SRAM's Grip-Shift became popular not because it was the best but because it was inexpensive. Bicycle manufacturers started using Grip-Shift because they were about half the price of Rapidfire Plus. That gave them an edge which they could parlay into a lower MSRP and/or a larger profit margin. An additional benefit was that they were lighter. Had the cables not been factory installed by SRAM, I'm convinced that the they never would have gained a foothold with the OEMs, as they would never have put up with cable installation issues.