WalksOn2Wheels

I know this is heresy: but while I love my DA9000, my 2010 Campy Centaur 10 speed shifts AMAZING. I really don't know what the deal is. It's supposed to be "worse."

If I had the money for my next build and didn't already have a box of 5700 stuff, I would go 1x11 for my CX commuter/touring bike.

RR3

No trim front derailleur and basically set and forget rear derailleurs with SRAM. My last Dura Ace 10 Speed required adjustment constantly or let's say too often and whats with two levers on Shimano.....one to upshift and another to downshift. Obiously, I am not interested in DI.

merlinextraligh

42 front chain ring, and a 10-42 cassette gives you a lower gear than your setup, almost as high a gear as your setup, and not terribly large jumps.

Personally, I think 1x11 makes more sense for cyclocross, but as we add more cogs to the back you can cover more range with smaller gaps. At some point you don't need two front chainrings.

cthenn

What the hell is that supposed to mean? That is like one of the dumbest things I've read in a while.

Mike F

wet noodle

PiLigand

Or al-dente macaroni. "Italian engineering to provide the perfect blend of lateral stiffness and vertical compliance."

I would not likely trust much branded with "Italian engineering," though.

I had noticed the same trend in floor-model bikes. It seems very this-year in decline. I wonder if it's because SRAM has been putting their resources into developing the 1x and electronic drivetrains. Zipp also seems less prevalent than last year. Maybe once everything launches, we'll see them look more into sponsoring and supplying.

merlinextraligh

What it's supposed to mean is that Shimano focuses heavily on selling to manufacturers. They price aggressively, and use their muscle to get manufacturers to spec Shimano as OEM.

SRAM tends to be less successful getting spec'd as OEM, so may focus more on selling to individuals building up frames.

You can debate how true that is, but it's not a dumb point.

WalksOn2Wheels

I will offer one small observation. I worked in a shop that sold Trek and Cannondale (as well as BMC, Colnago, Surly, and Salsa). Cannondale loves them some SRAM. A large part of that is because SRAM was the only large groupset manufacturer that offered a BB30 crank. Campy now offers one, but that's pretty recent. As a result, you see much more SRAM on Cannondale bikes than anything else, or so it would seem. Trek, on the other hand, made their own BB standard that used the standard 24mm crank spindle found on Shimano's cranks. Other manufacturers have similar standards for pressfit BB's that pretty much just work when you throw a hollowtech II crank on there. That and Shimano has been around a while longer, giving them brand recognition as well as more leverage in the OEM market.

I don't dislike SRAM, but they are still the "new kid" even after they came onto the road scene so strongly something like a decade ago.

therhodeo

May be relevant to note how many Protour cycling teams are still running SRAM. Also may be of interest to note that several switched to shimano mid-season out of their own budgets because of rider complaints.

kbarch

No dumber than the original question I figured, and yes, that's pretty much what I was speculating - imagining what SRAMs own spin might be. Thanks for putting it another way.

fietsbob

Sram's road racing Components don't reach very far down in the price tiers , like Campag,

where Shimano has component manufacturing robots supplying the whole price spectrum .

the Core of Sram getting into the OEM business was Suing Shimano for its Un fair trade practices ,
then Buying out a Competitor, Sachs.

RomeoTango

It's not about the macaroni people...it's all about the gravy....

RNAV

To the OP, I feel your pain. I'd really like to get a second road bike, but need to do it on a budget. I can find bikes with Sram Apex, or Sram Red. It's darn near impossible to find a decent mid-level bike with Force (or even non-disc Rival). There's no reason for Trek to not offer an Emonda ALR6 at the same price, but with Force22 (for example).

bt

"Potatoe!"

bananabacon

I like to have solid diets of white rice w/chicken and steak and cheese subs. It makes your arse asplode. But the quicker its out the faster you eat mawr.

cthenn

Nah nah nah, he was writing it like SRAM is superior to Shimano because it's harder to find, or a "niche" brand. It's the typical lame hipster argument that means nothing. Yes, Shimano is the mass produced crap for the plebs, whereas SRAM is for the discerning, well informed buyer, huehuehue!

Bunyanderman

I have sram and I will probably stick with it, never really liked the look of shimano.

Bunyanderman

Many weight weenies love sram, and usually won't try other groupsets based purely on weight.

bt

most cyclists, including myself probably stuck with the same group manufacturer that was on their first roadie.

StanSeven

One in the current Tour. It's AG2R.

znomit

Even a wet noodle has two points, thats two more than this thread. This thread is anelli pasta.