Ive been seeing afew of the LBS bikes with the SRAM x4 deraileurs. How does it compare to a Shimano Acera, alivio, or deore? WHat are the pro's and cons? Thanks!

it's pretty far down the line. but, it's ok stuff. sram typically has very strong springs in their derailleurs which is usually a plus.

i would not, however, plan on using the x4 stuff as hardcore offroad hardware. it's good recreational stuff.

Thanks

I've got X.4 shifters with X.7 derailleurs, it is very functional but somewhat less than ergonomic, and is made of a hard plastic instead of alloy or carbon or other alternatives.

The shifting is smooth (even on 5.0 derailleurs before the X.7s) and setup is easy. Comes with galvanized cables which isn't ideal though, and mine have already survived a crash. I'd guess on par with Deore, maybe *slightly* under.

Why not? Have you had a bad experience with the X4?

well i can see where hes coming from, but on the other hand, a derailleur is a simple mechanical system, consisting of a cable, a spring, and a hinge system. The most important parts are the tension and quality of the spring, the durability of the casing, and the strength of the mounting bracket. Ive used both shimano acera and shimano altus. The altus was crap, as i had two. The spring was so weak that the adjustments were imposiblle to make it shift well enough to not cause stuttering and waiting for it to shift. The acera is a good shifter, but still has a few weak points, suck as the flex when hitting big bumps and shifting at the same time. I have never used SRAM before, so thats why i asked if the X-4s were good for a 300 dollar bike with basic components on it.

I have XT on my Enduro and X4 on my hardrock. I don't expect the X4 to last as long as the XT but so far I have had 0 issues out of the X4......and I do ride a little rough terrain.