Originally Posted by
silversx80
I wouldn't say I'm being disingenuous, but more of a practiced skeptic. I have every reason to disbelieve, since claims are made without proof. Stating something like SRAM sucks and has a high failure rate, without the proof to back the claim will not receive a benefit-of-the-doubt from me. He's trying to pass off subjective bias as objective fact, and making claims that people are being "suckered into buying" their products. Sorry, but no matter how experienced one person is, it is still an anecdote.
SRAM has a high failure rate = bad logical statement without proof.
SRAM has a high failure rate in my experience = getting better, but still not a logical statement without showing what that rate is.
I see more SRAM components in my shop needing repair/replacement than the other brands = better still, but you still need the numbers to back that statement.
I don't like SRAM = this is a good statement, and logical, since it states an opinion from the user, of the user's own.
What you should know is that I've been employed in the industry(at various positions) for over 3 decades(most recently as the lead mechanic at 2 different shops). I would repair(or oversee the repairs of) hundreds of bicycles every month. When I say that SRAM blows, it's because I have seen many of their components fail at a much greater rate than any other manufacturer's products.
Most people never experience a failure, but from what I have seen, SRAM road components fail more often than Campagnolo or Shimano.
BTW, SRAM isn't the worst. Mavic owns that title. Their stuff is problematic, and their customer service is the worst I've ever encountered