SRAM Haters

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Can SRAM really be that bad??? There sure seem to be a LOT of SRAM in the pro tour.....

Yeah, it is that bad. From a performance perspective it comes in a far distant 3rd behind Campagnolo and Shimano. You see a "LOT" of ScRAM at the pro level because they've got a LOT of money to throw around, you ride what you're paid to ride.

 

[Parera]

Yeah, it is that bad. From a performance perspective it comes in a far distant 3rd behind Campagnolo and Shimano. You see a "LOT" of ScRAM at the pro level because they've got a LOT of money to throw around, you ride what you're paid to ride.

Yes, and even the teams that do run it typically won't use the chains, cranks, cassettes, cables and bottom brackets; they also rarely use the Red Titanium front derailleur.

Mavic is the wheel of choice for many pro teams, but does that mean someone should go drop $3.5k on some Cosmic Carbone Ultimates?

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Yes, and even the teams that do run it typically won't use the chains, cranks, cassettes, cables and bottom brackets; they also rarely use the Red Titanium front derailleur.

Mavic is the wheel of choice for many pro teams, but does that mean someone should go drop $3.5k on some Cosmic Carbone Ultimates?

....and many racers don't use any of this crap on their personal bikes when they're not racing, says a lot.

 

[gregod]

Option number 1

thanks.

i must be weird, but "ess ram" seems more natural to me.

 

[gregod]

Yeah, it is that bad. From a performance perspective it comes in a far distant 3rd behind Campagnolo and Shimano. You see a "LOT" of ScRAM at the pro level because they've got a LOT of money to throw around, you ride what you're paid to ride.

never have used it because i am dedicated to campagnolo, but i have been curious about it. what specifically is wrong with the stuff? design? finish? ergonomics? durability? other?

cheers.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

never have used it because i am dedicated to campagnolo, but i have been curious about it. what specifically is wrong with the stuff? design? finish? ergonomics? durability? other?

cheers.

Durability. They seem more interested in flash, marketing, whizbang materials overly marketed but reliability is poor. BBs, chainrings, pulleys, shifters. Front der action is poor, cogsets noisy, chains break. Mediocre stuff marketed really well. Yep, deep pockets, so they sponsor anybody that asks. PLUS they have a huge grass roots program where, thru a bike shop, a club can get a ton of stuff for any sized club. THAT'S not gonna be abused..

Bike shop gets 30 groups for 20 riders and resells the extra stuff. I'm thinking of trying it just to show how BS the program is...nope, not gonna sell it.

 

[briztoon]

Well if you read the thread, the two common themes seem to be durability and reliability.

 

[briztoon]

This article was linked on another forum Giro tech: Contador goes Apex. Seems not all pros dislike SRAM.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

This article was linked on another forum Giro tech: Contador goes Apex. Seems not all pros dislike SRAM.

He's a sponsored ScRAM rider, paid to ride it. Contador goes Apex not because he necessarily likes ScRAM, he's going to the cheaper stuff because more range of lower gearing for mountain stages. No where in that article does it state his like for ScRAM.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

This article was linked on another forum Giro tech: Contador goes Apex. Seems not all pros dislike SRAM.

They like all the stuff they are paid to use and paid to like it.

 

[gregod]

Well if you read the thread, the two common themes seem to be durability and reliability.

doh!

 

[fabramowski]

i have had no problems with sram components. IF you think any Pro has a personal bike that they ride with different components/bike brand in the off season your wrong. The contract they sign is though the year and makes sure when they ride a bike/components it is a sponser's stuff they use. ask any pro........even here http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/09/bikes-and-tech/ask-nick-pros-personal-bikes-the-uci-weight-limit-and-more_193141

if you think SRAM makes more money then Shimano/Campy all you need to do is look at there Fiscal Year results....

 

[Bustedknuckle]

i have had no problems with sram components. IF you think any Pro has a personal bike that they ride with different components/bike brand in the off season your wrong. The contract they sign is though the year and makes sure when they ride a bike/components it is a sponser's stuff they use. ask any pro........even here http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/09/bikes-and-tech/ask-nick-pros-personal-bikes-the-uci-weight-limit-and-more_193141

if you think SRAM makes more money then Shimano/Campy all you need to do is look at there Fiscal Year results....

Don't think anybody asked about profits but why do cyclists, those who pay for stuff, prefer one component group or another. And why does there seem to be a dislike of sram and their stuff....and dislike of the hype.

Their main target is shimano and OEM. Huge $ inserted there, to frame makers, for deals impossible to pass up, has put their stuff on a lot of bikesouttaboxes.

If the bike, which is most common, is ridden a few times a month, stuff generally is OK. But if it's actually used a lot, there are a lot of reliability, function and durability issues that come up.

I think they should be credited for a lever design that they wouldn't get sued over but I see lots of broken sram road and MTB stuff, warranty a lot of it. They seem to warranty anything for any reason regardless of use or age. That's the best and worse scenario at the same time. I think it's cheaper for them to warranty/replace rather than redesign better stuff.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

i have had no problems with sram components.

Don't worry, you will...

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Don't worry, you will...

Yep, sram has replaced shimano, after a redesign of their levers, with the levers that are of 2 types. Those that have failed and those that will.

 

[richwagmn]

Yep, sram has replaced shimano, after a redesign of their levers, with the levers that are of 2 types. Those that have failed and those that will.

Are you talking about Shimano's problem with the release lever? I had replaced my 9 speed Ultegra right hand lever twice. And the eight speeds seemed good for one or two seasons.

So far, the 10spd levers have been great though. Well, except that cable drag seems to be an issue for the 6700/7900 levers.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Are you talking about Shimano's problem with the release lever? I had replaced my 9 speed Ultegra right hand lever twice. And the eight speeds seemed good for one or two seasons.

So far, the 10spd levers have been great though. Well, except that cable drag seems to be an issue for the 6700/7900 levers.

They changed the shift mechanism for 10s, a little more for 6700/7900, which made them much more reliable. 9s STI seemed to be the worse in terms of reliability.

Cable drag, altho higher than exposed cable 6600/7800, isn't an issue, IMHO, particularly if you route behind the bars. samo for Campagnolo and sram. 5mm housing helps a lot, along with brass ferrules. The plastic ended, 4mm shimano/sram stuff is junque.

 

[fabramowski]

Don't worry, you will...

well everything wears out, so some day I will. Just like Shimano and Campy...hell, even my frame might need to be replaced. I think SRAM replaces things because it satisfies the costumer better than anything else. I'm not some SRAM fan boy. I have ridden Shimano and Campy and like them all and each have their problems, but it comes down to cost and availability.....

 

[richwagmn]

They changed the shift mechanism for 10s, a little more for 6700/7900, which made them much more reliable. 9s STI seemed to be the worse in terms of reliability.

Cable drag, altho higher than exposed cable 6600/7800, isn't an issue, IMHO, particularly if you route behind the bars. samo for Campagnolo and sram. 5mm housing helps a lot, along with brass ferrules. The plastic ended, 4mm shimano/sram stuff is junque.

Yep, found this out the hard way. I could NOT get my 6700 levers to reliably shift from all gears. I've never had that issue before.

Dumped the stock cables for Yokozunas and the difference is night and day (though Yokos are a real ***** to work with IMO).

Thanks for the tip on using 5mm housing for the shifter cables.

 

[Parera]

Yokozuna brake housing is a pain, but so long as you use a dremel to cut and avoid using it qt tight angles (aero/TT frame) it's not that bad. Certainly a breeze compared to nokon.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

well everything wears out, so some day I will. Just like Shimano and Campy...hell, even my frame might need to be replaced. I think SRAM replaces things because it satisfies the costumer better than anything else. I'm not some SRAM fan boy. I have ridden Shimano and Campy and like them all and each have their problems, but it comes down to cost and availability.....

Everything else wears out, Campy wears in. It's true!

 

[fabramowski]

Everything else wears out, Campy wears in. It's true!

not the 10 or 11 speed crap, total waste of time. I spent more time trying to get it dialed in, then I have with any campy 9 speed or below. They lost what I liked about campy stuff, once you got it dialed in you never had to touch it again until you had to change your cables...

 

[fabramowski]

Don't think anybody asked about profits but why do cyclists, those who pay for stuff, prefer one component group or another. And why does there seem to be a dislike of sram and their stuff....and dislike of the hype.

Their main target is shimano and OEM. Huge $ inserted there, to frame makers, for deals impossible to pass up, has put their stuff on a lot of bikesouttaboxes.

If the bike, which is most common, is ridden a few times a month, stuff generally is OK. But if it's actually used a lot, there are a lot of reliability, function and durability issues that come up.

I think they should be credited for a lever design that they wouldn't get sued over but I see lots of broken sram road and MTB stuff, warranty a lot of it. They seem to warranty anything for any reason regardless of use or age. That's the best and worse scenario at the same time. I think it's cheaper for them to warranty/replace rather than redesign better stuff.

who wouldn't want to target Shimano. They are the top dog in cycling. Almost every bike you buy is out of a box. Over the last 30,000+ miles I have yet to have a broken Sram part on my road bike. You also have to remember that Sram is the new company to step into the component arena. Shimano and Campy both have had years to do R&D and redefine there designs. If a company can topple the top dog in a few years it seems that something went wrong with the other companies....

 

[Bustedknuckle]

who wouldn't want to target Shimano. They are the top dog in cycling. Almost every bike you buy is out of a box. Over the last 30,000+ miles I have yet to have a broken Sram part on my road bike. You also have to remember that Sram is the new company to step into the component arena. Shimano and Campy both have had years to do R&D and redefine there designs. If a company can topple the top dog in a few years it seems that something went wrong with the other companies....

I have warrantied over a dozen levers, 2 cranks, multiple BBs, 2 sets of pulleys, 2 RED rear ders. Not impressed.

As for not being able to dial in Campagnolo', well, I sell a lot of it, 'dial' a lot of it and it seems to stay that way a long time. One thing for certain, if a customer isn't happy with your work, you will hear about it. Don't hear much from Campagnolo equipped people, not much from shimano bikes, lotz from sram users.

I think anytime people recommend that if you buy Red, get a Force FD, BB and shimano cogset and chain, don't use the Gore crap, somethin' ain't right.

But ride what ya want, I would rather walk than use anything from sram.

 

[richwagmn]

Yokozuna brake housing is a pain, but so long as you use a dremel to cut and avoid using it qt tight angles (aero/TT frame) it's not that bad. Certainly a breeze compared to nokon.

A few things with Yokozuna cables...

1) Super stiff brake housing. I had trouble with it pushing calipers off center. It took a few trims to get it just right.

2) Brake housing is just a wee bit bigger than 5mm. Try pushing Yoko brake housing into a 6700/7900 caliper. I get it part way in, tighten up the brake cable nut and then use the brake lever to pull the cable down into the adjuster on the caliper. Not sure why the list it as 5mm housing. It isn't.

Cable works well though. Have had it on two bikes and there's a noticeable improvement in shifting compared to standard shimano housing.