My First Bike Build

Eager Rider said:

This is my first time custom building a bike and thought i'd post before i made anything final would appreciate any comments or background info on any componets i'm useing so i don't end up with somthing that i am going to regret because this is going to be kinda pricey, thanks 🙂 this bike is will be for raceing and everyday riding in NE Gerogia Mtns.

Frame: 2007 Giant TCR Advanced 0
Handlebar: Newton OS 31
Stem: Newton 31 Stem OS
Seat Post: Deda Black Stick Carbon
Componets: Full Sram Force, cassette, shifters, brakes, ETC.
Wheels and Rims: Zipp 404 Tubulars

Yes, you will regret your proposed choice when you hit the first fire trail in the Georgia Mtns.

Eager Rider said:

This is my first time custom building a bike and thought i'd post before i made anything final would appreciate any comments or background info on any componets i'm useing so i don't end up with somthing that i am going to regret because this is going to be kinda pricey, thanks 🙂 this bike is will be for raceing and everyday riding in NE Gerogia Mtns.

Frame: 2007 Giant TCR Advanced 0
Handlebar: Newton OS 31
Stem: Newton 31 Stem OS
Seat Post: Deda Black Stick Carbon
Componets: Full Sram Force, cassette, shifters, brakes, ETC.
Wheels and Rims: Zipp 404 Tubulars

SRAM? Well it certainly wouldn't be my choice. Campagnolo, certainly. Shimano, excellent too, if you can ignore the tendency for the FD to need adjusted, or rubbing all the time. SRAM, read quite a lot of doubtful, and downright critical, reviews. Wouldn't bother.

Nice - go Campy Record.

Over here in Oz, most of the time you'll only see Giants with Shimano, but then you'll see one with Campy and they look sweeeeet.

KellyT said:

SRAM? Well it certainly wouldn't be my choice. Campagnolo, certainly. Shimano, excellent too, if you can ignore the tendency for the FD to need adjusted, or rubbing all the time. SRAM, read quite a lot of doubtful, and downright critical, reviews. Wouldn't bother.

You know I don't think I've seen a comment on this forum that says:

"I bought SRAM, regretted it ever since, it's complete [censored]. Stick with brand X"

It's always "I heard somewhere from someplace that it's not good, though I have absolutely no personal experience with it at all".

Unanimously all posts (that I've seen) from people who've used it have been thats it's great.

I've run Campag (2005 Chorus), Shimano (Ultegra/DA 2005 and 2006) and SRAM (2006 Force) all in the last few years. Excluding the way it 'looks' which is simply a personal preference, functionally I prefer it to any of the other groups I've recently used. The shifting has a feel very similar to the Chorus and I strongly prefer the double tap mechanism to the Campag thumb shift. To date it's been completely reliable, however I'll reserve judgement on it until it's got a couple of seasons in it.

I'm about to build a new bike that I'll primarily train on and crit race. Right now as I've got a few sets of Shimano wheels I'm excluding Campag from the decision making process, and the only choice I'm finding myself thinking about is Rival versus Force. So in a nutshell from someone who's used Force heavily, raced on it a lot I'm pretty much sold and would absolutely buy it again.

--brett

I have mixed some SRAM in with my Shimano drivetrain and have no complaints about it. In fact the cassette is better than the Shimano that it replaced.

A few years ago I would not have even considered SRAM as I had never heard of it, but now I feel that it is as good as Shimano and possibly Campy in some respects.