I have both Sram Force AXS and Shimano GRX Di2. Shimano feels a bit more refined. The hoods are more comfortable and the shifting feels smoother and a bit quieter.
Went from Shimano Ultegra mechanical to SRAM Etap as a result of a bike upgrade (Specialized Aethos) at the end of the summer. The reduction on the bike cost meant that I went for gears that would not have been my first choice. I have used Shimano for many years and have always shied away from electronic gears. I also have Campag Record mechanical on a Bianchi I use on a trainer. However, if you were designing gears from scratch today you would design them like SRAM. The simplicity of the gear change choice makes sense. I was cynical and now I am a total convert. They are a thing of beauty and efficiency. Interchangeable batteries on the mechs is also a no-brainer.
Being that I test and build so many different frames throughout the year, having the ease of installation with SRAM eTap is a complete game changer for me personally. Not to mention SRAM in general is more affordable.
Have had much better success with SRAM eTap than Shimano di2. It is just a more thought out system. On mechanical systems, I have used both and until it broke Ultegra mechanical was nearly flawless. Also used Sora (terrible but at that price point), Red (fickle but mostly great), and Apex (excellent for the price point). So for me, it is SRAM hands down.
I've ridden Shimano since 1989 until about 5 years ago when I bought my gravel bike. I wanted 1x for it and SRAM was the only option. It works fine and I don't hate it. It is just more industrial feeling (for lack a better description coming to mind. Shimano feels more refined and smoother.) I purchased my new bike with SRAM because when I rented a bike with Di2, I kept hitting the wrong button when my brain wasn't fully functioning anymore. I figured with SRAM, I would be less likely to do that since left lever goes up the cassette and right one goes down. I will honestly probably just stick with SRAM. I am about to buy a new gravel bike and will definitely go SRAM since Shimano is behind the ball for gravel.
Shimano is behind wireless! Thats a huge plus for sram. Shift up/down onehanded while drinking from your waterbottle is something i always would want a shimano for.
Went from Shimano 105 mechanical to SRAM Rival Etap on my Domane SL5. Really prefer how SRAM does the shifting as far as the right lever to move the cassette to the right and the left to move left. Also a great price for the entire group set including a power meter. I really do like the gearing choice and being able to have a 33/46 with a 10/36 cassette. I'd be really pissed too if I had Shimano electronic after the bush league move of not allowing Hammerhead Karoo 2 users to access the gear data since SRAM bought Hammerhead. Pretty pathetic.
If you take into consideration price, durability, reliability, ease of maintenance and choice, the best gruppo is definitely Campagnolo Chorus. Not only you are free to choose whether you want to go for the electronic option or the more rational (and lighter) mechanical shifting, but also there's the option for rim brake too, no problem. That's something that other companies tend to forget. The real-life user does not need hydraulic brakes or battery dependant gadgets. And most people can't afford spending 2.000€ or more on the groupset only, let alone a full bike. I've been riding a fully restored Orbea with a 1x system and Campy Chorus 12s for nearly a year now and it's by far the best bike I've ever ridden.
SRAM is my personal choice. Wireless is the future, I'm done with cables . SRAM It has more options you can mix and match, faster shifting, no messing wires just the ergonomics need a little improving. 2023 for NEW SRAM I hope. If Campy does Ekar in electronic I'd be interested.
I can't disagree with you. On the Shimano side of the debate; I personally love that the shifters are now wireless. It really cleans things up on the cockpit. All wiring takes place from the seat tube and back. To me that is an optimal solution that blends the best of SRAM and Shimano innovations.
@@Markbell73 Change batteries in the shifters every 2 yrs. Very little maintenance is required once the gears are setup just the usual wear and tear items. I've done thousands of miles and they are the same now as when they were new.
MY first real groupset was SRAM Force Mechanical. This was SUCH a dream to use, and sooo light. My specialized Allez gave many carbon bikes a run for their money. So the logical step when i bought my new bike was to go SRAM Force AXS. What a steaming pile of canine excrement. Long story short; now on 12sp di2 Ultegra, and couldnt be happier.
Then why release a cassette with black coating which just makes the chain noisy as fck? Or a front derailleur that keeps dropping the chain? SRAM Force AXS was rushed to keep up with Shimano.
The holy flame wars people engage in regarding which company is best, is mostly motivated by folks enjoying shouting at each other. I currently ride Campagnolo Chorus 12 speed on my road bike and SRAM eTap AXS 2x12 on my gravel bike. I've also owned a Shimano equipped bike before (105 on an XC frame) and I've never had a lick of problems with any of these group sets. I think the truth is, Campy, SRAM and Shimano are all great. I believe that all gear is just more reliable now than it used to be and regardless of what specific group set is on your bike (Centaur, 105 and Rival and upwards) it'll work just fine and be reliable.
I love Campy. They look, sound and feel wonderful. They're about the art of cycling not how fast you can make a shift. I've had no issues with reliability with them either.
I have been running a Campagnolo Athena groupset for 14 years now without any problems. My 105 that I bought 6 years later doesn't feel as crisp and has been giving me more problems.
I bought two bikes of the same kind one with with DA and the other Red eTap. I noticed immediately the Shimano bike is more refined with everything especially shifting theres no problems at all. The Sram bike feels rougher on the edges less refined. Sram bike also had drop chains. Also the front derailleur cage of sram is sometimes too short for some triathlon bikes equipped with smaller chainrings which caused so many chain drops for me. I feel annoyed with my etap equipped bikes. DA no such worries always fluid smooth and feels more dependable even when theres a lot of wear on the chainrings and cassette.
Great overview! My Cannondale Topstone 1 alloy, while mostly using Shimano GRX, came with an FSA crankset and FSA cartridge bb. So some vendors mix in cheaper and potentially less reliable parts. In the process of replacing the crankset with grx 600 to match the rest of my grx based group set.
SRAM axs etap provides absolute dummy proof operation. Flawless performance and reliability. Both are great, comes down to personal preference, and it doesn’t hurt that it is an American company.
First SRAM for me was Eagle on a new Trail bike. Then 3 years ago a gravel bike I looked for a bike with Shimano but it came with SRAM and now Im glad it did and prefer SRAM across the board. I do all my maintenance and upgrades and I love the performance and feature options of SRAM. I think Shimano is missing out by not offering a fully wireless groupset. The simplicity yet breadth of options of SRAM AXS is doing well. SRAM innovated with DUB, 12 speed groups, and Wide road options are smart options that meet real world situations. The new universal derailleur hanger is another recent way SRAM is thinking of every possible innovation. Hopefully they make full use of the Look acquisition to offer cheaper power meter options, even if Quarq leads on the high end. Keeps Shimano on their toes which is a good thing. When Shimano blocks SRAM Hammerhead K2 support its a bad move on their part.
Interesting the contrast between the poll results and comments in the thread. I've run both SRAM and Shimano for decades and generally I've giving Shimano the nod for having better shifting and quality. That said, SRAM is my pick for gravel and MTB builds and Shimano isn't even a consideration anymore. After the issues with SRAM Dura-ace / Ultegra cranks, I will go third party for any future Shimano build. E-tap may be "slower", but the convenience... and how much better it is for shipping in bike containers has sold me on it.
I’m a Shimano guy so I’ll definitely say SRAM is the more aggressive of the two companies and that has its pros and cons… Shimano is more plodding, and that has its pros/cons as well… but I’ll take plodding and reliable vs aggressive and… 🤔… finicky acting… Campy has a boutique feel (and price) to them… at the end of the day, it’s whatever you’re comfortable using… 🍻
On my daily commuter and also my only bike, i have a mullet build of Shimano Claris levers and RD, Deore disc brakes, and a 1x GRX crankset. But after being a fixie person and getting pampered by brakes and gears, I am learning more about which groupsets are good for whatever and whichever they're compatible with. On my next bike, which would be my bike that I can flaunt to group rides with friends 😅 - I am leaning towards building one with a SRAM groupset. Either red or force. Either 22 or axs. Whichever my budget will allow me…
Great Vid - I ride a 1x SRAM on my hardtail mountain bike and a 2x GRX on my gravel, in the market for a new road bike so was interested to see your thoughts, it will either be Ultegra di2 or SRAM Force etap and after watching this I am not overly concerned so will look at other features on my new bike like quality of wheels. Any recommendations for a good 5k bike for old weekend warrior, averaging 50 miles a week who does occasional audax and fondos?
I just switched from Shimano Ultegra di2 to Sram AXS etap. Able to get wider gear ⚙️ range. Already have Sram on my CX bike like it so much that’s why I’m doing it for the road now.
Agree a 100%. Di2 is like Shimano just duplicates a typewriter with electric wire, no innovations and frankly underestimated the users ability to adopt to something new . Etap is like like SRAM just went straight for a mouse. It was love at first click for me, i switched and not looking back.
I have 2 road bikes, a winter bike with SRAM Rival and a summer bike with Shimano Ultegra, both 2x11 mechanical. I much prefer the SRAM groupset, it's sharp, positive and rarely needs maintenance. The Ultegra has a lighter feel but needs much more maintenance to keep indexed and avoid chain rub. The SRAM brakes are better as well, very even and less tendency to squeal. I'm going to upgrade to electronic shifting and based on my experience and the innovative gear ratios I'm going to go with SRAM force AXS.
On one bike, Campagnolo Ekar, 9-42 cassette, with 36T Ratio chain ring on Shimano Tiagra 5x100mm 170mm crankset, 150mm Q-factor. Magura brakes are outstanding, 160mm rotors front and rear. On the second bike, SRAM Red AXS Mullet, 10-52T cassette, with 40T chain ring (SRAM DUB) 165mm, SRAM Red (Avid) brakes with Swiss Stop pads, 160mm front and rear--still inferior to Magura. Despite the mechanical shifting, I prefer the Campagnolo setup. Both are great.
I have an Allez sport with shimano sora and I find the groupset solid and reliable. Bought an aethos comp with sram rival etap and I really love the electronic shifting. I used to think shimano was better but now that I have both I can go either way in next purchase even though I prefer the simplicity of sram up and down shifting.
Whichever is installed on my new bike buy. Both shift amazingly well by experience and weights/price are very similar. eTap battery swap (front/rear) is a definite plus on SRAM.
Some riders like to have a triple With three chainrings for every ripple But they also have to deal with overlap And cross-chaining that can make them snap Some riders prefer to have a double With two chainrings for less trouble But they still need a wide-range cassette To climb the hills without breaking a sweat Some riders choose to have a single With one chainring for a simple mingle But they rely on a clutch derailleur To keep the chain from falling off the spur The number of gears is not the only factor That affects the performance of the tractor The cable pull ratio and the tooth capacity Are also important for the compatibility The speed of gear changing and the longevity Are influenced by the quality and the technology The weight and the price are also in the mix When choosing a derailleur for your bike fix So whether you ride Shimano, SRAM or something else You have to find the derailleur that suits yourself There's no one answer that fits all bikes and trails You have to experiment and see what prevails
I’ve a GRX 800 1x groupset on my gravel bike. It’s fantastic, but I wish I had the option to increase the gear range without having to go to a third party for the parts.
Looking at a Ribble CGR that comes with either SRAM Rival 1x or Shimano GRX 800 1x .. would be interested to know which would be better for Gravel bikes? SRAM OR Shimano ?
i would not put any weight on "most people use it" as a co creates good products. Most ppl i know hate microsoft, but the people they work with have them over a barrel. Shimano is the same. Getting shimano spares in singapore is tough enuf even tho the shimano factory is not far away from my house; i've cycled past many times! The world is facing supply chain problems & shops have difficulty stocking spares. The best bike shops can do is to stock whatever is most common.
The bikes showcased in the video: - Salsa WarBird (My favourite!) - Giant TCR Advanced (My sub-favourite) - BMC U.R.S. (in my gravel bike top-10 list) As for the groupsets, the one of choice for me would be the Sram eTap AXC (I have 3 of my bikes outfitted with), followed by the Campagnolo Ekar. I'm curious of the Dura Ace Di2, but my experience with the GRX taught me to steer clear of Shimano brifters. Not only do the GRX brifters look and feel crude and unpolished in comparison to Sram's, Campanolo's and even Shimano's Ultegra abs Dura Ace - they also happen to be very fragile. Junk, really.
Spoke to a mechanic at a local shop and he said they're selling more SRAM now than Shimano. Said he wouldn't buy Shimano DI2 now after his experience of SRAM. That surprised me.
Shimano for me. They offer more gearing choices. Shimano offers bigger chainrings then sram. I would go with sram if they offering bigger chainrings and offering a quarq pm with the option to change your chainrings
Up until very recently, I would have said Shimano easily. However, SRAM dominates in mountain biking for good reasons and Rival AXS is great stuff for everyday performance. I also like SRAM brakes more than Shimano brakes across the range and I think Quarq cranks are the simplest and most reliable power meter out there.
Shimano mechanical and technically Shimano components on my fixed gear bikes. ATM I prefer shimano since the actuation of the paddle doesnt get compromised as much with braking in my experience. SRAM has come a ways with looks as I don't like Force's look but like Rival and Red ETAP.
Siding with #teamshimano on this debate though I do appreciate that SRAM forced shimano to add lower road gearing for climbing. Cable with hydro braking on 105 and Ultegra all the way! Great video thanks for posting
I prefer the very mechanical feel and sound of SRAM road shifters. Also i like the feel of double tap vs the whole lever of Shimano. Its also lighter than Shimano. Shimano disc brakes are superior, so i use the brakes on my mountain bike. I'll never go electric, so no idea which is better there. People have way more exposure to Shimano b/c it comes with more factory builds, so that creates a clientele. Shimano stays tuned better, but that doesn't matter to me.
Campagnolo is slashing it's price tiers in half! (Lol, if only) But, everyone would jump at the chance to ride Campy and they'd regain their status pretty quickly. They'd need to do this for at least 3 to 5 yrs to get everyone in the world to keep Campy in their minds for their next bike build. How they can be happy with 10% to 15% of the market is beyond me. Soon, they too will be gone if they don't get bought out or piecemealed away.
Not being common has been Campagnolo's saving strategy. Exclusivity is their competitive tool. They're structured too differently to compete on an industrial level with Shimano. Campagnolo trying to go mass replacement market, or mass OEM, would drive them into bankruptcy.
Can one of them make a group set that can endure for 5,000 miles without replacing anything, save the chain I suppose? Is this some mysterious physics barrier that can't be bent?
In the 80s I use super record but if shimano enter the market with the index rear derailer and the click pedals this was the I left campa and now I use ultegra di2
I LOVE SRAM mechanical shifting, but I’ve heard of so many issues with eTap that I simply do NOT want anything to do with it. I recently bought spare shifters and derrailleur to have in stock for the future, so…
@@djibey yeah, I know people who’ve had different annoying issues with their batteries or the wireless connection, etc… stuff I do NOT want to be dealing with… so I’ll stick to mechanical for as long as feasible
Well,was a Shimano fan but now on Sram on all my bikes! Love the mix and match approach and it gives me more options especially as I am a 1 X fan! Much wider range of gear options!
It's not the case of which is better, but which fulfills your requirements. The top groupsets from Shimano and SRAM are only good for a specific kind of rider, for my needs they are both terrible :D
I have almost always used shimano, 105 on road and usually SLX on mountain bike Shimano definitely > Sram for me i wasnt a fan of sram on road, and I really did not like sram eagle (tried SX and GX) on mountain bike
I'm a sram lover have it on every bike I own , mosty because it looks better then shimano groupset and is almost always lighter and no wires , functionality is the same i would say from using both groupsets
@LOGICAL JAY I'm not sure thats the case , I have red 22 on one of my bike thats alot lighter than the equivalent dura ace , from using both the smoothness just comes down to which you like best , the double tap is so much better than the shimano system in my opinion, the mountain bike groupsets are far superior to the xt and xtr shimano also, im my opinion , shimano mtb brake do have a nicer feel than the sram ones is the only thing I would say , but shimano is ugly as ,the new di2 is lighter though than the etap you are correct on that
I find the people who think shimano is better haven’t really used Sram while the people who prefer Sram have used both . I am firmly in the sram camp , but use shimano rotors an cassettes on some builds . Etap FD’s do take a bit of setting up to get to work well . Shimano have long term issues with their shifters chewing cables and their cranks breaking and they point blank deny it .
i do love sram, but here in my country the parts is harder to find for sram. I like sram braking and shifting, it feel more precise and brake modulation is very good
Recently switched my Factor Ostro from Sram Force AXS to Ultegra 12sp. The ergonomics and performance difference is night and day. Sram is downright clunky in comparison.
Shimano Is my favorite but for MTB electric shifting or wireless I'll go for sram for road bike electric shifting or wireless shifting I'll go for Shimano i have my own Specific category for each brand MTB and road bike
I've never ridden a non shimano bike so I can't comment on which is best. However my current back has the new ultegra Di2 and I'll be amazed if anything works better than that.
Give me SRAM for the gearing options (I have Force eTap AXS on my Pinarello Prince Disk and GX Eagle on my Santa Cruz Tallboy). Give me Campagnolo because it's iconic (I have Potenza mechanical on my Pinarello Gan Disk). Shimano makes incredibly reliable, high quality components (I've run Ultegra and 105 mechanical groupsets in the past) but they're kind of...vanilla. If I could afford it, I would run Campy Super Record EPS on my road bikes. If...
I think it's interesting that in Road racing, Shimano is by far the most popular groupset; whereas in MTB there seems to be a bigger representation by Sram. And one wonders why Campagnolo still ignores a huge market in cycling; MTB, after a brief and dalliance15-20 years ago.
In the 80s , your point about Campagnolo made a lot of sense, when early 80s SunTour and from the mid-80s, Shimano were going past them in development. Though looking back, Campagnolo made the wise choice staying focused on being Rolls Royce/Jaguar of cycling components for racers, and keeping their offerings geated towards racers, serious amateurs, and high end consumers. The proof is that Campagnolo is still around, while all their European fellow manufactures in the traditional bike industry are long gone. If SunTour had moved in the direction of smaller, prestiege offereings, and pricing like Campagnolo, for Superbe Pro or Cyclone, they'd probably still be a competitor, but they tried going product for product with Shimano and it failed. Shimano has the highest industrial capacity in the entire industry, it's been a publicily traded company since the 70s, and has had whole factories since the early 80s, where they just designed and built robots to build the components, just to speed up and keep the cost down of manufacturing. Campagnolo does not have that kind of structure, and it would've been suicide to try to compete toe to toe with Shimano's business model.
I got Sram Force because everyone said Sram sux. I don't race I only joy ride in the warm weather so Force works awesome for me, I did switch out the cassette, from a Force 10-33 to a Red 10-33, the shifting quieter and smoother. I dig my Sram. I sold my SL6 2020 Tarmac with Sram Force and replaced it with an S-Works Atheos with Sram Force group set, which in the app I have set to "sequential" so I stay in the big ring longer going up hills, the shifting is sublime.
I'm a Shimano fan. Like battery powered tools, you make the brand decision early so you can use built up spares, tools and electronic devices that are compatible with future upgrades
I really do love both groupsets. My new stuff will be Shimano, however. I've just heard too many things about SRAM eTap that has made me shy about spending so much money on it.
Right... About 8/10 guys I ride with use some level of eTap. None of them have had a single issue whatsoever. In fact, pretty much all just keep praising the thing and no, they haven't had it for 2 months.
@@disco.lemonade Just curious about the front mech; how many of your fellows are single chainring vs two? The issues I keep hearing about front mech failure and that rear shifting is also clunky and sometimes mis-shifts take place. (Again; I have no practical experience with eTap, so I'm just asking.) Thanks!
Shimano all the way... Sram users will always bring up the cables but u only have to do it once 🤦♂️ when you're building the bike. Fact is shifting is faster and battery lasts way longer. Imo the hoods on shimano also look way nicer than sram
@@user-nu5fx6en9h durability depends on the level of groupset surly? I'd say shimano is easier to charge u just plug a cable in every 6 months? Sram u have to disconnect 2 batteries way more often?
for what i experience with this 2 brand. i prefer shimano. but for installation i more like sram. the only down side from sram is their gear ratio. it just not as efficient as shimano. sram give more fatigue compare to shimano. for long ride. this is problem.
i had shimano for almost a decade now(still have it) i recently got sram force axs xplr on my new cyclocrossbike And this groupset outperforms ultegra di2 and 105 di2 in every area better quality completely wireless you dont have to set your bike by a wall to charge it its lighter and carbon for almost half groupset price also the zipp rims and the xdr hub are just outperforming you literally cant get cassettebite atleast me😂 but shimano looks a bit sleeker on the cranks and more modern on the derailleur i think and thats why i have both
I have both Sram Force AXS and Shimano GRX Di2. Shimano feels a bit more refined. The hoods are more comfortable and the shifting feels smoother and a bit quieter.
Went from Shimano Ultegra mechanical to SRAM Etap as a result of a bike upgrade (Specialized Aethos) at the end of the summer. The reduction on the bike cost meant that I went for gears that would not have been my first choice. I have used Shimano for many years and have always shied away from electronic gears. I also have Campag Record mechanical on a Bianchi I use on a trainer. However, if you were designing gears from scratch today you would design them like SRAM. The simplicity of the gear change choice makes sense. I was cynical and now I am a total convert. They are a thing of beauty and efficiency. Interchangeable batteries on the mechs is also a no-brainer.
I've been using Shimano forever, never any issues. Even all my fishing reels are Shimano, never let me down!
Being that I test and build so many different frames throughout the year, having the ease of installation with SRAM eTap is a complete game changer for me personally. Not to mention SRAM in general is more affordable.
You need to quit… you won the first $100 million dollar Powerball… 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #Loaded
@AJ XOXO Expensive.
The advantages end with the installation. When it comes to usage, shimano takes the podium. Their central battery is in itself a great asset.
@@CycoWarriorx hahahaha 🤣
Have had much better success with SRAM eTap than Shimano di2. It is just a more thought out system. On mechanical systems, I have used both and until it broke Ultegra mechanical was nearly flawless. Also used Sora (terrible but at that price point), Red (fickle but mostly great), and Apex (excellent for the price point). So for me, it is SRAM hands down.
I've ridden Shimano since 1989 until about 5 years ago when I bought my gravel bike. I wanted 1x for it and SRAM was the only option. It works fine and I don't hate it. It is just more industrial feeling (for lack a better description coming to mind. Shimano feels more refined and smoother.) I purchased my new bike with SRAM because when I rented a bike with Di2, I kept hitting the wrong button when my brain wasn't fully functioning anymore. I figured with SRAM, I would be less likely to do that since left lever goes up the cassette and right one goes down. I will honestly probably just stick with SRAM. I am about to buy a new gravel bike and will definitely go SRAM since Shimano is behind the ball for gravel.
Give the Campag Ekar a decent thought for gravel.
Shimano is behind wireless! Thats a huge plus for sram. Shift up/down onehanded while drinking from your waterbottle is something i always would want a shimano for.
Went from Shimano 105 mechanical to SRAM Rival Etap on my Domane SL5. Really prefer how SRAM does the shifting as far as the right lever to move the cassette to the right and the left to move left. Also a great price for the entire group set including a power meter. I really do like the gearing choice and being able to have a 33/46 with a 10/36 cassette. I'd be really pissed too if I had Shimano electronic after the bush league move of not allowing Hammerhead Karoo 2 users to access the gear data since SRAM bought Hammerhead. Pretty pathetic.
What about cruising speed. Isn’t 105 faster ?
Still running Shimano Dura Ace 7970 Gen1 10 speed, I ain't ever switchin! Especially for $3-6k for a new set alone lol
If you take into consideration price, durability, reliability, ease of maintenance and choice, the best gruppo is definitely Campagnolo Chorus. Not only you are free to choose whether you want to go for the electronic option or the more rational (and lighter) mechanical shifting, but also there's the option for rim brake too, no problem. That's something that other companies tend to forget. The real-life user does not need hydraulic brakes or battery dependant gadgets. And most people can't afford spending 2.000€ or more on the groupset only, let alone a full bike. I've been riding a fully restored Orbea with a 1x system and Campy Chorus 12s for nearly a year now and it's by far the best bike I've ever ridden.
SRAM is my personal choice. Wireless is the future, I'm done with cables . SRAM It has more options you can mix and match, faster shifting, no messing wires just the ergonomics need a little improving. 2023 for NEW SRAM I hope. If Campy does Ekar in electronic I'd be interested.
I can't disagree with you. On the Shimano side of the debate; I personally love that the shifters are now wireless. It really cleans things up on the cockpit. All wiring takes place from the seat tube and back. To me that is an optimal solution that blends the best of SRAM and Shimano innovations.
Do Etap's shift after two years and thousands of miles of riding, exactly like they dod when new?
Or do they wear out just as quick also?
@@Markbell73 Change batteries in the shifters every 2 yrs. Very little maintenance is required once the gears are setup just the usual wear and tear items. I've done thousands of miles and they are the same now as when they were new.
@@Roger101Watson that is very impressive. Looks like I might have an upgrade in my future.
MY first real groupset was SRAM Force Mechanical. This was SUCH a dream to use, and sooo light. My specialized Allez gave many carbon bikes a run for their money. So the logical step when i bought my new bike was to go SRAM Force AXS. What a steaming pile of canine excrement. Long story short; now on 12sp di2 Ultegra, and couldnt be happier.
I got to work on the SRAM r&d building. It was fun to see how much care and innovation go into each part.
Then why release a cassette with black coating which just makes the chain noisy as fck? Or a front derailleur that keeps dropping the chain? SRAM Force AXS was rushed to keep up with Shimano.
@@Aureas133 ×shrug× I worked on their building, I'm not the one to answer questions about how they run their business.
@@mister-chad "It was fun to see how much care and innovation go into each part"
@@Aureas133 guess you had to be there.
@@mister-chad Guesss construction workers are indeed thick as a brick
The holy flame wars people engage in regarding which company is best, is mostly motivated by folks enjoying shouting at each other. I currently ride Campagnolo Chorus 12 speed on my road bike and SRAM eTap AXS 2x12 on my gravel bike. I've also owned a Shimano equipped bike before (105 on an XC frame) and I've never had a lick of problems with any of these group sets. I think the truth is, Campy, SRAM and Shimano are all great. I believe that all gear is just more reliable now than it used to be and regardless of what specific group set is on your bike (Centaur, 105 and Rival and upwards) it'll work just fine and be reliable.
Campagnolo all day..everyday..
Never had any problems, from Mirage, Veloce, Chorus and Record been through all of them..
Yes Campagnolo is superior in every way
I love Campy. They look, sound and feel wonderful. They're about the art of cycling not how fast you can make a shift. I've had no issues with reliability with them either.
I have been running a Campagnolo Athena groupset for 14 years now without any problems. My 105 that I bought 6 years later doesn't feel as crisp and has been giving me more problems.
@@xscream82 the Shimano on my MTB always seems to have an issue. My Chorus is a pleasure to use, something to be savoured.
I bought two bikes of the same kind one with with DA and the other Red eTap. I noticed immediately the Shimano bike is more refined with everything especially shifting theres no problems at all. The Sram bike feels rougher on the edges less refined. Sram bike also had drop chains. Also the front derailleur cage of sram is sometimes too short for some triathlon bikes equipped with smaller chainrings which caused so many chain drops for me. I feel annoyed with my etap equipped bikes. DA no such worries always fluid smooth and feels more dependable even when theres a lot of wear on the chainrings and cassette.
Great overview! My Cannondale Topstone 1 alloy, while mostly using Shimano GRX, came with an FSA crankset and FSA cartridge bb. So some vendors mix in cheaper and potentially less reliable parts. In the process of replacing the crankset with grx 600 to match the rest of my grx based group set.
Dude same did you manage it was it a magaexo you replaced what Shimano BB did you use a bbr60?
@@zedddddful replaced the bb with an ultegra
SRAM axs etap provides absolute dummy proof operation. Flawless performance and reliability. Both are great, comes down to personal preference, and it doesn’t hurt that it is an American company.
First SRAM for me was Eagle on a new Trail bike. Then 3 years ago a gravel bike I looked for a bike with Shimano but it came with SRAM and now Im glad it did and prefer SRAM across the board. I do all my maintenance and upgrades and I love the performance and feature options of SRAM. I think Shimano is missing out by not offering a fully wireless groupset. The simplicity yet breadth of options of SRAM AXS is doing well. SRAM innovated with DUB, 12 speed groups, and Wide road options are smart options that meet real world situations. The new universal derailleur hanger is another recent way SRAM is thinking of every possible innovation. Hopefully they make full use of the Look acquisition to offer cheaper power meter options, even if Quarq leads on the high end. Keeps Shimano on their toes which is a good thing. When Shimano blocks SRAM Hammerhead K2 support its a bad move on their part.
Interesting the contrast between the poll results and comments in the thread. I've run both SRAM and Shimano for decades and generally I've giving Shimano the nod for having better shifting and quality. That said, SRAM is my pick for gravel and MTB builds and Shimano isn't even a consideration anymore. After the issues with SRAM Dura-ace / Ultegra cranks, I will go third party for any future Shimano build. E-tap may be "slower", but the convenience... and how much better it is for shipping in bike containers has sold me on it.
SRAM has so many options. As a gravel rider I like the ability to go 10-50 in the rear
You can also mount a bigger range cassette on other systems :D
I’m a Shimano guy so I’ll definitely say SRAM is the more aggressive of the two companies and that has its pros and cons… Shimano is more plodding, and that has its pros/cons as well… but I’ll take plodding and reliable vs aggressive and… 🤔… finicky acting… Campy has a boutique feel (and price) to them… at the end of the day, it’s whatever you’re comfortable using… 🍻
Personal choice. Mine was DI2 Ultegra 12 speed. They are all great. Shimano battery charged in 3 hours and stays charged. Pretty impressive.
On my daily commuter and also my only bike, i have a mullet build of Shimano Claris levers and RD, Deore disc brakes, and a 1x GRX crankset.
But after being a fixie person and getting pampered by brakes and gears, I am learning more about which groupsets are good for whatever and whichever they're compatible with.
On my next bike, which would be my bike that I can flaunt to group rides with friends 😅 - I am leaning towards building one with a SRAM groupset. Either red or force. Either 22 or axs. Whichever my budget will allow me…
Great Vid - I ride a 1x SRAM on my hardtail mountain bike and a 2x GRX on my gravel, in the market for a new road bike so was interested to see your thoughts, it will either be Ultegra di2 or SRAM Force etap and after watching this I am not overly concerned so will look at other features on my new bike like quality of wheels. Any recommendations for a good 5k bike for old weekend warrior, averaging 50 miles a week who does occasional audax and fondos?
I just switched from Shimano Ultegra di2 to Sram AXS etap. Able to get wider gear ⚙️ range. Already have Sram on my CX bike like it so much that’s why I’m doing it for the road now.
Agree a 100%. Di2 is like Shimano just duplicates a typewriter with electric wire, no innovations and frankly underestimated the users ability to adopt to something new
. Etap is like like SRAM just went straight for a mouse. It was love at first click for me, i switched and not looking back.
Sram Rival eTap AXS XPLR. 44 tooth single ring and 10-44 cassette. Great on both gravel and road.
One should also consider ease of setting up and maintaining. For example, ease of bleeding brakes.
I have 2 road bikes, a winter bike with SRAM Rival and a summer bike with Shimano Ultegra, both 2x11 mechanical. I much prefer the SRAM groupset, it's sharp, positive and rarely needs maintenance. The Ultegra has a lighter feel but needs much more maintenance to keep indexed and avoid chain rub. The SRAM brakes are better as well, very even and less tendency to squeal. I'm going to upgrade to electronic shifting and based on my experience and the innovative gear ratios I'm going to go with SRAM force AXS.
Previously had shifting problems with Shimano and moved over to SRAM about 4 years ago and not had any issues at all…will never go back..nuff said!
On one bike, Campagnolo Ekar, 9-42 cassette, with 36T Ratio chain ring on Shimano Tiagra 5x100mm 170mm crankset, 150mm Q-factor. Magura brakes are outstanding, 160mm rotors front and rear. On the second bike, SRAM Red AXS Mullet, 10-52T cassette, with 40T chain ring (SRAM DUB) 165mm, SRAM Red (Avid) brakes with Swiss Stop pads, 160mm front and rear--still inferior to Magura. Despite the mechanical shifting, I prefer the Campagnolo setup. Both are great.
I have an Allez sport with shimano sora and I find the groupset solid and reliable. Bought an aethos comp with sram rival etap and I really love the electronic shifting. I used to think shimano was better but now that I have both I can go either way in next purchase even though I prefer the simplicity of sram up and down shifting.
Whichever is installed on my new bike buy. Both shift amazingly well by experience and weights/price are very similar. eTap battery swap (front/rear) is a definite plus on SRAM.
Some riders like to have a triple
With three chainrings for every ripple
But they also have to deal with overlap
And cross-chaining that can make them snap
Some riders prefer to have a double
With two chainrings for less trouble
But they still need a wide-range cassette
To climb the hills without breaking a sweat
Some riders choose to have a single
With one chainring for a simple mingle
But they rely on a clutch derailleur
To keep the chain from falling off the spur
The number of gears is not the only factor
That affects the performance of the tractor
The cable pull ratio and the tooth capacity
Are also important for the compatibility
The speed of gear changing and the longevity
Are influenced by the quality and the technology
The weight and the price are also in the mix
When choosing a derailleur for your bike fix
So whether you ride Shimano, SRAM or something else
You have to find the derailleur that suits yourself
There's no one answer that fits all bikes and trails
You have to experiment and see what prevails
Campag SR EPS, simply the very best.
I’ve a GRX 800 1x groupset on my gravel bike. It’s fantastic, but I wish I had the option to increase the gear range without having to go to a third party for the parts.
well get Ekar
A friend of my was a mechanic for a Australia team and stated once he wouldn’t touch sram
I use a super cheap 1X setup...7 speed Shimano shifter with Alixpress 9 speed derailleur...works well
Looking at a Ribble CGR that comes with either SRAM Rival 1x or Shimano GRX 800 1x .. would be interested to know which would be better for Gravel bikes? SRAM OR Shimano ?
i would not put any weight on "most people use it" as a co creates good products. Most ppl i know hate microsoft, but the people they work with have them over a barrel. Shimano is the same. Getting shimano spares in singapore is tough enuf even tho the shimano factory is not far away from my house; i've cycled past many times! The world is facing supply chain problems & shops have difficulty stocking spares. The best bike shops can do is to stock whatever is most common.
The bikes showcased in the video:
- Salsa WarBird (My favourite!)
- Giant TCR Advanced (My sub-favourite)
- BMC U.R.S. (in my gravel bike top-10 list)
As for the groupsets, the one of choice for me would be the Sram eTap AXC (I have 3 of my bikes outfitted with), followed by the Campagnolo Ekar. I'm curious of the Dura Ace Di2, but my experience with the GRX taught me to steer clear of Shimano brifters. Not only do the GRX brifters look and feel crude and unpolished in comparison to Sram's, Campanolo's and even Shimano's Ultegra abs Dura Ace - they also happen to be very fragile. Junk, really.
Spoke to a mechanic at a local shop and he said they're selling more SRAM now than Shimano. Said he wouldn't buy Shimano DI2 now after his experience of SRAM. That surprised me.
Road - shimano
Gravel - sram
Mtn - both are good
Purist - campy
Shimano for me. They offer more gearing choices. Shimano offers bigger chainrings then sram. I would go with sram if they offering bigger chainrings and offering a quarq pm with the option to change your chainrings
I have 10 year old mechanical ultegra. Looking at a trek with SRAM force. Really seemed to like in the car park.
Personally I feel the logic of SRAM's electric shifting is more intuitive
Up until very recently, I would have said Shimano easily. However, SRAM dominates in mountain biking for good reasons and Rival AXS is great stuff for everyday performance. I also like SRAM brakes more than Shimano brakes across the range and I think Quarq cranks are the simplest and most reliable power meter out there.
Shimano mechanical and technically Shimano components on my fixed gear bikes. ATM I prefer shimano since the actuation of the paddle doesnt get compromised as much with braking in my experience. SRAM has come a ways with looks as I don't like Force's look but like Rival and Red ETAP.
Siding with #teamshimano on this debate though I do appreciate that SRAM forced shimano to add lower road gearing for climbing. Cable with hydro braking on 105 and Ultegra all the way! Great video thanks for posting
I prefer the very mechanical feel and sound of SRAM road shifters. Also i like the feel of double tap vs the whole lever of Shimano. Its also lighter than Shimano. Shimano disc brakes are superior, so i use the brakes on my mountain bike. I'll never go electric, so no idea which is better there. People have way more exposure to Shimano b/c it comes with more factory builds, so that creates a clientele.
Shimano stays tuned better, but that doesn't matter to me.
Campagnolo is slashing it's price tiers in half! (Lol, if only) But, everyone would jump at the chance to ride Campy and they'd regain their status pretty quickly. They'd need to do this for at least 3 to 5 yrs to get everyone in the world to keep Campy in their minds for their next bike build. How they can be happy with 10% to 15% of the market is beyond me. Soon, they too will be gone if they don't get bought out or piecemealed away.
Not being common has been Campagnolo's saving strategy. Exclusivity is their competitive tool. They're structured too differently to compete on an industrial level with Shimano. Campagnolo trying to go mass replacement market, or mass OEM, would drive them into bankruptcy.
SRAM no question. I've had issues with Shimano road and mtb groupsets and brakes way too often.
Can one of them make a group set that can endure for 5,000 miles without replacing anything, save the chain I suppose?
Is this some mysterious physics barrier that can't be bent?
SRAM E-Tap by far the best for sheer simplicity and ease of use,although Shimano dura ace di2 shift a bit quicker
In the 80s I use super record but if shimano enter the market with the index rear derailer and the click pedals this was the I left campa and now I use ultegra di2
Sram is the Groupset for me. Way easier to work with for beginners
SRAM, I love the not tinkering with all those cables.
MTB = SRAM 100%
ROAD = 50/50, gearing of Shimano is “better”
GRAVEL = SRAM 100%
When I bought my 4th bike I went with SRAM and regret not moving to SRAM earlier. It even looks so much better
Very good video, thank you……keep it going!
I have Shimano and Campy on my bikes...I reluctant to spend my hard earn money for Sram...maybe one day...not sure..
I LOVE SRAM mechanical shifting, but I’ve heard of so many issues with eTap that I simply do NOT want anything to do with it. I recently bought spare shifters and derrailleur to have in stock for the future, so…
Even on new AXS ?
@@djibey yeah, I know people who’ve had different annoying issues with their batteries or the wireless connection, etc… stuff I do NOT want to be dealing with… so I’ll stick to mechanical for as long as feasible
I like cheap things that last for ever and easy to clean and adjust. what should I choose?
A fixi😉
@@imola8 hm, you are probably right ! that's a good recommendation. Thank you.
Campagnolo!!!
Looks like I'm in a very small minority being a Campag fan.
I ride three bikes, two are Shimano and the other is Sram. The set I like best is Sram, for me it shifts better and keeps set for longer.
Shimano. End of discussion.
🤣, SRAM!
Sram for durability and gear ration
Shimano for performance
Well,was a Shimano fan but now on Sram on all my bikes!
Love the mix and match approach and it gives me more options especially as I am a 1 X fan!
Much wider range of gear options!
Shimano lack of customer support is legendary!
Let the discussions begin
Super-informative! Thank you.
It's not the case of which is better, but which fulfills your requirements. The top groupsets from Shimano and SRAM are only good for a specific kind of rider, for my needs they are both terrible :D
I have almost always used shimano, 105 on road and usually SLX on mountain bike
Shimano definitely > Sram for me
i wasnt a fan of sram on road, and I really did not like sram eagle (tried SX and GX) on mountain bike
I'm a sram lover have it on every bike I own , mosty because it looks better then shimano groupset and is almost always lighter and no wires , functionality is the same i would say from using both groupsets
@LOGICAL JAY I'm not sure thats the case , I have red 22 on one of my bike thats alot lighter than the equivalent dura ace , from using both the smoothness just comes down to which you like best , the double tap is so much better than the shimano system in my opinion, the mountain bike groupsets are far superior to the xt and xtr shimano also, im my opinion , shimano mtb brake do have a nicer feel than the sram ones is the only thing I would say , but shimano is ugly as ,the new di2 is lighter though than the etap you are correct on that
Used all three group sets,shimano very smooth, sram ok campagnolo very durable long lasting but not as smooth as the above two.
I find the people who think shimano is better haven’t really used Sram while the people who prefer Sram have used both .
I am firmly in the sram camp , but use shimano rotors an cassettes on some builds .
Etap FD’s do take a bit of setting up to get to work well .
Shimano have long term issues with their shifters chewing cables and their cranks breaking and they point blank deny it .
i do love sram, but here in my country the parts is harder to find for sram. I like sram braking and shifting, it feel more precise and brake modulation is very good
Sub 500lb. road bike? You mean 500lbs. price right?
Recently switched my Factor Ostro from Sram Force AXS to Ultegra 12sp. The ergonomics and performance difference is night and day. Sram is downright clunky in comparison.
Shimano Is my favorite but for MTB electric shifting or wireless I'll go for sram for road bike electric shifting or wireless shifting I'll go for Shimano i have my own Specific category for each brand MTB and road bike
I've never ridden a non shimano bike so I can't comment on which is best. However my current back has the new ultegra Di2 and I'll be amazed if anything works better than that.
Campagnolo is supremely engineered with the best and lightest components. The EPS version has no peers!
Which one works better for climbing?
SRAM offers lower gear ratios so that one :)
Fyi. (That's not a joke)
Sram in Polish language is a verb that means:
I'm taking a shit.
Campagnolo Super Record EPS hands down.
Give me SRAM for the gearing options (I have Force eTap AXS on my Pinarello Prince Disk and GX Eagle on my Santa Cruz Tallboy). Give me Campagnolo because it's iconic (I have Potenza mechanical on my Pinarello Gan Disk). Shimano makes incredibly reliable, high quality components (I've run Ultegra and 105 mechanical groupsets in the past) but they're kind of...vanilla. If I could afford it, I would run Campy Super Record EPS on my road bikes. If...
I think it's interesting that in Road racing, Shimano is by far the most popular groupset; whereas in MTB there seems to be a bigger representation by Sram.
And one wonders why Campagnolo still ignores a huge market in cycling; MTB, after a brief and dalliance15-20 years ago.
In the 80s , your point about Campagnolo made a lot of sense, when early 80s SunTour and from the mid-80s, Shimano were going past them in development. Though looking back, Campagnolo made the wise choice staying focused on being Rolls Royce/Jaguar of cycling components for racers, and keeping their offerings geated towards racers, serious amateurs, and high end consumers. The proof is that Campagnolo is still around, while all their European fellow manufactures in the traditional bike industry are long gone. If SunTour had moved in the direction of smaller, prestiege offereings, and pricing like Campagnolo, for Superbe Pro or Cyclone, they'd probably still be a competitor, but they tried going product for product with Shimano and it failed. Shimano has the highest industrial capacity in the entire industry, it's been a publicily traded company since the 70s, and has had whole factories since the early 80s, where they just designed and built robots to build the components, just to speed up and keep the cost down of manufacturing. Campagnolo does not have that kind of structure, and it would've been suicide to try to compete toe to toe with Shimano's business model.
Sram is pushing hard in road, every single build has now a sram etap option.
For me it is as simple as that; If you can cover shifting with 2 levers instead of 4, you are the better one.
Awesome video. Please could you make another video comparing the new Shimano Ultegra Di2 vs SRAM Force Axs . Thanks !
Great suggestion! Leave it with me :)
Ltwoo! They have a 12 hydraulic groupset coming.
As track guy there's no comparison. Dura ace is best classic track parts there is.
Sram bring the good inventions first but better buy them later from shimano.... 🤣
I got Sram Force because everyone said Sram sux. I don't race I only joy ride in the warm weather so Force works awesome for me, I did switch out the cassette, from a Force 10-33 to a Red 10-33, the shifting quieter and smoother. I dig my Sram. I sold my SL6 2020 Tarmac with Sram Force and replaced it with an S-Works Atheos with Sram Force group set, which in the app I have set to "sequential" so I stay in the big ring longer going up hills, the shifting is sublime.
Shimano. More specifically, Ultegra Di2 8100 is great.
I like shimano better. A reliable brand👍🏻
Me to 👍👍
And me
Shimano for the road specially because the front derailleur. For mountain bike sram axs is the best
I'm a Shimano fan. Like battery powered tools, you make the brand decision early so you can use built up spares, tools and electronic devices that are compatible with future upgrades
I really do love both groupsets. My new stuff will be Shimano, however. I've just heard too many things about SRAM eTap that has made me shy about spending so much money on it.
Right... About 8/10 guys I ride with use some level of eTap. None of them have had a single issue whatsoever. In fact, pretty much all just keep praising the thing and no, they haven't had it for 2 months.
@@disco.lemonade Just curious about the front mech; how many of your fellows are single chainring vs two? The issues I keep hearing about front mech failure and that rear shifting is also clunky and sometimes mis-shifts take place. (Again; I have no practical experience with eTap, so I'm just asking.) Thanks!
Shimano all day every day better ergonomics and reliability my opinion they also look a hell of a lot classier too.
For me MTB-SRAM FOR ROAD SHIMANO Rules!!!
Shimano all the way...
Sram users will always bring up the cables but u only have to do it once 🤦♂️ when you're building the bike.
Fact is shifting is faster and battery lasts way longer. Imo the hoods on shimano also look way nicer than sram
Easier to charge for Sram and better durability
@@user-nu5fx6en9h durability depends on the level of groupset surly?
I'd say shimano is easier to charge u just plug a cable in every 6 months?
Sram u have to disconnect 2 batteries way more often?
for what i experience with this 2 brand.
i prefer shimano. but for installation i more like sram.
the only down side from sram is their gear ratio. it just not as efficient as shimano. sram give more fatigue compare to shimano. for long ride. this is problem.
Shimano because less clunky and far more smoother and accurate than SRAM
SRAM ❤
I hate how often channels say link in description and then there's nothing
Which link are you after?
i had shimano for almost a decade now(still have it)
i recently got sram force axs xplr on my new cyclocrossbike
And this groupset outperforms ultegra di2 and 105 di2 in every area
better quality completely wireless
you dont have to set your bike by a wall to charge it
its lighter and carbon for almost half groupset price
also the zipp rims and the xdr hub are just outperforming
you literally cant get cassettebite atleast me😂
but shimano looks a bit sleeker on the cranks and more modern on the derailleur i think
and thats why i have both