Originally Posted by
spectastic
I'm not a weight weenie, and for the record, I don't care one way or another between sti and double tap or their ergonomics. But I am more concerned about long term durability. Sram groupsets are across the board lighter than their Shimano counterparts. Where do these weight savings come from? The answer won't really sway me one way or another. I'll take which ever groupset that's laid in front of me, because neither would let me down. I'm just curious whether anyone knows about this.
P.S. please try to be objective, because I'm just trying to gain some knowledge. Things like "I got 40,000 miles on so and so... not a single hitch" won't really help. It would help a lot more to get feedback from those who know a lot about the nitty gritty, or who have used both brands extensively. Thanks
I doubt you'll get much more than anecdotal stories here since the vast majority of respondents here are, like myself, individual end users who don't go throught enough samples of both brands to give anything that even approaches statistically significance. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you average LBS wrench ses enough of both brands to provide real data.
That said, I think most Shimano/SRAM/Campy built equipment, given proper care and baring crash related damage, are more durable than the average non-competitive rider. Quality control being what it is in this industry, you are going to find the odd case of premature failure no matter what brand you use. Stuff happens. I've been riding and wrenching on and off since the 80's, and I've yet to see any components from any of the big 3 show what I would regard as a higher than expected failure rate nor have I seen anything that was universally bullet proof. Now there have been poorly designed components foisted on the consumer, no doubt about that. But again, no one of the major manufacturers has a monopoly on that kind of folly.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. If you do come across some source of real "knowledge", please share...