while it's not fair to compare DA to rival, i'll do it anyway.

DA = butter.
rival = ratchet.


don't get me wrong, i do like the rival i have on my US bike, especially considering the price.

regardless, sram still has some odd quirks, i.e. on saturday there was a guy whose drivetrain was making a total racket. every time he shifted you could hear it from a few bikes away. i thought that maybe his cassette was loose. it wasn't until later that i realized he had red. you don't see much sram in NL (yet).