Do you like the doubletap shifters? If so go Apex, if not 105. Performance isn't likely to be different enough to matter. Lots of things you can get for $200 that will make a bigger difference than Apex->105.

More importantly, what's the price difference between Apex and SRAM Rival?

It was explained to me that Apex was just a hair above Shimano Tiagra. Given that comparison, I'd go with 105 all day long.

I'm assuming you mean for road?

I am in the rare group of folks who have had every single SRAM(Red/Force/Rival/Apex) and much of Shimano's gruppos(105/Ult/DA)....at least I think it's rare. No electronic, but all of the other lines.

Apex to Red I honestly cannot tell one bit of diff unless I look down. I prefer SRAM for 2 reasons. Firstly the shift levers fit my hand like a custom mold and they don't have too much reach. I could never find a happy blend of all 3 bar positions with Shimano levers b/c of the longer reach. I also prefer SRAM b/c you can easily replace little parts in the shift levers like Campy. Shimano looks at levers like Detroit auto. Use it til it breaks then buy an entire new one.

That's what keeps me on SRAM. The quality of SRAM drive trains felt the same to me from Red to Apex, it was just a weight and cosmetic difference. The difference b/t 105 and DA in performance is huge IMO.

I agree, save the $200 for better wheels :). I love my sram rivals.

I have 105 on my Madone and they have been flawless, not one single problem.

I know nothing about SRAM Apex in particular, but in terms of SRAM vs Shimano debate, IMO the most important deciding factor is how well the shifter hoods fit your hands, and how you like the shifting action.

Go ride both. You'll have your answer.

I bought a new bike with Sram Apex on it, but I had a spare set of 105. After a month of riding the Apex, I put the 105 on. I really disliked that groupset. Just never shifted well for me. Perfectly happy with 105.

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simple answer - NO - I like SRAM sooo much better than Shimano!

Your mechanic is no good.

The amount of times I hear people complain about shifting only to hear them say ''what's that?" when I reach for their barrel adjuster.

To answer your question - if it was me...absolutely. I have had Shimano 105 or better on a range of bikes and have never had a problem (I am very comfy around a bike mechanically). A close friend has Apex and she hates it (in fact, is swapping out the Apex for Shimano components). She's had her bike to a very reputable mechanic and even he can't get it to shift properly.

on a road bike it boils down to which shifting system you prefer. If you don't like SRAM's shifting (personally I don't) then $200 well spent. If you do like the SRAM shifting, then don't waste the money. Mechanically speaking, both are race worthy/ready groups.

On a TT bike, SRAM gets the nod for the above reasons + SRAM tt shifters are a little nicer than Shimano's.

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Wow maybe just a bad shifter? I have probably 65,000 miles on SRAM road gruppos and I have never had a single issue. Shimano was fine too, but I disliked that the road shifters are basically un-repairable when something breaks. Both work great if they are installed properly, so does Campy.

I have seen 'reputable mechanics' not be able to diagnose my pal's P3/Dura Ace shifting issues. It never shifted right from day 1 and for the better part of 18 months his $7K bike shifted like crap and he just accepted that the middle of his cluster was a mess. I took his cassette off to find the .5mm spacer at the top of the cluster missing. How in the heck can a top line dealer not figure this out? Took me 30 seconds to diagnose. Mechanics are a dime a dozen and very few are worth their hourly wage. A few are worth many times their hourly wage.

Generally speaking, as you move up a particular manufacturer's component line, you get more parts that are forged and machined aluminium (or ti, or carbon or...) versus stamped and plated steel. What this means is forged/machined aluminum is going to resist flexing better and resist wear at friction points better than the equivalent stamped and plated part. Tighter tolerances = more precise shifting, especially over time (though not always, as some high end groups are more about weight savings versus longevity).

Anyway, if you find yourself leaning towards the ergonomics of the SRAM Apex, ask the bike shop to upgrade the rear derailleur one or two "levels" for say a hundred bucks and pocket the other hundred.


Just an idea.


Brett

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No, not worth the premium unless you are set on the way Shimano brifters feel. I wish more entry level bikes came speced with SRAM.

It's not. SRAM groups are basically differentiated just by weight and materials, not functionality or how well they work. For example, Apex, Rival, and Force all use the same chainrings on different cranks. Apex has two aluminum levers on its shifters, Rival has a carbon brake lever but an aluminum shift lever, Force and Red have both carbon while Red adds some titanium internals.

The only real functional difference is between Red and everything else, where Red has "ZeroLoss" shifting on the rear shifter (no play in the lever before the shift starts) whereas the other groups don't (they all have ZeroLoss on the front), and the new 2013 Red has a different hood shape and the new front derailleur design that I expect we'll see trickle down to the rest of the groups in the next few years.

Personally, I prefer SRAM shifting over Shimano, so I would probably take Apex over 105 or even Ultegra even if they were priced the same.

I vastly prefer Shimano to Sram and would gladly pay $200 for 105 over Apex. 105, BTW, is a pretty rock solid group.

That said, the ergonomics of the two are quite different and while they are very comfortable for me, Shimano shifters are not great for those with small hands. I swear given the length of Shimano hoods and the throw of the levers, it seems like Shimano was designed for tall riders and big bikes.

Sram FTW..... That's my two cents!

woth the extra cash. Apex is clunky and loud. Get the job done, but it is like anything else-- if you are use to using something better you will not be happy with it.

Go for Rival or Force. force is the best bang per buck out there. I've seen entire Force groupos for $900 or so