Test Rode SRAM: Thoughts
 

Test rode SRAM Rival for about an hour outside.

1. People are right that the front derailler has a pretty long pull (when on the hoods, more on this in a sec) in moving to the outer ring

2. Was very easy to pick up (but I did catch myself pushing on the brake sides a few times - shimano)

3. The absolute COOLEST thing in the world about SRAM double-tap is when you go into the drops, hug the shifters to the bar and can literally shift with just a flick of your wrist! :eek: Without a doubt, the friggin' coolest thing in shifting in the last 5+ years.

You have to try that out. You pull the shifters against the drops and then you can shift with just slight sideways pressure of your wrist. It reminded me of what people say about the Segway - how it almost "knows" what oyu want to do by sensing minute changes in pressure. So FRIGGIN' cool.

(NOTE: Also, this was interesting, but when the shifters were against the bar in the drops, the long pull actually got shorter. I think this has something to do with the fact that SRAM's shifters don't really shift straight inward, but inward AND backward - so a backward angle)

4. I'd read that SRAM could take more pressure during shifts than Shimano. This wasn't my experience - it seemed pretty much the same to me. During some sprints, I tried putting a ton of pressure on the pedals while shifting both directions and it seemed to have the same catch problems at similar pressure to Shimano. (Of course, I didn't measure it with a power meter, so it was by feel)

5. I agree with people on this forum that the rear derailler is pretty much perfect, very smooth and precise, but the front derailler is OK. Didn't get a chance to test it with shimano FD, but it'd be cool if it was a tad smoother/more precise. Overall though, even the FD was pretty damn good.

6. While the FD has a long pull for the big ring, I did notice that it took less pressure to get it there than Shimano. I like this a LOT. Anyone know if this remains when using SRAM with shimano FD?

Overall, I love the double tap and first chance I get, I'm getting a set. I wish, though, that I could do more research into mixing of Shimano/sram, but I doubt any LBS' would build a test group up for me that way.

Really isnt much mixing that needs to be done. Use a Shimano FD instead of SRAM and SRAM everything else and youre set.

Crap, now I'm getting the urge to dump my Dura Ace shifters and RD and get Force ones to drop weight.

Id get the Rivals personally. I dont think the weigh difference is huge on the shifters.

I dont like the Force shifters as much as the Rivals, mainly on the brake levers. I think the Force shifters are more mushy than the Rivals, probably because one is aluminum and one isnt. The Rivals feel more positive to me when braking.

Yeah, and oddly, all the problems/recalls have been with Force equipment not Rival.

To quote the wise botto, Incorrect.

If you want to mix and make a sramano I would suggest sram shifter to a DA RD with the jtek adapter. Again I'm not bashing the group, I love the shifters just not the RD.

I wouldn't use the SRAM to Shimano shiftmate. Tried it, not a particularly happy story.

I have two SRAM RD's and they've been rock solid.

To the OP, you can definitely run a SRAM shifter with Shimano FD, and it's a very happy marriage. Mine shifts great!

I haven't tried any Shimano 10 speed groups as I've Ultegra 9 on most of my bikes. I have the SRAM Force on my PedalForce RS and I think the FD and shifter work much better than the Ultegra 9. The throw is pretty close and the front shifts are automatic. I did spend alot of time on adjustment after the LBS did a crappy job on it. The only difference is lack of trim but I don't miss it.

The RD works great but I do find that the single lever has more potential for mistakes. While riding in freezing temps, with my bulky winter gloves, I did miss a few shifts to bigger cogs.

Actually, all the Campy Ergo shift paddles (from smaller cogs to larger cogs in the back; and smaller chainrings to larger chainrings in the front) work this way. When you are in the drops you can pull the paddles in towards you (away from the brake levers). But the Ergo system uses thumb buttons to move the chain in the opposite direction, unlike the "tap" - "double-tap" of the SRAM system.

I wonder how well the shiftmate mix works. Not knocking it but the more diff. pieces you add in there, the greater chances for something to go wrong/not fit. Who has used shiftmate with SRAM/Shimano? What were your experiences?

Again.... the SRAMano shiftmade is bad.

I DONT reccommend it at all.

The Shiftmate sucks with SRAM and Shimano. I have one sitting here on my desk I ended up taking off because the shifting was awful.

I was using my Rival bike on the trainer last nite and I noticed:

- the rear dérailleur throw is VERY short. I discovered I was throwing too far and often shifting up instead of down.
- the FD throw is easier than Shimano but I find I sometimes have to unweight or stop pedaling completely before it will shift to the big ring. This could be bad adjustment since it is new. hard to predict because it shifts fine on a stand.

You'll get used to the RD throw. I really like it now that i've used it a bit more.

It's almost certainly adjustment. I've never had that problem with mine.

skip dessert, it's cheaper.

Agreed. The point at which dropping that bike weight makes a diff. is when you're in absolute peak physical shape and there's pretty much nothing else you can do to get better, i.e. you're a pro cyclist.

That's too bad though. Would have been cool to be able to use them together.

I have been running the force now for about 500 miles on my R3.
I have posted several times about it and am pretty happy.
The one little thing is thye rear D is a bit noisy, I don't know if its the cogs or the combination of the carbon case around the cogs that make it noisy as the chain is running through.


Any ideas here.