What's with the SRAM love?

Wily-Quixote
Wily-Quixote Posts: 269
edited May 2014 in MTB general
Maybe it's because I've had Shimano on my last few bikes but....

I have SRAM x9 shifters and X0 gears on my new bike and it seems that their design brief was: Not Like Shimano. What else could explain a shifting mechanism so un-ergonomic? A shifter designed for one thumb where the actuation levers are 5cm apart...WTF... now I have to change grips to change gear, or sling my hand over the shifters and change up by hooking my finger around and under the forward lever... and I have big hands!

And what's with this massive clunk when the gears change? it sounds like my chain stays are snapping....

Don't get me wrong, the gears are fine they are doing their job but what's with the SRAM love when they seem to design their gear with less finesse and ergonomics than shimano.

BTW: i am now the proud owner of two new grip shift changers about to go on the bike. If they're anything like the 90's versions they will be better than shimano trigger shifters... just can't work out why they're not OEM.

Comments

  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Yeah sram sucks. Ther shifter shape/position is terrible.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Never experinced this issue, find them most comfortable.

    But i guess thats part of the love, different things fit different people just likes different bikes.
  • JBA
    JBA Posts: 2,852
    I have X7 shifters on my bike and have no problem with the lever design or position. I don't have to change grip between up and down changes.
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  • MrHaematocrit
    MrHaematocrit Posts: 10
    I have no love for SRAM at all. The customer service from this company is appalling, they recalled some of my brakes last year and 7 months later Im still waiting for them. They have made no effort to compensate me at all.

    I would personally change the groupset on my MTB to Shimano if my bike had a front mech. Shimano has a quality feel to it, where as the SRAM shifters on my MTB feel of a lower quality.
  • Cqc
    Cqc Posts: 951
    Sram shifters are great. The lever s are not 5 cm apart either. And with shimano you have to take your finger of the brake to press the little lever. Ddumb or what?
  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 803
    Love my SRAMs. Thumb for shifting, finger for braking, the other 3 for holding on. No need to move anything.

    Love the snap/thud sound too. That said the jockey wheels are made of cheese
  • taffygriffiths
    taffygriffiths Posts: 186
    Cqc wrote:
    Sram shifters are great. The lever s are not 5 cm apart either. And with shimano you have to take your finger of the brake to press the little lever. Ddumb or what?

    apart from SLX and higher now having the shimano two way release on the finger trigger.

    use your thumb or finger...

    seems to remove the one big selling point of sram!

    I hate sram!
  • warpcow
    warpcow Posts: 1,448
    taffygriffiths wrote:
    Cqc wrote:
    Sram shifters are great. The lever s are not 5 cm apart either. And with shimano you have to take your finger of the brake to press the little lever. Ddumb or what?

    apart from SLX and higher now having the shimano two way release on the finger trigger.

    use your thumb or finger...

    seems to remove the one big selling point of sram!

    I hate sram!

    Except the ergonomics of the SRAM shifter are much better if you only use your thumb. I use both but prefer SRAM and honestly couldn't care enough to hate Shimano, but whatever floats your boat.
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  • mudsucker
    mudsucker Posts: 730
    edited May 2014
    I love my Sram X9 shifters. Never miss a beat, always a good solid shift. Don't think I would use Shimano stuff again now. Oh and I like the thumb up and down design too :-)
    Bikes are OK, I guess... :-)

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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I hate everything equally. I have Shimano mechs and front shifter and a Sram rear shifter.
    I quite like it.
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  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    My SRAM shifters are fine for me. The brakes were also OK but an upgrade to a Shimano XT disc brakes was a noticeable improvement.
  • buddy_club
    buddy_club Posts: 935
    warpcow wrote:
    taffygriffiths wrote:
    Cqc wrote:
    Sram shifters are great. The lever s are not 5 cm apart either. And with shimano you have to take your finger of the brake to press the little lever. Ddumb or what?

    apart from SLX and higher now having the shimano two way release on the finger trigger.

    use your thumb or finger...

    seems to remove the one big selling point of sram!

    I hate sram!

    Except the ergonomics of the SRAM shifter are much better if you only use your thumb. I use both but prefer SRAM and honestly couldn't care enough to hate Shimano, but whatever floats your boat.
    Deore as well, pull or push the little lever on the front, i had Sram on my old bike, got on with it fine. Shimano feels alot nicer to use though.
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  • m_cozzy
    m_cozzy Posts: 132
    I hated sram after buying a meta am1, never used them before. Push/push, what a dumb idea! However after 2 rides it just felt normal & I was delighted to discover slx also did push/push. I all the years of using shimano I never knew they did that, I had always used thumb & finger.
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  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I quite like the ergonomics of my SRAM X0 shifter, thats all I like about it though.
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  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    My last 3 bikes all came with SRAM and Avid within 9 months the SRAM/Avid was replaced with XT. I then sold the SRAM/Avid on ebay for almost enough to buy the XT. Doesnt matter what condition the SRAM/Avid stuff is in theres always at least 2 muppets prepared to overpay for wonky junk.
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  • BigAl
    BigAl Posts: 3,122
    cyd190468 wrote:
    Can't say that I really have a preference. I have two Sram bikes and two with Shmano. None of them have ever had any gear issues. Not sure why people need to pick a side :?

    Go pick the splinters from your ass :wink:

    I prefer Shimano but, so what? SRAM gears are fine too and if you prefer them, why should I care?
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  • felix.london
    felix.london Posts: 4,067
    stubs wrote:
    Doesnt matter what condition the SRAM/Avid stuff is in theres always at least 2 muppets prepared to overpay for wonky junk.

    I hope so...just put my Elixir R's on eBay :wink:
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  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    felix.london wrote:
    stubs wrote:
    Doesnt matter what condition the SRAM/Avid stuff is in theres always at least 2 muppets prepared to overpay for wonky junk.

    I hope so...just put my Elixir R's on eBay :wink:

    Last part I sold on ebay was a well used X9 10spd type 2 clutch mech. It went for £56 you can get them for less brand new. :roll:
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