In summary, a car wrote off my SLC-SL in April. Insurance cheque came today to cover S3 retail. I’m now looking at my options. I have 7800 to remove from the SLC-SL including a wireless 7800 SRM. My questions include:
I’ve heard that there are some issues with the shifting performance of S3’s cable routing combined with 7900 shifters. Can those with personal experience provide greater clarification? If there are issues, just how bad are we talking about (or if you know someone how bad have they said it was?)
As above, I’m thinking of some 7900 components for a cleaner front end. I know I need the 7900 front mech to go with the STI’s, but can I still use my 7800 wireless SRM with these? Alternatively would the SRM work with other clean (no cables) shifters such as SRAM Red?
I’ve heard about discounts available for crash replacement frames. Do you have to go back through the store you got it from or can you order it from any authorised Cervelo dealer? Ordering one from overseas as a crash replacement may increase my options.
You can purchase a crash replacement frameset (yes, at a discount) through any authorized Cervelo dealer. In fact, you don’t need to be the original owner. Keep in mind that Cervelo does require you to surrender your old frameset to the dealer, so this could make it more complicated (and expense) to deal with an overseas dealer versus a local dealer.
I’ve been on an S3 with 7900 for a while now and I think the shifting is just “OK”. I did put in a little extra cable length to ease the bend going into the top tube and I think that was important. Otherwise I would label the shifting not worthy of a $700 shifter. I just think that there’s just a little more friction introduced into the system by all the bends and junctions.
Compared to the 7800 on a external routed frame, the S3 with 7900 was not nearly as precise, quick, or whatever adjective you want to use to describe as better.
I don’t think you can run a 7800 type shifter on a S3 because the cable route would be really weird in order to get from the front of the brake lever to the top tube.
If I were to do it again, I probably would try a Sram group set because of the 1:1 cable through which is not as finicky as the Shimano.
Not sure about the FD and the 7900 shifter, but I see no reason why the SRM 7800 crankset unit would not work with rest of the group because chainring spacing did not change. Besides, SRM will not be making 7900 crankset from what I understand.
Not sure about mixing the 7800 with Sram. It’d probably work, but there could be some sub-par shifting, maybe. I’ve heard of people mixing Campy cranks with Shimano and no problems, but now everyone seems to have removed the trim feature on the front shifter, so that might cause problems.
You seem to imply that Shimano and the S3 aren’t a good match, but that the SRAM could be the way to go. I’ll have to look into what the Test Team were using.
Mike - Thanks also for the clarification on the replacement scheme.
For SRM compatibility on my bike with 7900, I put FSA Super Road 7900 only chainrings on the SRM; that way, I can use the 7900 chain and all, and not worry about any component issues.
You seem to imply that Shimano and the S3 aren’t a good match, but that the SRAM could be the way to go. I’ll have to look into what the Test Team were using.
Mike - Thanks also for the clarification on the replacement scheme.
Test team has been using 7800 on all of the bikes, because shifting with Q Rings don’t shift well with 7900.
Well it sounds like people can get the SRM working with 7900. I take it your bike is not an S3 (i.e. there’s still the issues with the behind head tube cable routing - seems funny how official Cervelostatements appear to claim this is a smoother changing way of doing it, and not just because of the aerodynamics).