German car manufacturers... :shock:

MountainMonster

I still don't understand why people are so focused on the brand of the shifting, when there is such marginal difference between the companies. Marketing at its finest! I don't care what comes on the bike, as long as it rides well, shifts and doesn't make my ar5e scream.

gozzy

A couple of years ago when I was researching a new bike PX were only building with SRAM, not a Shimano bike to be had from them, then suddenly they started using Shimano too. I'd assumed that they just buy a lot of whatever they can get a deal on then run it out and repeat, without really caring who it's from.

Manc33

Shimano parts were all over bikes 30 and 40 years ago but SRAM stuff wasn't - it was only founded in 1987.

Shimano clearly have vastly more experience (founded 1921).

I just see Shimano as a company thats been in the game for so long now and revised their components so many times, its a no-brainer to buy Shimano, especially the drivetrain (he says with his SRAM cassette and chain). :oops:

With SRAM having a different cable pull, I avoid it all. That's just because everything else on my bike is Shimano. If you buy a new bike with all SRAM on it, who cares.

If I was in the market for a new bike and it was SRAM or nothing, I wouldn't be that bothered about it being SRAM.

marcusjb

Manc33 wrote:

Shimano parts were all over bikes 30 and 40 years ago but SRAM stuff wasn't - it was only founded in 1987.

Shimano clearly have vastly more experience (founded 1921).

I just see Shimano as a company thats been in the game for so long now and revised their components so many times, its a no-brainer to buy Shimano, especially the drivetrain (he says with his SRAM cassette and chain). :oops:

Sturmey Archer were all over bikes 50 and 60 years ago but Shimano stuff wasn't - it was only founded in 1921.

Sturmey Archer clearly have vastly more experience (founded 1902).

I just see Sturmey Archer as a company thats been in the game for so long now and revised their components so many times, its a no-brainer to buy Sturmey Archer , especially the drivetrain.

iron-clover

Hmm, I can imagine this move could go either way- putting newcomers off looking for their cheap carbon sportive machines as they haven't seen any reviews or know any mates using SRAM, OR it could spark more interest in their groupsets which could increase their popularity. I wouldn't be put off by a bike being stocked with SRAM over Shimano, as I could always get hold of Shimano aftermarket if I didn't get on with it than I could the other way around.

I personally quite like the aesthetics of SRAM and would love to have a decent test of one of their groupsets.
The major gripe I might have with SRAM is that I like climbing (and climbing steep hills!) and I find it handy that you can feel when you've reached the bottom of the block with Shimano, whereas I'm led to believe if you tried that with SRAM you'll shift into a higher gear...
Also 3 years ago I heard from a racer at my uni broke one of his Force/ Red shifters, and another of his team had one snap as well so I'd be a little worried about durability. I'm sure SRAM has since sorted the fragility issue though.

ugo.santalucia

Manc33 wrote:

Shimano parts were all over bikes 30 and 40 years ago but SRAM stuff wasn't - it was only founded in 1987.

Shimano clearly have vastly more experience (founded 1921).

And here it gets tricky as SRAM bought out Sachs in 1997.... now, Sachs is older than both Campagnolo and Shimano, being among the first to introduce the freewheel in the 19th century!! So who's the daddy now? :roll:

sheffsimon

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Manc33 wrote:

Shimano parts were all over bikes 30 and 40 years ago but SRAM stuff wasn't - it was only founded in 1987.

Shimano clearly have vastly more experience (founded 1921).

And here it gets tricky as SRAM bought out Sachs in 1997.... now, Sachs is older than both Campagnolo and Shimano, being among the first to introduce the freewheel in the 19th century!! So who's the daddy now? :roll:

Easy....Campagnolo.

cougie

Shimano certainly weren't all over bikes 40 years ago. Campag ruled the roost.

24 years ago Shimano introduced STI and then they really started to gain market share.
Campag were 2 years behind with their Ergopower and frankly they needed a kick up the arse as they were too complacent.

mpatts

On a £900 carbon bike, almost no-one cares. And put bluntly, if you are worried about branding you are unlikely to go for PX anyway.

Given that, I think the 'which gruppo is best/best understood' is irrelevant (especially as we all know that Campag is the best)

alan_sherman

It is all about the shifters. Chose the ergonomics that work and go form there. I like shimano STI road shifters, I don't like the alternatives.

Off road I have SRAM on a bike as the ergonomics aren't so different.

But have PX confirmed the no-shimano approach or is it rumour?

mpatts

alan sherman wrote:

It is all about the shifters. Chose the ergonomics that work and go form there. I like shimano STI road shifters, I don't like the alternatives.

Off road I have SRAM on a bike as the ergonomics aren't so different.

But have PX confirmed the no-shimano approach or is it rumour?

I have SRAM on the cross bike, Shimano on the winter bike, Campag on the vintage (down rube shifters) and Campag on the race bike.

They all perform the same function. Shimano make the worlds ugliest brake lever/hoods. SRAM has a mildly bemusing product range (but no more than the flipping 6600/6700 whatever nonsense).

In other words, with regards to PX dropping Shimano, my old PX had a rival gruppo - I suspect it's whatever they can get hold of cheapest at the time. i think it's very unlikely that they would have a long term strategy that was anything other than using the cheapest brand they can get at the time. I could, of course, be wrong.

cougie

PX said on their site that once they've got rid of their Shimano stock they're going SRAM and Campag.

rafletcher

MountainMonster wrote:

I still don't understand why people are so focused on the brand of the shifting, when there is such marginal difference between the companies..

Except I don't get on with the double-tap system, and the only bike I ever bought with SRAM on it (a used PX with Rival groupset) the components were the cheapest and nastiest I'd ever come across, with screws made of cheese and tinny pressed chainrings. Not a patch on 105 or Veloce/Athena (at the time). So I'm never likely to buy SRAM groupsets.