Why are people so loyal to SRAM ?

[Spinnekop]

It carries more aesthetic appeal.

 

In plain terms, it is sexier.

Careful........just now this thread gets deleted.

[Christie]

OP, I think is is more a SA fanboy thing, that is not universal.

 

Have a good listen what the pro' think:

https://streamable.com/o44uh

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Christie

[Quagga]

SRAM = Ford Mustang

Shimano = Toyota Hilux

Shimano= Fishing

SRAM = racing

[avatar]

I rode shimano for a couple years but that was still 2 x 10. Best shifting and performance ever. Then xx1 came out, new bike so I fitted it. It was lighter and had more gears, I hated the SRAM trigger shifter and NEVER got used to it, got myself grip shift and it worked much better. then 12sp came out and it still had the 10T  but now even a 50T at the back. New bike so I put a 36T with the on the front with  and I was smiling all the way. The shifting was never great, it was okay. then I got a new bike and it had the 12sp XTR (which I was super excited about) I can rave about it all day!!! The shifting, it is INCREDIBLE, positive, always on point and even better it has the "fire" shifter which you can shift down with the index finger by pulling it too. then the actual shifting, the hyperglyde system is incredible, you can shift through the power section of your pedalstroke or standing up or uphill at 30 cadence and it just eases into gear. lastly the gear ratio and spacing is waaaay better than SRAM. plus whoever said that the XTR is not sexy must really have their eyes tested, that XTR is just so good looking. oh, im not even gonna try and compare brakes or prices because there SRAM just fails. one thing, a SRAM chain and cassette prob lasts 3 times longer than a shimano equivalent.

Edited January 13, 2020 by avatar

[madmarc]

SRAM Eagle RD needs to be setup properly or you will experience exactly what you say you experienced.

 

I've see a few LBS do installations where it was clear they had no idea what they were doing. Simply mounting the RD and lining it up by eye doesn't work, you need to go through the SRAM mounting instructions step by step and follow them exactly. I've mounted numerous EAGLE groupsets both NX & GX and never had a problem.

[BaGearA]

Somewhere on pink bike there's a comment by an engineer that takes the biggest dump on the engineer that signed off on both pf30 and the new dub standard where he basically tells how ashamed he'd be of himself for signing off on products like that to go into the market.

 

Shimano may have been behind since late 2012 but they have not put a foot wrong with the products that made it to their clients

[100Tours]

I’m pretty new to mountain biking, is there some history that I’m not aware of ?

 

IMHO Shimano was well behind the curve a good few years ago when SRAM first launched, and SRAM swept the floor with Shimano products for a few years.  I have however been much more impressed with Shimano's new kit, particularly the SLX line which seems to be cheap, robust and smooth all at the same time. The bike shop guys might just be out of date.

 

SRAM was first for grip shifting, (I think) first to have a clutch, and almost 2 years ahead on their 1x designs. The XD Driver is also obviously better than the current Shimano design.

 

Interestingly (for me anyway) Shimano and SRAM have similar design philosophies for their transmissions, so they're mostly trying to outdo one another on the same design (different pull ratios, but identical cassettes). Campy (road) has a more complicated cassette design - with the sprockets on a "parabolic" spacing. I'd hazard a guess that Shimano has had to learn some tricks to keep up on the road and that these have now trickled over to the MTB gruppos.

Edited January 13, 2020 by 100Tours

[Rock Guy]

I always used to love Shimano, until I bought a new bike that came with SRAM 1X11 (XO-X1 combo, it was before the GX 11 speed days)

 

I am sure people will argue on for days about what has the best shifting performance, but the chances are that the state of the derailleur hanger will probably play a far more significant role than the difference between SRAM and Shimano in this department. I do miss the two way release system on Shimano though.

 

Why won't I go back to Shimano? Two reasons, derailleur cables and longevity. The system that Shimano uses to attach the derailleur cable to the derailleur is just stone age compared to SRAM, end result being that you will go through 5 cables on a Shimano derailleur before you snap one on a SRAM derailleur. SRAM chains and cassettes also just last a million times longer than Shimano. No jokes, my GX 11 speed cassette that I am running right now has lasted about 3 times longer than any Shimano XT/SLX cassette that I ever used (over 10000km at the moment).

 

Maybe the new Shimano 11 and 12 speed groupsets are better than the old 10 speed stuff, but for me the running costs and reliability of SRAM has been significantly better (granted the initial costs are certainly much higher). 

[Skott5]

Because...

 

[Skubarra]

SRAM Eagle RD needs to be setup properly or you will experience exactly what you say you experienced.

 

I've see a few LBS do installations where it was clear they had no idea what they were doing. Simply mounting the RD and lining it up by eye doesn't work, you need to go through the SRAM mounting instructions step by step and follow them exactly. I've mounted numerous EAGLE groupsets both NX & GX and never had a problem.

 

IMO if bike shops regularly mess up the installation of eagle groupsets (assuming they get the other setups right?) its not exactly a virtue -given the beating my groupset takes on the trails my preference would lean towards parts that are straightforward to install & maintain.

[droo]

SRAM were miles ahead for a good few years, but Shimano's new 12sp stuff has made them a contender again.

 

I'd be keen to try the new XT, but the local distro won't sell to anyone who's not willing to buy 150k worth of their stock on the first order, and there's no way a small shop can afford to push that much at one supplier when online discounters are selling often at less than cost...

 

The local SRAM distro is far more accommodating in terms of supply, which makes them the go-to for the smaller guys. And there are a lot of smaller guys.

 

SRAM also pushed the capabilities of their RD architecture a step too far with Eagle - the 11sp stuff is far more durable and better shifting. 12sp, if not set up exactly to spec, feels rubbish. This can easily be cured by reading the manual, but there seem to be a shortage of people who are up for that...

[Hairy]

SRAM were miles ahead for a good few years, but Shimano's new 12sp stuff has made them a contender again.

 

I'd be keen to try the new XT, but the local distro won't sell to anyone who's not willing to buy 150k worth of their stock on the first order, and there's no way a small shop can afford to push that much at one supplier when online discounters are selling often at less than cost...

 

The local SRAM distro is far more accommodating in terms of supply, which makes them the go-to for the smaller guys. And there are a lot of smaller guys.

 

SRAM also pushed the capabilities of their RD architecture a step too far with Eagle - the 11sp stuff is far more durable and better shifting. 12sp, if not set up exactly to spec, feels rubbish. This can easily be cured by reading the manual, but there seem to be a shortage of people who are up for that...

Admit it, you are proud of me doing the whole RTFM thing

[Dubber]

Given that SRAM 12 speed has a year+ head start on Shimano, I guess bike shops have more experience with SRAM than Shimano?  So probably their go-to if they are given a choice.

 

SRAM has been my go-to component choice - for no other reason than my first bike came with it and thereafter I was comfortable servicing and maintaining it.

 

All that said, their geo-fencing policy hasn't gone down well with me.  (I'm sure Shimano do something similar).

 

If there was/is an alternative to any of these big brands that don't geo-fence and produce a well priced, working solution, I would consider changing.  In fact I've just installed a Praxis crank on my gravel bike - all good so far.

 

With regards to the OP and bike shops struggling to set up the Eagle group set:  I installed mine and got it working without issue.  I don't consider myself an expert.  So I find it strange they struggled....

[Let's Ride]

For me. Probably very silly. The hoods on the sram red are lower and less bulky than on the Shimano. So to me it looks better. That's all.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Let's Ride

[Pieterlab1]

SRAM = Ford Mustang

Shimano = Toyota Hilux

Weak 63rd post

[sirmoun10goat]

I had changed groupsets on my bike from SRAM GX 11 speed to Eagle GX, which was a major disappointment. 3 reputable bike shops in Cape Town couldn’t get the shifting sorted and the derailleur and cassette were changed under warranty. I still wasn’t totally happy with the shifting and recently changed to Shimano SLX . The perceived quality (subjective) is better on the Shimano. The shift quality (objective) especially under power is a lot better.

When recounting my experience to various bike shops personnel I was met with varying degrees of sceptism and almost disbelief. A common thread is that the quality of SRAM is better. One guy even said I should have tried X01....

The X01 derailleur costs more than the SLX groupset !!!

It also seems that very few have tried the 12 speed Shimano and don’t seemed too interested.

Its a shame as I doubt they will recommend the Shimano 12 speed groupset to any of their customers.

I’m pretty new to mountain biking, is there some history that I’m not aware of ?

 

Not too long ago XT was the benchmark.

 

I don't think there is loyalty to SRAM - they pioneered the 1x11 systems, and when Shimano got going with their 1x and 2x 11 systems, SRAM released their 1 x 12 moving the benchmark again.

 

And now SRAM have eTap AXS, and Shimano hasn't released electronic shifting in their 1 x 12 gruppos yet.

 

Shimano's microspleen set up isn't as commonplace as the SRAM XD driver which almost every hub manufacturer can accommodate.

 

SRAM has an edge, which they are defending.