Submitted by
bobby nuguid
a Cross Country Rider
from phillipines
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2007
Strengths: low maintenance,accurate,light weight,brake lever is very responsive,not to pricey.
Weaknesses: hard to find product anymore
Bottom Line:
in my opinion other reviews posted here are not that accurate or they think they are using the model stx-rc shifter and brake lever combination 7-speed.these are made in japan the last remaining few that is belonging to the lower end groups. they are very rigid shiny, precise and stiff and at par with the lx shifters.anybody tight on a budget should buy it.
Submitted by
andy pearce
a Cross Country Rider
from Northants, UK
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2006
Strengths: cheap as hell in the 7spd version, well made inners, eg quality metal gears inside very smooth shift
Weaknesses: cheap plastic outer
Bottom Line:
a very good shifter, if you ride 7spd the chances are your not into spending mega money on your bike, these do the job very well and shift as well as the old lx (as they are the same inside. they are not as good as say an xt but if you break one then the only difference is £20. PERFECT FOR COMMUTING OR LIGHT XC (maybee a ittle light trials.
Bike Setup: stx shifter on lx mech. shimano cables (oiled regularly)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Matej Misvelj
a Weekend Warrior
from Slovenia
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2005
Strengths: cheap (?), looks good - speed indicator
Weaknesses: it does not work in the cold - the spring breakes you have to push it a little further to change gear up
Bottom Line:
it is a good product, never cleaned inside and still working after 6 or 7 years ( ~10000 miles) of road and easy cross country use they are good shifters for recreative bikers, not as good as LX, but still way better than gripshifts
Bike Setup: stx-rc rear deraileur, alivio front, OEM cables
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2004
Strengths: Cost.
Weaknesses: Don't last very long. Damage easily.
Bottom Line:
I've gone through 3 of these and the spring for the return tends to break. I only use the bike for commuting. These are not breaking from impacts, etc., but just wear. I purchased a used LX a few years ago to replace one of the STX-RC, and this shifter, purchased somewhat beat up, has outlasted 2 other right-side STX-RC shifters that were purchased new. I've decided to longer buy these even though there is not much avail. for 8-speed. Shouldn't have to replace these 1x per year as though it's a consumable.
Submitted by
Donavan Tan
a Cross Country Rider
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2003
Weaknesses: when shifted to heavier gears,the derailler will the other way. i wonder is the product really safe to be used.It totally confused me and i got to buy a new one with a different model.i hope SHIMANO could make an explanation.
Bottom Line:
I cant setup my RD.The model is SHIMANO RAPID RISE comfort c030 Technology.
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2003
Strengths: Rapid fire, can skip several gears down at once.
Weaknesses: Built like crap out of frail plastic housing. I broke mine when I fell. Total garbage.
Bottom Line:
STX RC shifter is crap for reliability. They came stock on my bike so I had no choice. Too much plastic in the construction. I've fallen far more times than I care to mention on my XT shifters and brake levers on hard rock and dirt. They've slipped and rotated on the handlebars, but they've never failed, bent, or compromised performance. If you're in a position to choose, forget the STX RC junk.
Similar Products Used: XT 8-speed rapid-fire shifter / brake lever combo. O;d-skool friction thumb-shifters (suck)
Bike Setup: '99 Kona Cinder Cone w/ '02 Manitou Black Elite, XT shifter / lever combo, Welgo platform pedals, Terry Liberator Race Ti saddle. Waiting on Santa Cruz Heckler w/ Vanilla 125R, 5th element air, full XT incl. disc brakes, Mallet Cs . . . hurry up damnit!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Tokyo, Japan
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2003
Strengths: Accurate shifts, reliable. Better than any twist shifters I've tried.
Weaknesses: Not as smooth as higher end components.
Bottom Line:
Use teflon cables and a Rollamajig and the shifting will be much lighter and smoother. Great for entry-to mid-level riders on a budget. Buy them now, 8 speed gear is on the endangered species list!
Bike Setup: Cannondale M800, LX crank and front/rear derailleurs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Wade McGhee
a Cross Country Rider
from Orillia, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2003
Strengths: Great shifting, crisp and tough. I beat these for over 3 years now (came on bike) and they still work good. I've thought I would upgrade when they failed, but they won't fail!
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
These impressed me so much that when the cheap crap shifters broke on my girlfriends Trek 4300 (cheap lever/shifter combo), I bought these at a great deal. They are cheap and easily feel as good as Deore or LX shifters.
Similar Products Used: Gripshift (turds) Deore, LX (Buddies rides)
Bike Setup: '99 Trek 6000, upgraded front derailler to Deore, LX crank set, a few other necessities.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Kirksville, Missouri USA
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2003
Strengths: easy, crisp shifting, very durable(layed bike down on pavement at 30 mph, most stress on shifters & brake levers and only scuffed them) have had them for about 6-7 years, older 7 spd model
Weaknesses: have to push the level a bit further in front to jump up gears, but thats not a big deal
Bottom Line:
very good product, would require some serious abuse to destroy, great for the beginning riders and budgeted people
I'm using a Shimano STX RC rapidfire shifter and a Shimano STX Front derailleurs
I have 3 chainrings and 8 in back.
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