Submitted by
Dano
a Cross Country Rider
from Upstate NY
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2006
Strengths: Super reliable, light as a feather, short shifter grips, only 2 moving parts, Great shifting, Can shift up or down the whole cassette real fast and accurate.
Weaknesses: Can't get shifter boots anymore as Sram stopped making them...........BUMMER
Bottom Line:
Love these shifters. I run an 8 speed setup (don't think the 9 speeds are as strong or reliable and as smooth. I wanted a shifter thay had very few moving parts. I don't want or need a internal gear display (more things to break) just wanted precision and reliability and these babies deliver. This setup shifts better than all the new stuff I tried on all my friends bikes (haven't tried xo or x9 yet). I will eventually go to the x9 or x0 in a 8 speed setup (I think Sram blows away Shimano in performance). I think these will last a long time so I guess I won't be changing anything for a while (I can probably find at least one more set of boots and if I do I'll buy them out...lol). I ride alot in the winter in extemely cold weather and these shifters are impervious to the cold. I had my freehub freeze up a few times this year (shimano) had to winterize it so I could bike the extreme cold. (Love riding in the 20 to 30 below 0 F range. That being said did I mention I prefer twisties anyhow. Besides Shimano doesn't make any quality 8 speed stuff anymore. 9 speed was the answer to the problem that never existed (8 speed is much more reliable in bad conditions like mud and snow).I NEVER use my rear 32t cog and if you do you don't have any legs...........lol. Too bad they don't make this shifter anymore. I guess when you finally find something that really works for ya they change the game on you. I rate these the highest because that's how they work for me and the price I paid is VALUE.
Similar Products Used: Shimano xt triggers, didn't like to much, much too slow for my tastes and WAY too many moving parts. SRT 400 7 speed gripshifts (reliable but not as pricise as the Centera.
Bike Setup: Cannondale m500 rigid, Deore lx gold edition derailleurs front and rear, Sram pg 850 cassette with a pc 68 chain, Avid single digit 7 brakes with the speed dail 7 levers with the viewports (LOVE'EM) IRC Trailbear 2.25 Tires (killer treads) Turbocat QR25 Lighting system (can you say WOW) and last but not least WTB speed v team saddle.
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Submitted by
Nathan Staehling
a Weekend Warrior
from Rowlett, TX USA
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2004
Strengths: light, smooth, micro-index front, just the right amount of force required to shift
Weaknesses: none, maybe not expensive enough to get more notice?
Bottom Line:
I recently wanted to replace my aging/wearing 9sp XT drivetrain with whatever I could get cheap. I don't get to ride as much due to a recent relocation, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I just wanted to get something that worked and was new. I bought these just because they were cheap. Not only did they fit what I wanted, they greatly exceeded my expectations. For the $7, they even came with cables and grips. They are much higher quality than my old 7sp grip$hits that had completely turned my off of the twist shifter design. The Centera's require just enough effort to move that you don't accidentally shift, yet not too much that you feel like getting a wrench out. I'm glad to be rid of my fussy unreliable 9sp XT drivetrain. Maybe I just forgot how much more reliable an 8sp setup is, but for now I am really liking these shifters. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention I'm using an $8 Sunrace cassette I got from the same seller - just another reason I am surprised at the performance. I think when I upgrade next time, I will seriously be considering SRAM's ESP products.
I finally broke down and switched to Gripshift when my 3rd set of shimanos broke on me. I didn't want to ditch my 8 speed setup and didn't want to fork up 70+ bucks for a new /old set of XTs. I wanted to keep my shimano deraileur so I went for the centeras and haven't looked back. With an absolute minimum of fuss they've proven to be totally righteous. I particularly love the way they enable you to micromanage the front deraileur. Also, they invite a much more aggressive approach to shifting which I find both more effective and more fun than the pseudo surgical feel of shimano. You can just grab handfulls of gears when you want them and they're pretty much always there . All this and they literally weigh about as much as large feather.
Similar Products Used: s-company,good but not for me
Bike Setup: giant,race face,avid disc,easton bar-stem
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Submitted by
B. Load
a Cross Country Rider
from AZ
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2001
Strengths: simple design, Light, works well. Good shift response.
Weaknesses: shifter shatters when biffing hard in rocky areas.
Bottom Line:
Good product, simple design, light and shifts well with other products. I biffed it good yesterday on Sport loop in Fountain Hills, and shattered my right shifter. It still shifted, so I was able to do the corse and tech section w/o any probelms other than bleeding. Bike is now in shop, being repaired. Anyway, if you ride aggressive, be prepared to replace. I miss my Sugar!
