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Daily switching between SRAM ETap and Shimano

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Daily switching between SRAM ETap and Shimano

Old 09-11-20, 10:10 PM
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jcro001
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Daily switching between SRAM ETap and Shimano

I have always had bikes with Shimano gearing. Currently looking at a bike with SRAM ETAP AXS. I am sure I would get used to ETAP if it was my only bike. But is it confusing to switch from Shimano to SRAM ETap every few rides? Anyone with experience doing this?
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Old 09-11-20, 10:20 PM
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I am sure you can get used to it. Not much different than driving a manual and auto transmission vehicles.
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Old 09-11-20, 10:31 PM
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I have a stable that includes STI, bar-end friction, and even a bike with downtube friction shifters. Right now I can hop on any of them without having to acclimate in any major way to the feel of the shifting.

The stable you're contemplating is far less problematic than mine. A lot of people can hop on an unfamiliar integrated-shifting system for the first time, and largely get used to it within a matter of minutes. That's especially true for e-shifting, where your hand technique plays literally zero role in the derailleur actuation. Even if you have a harder time with it, and switching feels a bit strange at first, you can acclimate to acclimation: the more you do it, the less you'll notice the switch. It's very unlikely that you'll have trouble after a few switch cycles.
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Old 09-12-20, 05:14 AM
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My Guru runs SRAM Red mechanical and my CAAD 12 runs 105. I am constantly switching between bikes. You get used to it. Not a big problem.
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Old 09-12-20, 07:44 AM
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No. You get used to both.
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Old 09-12-20, 09:01 AM
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As with other responders, I regularly alternate between mechanical SRAM Red and Force, Shimano Ultegra and 105 and SRAM Red etap. After the first 100 meters up the road from my house, muscle memory kicks in and adaptation is automatic. Only very rarely will I miss a shift, having momentarily confused which group set I am operating. No problemo.
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Old 09-12-20, 09:07 AM
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Either adapt, or reprogram Di2 to have paddle shifting--which you can do.
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Old 09-12-20, 11:04 AM
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I still reach for downtube shifters ever so often and I haven't ridden a bike with them in 6 years!
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Old 09-12-20, 02:02 PM
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After a few years with Campagnolo I got a bike with Shimano. At first Shimano interface was weird but then I got accustomed. Every few weeks I change to the other bike and muscle memory works fine.
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Old 09-12-20, 02:29 PM
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You'll adapt. When I ran a Sram bike and Shimano bike, it would take a minute or two each time I switched to adapt to the different process.
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Old 09-12-20, 02:49 PM
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Also contemplating as I run four bikes with Di2 and thinking SRAM Red eTAP, but no experience.

Top buttons for shifting Di2 are, IMO, a joke and harder to access and use than the paddles. Also, newer Di2 locks you out of two gears, so it’s still a 20 speed, LOL! LBS said it can’t be overridden.
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Old 09-12-20, 10:33 PM
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I run 105/grx on the gravel bike and AXS on the road bike. No issues at all.
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Old 09-13-20, 05:59 AM
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Originally Posted by wthensler
Also contemplating as I run four bikes with Di2 and thinking SRAM Red eTAP, but no experience.

Top buttons for shifting Di2 are, IMO, a joke and harder to access and use than the paddles. Also, newer Di2 locks you out of two gears, so it’s still a 20 speed, LOL! LBS said it can’t be overridden.
Last I knew the cross-chain lockout could be turned off. There's a specific check-item that is named with obscure techno-babble that you can toggle in E-Tube.
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Old 09-13-20, 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by jcro001
I have always had bikes with Shimano gearing. Currently looking at a bike with SRAM ETAP AXS. I am sure I would get used to ETAP if it was my only bike. But is it confusing to switch from Shimano to SRAM ETap every few rides? Anyone with experience doing this?
I switch between Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM eTap AXS all the time. It's not confusing at all. I just have to be more aware of which bike I'm riding. I mean "aware" in that Zen Buddhist kind of way.
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Old 09-13-20, 09:06 AM
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Thank you all for your comments. Much appreciated.
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Old 09-13-20, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by jcro001
I have always had bikes with Shimano gearing. Currently looking at a bike with SRAM ETAP AXS. I am sure I would get used to ETAP if it was my only bike. But is it confusing to switch from Shimano to SRAM ETap every few rides? Anyone with experience doing this?
I have Force 1 and Ultegra di2. I switch between them with no issue.
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Old 09-13-20, 07:45 PM
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The only problem I have in switching between bikes is when I haven't been on my SS for a while. As I hit the first hill coming out of my neighborhood, I will sometimes start banging on the brake lever, trying to get it into a lower gear.
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Old 09-13-20, 11:53 PM
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In switching between Sram 1x, etap, and a Shimano Di2 TT, 2x mech - it takes a few shifts to have that memory recall. Then only afterwards it’s only during big effort moments when your concentration lapses for a split second do I ever misfire. So I’ll say 99% not an issue but when it happens I definitely pay for it, like accidentally switching to the big gear going up a steep hill.
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Old 09-14-20, 03:41 PM
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It's going to depend on the individual. Some, maybe most, will adapt to using the two systems without issues. Others will have trouble with going back and forth. I would likely be the latter. If you're like me, and occasionally, when thinking about other stuff, use the wrong lever to shift the rear, you might struggle with using two systems. This is after 5 years of solely using Di2. I did test ride SRAM etap for a second bike and didn't have an issue with it while focusing, but know going back and forth could be a issue. Besides SRAM's double tap wasn't going to work for me.
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Old 09-14-20, 07:14 PM
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I've currently got 3 bikes at home, with not just 3 different gruppos but 3 different gruppos that each have a different shifting paradigm:
- Campy Record (thumb lever moves chain to smaller ring/sprocket, blade lever moves chain to larger ring/sprocket)
- Shimano 105 (blade lever moves chain to smaller ring/sprocket, brake lever moves chain to larger ring/sprocket)
- SRAM eTap (right blade lever moves chain to smaller sprocket, left blade lever moves chain to larger sprocket, both blade levers simultaneously swaps chainrings)

Yes, you do get used to it ...after a few seconds. There's always that moment when I'm about to make that first shift where my brain goes "Ack! What bike am I on? Oh yeah..."
And I'm not gonna lie: I probably biff a shift once every ride or two specifically because I was expecting the wrong paradigm.

But that's not a good enough reason to stick with only one brand.
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Old 09-17-20, 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Bob Ross
I've currently got 3 bikes at home, with not just 3 different gruppos but 3 different gruppos that each have a different shifting paradigm:
- Campy Record (thumb lever moves chain to smaller ring/sprocket, blade lever moves chain to larger ring/sprocket)
- Shimano 105 (blade lever moves chain to smaller ring/sprocket, brake lever moves chain to larger ring/sprocket)
- SRAM eTap (right blade lever moves chain to smaller sprocket, left blade lever moves chain to larger sprocket, both blade levers simultaneously swaps chainrings)

Yes, you do get used to it ...after a few seconds. There's always that moment when I'm about to make that first shift where my brain goes "Ack! What bike am I on? Oh yeah..."
And I'm not gonna lie: I probably biff a shift once every ride or two specifically because I was expecting the wrong paradigm.

But that's not a good enough reason to stick with only one brand.
This is all very interesting, but the main question remains - which system is the best?
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Old 09-18-20, 05:03 AM
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I will jump into this discussion. I use Campy Ergo on my road bikes and Sram on my gravel bike. The ergonomics of the hoods are very close. However, the Sram sweep style shifting vs the Campy brifter and thumb button are completely different and when I am on the gravel bike, I invariably miss shifts and find that I miss the Campy down shift motion and up shift motion of multiple gears at the same time, etc. So yea, you do naturally adapt but it is not the same... Personally I have never liked the Shimano big lever / small lever design. My wife has Ultegra 10 speed on her road bike and when I take it out for a test ride after some work on the bike, I have to wonder why so many people like this setup. Slower to shift, not as clean feeling, and well, dare I say - sloppy design.
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Old 09-18-20, 07:45 AM
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You'll adapt rather quickly. I know I did.
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Old 09-18-20, 09:05 AM
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Back in the day I rode and raced on a SRAM rig, commuted on a Campy rig, and did cross using Shimano.

The transition was always funny but went away within a handful of shifts.

Campy one was always the funniest as I would be coming off of it and going for the invisible thumbs shifter while flying downhill on a cross bike.
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