Submitted by
sevenzero
a Cross Country Rider
from Socal Date Reviewed: November 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Aunt Stacy
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Walmart
Strengths:
1. They look like Darth Vader's hands.
2. Cable routing is amazing, can hardly see them at all.
3. They look super clean on the bike, almost a single speed look.
4. Action is super smooth and effortless.
Weaknesses:
1. Lots of ish going on inside, I think one good crash...
2. Way too much lever throw and then sponge at the lever when you panic stop!
3. Retail price, ***holes. More expensive than aftermarket CAR brakes!! (The China built stuff SRAM sells isn't any cheaper)
Similar Products Used:
Hayes mag, Hayes OEM junk, Shimano XT old dual piston stuff.
Bike Setup:
Felt Nine Pro frame, Reba, Stylo, '09 XT dual controls, calipers and mechs, TunerCarbonFiberStylie Bars/Post, Azonic Shorty DLX stem! Woo! Lock on ruffian BMX grips. Crappy OEM wheelset...
Bottom Line:
I really like the overall look and feel of this shift/brake setup, the shifting operation IMO is second to nothing I've tried so far (grip-shift, shimano's grip-shift, countless rapid fire models). The lever shape, and movement on the braking side of things is not the best, it's positioned above the grip centerline when mounted, it pulls too far in when braking, requires two fingers. I bet most riders would be immediately offended by the way the lever moves in four directions, as I was at first, now that I have some miles in on it, they're the best so far...
My Value Rating is based on what I paid, so 5
Overall Rating, a 4
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
socal_xc_mtb
a Cross Country Rider
from Pasadena, CA Date Reviewed: March 9, 2009
Favorite Trail:
MC
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Big improvement over last model (ST-M765). Totally redesigned solving all of my dislikes.
Weaknesses:
Pricey if retail. More parts to break? Great item when purchased at discount. Grams more weight. No gear indicator (if you actually look at these).
Similar Products Used:
ST-M765, Various, Standard Shimano Shifters
Bike Setup:
Intense Spider (XVP), Fox Talas 32 RLC, Fox RP23, DT Swiss 240s w/ 4.2, XT components, etc.
Bottom Line:
I know that some love and some hate dual controls. The improvements that they made makes it more lovable. I've liked Dual Control and Rapid Rise far more than the old style shifting systems, after giving them a fair chance. I dealt with some of the quirks that the previous model had since the benefits outweighed the negatives. They scrapped the old design entirely and started fresh. Works the same way and still requires rapid rise (Low normal), but how it does it is entirely new. There are plenty writeups about Dual Control already, I'm just covering what I liked about these.
Improvements:
#1 Previous Model: The brake lever had to move upwards, even though I was using the thumb lever to downshift. NOW: You can downshift and brake. The lever does not move when you use the thumb lever.
#2 Previous Model: Whole assembly including the shifter cable, when braking. NOW: Nothing but the brake lever moves now.
#3 Previous Model: Single Release, each thumb click = 1 gear. NOW: Multi-release, you can push further and drop 2 gears.
Some subjective improvements: I liked how these feel a lot better. I feel like there's more feedback in the lever when braking and modulating. The levers are also adjustable, so you can set your preference. The quality seems better. The whole assembly feels more solid without adding much weight. Speaking of weight, this shifter is slightly heavier than its predecessor. 515g vs 480g. Even though I don't like the thought of adding weight to my lightweight rig, the benefits were worth it.
Seems like Shimano really listened. For those that like the concept of Dual Control, but didn't like how Shimano went about it in the past, this model solves those problems.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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