kiteboarder

I'm building a new bike. I need you guys' help in choosing some of the parts. I have a choice between Shimano and SRAM components, but before I get into that... here are a few details of the bike and the intended use.

Frame: Solis Tephra 5.5 (similar to the new full suspension Look frame).
-5.5 inches of travel trail frame.
-Fox Talas fork
-Fox float RP23 rear shock
-Mavic Crosstrail or Crossride wheels

The bike will mainly be used in dusty Southern Califonia for intermediate to advanced technical trails with many climbs and very little traction (very common here). I'm a 165lbs. experienced rider.

Apart from deciding between the Crosstrail and the Crossride wheels, I need to decide whether to go Shimano or SRAM, or a combo of both. My current bike has SRAM X9 shifters, XO rear derailleur, and Shimano front derailleur. I also have Truvativ Stylo Cranks and Juicy 3 brakes. I'm quite happy with the current setup, but I think the shifters could be better.

So, here are the options:

1) Same as above current setup but with Elixir 5 brakes instead of Juice 3's and Stylo OCT's instead of regular Stylos

or

2) Full Shimano SLX

3) A combo a both Shimano and SRAM.

Any suggestions?

Here's a link to the site were you can download PDFs of the bike.

https://www.solisbikes.com

dminor 

Full Sram drivetrain with Nokon or Aztec cabling
Hayes Stroker Trail brakes

kiteboarder

Thanks. Anybody have any comments on the Shimano SLX stuff?

ikebentley

Are you still riding the Solis Tephra 5.5 frame? I'm thinking about picking one up for a frame swap, but I can't find any reviews on the frames

Canker

Go 1xwhatever. Either a 11 speed setup or a 10 speed setup using one of the 11-42 10 speed Sunrace cassettes. I have both sram and shimano drivetrains setups and don't have a favorite. I do greatly prefer shimano brakes though.

Dilberto

I have full SRAM 1x11....except the Shimano XTR M988 trail brakes.

osco53

Yes,, SLX works fine but has no rear derailleur clutch,,chain slap,,I hate chain slap on the chain stay,,,noisy..

Step up to The XT level and have an honest conversation with your self... If you are strong enough and decent at your pedaling skills and your bike Is not a heavy one AND your not in the mountains where you have a true need for a 3x9 go 1x11...

The Shimano Deore XT M8000 shifts just like the 1x11 $1,000 Sram stuff, has a external user adjustable clutch and cost about $400 for a complete 1x11
Cassette $140
Derailleur $120
The teflon coated chain $35
XT shifter $75
Race Face 32T $50

Break the X0 Sram derailleur,,$300 ish, the Shimano M8000 xt rear derailleur, $120
Wear out the super light Sram 11 spd cassette and you will in one summer,,$350,,, The Shimano $140 and should last two seasons..
It weighs 400 grams but the weight is at the hub, no biggie
Only draw back,,no 10 tooth cog, I never have missed it so far but still IMO 11-42 rawks

Slap a RaceFace Narrow wide up front and never drop a chain,,Btw the narrow wide and the SLX,,,I never dropped and had no clutch,,just sayin..

1st picture,,the silent XT M8000

2nd picture, the SLX 9spd It worked fine, I upgraded when I wore out the chain and cassette.



So quiet I took the Lizard skin off,,still silent

Once you go XT you can never go back...

Canker

Again you only bring up the ultra expensive 11 speed Sram stuff when they also have a GX line which is much MUCH cheaper, $100 cassette. You have to get out of this rut. Their cheaper GX line has been out for a long time now come on. And of coarse there is also the option to run a Shimano cassette with Sram RD and shifters.

OP go with whichever drivetrain setup you like more, it doesn't really matter. If you get a great deal on a wheelset that has an XD driver then buy a Sram cassette, if you get that great deal on a wheelset with a regular hub body get a Shimano cassette. Run whatever shifter and RD you want with either cassette.

FrozenK

I would hope that the OP has already built the bike given that he asked about what to use SIX years ago.

And SLX comes in a clutched version. SRAM GX stuff is priced in the same range as XT. The main difference for someone converting will be whether their wheels can take the SRAM 10t cassette (they have an XD driver freehub or not)

ErichVonCartman

I would do the New 1x11 XT full kit. Can't go wrong with XT, and it is also much cheaper than SRAM X01.

For wheels, I would go wider and carbon. Crossmax are basically obsolete and way over priced for what you get. If you are interested in aluminum wheels, I have a set that have only been used once that I can let go of for a very good price (WTB i23 with DT 350 hubs, take off from my Santa Cruz Nomad).

However, I would even pass on my own aluminum wheels and go Carbon Wheels! For the price, nothing comes close to the 38mm wide Carbon rims from Light Bicycle, it is less than $1000 shipped with Hope Hubs. These wheels are even better than Enves at 1/3rd the price.

osco53

I have a bike with Sram stuff,,the shifting is not as smooth or as quiet as my Shimano bikes. I don't like the solid click feel,,just personal pref tho,,

ErichVonCartman

For any Enduro/All-Mtn/Extreme-Trail Bike, I would always go wide carbon rims!

I bought a set of Ibis 741 (27.5" and 41mm width) wheels with my Nomad when it was brand new, and the Dealer gave me a decent price, but if I had to do it over again, I would get some Light Bicycle with Hope Hubs directly from LB, it will be a better wheel for only about $900 shipped.

The wide rims are just dam tougher, and they allow you to run extremely low pressure. I run 18 lbs front and rear. It is amazing how much grip you get when the pressure is low as the tire will just conform to all uneven territory. You run the risk of Burping with running low pressure on narrow rims, but Burping does not exist on Wide Rims.

Here is a pic of Jenna Jameson von Cartmann (aka my Nomad) with Ibis wheels when she was a virgin. The Factory Wheels are on the ground (in this pic). I bought an extra set of Rotors and cassette to have 2 complete wheelsets... but I am going to eventually sell the stock Factory Wheels and get me another set of wide carbon wheels. Jenna Jameson von Cartmann does not look this good and fresh anymore... like all porn stars, she looks a little worn with more usage... but she still rides great!

ErichVonCartman

I am coming to the same conclusion. Old SRAM (with Shimano Derailluers) were super smooth... but the newer SRAM stuff, SRAM Shifters and SRAM Derailluers are "clunky". Takes more pressure and you feel and hear a clunk when they shift. This is NOT a bad thing mind you, but I prefer the smooth no effort and no feel shifting of Shimano XTR, XT, Dura Ace-9000, and 105-5800.

bres dad

I've got full SRAM 2x10 X7 (type 2 w/ clutch) and am satisfied. I've never really noticed the 'clunk' many describe but I do think its smoother and less chain slap than the X5 it replaced.

DMC707

Yes --- i am running 1x11 XTR, and can attest that the newest XT stuff shifts as nice when properly set up - XT brakes work well with the Shimano Ice-Tech rotors as well. Am using a RaceFace crankset with a Renthal sprocket up front --- the Renthal is not the quietest, but it has never dropped a chain (i can say the same thing about a Narrow/Wide Race Face chainring i have on another machine as well though

Not giving up much except maybe a couple hundred grams from the cassette and derailleur cage