Originally Posted by
sstorkel
Remember: ZeroLoss is all in the shifters. So you can always buy Red shifters and marry them to Force derailleurs, cranks, etc.
I had Ultegra 6600 before purchasing SRAM Red. I haven't spent a whole lot of time riding Rival or Force, but I've done enough to know that I wouldn't pay a whole lot extra for ZeroLoss shifting on the rear derailleur.
BTW, if you haven't ridden a SRAM-equipped bike I would encourage you to do so before buying any components. The shifting feels and sounds very different from Shimano... and some people just can't stand it. Shifts, especially at the rear, are: lightening-fast, noisy, and rather abrupt. If you're in love with Shimano's ultra-smooth, near-silent shifts chances are that you won't be a fan of SRAM.
That's a great summary. My previous bike had ultegra - I go back and forth on which I prefer. The other thing that some people find tough to adjust to is the whole double-tap thing. I actually find it easy to go back and forth between Shimano and SRAM - a couple of shifts and I figure it out. However, I've ridden with people on a SRAM bike for the first time and they couldn't quite figure it out - they were shifting up when they wanted down. YMMV.
JB