Although it hasn’t been reported yet, here’s the scoop on how the new SRAM road shifters work:
It operates with a single lever (the silver one in the picture). Push it all the way in and it shifts down (like the other systems), push the same lever partially in until it clicks and it shifts up. Very simple and like other SRAM stuff it’s smooooooooth and very pretty! Like Campy, the shift cables are completely hidden and run along the brake cables. The word is that one or more pro teams will be using them next year.
Our mountain bikes are all SRAM and I can’t say enough about how nice their components are (functionally and aesthetically). I can’t wait to get the SRAM road group.
Makes sense - probably take a little getting used to, and I’d be worried about mis-shifts when I’m completely on the rivet, or in the middle of a sprint, but I’m certainly willing to give it a try - look forward to it, in fact. The rest of the gruppo looks very nice, and I can’t wait to see it at Interbike.
The way I see it is that Sram has to underprice Shimano and Campy to be competative. There are already two high zoot grouppos out there, so the top is crowded. But by underpricing Shimano, as they’ve done with cassettes, Sram could really be a market force.
Hopefully they’ll drive Shimano’s prices down if nothing else.
I don’t know about msrp but it should be noted that there will be two groups relaeased around late 2006 by Sram for road use. One high end group to compete with Record and Dura-Ace. Another to try and compete with Centaur/Ultegra. No news of any lower group. I think no matter what with the introduction of a new road group prices will fall, SRAM probably will come into the market higher than you’d think and still sell well because people will be curious and it will probably get specced on at least one major 07 bike.
SRAM probably will come into the market higher than you’d think and still sell well because people will be curious and it will probably get specced on at least one major 07 bike.
Yep. And it might start with Canon and end with Dale
or Giant, who distributes SRAM components already. Specialized is so anti-shimano on the mtb side at the moment, it wouldn’t surprise me to see some oem SRAM on the road side, too.
or Giant, who distributes SRAM components already. Specialized is so anti-shimano on the mtb side at the moment, it wouldn’t surprise me to see some oem SRAM on the road side, too.
Giant doesn’t distribute SRAM components, and Specialized is not “anti-shimano on the mtb side”… as a matter of fact I’d say the opposite.
Really?? Hmm, I’d better stop ordering SRAM components from the Giant dealer web site then.
And, if you think for a second that Specialized isn’t real happy with Shimano at the moment, then you haven’t been reading their statments to the press. They hate Dual-Control, and Rapid-Rise, or whatever Shimano wants to call it these days.
For hating Shimano it’s funny how almost all of their MTB bikes are Shimano equipped and none have SRAM XO, whereas Cannondales are chock full of SRAM XO/Truvativ/RockShox.
Giant distributes many products, including SRAM (Shimano, Topeak, Crank Brothers, Hutchison, Time, Wipperman, etc, etc.). Perhaps only to their dealers, but they do distribute rather than just stock.
As for Specialized, read MTB Action from a few months ago, and you’ll see how they feel about Shimano, and their lack of response to the call for an end to the Dual-Control and Rapid-Rise debacle. Maybe they made up since then, but they haven’t been shy about their unhappieness on the mtb side.
“To their dealers” does not a distributorship make.
To make sure I wasn’t talking out the side of my neck I checked Specialized’s website and all their MTB bikes are Shimano drivetrain and Fox or Manitou suspenstion… that, my friend, is anti-SRAM.
I subscribe to MTB Action and have never seen the comments that you’ve attributed to Specialized. If you tell me what month and what article I’ll read it.
Giant distributes many products, including SRAM (Shimano, Topeak, Crank Brothers, Hutchison, Time, Wipperman, etc, etc.). Perhaps only to their dealers, but they do distribute rather than just stock.
As for Specialized, read MTB Action from a few months ago, and you’ll see how they feel about Shimano, and their lack of response to the call for an end to the Dual-Control and Rapid-Rise debacle. Maybe they made up since then, but they haven’t been shy about their unhappieness on the mtb side.
Giant does not distribute SRAM.
Uhg, Giant distributes SRAM to me, and many other Giant dealers. Guess it depends on one’s definition of distribute.
So far for '06, Specialized is 2 for 2 in SRAM equipped mtn bikes. The Epic, unless there is distribution problems (couldn’t resist), or there’s been a change, will be SRAM equipped also (I could be wrong on that one because it’s been months since I checked). Lots of Truvativ cranks for '06, too (not sure that’s the best idea, but it keeps prices down).
Specialized has, over and over again, spoken out against both Rapid-Rise and Dual-Control. They stocked up on regular rear derailleurs a few years back because they didn’t like the way Rapid-Rise worked.
I love that SRAM is coming into the road market - the competition will be good for everyone. Customer wins, and that’s what counts.
Uhh, yes they do. Trek, Raliegh, Giant, and KHS have aftemarket programs to sell parts in support of their OE bikes. Additionally, these OE’s are trying to be a “one stop shop” for their dealers.
The bad side I see to the levers’ function- you can’t execute multiple shifts. Shimano allows single upshifts, and up to three downshifts in a single movement. Campy allows for unlimited upshifts (you can do the whole cassette) and up to three downshifts in a single movement. It appears with the Sram lever, you can only do one and one. I have Campy on my road bike, and often will grab 2-3 gears as I crest a hill and begin to descend rapidly.
Does Sram plan on coming out with bar-end shifting? That’ad’be impotent fo’ us tri-ath-uh-letes.
The bad side I see to the levers’ function- you can’t execute multiple shifts. Shimano allows single upshifts, and up to three downshifts in a single movement. Campy allows for unlimited upshifts (you can do the whole cassette) and up to three downshifts in a single movement. It appears with the Sram lever, you can only do one and one. I have Campy on my road bike, and often will grab 2-3 gears as I crest a hill and begin to descend rapidly.
Does Sram plan on coming out with bar-end shifting? That’ad’be impotent fo’ us tri-ath-uh-letes.
*To control the rear derailleur, the inside lever is moved inwards, somewhat similar to Campagnolo’s and Shimano’s designs. But this is where the similarities end. A small movement inwards stops at an index, where the user must make a decision – either release the lever and move the chain to a smaller/harder cog in the rear, one cog at a time – OR keep moving the lever past this index point to move the chain up to a larger/easier cog, from one to three cogs at a time. *
