SRAM MRX shifters crap

I just had another SRAM MRX shifter go indexless, when the internal clicker breaks loose. This one
lasted three months, so 2000 miles.

This is number, let's see, five, counting two old-style ones, that self-destructed. The old-style
ones lasted longer but destructed more destructively, the whole case coming apart. The new ones just
turn freely; you have to hold them in gear.

I've taken to stuffing stuff under them to raise the friction enough to make them friction shifters
until I get tired of it all and install a new one.

They're really nice when they're still in once piece. I have four left in the box ($10 each). Talk
about junk though.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

Ron: Why not just convert to some inexpensive Shimano top-mount shifters?

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com

"Ron Hardin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I just had another SRAM MRX shifter go indexless, when the internal clicker breaks loose. This one
> lasted three months, so 2000 miles.
>
> This is number, let's see, five, counting two old-style ones, that self-destructed. The old-style
> ones lasted longer but destructed more destructively, the whole case coming apart. The new ones
> just turn freely; you have to hold them in gear.
>
> I've taken to stuffing stuff under them to raise the friction enough to make them friction
> shifters until I get tired of it all and install a new one.
>
> They're really nice when they're still in once piece. I have four left in the box ($10 each). Talk
> about junk though.
> --
> Ron Hardin [email protected]
>
> On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles wrote:
>
> Ron: Why not just convert to some inexpensive Shimano top-mount shifters?

These fit, and I have four left. They do work nicely if they're not broken.

One thing is you never have to worry about a cable break. The shifter breaks long before that.
Actually index shifters don't seem to break cables; the only cable break I had was at the derailleur
end after a very long time. The old friction shifters seemed to break cables every 3000 miles. You
could get 4000 miles out of them by substituting a brake cable, which worked fine.

But I'm just astounded about the design quality of these things.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

> Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles wrote:
> >
> > Ron: Why not just convert to some inexpensive Shimano top-mount
shifters?

"Ron Hardin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> These fit, and I have four left. They do work nicely if they're not
broken.
>
> One thing is you never have to worry about a cable break. The shifter
breaks
> long before that. Actually index shifters don't seem to break cables; the only cable break I had
> was at the derailleur end after a very long time. The old friction shifters seemed to break cables
> every 3000 miles. You
could
> get 4000 miles out of them by substituting a brake cable, which worked
fine.
>
> But I'm just astounded about the design quality of these things.

I've noted your previous posts on the subject and wondered why we don't see overly high numbers of
MRX failures. We sell quite a few of these and commonly see them in service where we replace rusted
wires/casing. They do fail occasionally but not nearly often enough to be called unusual. I have no
idea what's going on with yours but I'm curious. Have you ever returned one to SRAM?

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

A Muzi wrote:
> I've noted your previous posts on the subject and wondered why we don't see overly high numbers of
> MRX failures. We sell quite a few of these and commonly see them in service where we replace
> rusted wires/casing. They do fail occasionally but not nearly often enough to be called unusual. I
> have no idea what's going on with yours but I'm curious. Have you ever returned one to SRAM?

Funny you should mention that. They have a 2 year guarantee but to get it, you have to take the
shifter to a bike shop and ``we work through them.'' SRAM does respond to email but is not
interested in replacing the shifter or having you send it to them. In other words, it's a hassle
guarantee, not so much my hassle but a bike shop's, and mine indirectly in getting a bike shop to
take on a hassle with no benefit to them. What's wrong is that the shifter broke, not that some sin
has been committed by a bike shop.

SRAM did email they were _very_ interested in seeing how it broke, as if it was rare for the things
to break. This must be a form email.

What happens is that the metal clip inside breaks loose and so it turns without any click stops.

I have this box of four left, and I'll mention it when each one breaks unless they want to deal on
the guarantee. Consumer protection at work.

I think probably what's unusual is that I actually use the bike a lot and am constantly shifting
since the terrain is rolling. Other shifters manage to deal with it though. These have a really weak
point and it simply breaks.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

I had one of these break on my new bike (about 200 miles on the bike). I asked the bike shop for a
new one and they would only honor the warranty if they installed it (which they did quickly, free
of charge).

My friend's bike had the same failure, probably with less miles. The bike shop has had his bike for
over a month waiting for a warranty replacement part from SRAM. Both were front shifters.

The gentleman at the bike shop told me that in his experience these shifters are very reliable. If I
have another failure and the bike shop can't replace it for free I'm going to go Shimano (I've never
seen one of those break).

Steve.

Ron Hardin wrote:
> A Muzi wrote:
>
>>I've noted your previous posts on the subject and wondered why we don't see overly high numbers of
>>MRX failures. We sell quite a few of these and commonly see them in service where we replace
>>rusted wires/casing. They do fail occasionally but not nearly often enough to be called unusual. I
>>have no idea what's going on with yours but I'm curious. Have you ever returned one to SRAM?
>
>
> Funny you should mention that. They have a 2 year guarantee but to get it, you have to take the
> shifter to a bike shop and ``we work through them.'' SRAM does respond to email but is not
> interested in replacing the shifter or having you send it to them. In other words, it's a hassle
> guarantee, not so much my hassle but a bike shop's, and mine indirectly in getting a bike shop to
> take on a hassle with no benefit to them. What's wrong is that the shifter broke, not that some
> sin has been committed by a bike shop.
>
> SRAM did email they were _very_ interested in seeing how it broke, as if it was rare for the
> things to break. This must be a form email.
>
> What happens is that the metal clip inside breaks loose and so it turns without any click stops.
>
> I have this box of four left, and I'll mention it when each one breaks unless they want to deal on
> the guarantee. Consumer protection at work.
>
> I think probably what's unusual is that I actually use the bike a lot and am constantly shifting
> since the terrain is rolling. Other shifters manage to deal with it though. These have a really
> weak point and it simply breaks.

 

In article <[email protected]>,
Ron Hardin <[email protected]> wrote:

> A Muzi wrote:
> > I've noted your previous posts on the subject and wondered why we don't see overly high numbers
> > of MRX failures. We sell quite a few of these and commonly see them in service where we replace
> > rusted wires/casing. They do fail occasionally but not nearly often enough to be called unusual.
> > I have no idea what's going on with yours but I'm curious. Have you ever returned one to SRAM?
>
> Funny you should mention that. They have a 2 year guarantee but to get it, you have to take the
> shifter to a bike shop and ``we work through them.'' SRAM does respond to email but is not
> interested in replacing the shifter or having you send it to them. In other words, it's a hassle
> guarantee, not so much my hassle but a bike shop's, and mine indirectly in getting a bike shop to
> take on a hassle with no benefit to them. What's wrong is that the shifter broke, not that some
> sin has been committed by a bike shop.

That sounds to me like less consumer hassle for you than mailing it to SRAM, unless you are some
distance from a SRAM-carrying shop.

As for being concerned about the shop "taking on a hassle", there's two possibilities:

1) they really are taking on a hassle with no benefit, in which case that's surely part of the terms
of their agreement to sell SRAM equipment

2) SRAM does compensate them for repairing the shifter (are you sure they aren't just taking it back
via the dealer through the distribution network? That's how things worked when I had a problem
with a Cateye cyclecomputer)

Either way, it's the shop's job to deal with it, so you shouldn't feel you are imposing.

> SRAM did email they were _very_ interested in seeing how it broke, as if it was rare for the
> things to break. This must be a form email.
>
> What happens is that the metal clip inside breaks loose and so it turns without any click stops.
>
> I have this box of four left, and I'll mention it when each one breaks unless they want to deal on
> the guarantee. Consumer protection at work.
>
> I think probably what's unusual is that I actually use the bike a lot and am constantly shifting
> since the terrain is rolling. Other shifters manage to deal with it though. These have a really
> weak point and it simply breaks.

Could be. I don't want to suggest user error or anything like that, but I think you owe it to SRAM
to actually try their warranty repair service before badmouthing the product. For all we know, you
have the thing set up wrong or have discovered a hitherto unknown flaw in the system.

Thrilled that I got given a set of Suntour shifters the other day,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > I think probably what's unusual is that I actually use the bike a lot and am constantly shifting
> > since the terrain is rolling. Other shifters manage to deal with it though. These have a really
> > weak point and it simply breaks.
>
> Could be. I don't want to suggest user error or anything like that, but I think you owe it to SRAM
> to actually try their warranty repair service before badmouthing the product. For all we know, you
> have the thing set up wrong or have discovered a hitherto unknown flaw in the system.
>
> Thrilled that I got given a set of Suntour shifters the other day,

I actually did try out their warranty service, sending them email to the address they kindly supply;
and they respond quickly. The just don't replace the shifter, is all. It's not as if SRAM doesn't
have a shifter they can send me. They count on hassle over $10+postage to limit replacement. If it
were _rare_, they would do it as you expect.

There's no bike shop involved for me. I get them from Nashbar or what's-the-place-in-FL, bigwheel or
something. I got a bunch hoping to get a quality fluke, one that didn't break. Maybe one of them
won't and then I'll be set.

I think I set them up correctly. There's nothing to set up, after all. If you mean maybe I shift
wrong, how else can you shift? You turn the knob.

Curious what might have been set up wrong, as you put it.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

I'm surprised to hear of a bike shop that doesn't want to deal with a warrranty claim involving
SRAM. Maybe they haven't bothered to try, but I've called them numerous times (although not lately)
and they've always sent out a replacement right away...I usually have the new shifter (or whatever)
in my hands in a couple of days. My experience is that SRAM has the single best warranty department
in the entire bike industry.

Russell

 

Russell wrote:
>
> I'm surprised to hear of a bike shop that doesn't want to deal with a warrranty claim involving
> SRAM. Maybe they haven't bothered to try, but I've called them numerous times (although not
> lately) and they've always sent out a replacement right away...I usually have the new shifter (or
> whatever) in my hands in a couple of days. My experience is that SRAM has the single best warranty
> department in the entire bike industry.
>
> Russell

If they don't carry SRAM MRX then apparently it doesn't work out.

It's only a $10 shifter new retail. I can't imagine there's any margin, just hassle, if the system
isn't set up.

There's all the good signs of a good warranty system, like they respond very quickly and personally
to email; but try getting a shifter from them if you're not a bike shop.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.