What's wrong with SRAM?
I've had my latest bike for 2 years now and it came with SRAM Red groupset and SRAM S40 wheels. I have found the SRAM product to very good and have had no trouble in using or maintaining the various components. I have noticed that when someone posts on this site for advice re which wheels or groupset to go with that SRAM rarely gets a mention. I haven't had much experience with the other brands at an equivalent level but am interested in why SRAM doesn't get recommended all that often. I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts as I'm getting a bit paranoid! I don't intend to start a discussion about which is best but does SRAM stack up against the other brands?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob (Chewbacca) on -
If you want a good wrap about Sram red talk to Noel at Bike Station as he races with it as I sure a great number if cyclists do.
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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on -
+1 noel is very pro sram.
Personally for me I have no personal preference to either 3 big grams. I have read reviews regarding all 3 and I have concluded that it is a personal preference based on experiences. its takes 1 person to have and issue with 1 brand, bag the crap out of it and praise another. This can influence new or ignorant people in the way they think.
I like the sram gear. like the double tap feature they offer. I also like shimano and the amount of availability there is for that brand. I also like campo stuff with the history and pedigree. I have nothing against any of them as I'm not a purist.
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Permalink Reply by Matt "Boz" on -
Interesting enough - I believe Noel's latest bike is Di2 - and as much as I love SRAM - if I had the money, I would be tempted to try Di2 next time, unless of course SRAM develop electronic shifting
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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on
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Noel did tell me he had Di2's on his latest ride. I didn't get into depth about the bike he has. But for the money you can spend on Di2 you could easily pay for another decent road bike. I spose running your own bike business has its perks.
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Permalink Reply by hozozco on -
Many years ago I studied music at Adelaide Uni (SACAE it was then).
I recall the trumpet players seemed to spend hours sitting in the cafe discussing mouthpieces. Not trumpets mind you - just the different mouthpieces. Hours and hours every day!
Funny how things change and yet stay the same!
Simon
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Permalink Reply by Martin Turner on -
Mouthpiece the most important part of a trumpet.....if the sound going into the trumpet sounds like sh*t then thats how it will come out the other end.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Bakes on -
I had a SRAM groupset on my last bike and I have Ultegra on the new bike. Anyone who was near me yesterday on the GW group ride would have heard my thoughts on the newer groupset, which I don't think would be able to be written on here in this timeslot.
So far, I found the SRAM to shift easier, have better shifters, and have better appearance. I really loved the SRAM groupset on my last bike and it will be sorely missed.
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Permalink Reply by Alasdair McLellan on -
That's probably an adjustment thing. Both brands shift fine when adjusted well, although SRAM Red tends to be VERY LOUD, especially when paired with the OG1090 cassette.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Bakes on
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@ Alasdair, Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think it is an adjustment thing.
The shifter throw on the SRAM shifters is much shorter and the shifters have less play in them, making it much easier to shift.-They just feel so much more precise.
The Ultegra shifters I have now have plastic components as part of the design, where as my previous SRAM ones were all metal with the brake levers (not used as part of the shifting mechanism unlike the Ultegra ones) were carbon.
I had SRAM Force, and I wouldn't say that it was either louder or quieter than the Ultegra ones I have now
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
Lee@ I heard somebody suggest that you might not have been moving your levers quite positively enough so the chain wasn't moving completely and/or smoothly to the next gear. Might be worth going back to the shop and setting the bike up on a trainer and getting somebody to critique your technic
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Permalink Reply by James Jordan on -
SRAM and Shimano have very different shifting mechanic. As a result they both feel very different in terms of the shift. I have noticed that a lot of riders struggle when they change from one to the other as a result.
Give it a bit of time and you will find that your m muscle memory will get use to the new shifting style and you will wonder what the problem was.
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Permalink Reply by Gary Mills on -
Yes, That's right, it does take a bit of time. When I changed from Ultegra to Sram I had the same problem and had trouble with shifting gear, but after a few rides, became accustomed to the different system. But now, when I test ride a Shimano bike, I have the same problem in reverse and it takes a bit of concentration to remember the system is different. I don't have any real preference, both are good but I think the front derailleur shifting is better and more forgiving to minor poor adjustment on Shimano.
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