BikesAreCool123

I can get both for about the same price. Which would you chose.

I like the ergo hoods on sram, but I also like the crisp shifting of dura ace.

mzeffex 

7800 is better.

kayakdiver

7800

FlashBazbo

Corvette or Cavalier? Neither is bad but, unless SRAM is paying you to ride their stuff . . .

7800

Herbie53

7800

echappist

get the 7800 and then sell it. use the money you get to get sram rival, pocket the rest

mzeffex 

No you're dumb.

Aimulator64

lets see..... 7800 is the top of the line shimano, which is thrown on 10,000 dollar race bikes. Yes, 7900 is newer, but both are comparable and just have slight changes with equal quality. Rival is the lowest level of the SRAMs, but with equal performance to the rest, just heavier. So honestly, for the price, the 7800 is what i would go with, but if the rival was any cheaper i would probably go for that, since it performs among the same lines as Ultegra 6700.

echappist

Oh no, I'm deemed idiotic by some stranger on the internet. My sense of self worth has just plummeted off a cliff. Still, I must say, I can't be dumber than the guy who can't punctuate correctly. Why don't you go read Elements of Style instead of trolling here?

mzeffex 

Calm down, take a joke.

And I'm assuming by lack of punctuation you mean no comma? I know, but "No you're dumb" is supposed to be said in more or less one syllable.

Really though, don't take it seriously.

Aimulator64

:

Eclectus

I test-rode DA, wasn't tuned correctly. My Ultegra was rock-solid, I dunno what happened.

I went with Red, I think it is great. It shifts crisply, stays in-tune for a long time.

longbeachgary

I must be dumber than both of you because I'm not sure what's wrong with his punctuation!

foresthill

Try them both out. See which one is more comfortable on your hands/wrists. The shifting on either should be spot on. There's also the matter of preference in shifting type. 7800 is smoother, but definitely not "crisper." Personally, I prefer the crisper/louder/more concrete shifting in sram and find the lack of feedback on shimano disconcerting, but others like that buttery smoothness. It's really a matter of preference.

Dheorl

7800

Yaniel

I'd take rival just because the hoods are more comfortable to me.

Cateye

7800

BikesAreCool123

Thanks for the feedback. This is my problem....I strong prefer the "smoothness" of shimano. The loud shifting on sram bugs me a bit. But, I have small hands and find the hoods on sram to be much more comfortable. I sometimes have problems using the brake lever when in the drops with shimano.

I guess I have to think about which quality I want more in a group.

foresthill

I initially moved to SRAM because 1) my MTB with X.0 shifted better than the 2006 Ultegra on my road bike, and 2) the shimano hoods hurt my wrists. never could find a comfortable position.

Fortunately, with both shifting and ergo in their favor, it was an easy choice for me.

I've really come to like the solid shifting. Gives me a lot more confidence of when and how many gears it's shifted.

Also, what year Rival are you looking at? If possible, I definitely recommend 2009 or later. The throw for the front shifting on the older stuff was too long for my comfort.

robertkat

In order of things that are better:

2010 Force, 7800, Rival, 7400, 7900. Problem solved.

echappist

There should have been a comma between No and you. Don't worry, i'm only penny wise & pound foolish.

OP, are these shifters new? If I were you, I'd make sure to swap the rival shifters for the red shifters as you get the benefit of zero-loss. If lucky, this should be a $150 upgrade.

KiddSisko

That's easy for me - Rival. Cleaner cockpit, single paddle for shifting, ergonomics, and I never liked the appearance of the Shimano cranks. They look like an AMC Pacer to me.

botto 

i have both. i prefer the DA. by a country mile.

roadiejorge 

The shifting is definitely quieter and crisper with Shimano, especially DA but the comfort I find with SRAM shifters trumps that for me. I run Rival on both of my bikes and when things start failing I'll set them both up with a Red/Force mix.

slothlike

Well,
I have 7800 for the past 5 years on 1 bike and I have original Rival and the new carbon lever Rival on different bikes. 7800 without a doubt is more refined and "higher quality" in fit and finish. It shifts like butter, but I still would take Rival. The hoods on 7800 are horrible. I much prefered the older 9 speed Dura Ace hoods I had years ago.

Rival is lighter than 7800, shifts more with a "mechanical feel" but it works and the crank is super stiff and the brakes are great too. If 7800 hoods were better fit, I'd say go for it, but the cleaner cockpit is also a bonus without the cables. Either way you cannot lose if they both feel good in your hands. It boils down to the ergonomics.