Alf - SRAM is not the loser younger brother of Shimano who is the loser younger brother of Campy. Each have their advantages and disadvantages that are carefully hidden by today's idea of "bike or equipment" tests. The longer cable throw of the SRAM allows a higher return spring tension so that there is more positive shifting with less hand pressure. Unfortunately that also makes the shifting components incompatible with Shimano. But the high end SRAM components are every bit as good if different than any of the other manufacturers.
The latest Shimano road shifters are a lot nicer looking and operating than the older versions but they are a real pain-in-the-rear to thread new cables into. For off-road components Campy is trailing but offers higher reliability. Even the Chinese are getting into the act with some nice Shimano copies. What their reliability is remains to be seen.
As they say, there are horses for courses.
FWIW. I do
not think that SRAM is "the loser younger brother of Shimano ..."
And, I long ago realized the potential, theoretical advantage of the longer cable throw (
but, I do NOT think that it is the "return spring tension" ... but, I guess THAT may be a component factor in why some people have chosen to migrate to electronic drivetrains) ...
It's the half-assed (
IMO) explanations to justify what I perceive to be
lazy (
i.e., the "beta" version is good enough) engineering ...
IMO, if one were to observe SRAM's post-GripShift activities objectively, it is pretty clear (
IMO) that their decisions have been driven by MBAs rather than engineers who take the feedback from cyclists seriously ...
I've stated this before, the Single Chainring drivetrain is an example of SRAM's
modus operandi of marketing-over-engineering ...
WHY fix the deficiency of lack of trim on the front shifter if you can convince people that they don't need a front derailleur?!?
BTW. By my reckoning,
THE advantage to the longer cable pull, IMO, is for the lazy Wrench OR for cyclist who does not pay to maintenance because if there is "cable stretch" then the effects will be lessened ...
That would a great concept for "department store" bikes & their owners if SRAM could penetrate that market ...
It is a benefit (
as I have suggested) for the LBS Wrench who doesn't want Fred-or-Frederika to bring his-or-her bike in for tweaking with the same frequency level which may-or-may-not be needed for a Shimano or Campagnolo equipped bike.
Campagnolo is hardly the be-all-and-end-all of cycling components ... BUT, their shifters are superior in use [
because BOTH the rear AND front shifters are capable of non-balky shifting] & (
IMO) the user "interface" (
paddle & thumb lever vs. lever & paddle or vs. the elegant-in-concept double-tap) is superior because it
makes sense (
others have described their use as "intuitive") in use ...
WHY settle for less just for the sake of "fashion"?!?
AND the fact that Campagnolo shifters can be used with many otherwise Shimano or SRAM components do make them a smarter choice for
non-Flatlanders who don't need a
leisuresuitlarry drivetrain.
BTW. IMO, Shimano could greatly improve their shifters by simply changing the eccentric take-up spool to a concentric one ...
On the other hand, thanks to 20+ years of Shimano's engineering machinations to overcome that ONE flaw, we have all been the beneficiary of the
ramping-and-pinning which (AFAIK) Shimano pioneered & continues to be in the vanguard of development.
I haven't worked with the Shimano shifters which do not have the external derailleur cables, but I would offer as a suggestion that threading the derailleur cables would probably be much easier if the cable housing used had a coiled core instead of parallel strands ... that is, consider "brake cable housing" for your derailleur cables.
As far as components for MTBing, while SRAM components are certainly widespread, I think that the
wise shopper (
aka non-sponsored rider) should probably choose-or--stick-with Shimano because of interchangeability up-and-down the product line AND forward-and-backward compatibility over several decades of components.
