Bicycle Mechanics - Sunrace (Microshift) STI levers

Anybody ever try Microshift/Sunrace STI style shifters?

I am looking at possibly using them as a replacement for my 105 9 speed shifters. I have a general use/cross bike that has great gearing options (similar to what SRAM Apex offers) by combining a MTB rear cassette with a max cog - 34 with a long cage XTR derailleur so I don't want to upgrade to a 10, but finding new 9 shifters is harder and harder. I can do Tiagra or try these Sunrace levers. I can't find any reviews on the Sunrace stuff. I like the price and I also like to see options other than the "big 3" when it comes to components.

Would love to hear any experience with these products.

not much but worked on a few of these this season. maybe about 5-10. only handled new units on felt bikes. all i can say is they shift. maybe about sora level in quality

If they are a similar price to the Tiagras, then go for the Tiagra.

I ended up with a great deal on the Sunrace stuff so I bought a set of the R-90 shifters. I'll get them on the bike and get back with a review. If it doesn't work out then I'm out a few bucks. I also did a little more research and it looks as if Sunrace is releasing a "competition" level of components called "Driven."

I'm not ready to drop $275 on a new set of carbon shifters, but they're out there. I'll be interested to see if these are any good... offering another option both in name and in ergonomics of shifting (with two paddles for shifting). These are same same or similar to the re-branded Performance Bike Forte group. It's all Shimano compatible, so that may be a bonus if replacing parts. Apparently the mechanics of the actual mechanism is similar to Shimano.
177475

http://store.sunraceusa.com/index.php/shifters.html - here's the store link to the shifters

The ten-speed version of Microshift is really good; I almost like them better than Dura Ace 7800. You can find them new on fleabay including both derailleurs for $200 for the whole set, including cables. I'm pretty amazed at how good they are, with precise and perfect shifting.

Of course, they might fall apart after six months, but we'll see!

The Nashbar 10-speed RD-R56S is a very good rear derailleur. Quality is on par if not better than Shimano's 105. No complaint after 4 months/1600 miles. One minor complaint is the cheap idler pulleys which can be swapped out with Shimano parts when worn.

I got the Sunrace R90 shifters in today. They feel a little cheap compared to my 105's, but in looking at the line of products they seem to have at least 3 levels above the R90... RS, RX, and then RZ. That doesn't count all the re-branded stuff (Nashbar, Forte, etc) which probably falls somewhere in there. I don't know that any of these will compare to DA or Red, but for the price I would love to see them give 105 and Rival a run for their money.

One thing I noticed is that the big paddle shifts 1 or 3 depending on how far you push it and the little paddle shifts one at a time. Running through the gears with the levers alone is kind of loud, but that may change with tension on the cable.

10-speed Microshift levers, and the derailleurs, are at least quite decent. Their 9-speed levers suck. We got stuck with a pallet of '09 Fuji Finest 1.0s, equipped with Microshift levers and Sora derailleurs. If Fuji were smarter, they'd have used Microshift derailleurs with Sora levers.

The throws are too long, the levers flex too much, and the internal mechanisms are sloppy. Spend a little more for Sora.

I'm not keen at all on any of these levers which use zillions of ratchets and pawls and ugly little bits of pressed steel.

Ergolevers are the only sensible design (the shifting mechanism itself; I'm not talking about its means of operation).

These Microshifts, STIs and almost certainly Doubletaps too (I bet they're even more complicated) are a (generally*) non-user-serviceable problem waiting to happen.

Less is more.

*I can actually overhaul STIs and I still hate em