Submitted by
Buck Link
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2005
Strengths: Looks good, positive shifts.
Weaknesses: No durability
Bottom Line:
This derailler screwed-up my bike: When the "super strong" knuckle gave-way it slung around and hit the shock/seat stay, ruining it. It's nearly new as I don't ride this bike that often. It's NEVER BEEN CRASHED and NO ROCK OR STICK HIT IT.
SRAM needs to rethink this component. It looks good and shifts well, but at what cost. I can appreciate those who've never had one break singing the praises of this derailler because it does feel better than my XT did, but at what cost?. At the very least, you refit for a single speed back to the shop. At the worst you replace your frame. Want pictures? see:
http://blink1.www4.50megs.com/BrokenECdM.htm
It's no value if it breaks for no reason, It's poor for the same reason.
Similar Products Used: Shimano XT, XTR and ESP 1.0
Bike Setup: Ventana El Conquistador Tandem.
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Submitted by
Casey
from Cary, NC
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2004
Strengths: Shifts are crisp and accurate.
Weaknesses: Brittle
Bottom Line:
Blew it out on the first hard ride. I had an XTR on it ffrom '99 until last month and it was still running well. I had the XTR on an old Klein that I put on my new bike when I bought it. It was starting to miss shift so I decided to try the SRAM stuff because of how well every one said they shifted. I "upgraded" to the X-9 and SRAM trigger shifters. They felt great on my local rides and then I took it to Snowshoe WV. On the second hard climb it overshifted on the low gear. Snapped my hanger and destroyed the X-9. Afer replacing with the hanger, the X-9 cage was almost scraping the spokes. I switched to a buddies bike (also an NSR1) that had the XT "low normal" and rode the same trails for 2 more days and it was still shifting as well at the end as when I started (perfectly). Goodbye SRAM! If you ride agressively, then forget it. If you ride smooth trails and don't like the light touch shifting of XT then maybe you can give it a shot.
Similar Products Used: XTR rapid rise, XT and XT "low normal"
Bike Setup: Giant 2000 NSR1 with upgrades
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Submitted by
tl1
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterford, Michigan USA
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2003
Strengths: I have the IMBA edition "Woody" 9.0sl derailleur. Good looks is a definite strength, I'd like to see SRAM do another "woody" edition for IMBA. IMBA was closing these out for $25 each around 1999 or 2000. I've had mine on since then and it's been absolutely flawless. It shifts great and has next to zero maintenance needs and hasn't broke. What else can you ask for?
Bike Setup: 1998 KHS Team steel frame w/ 80mm travel Marzochhi Atom 80.
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Submitted by
Jeff Verheyen
a Cross Country Rider
from Barre, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003
Strengths: Smooth, fast shifting. Light weight
Weaknesses: Flimsy design. Easily broken
Bottom Line:
Here's the sob story. 1st time 24 -hour solo rider. Confident in my gear's weight and performance to get him through. ON MY SECOND LAP (!) I took a tiny bit of air off of a bump on a pretty quick part of the trail (which I've done dozens of times before on XT-equipped bikes), I did a bit of a tail-kick and landed slightly off of centre, but somehow the twisting motion was enough for the cage to swing right into my spokes. You can imagine the mess that resulted in! There's no way a derailleur should behave like that! On top of that, who's going to support me at the race? No one's got spare SRAM parts! Needless to say, 2 hours later I had replaced both my derailleur and shifter with XT 9-spd. Works like a dream. So long SRAM!
Bike Setup: Full SRAM 9.0SL group on KHS XC904R with Rock Shox SID race f&r
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Submitted by
Stephen Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Georgetown, IL, U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2002
Strengths: Looks/weight/performance
Weaknesses: still waiting
Bottom Line:
I don't know how any of you are breaking these things! I've been riding mine for quite a while and it couldn't perform better!! I think using Gore Ride-Ons makes a tremendous difference, as they would with any derailleur, and with what you spend on other components, why wouldn't you?! Anyway, quick crisp shifts, great looks, great weight, easy set-up, what else do you want?
Similar Products Used: SRAM 9.0 & X.O. and a cheap Shimano Alivio
Bike Setup: Fully Rigid Trek 850, no original parts, fully upgraded with top end stuff, Avid/Easton/Truvativ/SRAM/XTR/Mavic
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Submitted by
BIGman
a Weekend Warrior
from Almaty
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2002
Strengths: shifts like nothing on the market. extremely smooth, looks great.
Weaknesses: that b-knuckle crap. why do they say that its got super strong pivots and knuckles? pretty expensive for that quality
Bottom Line:
I think they have to sell these deraileurs for 10 buck as disposables. They break to fast and at practically no hard conditions. I love the feel of the shifting on ESP, but those B-knuckles are just crap!!!!! SRAM's customer support is useless as never replied to any of my mails. I think I will go ahead an get a Shimano compatibel rear shifter and get a XTR. Dont want to risk an investement of another 139 bucks and buying new X.0. Bottom line is that SRAM never reads customers' reviews and doesn't need any feedback and makes its components very weak. DONT BUY these deraileurs!!!! I kust hope that X.0 is better with its aluminium B-knuckle.
Bike Setup: stock pretty much. put an ESP and gripshifts instead fo stock Deore setup.
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2002
Strengths: Affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, shifts like a dream, etc.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
After reading these reviews for some years now, I have concluded that I must be doing something right. I installed all three of these SRAM's myself (one is going on five years old now) and after many miles I have NEVER broken one yet! And yes, I have shifted successfully plenty of times while pedaling uphill. Mind you, I do keep cable tension to the absolute minimum and followed the installation instructions to the letter. I often go on epic rides and I have all the confidence that this product will get me home worry-free. SRAM 9.0SL will remain on every bike I own!!
Bike Setup: Several Rocky Mountain's decked out with SRAM, Avid, Chris King, XTR and Race Face.
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Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2002
Strengths: Very easy to install and adjust (no problems with needing re-adjustment), works sooooo smooth, not Shimano and looks cool
Weaknesses: broke 3 in one year!! with only one replaced under warranty. The b-knuckle has snapped off in the same place all three time. Someone want to tell me why I even have a derailleur hanger?
Bottom Line:
This thing works awesome. Easy to set-up, easy to maintain, shifts fast and easy... Problem is... THEY KEEP BREAKING!!! S*it happens. I understand that. But a rear derailleur hanger is supposed to give before the derailleur does... not once has this happened. I broke number 3 today, along with a new PC-99. I have had one warrantied... the rest I was told I was out of luck. Perhaps the X.O. will be better, but with that price, I could by a new XTR and Rocket shifters... not that I want too, but I can't continue to dispose of derailleurs like this, no matter how much I like SRAM products.
A good rating is pointless when you have to walk the bike home...
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain Vertex.. Gore Ride-on cables
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Submitted by
john maietta
a Racer
from Henderson NV, USA
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2002
Strengths: great shifts
Weaknesses: I have exploded two in less than a year. Not banged on a rock, no stick-in-the-cage, no over shifting. These peices of crap just explode. Both times at the farthest point away on a 18 mile ride. Thank got for rear entry drop outs.
Bottom Line:
Opt. for XTR or weight for sram new XO. maybe Its not as fragile.
Bike Setup: cannondale, raceface, hutchinson, mavic, selle, alien, easton, xtr, xt,
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Submitted by
Brett Nelson
a Cross Country Rider
from Adrian, Michigan USA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2001
Strengths: snappy precise shifts, quiet, doesn't seem to be affected by mud/adverse conditions
Weaknesses: Only available in white.../no barrel adjuster
Bottom Line:
This drivetrain is comparable and slightly less expensive than shimano. The shifts are smooth and clean. The shifting with the 1:1 ratio actually seems quicker than shimano XTR. The other strength of this product is that it is not as tempermental in adverse conditions, or when setting up the system. I wish that it had a rear barrel adjustment, but the front on-the-fly adjuster works extremely well and is easy to use with little concentration. I guess that I shouldn't give this too much emphasis, because I've only had to use it once... but this could be because of good cables.
Bottom line: This product is in every way comparable to XTR.
Also in March of 2002 the SRAM X/0 rear derailleur will be available which is several steps above and beyond even this derailleur... it should give XTR a much needed kick in the butt