Submitted by
andthereyouare
a Cross Country Rider
from Bear, Delaware Date Reviewed: February 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Fairhill, MD
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Quick and precise shifting, easy re-greasing, lighter than Shimano's trigger shifters.
Weaknesses:
Mine came as half-pipe version, which takes up alot of room on the bars. So I cut them down a bit. You can't even tell.
Similar Products Used:
Simano triggers.
Bike Setup:
Klein Attitude Race, Rock Shox Sid Race... Basically dialed up for some serious XC riding.
Bottom Line:
I ride with a couple of peeps that swear by the trigger shifters... Not me, the Attack shifters are great to bad the are dirt old. I don't care about the "See-Through" window for the gear indicator, I have no time to gaze at the shifters while I'm flying down a trail. If they shift when I need them to shift then they are perfect for me.
I'm looking to move to the Shorty Rockets, next. We'll see how that goes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tony
a Weekend Warrior
from ny Date Reviewed: January 7, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
cheap, simple construction, crisp shifting, multiple shifts with single action
Weaknesses:
cable hatch easily lost
Similar Products Used:
shimano
Bike Setup:
khs, xt/xtr components, sram shifters and chain
Bottom Line:
reluctant at first bec i used shimano for over 10 years, got a deal and thought i'd give it a try. huge difference, crisp shifting because the grip acts directly on the cable not with a lever like shimano. in effect a smaller movement is required with the sram to shift gears which makes it feel more precise. takes a few rides to get used to the movement required to make shifts, but once you are there are no miss shifts. multiple shifts with single action is great for single track with many rolling hills close together.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
A Gregori
a Cross Country Rider
from California Date Reviewed: February 22, 2003
The Sram Attacks work. They seem smoother than most of the Shimano shifters I've used, they are very fast. They are compatable with both front and rear XT derailers. Great product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Harvey Fujimoto
a Weekend Warrior
from Wheat Ridge, CO Date Reviewed: October 19, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Wheat Ridge Cyclery
Strengths:
These shifters work quickly, positively, and cleanly. My first exposure to Grip Shift was the 8-speed X-Rays on my Dean Ti (which my 16-year old stepson now rides), and I found twist-shifting highly-preferable to thumbshifters and both old and new Rapidfire.
Weaknesses:
The only thing I can think of is possible accidental shifting, although after observing my stepson continually mishift the above-mentioned Dean (which I don't recall having as many mishaps he he!), I believe it is due to gripping the bar with too much of the shifter barrel in hand. Myself, I slide completely off the shifter barrel EXCEPT when I am shifting. Because of this, I would NOT recommend going with the Half-Pipe version of this shifter.
Similar Products Used:
Gripshift X-Ray
Bike Setup:
Intense Tracer with XT/Sid 100/Mavic 517 ano
Bottom Line:
Get these shifters if you want fast, clean, convenience shifting!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
D Sims
a Cross Country Rider
from Greensboro Date Reviewed: June 4, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Nashbar
Strengths:
Reliable. It allows for increment shifting to eliminate derailure rub
Weaknesses:
when I wreck I alway seem to wrench the shifter all the way to one end and when I start back I need to put it in the right geer
Similar Products Used:
shimano shifters, sram 6.0
Bike Setup:
all xt and mavic rims
Bottom Line:
I have had these shifters for two years and they have been fine. Sram has also made it easy to change out the cable when needed. I enjoy being able to make minor adjustments to the derailur to get it to stop rubbing. From my experience with Shimano rapid fire when you have the rear derailur all the way to one end you have to put up with that annoying rubbing sound. These shifters have been on three different bikes that I owned and they are still functioning like the day I bought them
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andreas Klauser
a Cross Country Rider
from Feldafing Date Reviewed: May 22, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
rabe/munich
Strengths:
low weight, logic function, nice shape
Bike Setup:
Hot Chili Zymotic, Marzocchi Bomber Atom 80, SRAM Attack 8.0, Magura Quick Silver, rest Shimano XT, Mavic Ceramic
Bottom Line:
Use the SRAM Attack 8.0 on my second hard tail (with Gore ride Ons), in combination with Shimano XT. The shifting is not quite as precise as with shimano xtr (which I use on my other bike), especially with the chain rings, where shimano xtr is definitly super. In spite of this I love the SRAM attacks. If you want to shift more than one gear at a time, the thing moves very fast indeed. The function is logic, the design is nicer than the clumsy xtr shifters by far, the handle bar tidy. The SRAM go very well with the Maguras, another clear advantage. And they endure. The next thing I'll try instead of the xtr on my other bike is the SRAM shorties.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Georgia Date Reviewed: May 1, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Easy. Just a superior design to thumb shifters, no doubt about it. Why would you want to press a button 8 times to downshift when you can make 1 single twist. I can't figure out how rapidfire users like that better, seems silly to me. These shifters are johnny-on-the-spot with every shift. They are a nice low profile design that is very easy to disassemble and assemble. Silly rapidfire users.....
Weaknesses:
They don't shift for you.
Similar Products Used:
XT Rapidfire,
Bottom Line:
If you like pressing buttons a lot, go with shimano. I personally got tired of that crap, now when I want to shift, I have only to make a single motion. I don't have to loosen my thumbs grip on the bar to put it on the button. Buy the Attack shifters and forget about it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego Date Reviewed: March 4, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Great shifting with my Shimano XT deraillers, Nice to be able to fine-adjust front derailler (unlike Rapidfire), takes abuse and keeps on going, good grips (an improvement over previous Gripshift models).
Weaknesses:
Haven't found one yet.
Similar Products Used:
Older Gripshifts, Shimano Rapidfire
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dakar Team
Bottom Line:
When I built up a new bike a couple years ago, a LBS mechanic recommended these. I had been happily using Rapidfire for a few years previously, but I was curious how the improved Gripshift worked. I decided to give them a try; I could always switch back to Rapidfire.
Well the Rapidfires are still sitting in a box in my closet. The Attacks shift great, are more adjustable, especially on the front. The grips are comfortable & I've never mis-shifted using them (unlike with a set of half-pipe shifters I tried. Those are step backward, SRAM. Get rid of them!!) I've never had to mess with them, not even change a cable in 2 years.
Great shifting, durable, easy on the hands, with no maintenance. What more could you want? A great product!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John B
a Weekend Warrior
from Urbana, Illinois Date Reviewed: November 12, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Waldo Canyon
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Don't remember
Strengths:
They are the Energizer bunny of the shifter world.
Weaknesses:
Function great. I need to take apart the right one to change cables due to the material it's made out of deforming. For three years old, not a big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Rabid fires. LX's, XT,s and XTR.
Bike Setup:
Dean Colonel, Atom Bomb and ultra light everything.
Bottom Line:
These shifters after almost three years still work like the first day I put them on. I'm going to use them until Shimano's planned obsolense program forces me to go to nine speed. The rubber grip part is relatively durable. I replace them when I do a cable change, about once a year. I'm using Goretex cables and like to change then annually, although after a year they are still shifting fine. Why wait for a problem to happen. I'm glad to see for 2001 SRAM went with a teathered cable hatch. I've lost a few as well as others I know have. In the same amount of time, I've gone through three sets of rabid fires. Great product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Racer
from Victoria, BC Date Reviewed: October 17, 2000
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Strengths:
Light, durable, minimal maintenance.
Weaknesses:
Performance quickly deteriorates with dirty shifter cable.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT, Gripshift X-Ray.
Bottom Line:
I have used the SRAM Attack for three racing seasons and they still work great. The shifter itself is decently well sealed so muddy rides are not a problem and I have yet to have to take the shifters apart. My only gripe is that there is a large increase in shifting effort when the shifter cable/housing becomes even mildly contaminated.
I have been using the shifter with Gore Ride-On cables and a Shimano XTR rapid rise rear derailleur. For the 1% of riders who actually liked rapid rise, the shifters work very well with this system. Although Gore cables can be prohibitively expensive, I have not had to do any maintenance on my shifting for over a year now.
I've used Rapidfire in the past and I think that it is a great system. However, IMHO, people with smaller hands may find Gripshift a little easier to use.
Essentially, this is a very light, simple, and durable shifter that you can probably buy for a good price from any mail-order company. Also, its a good option for those of us who are trying to stay with 8-speed for as long as possible.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
VooDoo Child
a Cross Country Rider
from TN Date Reviewed: October 12, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Tsali
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
PerformanceBike
Strengths:
Cheap, works great, eight-speed compatible, did I say cheap
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
shimano xt
Bike Setup:
Running these shifters with xt rear and lx front derailuers
Bottom Line:
Got these shifters when I was building back up my old frame with a limited amount of money. So these are used on my "second" bike, which I actually plan on riding most of the time to save the abuse on my race bike. I really like the way these shift and have to say that the way you can tune the left hand shifter is making me consider putting a twist shifter on my race bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sycoholic
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ Date Reviewed: August 31, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Halters
Strengths:
stiff shifting, precision
Weaknesses:
not hydraulic....still needs a cable
Similar Products Used:
grip shift junk, tbpro junk, and rapidfires
Bike Setup:
XCR-3000 with Avid Disc Brakes (mechanical)
Bottom Line:
I love 'em. It was $30 to add them to the bike instead of the rapid fires. I prefer the ease of being able to run through multiple gears quicker than with rapid fires and not having to take fingers off the grips. They are stiff to shift, which translates into no accidental shifting in rough terrain. Not hard to shift, but stiff.... I love 'em, recommend them, and would buy them again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rickg
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange, California, US Date Reviewed: July 26, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
- Shifts much better than its predecessor (XRay) - Easy maintenance - Light weight
Weaknesses:
- Not as crisp as Rapid Fire shifters - Rear shifting is sometimes a little too sensitive - The half-pipe version of this shifter just flat out blows
Similar Products Used:
XRay...
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler
Bottom Line:
Against my better judgment, I purchased the half-pipe version of these shifters, which is the same as the standard except that the shifter extends out an extra 1.5 inches or so. The problems that I had with these shifters was partly a simple matter of preference and partly just flat out bad design. As the name [half-pipe] implies, half of the grip is the shifter, the other half is a short standard type grip but the shifter part is bulky, so you wind up with a real fat grip (opposite of what I prefer). Also, as one might imagine, when the terrain gets tough, it becomes distracting to keep from inadvertently shifting. I finally got frustrated and took a hacksaw to these over-extended babies, slapped on a good pair of Pedro's Slimwall grips, and am now happy to report that these shifters work great. Bottom line is that I recommend these shifters except that if you get the half-pipe version, make sure you have something to cut these nasty things down. I would give less than 2 chilis for the half-pipe version.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Ortiz
a Racer
from Farmington.NM Date Reviewed: May 20, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Colorado trail-Durango
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Accurate shifting,light, easy cable change. No more greasy hands!
Weaknesses:
A little stiff on shifting but not a major problem.
I've been using these Attacks for almost 2 years and continue to give me the reliability that a racer requires.A good upgrade from the 800 X rays I used to use.Shorter shifts and easy cable changes from this newer model.I'm staying with 8 gears since the 9 has no real advantage in speed (34t is useless unless you are a beginner). 5 flaming turds for an improved product from SRAM.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stumpy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Denver, CO Date Reviewed: May 7, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Elk Meadow, Porky
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Simple, durable
Weaknesses:
None yet
Similar Products Used:
XT RF, SRAM X-Ray
Bike Setup:
Y-22, Manitou X-Vert R, Fox Alps 4, XTR
Bottom Line:
These shifters have performed reliably under a variety of conditions. I upgraded to these from X-Rays after 3 yrs of heavy use. Love the positive detentes and the ergonomic design of the grip! If you're not rabid one way or the other, rapidfire vs gripshift, I'd recommend giving the Attacks a try. Five piles of steamy goodness!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: April 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Reliability Simplicity Ease of maintenance Duribility
Similar Products Used:
DX+XT Thumbshifters X-Rays XT Rapidfire
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Obed
Bottom Line:
These shifters have survived over 4,000 miles of mixed trail riding with no problems. They have performed reliably in sand, rain, mud, and snow. They have only required routine maintenance -period cable and housing lube and change- and have been basically a fit and forget product. It's surprising to read some of the negative comments entered by others. If you know basic bike mechanics they are simple to setup. If you are stupid enough to blame the manufacturer after you trash a product in a crash then you got major problems which aren't cycling related. For those of us who prefer twist shifters over rapidfire, these are a damn good selection.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TC
a Weekend Warrior
from Hawley, TX Date Reviewed: April 17, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim, Moab
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Very positive, light, durable
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
XT Rapidfire, older gripshifts
Bike Setup:
Trek Y-33, Specialized FSR
Bottom Line:
Shifters (at least at the level of highend rapidfire and highend SRAM) are really a personal preference. I finally wore out a '96 gripshift 600 model this year--very impressed with the use I got out of it. The newer 8.0 is even better with the cable port for easy cable service and an ergonomically improved grip. I have 2 of them and am totally satisfied. I also have '98 XT rapidfires on a hardtail--they work well but not to the level of the 8.0 for me.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ride guy
a Racer
from windsor, ontario Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
great shifter set!!!!! light accurate give you the power to adjust your front derailer to stop that horrible noise you get from a bad set up with rapid fire I love these shifters they are great
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
wsanders
a Racer
from Mountain View CA Date Reviewed: March 19, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Weaknesses:
excessive twisting force required
Similar Products Used:
Many other shifters
Bike Setup:
Brand new Specialized Rockhopper
Bottom Line:
Last yera's model of this shifter gave me RSI in my right thumb after less then two weeks of commuting. I see this year's model has a bigger grip - maybe this will help.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Glad Vlad
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boulder Date Reviewed: March 16, 1999
Favorite Trail:
porcy's rim
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
light, do the job, nice looking
Weaknesses:
->do not shift as quickly or quietly as my 10+ year-old Deore DX thumbshifters (seriously!). ->Detents are not positive enough -- tough to upshift (I have XTR RR) just one notch at a time ->Sluggish to go from biggest to 2nd biggest rear cog (remember, I have RR) ->cable retention set-screw seems to be stripping out w/ minimal torque --plastic threads -> front shifts sloppily, unless you can twist very quickly and accurately (Real rings -- work very well w/ XTR shifters) ->Did I mention slow, noisy shifting?
Similar Products Used:
Recently sucked it up and spent $99 on XTR (8 sp.) shifters. Don't prefer the pushbutton motion, but these shift much better, address all of the issues listed in weaknesses (thought it's a real hassle to change cables). Worth the extra $$, ugliness and couple of oz.
Bike Setup:
XTR rapid-rise rear der., XTR front der.
Bottom Line:
Not very impressed. I mean, they work -- didn't miss-shift (well barely ever). But, not crisp -- can't really shift front or rear under pedal-pressure (I try not to, but sometimes ya gotta) very well at all. I was really pretty bitter that my ancient + severely abused Deore thumbshifters on my clunker outperformed these. Maybe a bassworm woulda helped a bit (bought one, but never installed it). Sounds like a big improvement over their older products, but that does nothing for me, as these were my first twisters. Sounds like the 9.0 system is the way to go if you want to twist -- havent' tried these, though my buddy complains about 'em for not working well when even slightly dirty. Shimano's annoying, but eally gotta back XTR in favor of these.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Schwinnman
a Cross-Country Rider
from New York Date Reviewed: March 16, 1999
Favorite Trail:
#6 at Killington Vt
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Completly smooth shifting and easy cable change
Weaknesses:
Could be made of tougher material
Similar Products Used:
gripshift 600 and xray 800
Bike Setup:
xtr deraillers race face cranks and chainrings
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that there's no way you can even compare these to shitmano's rapid fail shifters. They shift the way you twist 'em so if its wrong it's your own damn fault, or your crappy techs fault. I like shimano deraillers and pedals but there shifters and brakes fall way short of the mark. A fore instance is having to shim their shitty xtr v-brakes, thats just somwthing you shouldn't have to expect from top of the line. And besides rapid fire is like riding one of those bikes that had the handle stick shift coming of the top frame tube, SPARE ME AUTOMATIC SHIFT IS FOR WANNA BES MANUAL SHIFT IS FOR REAL RIDERS.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rick
a cross-country rider
from cal Date Reviewed: January 30, 1999
Bottom Line:
I bought these after trying the Xrays and new 9.0 SL shifters. Hated the XRays. Loved the 9.0SLs. So I heard the Attacks were like the 9.0SLs and I tried them. I love them. Shorter throws to shift, durable and cool looking. I think I like SRAM again.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Pentecost
a racer
from Maine Date Reviewed: January 13, 1999
Bottom Line:
JON & TJ - I had almost the exact same problem with my front shifter. I was doing a training ride up a pretty technical climb when my left foot came unclipped from the pedal. My knee came up sort of hard but nothing too forceful, made contact with the barrel adjuster, and snapped that little sucker right off. I mean, I didn't even hit it hard enough to cause even a little bit of pain in my knee, but it was more than hard enough to snap the shifter into two pieces. I agree with Jon that the shifters function well, but their strength is somewhat suspect. Maybe a slightly stronger plastic that's a little heavier would do the trick. I'd gladly pay a weight penalty of a few grams for the piece of mind knowing that my shifters aren't going to snap if they're bumped wrong. As for TJ's statement about running a Toyota into a wall, I think that's a pretty inaccurate analogy. In my case it would be more similar to slamming a door too hard and watching the windshield smash as a result.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Lofthouse
a cross-country rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: January 8, 1999
Bottom Line:
T-Bone: what kind of weird wreck was it? well it wasn't weird really..and i haven't crashed much for the past two years, about 5 wrecks in all.. my front wheel got caught in a large gutter, and my body momentum (which wasn't going that fast) carried me on (so i slid off the saddle basically), so my knee hit the barrel adjusters and snapped them. I understand what you're saying though.. it was due to my own negligence and i shouldn't be awarded a new pair, but i just feel that the durability of these shoudl be much better.. perhaps they should make them out of grilion, as the brake levers and the 9.0's.. it's a much stronger material. but anywasy i will reward these thigns for their shifting abilities cos they are great when they work.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from Texas Date Reviewed: January 7, 1999
Bottom Line:
Add one more vote for the 8.0 Attacks. They do exactly what is claimed--give you flawless gripshift-style shifting with Shimano derailleurs. I run them with XTR front and rear derailleurs. My previous shifters were XT Rapidfire. They worked fine, but I wanted to use my wrist instead of my thumb. As added bonuses, the GripShift unit is lighter, better looking, lets you shift through more gears in a hurry. You can also micro-adjust the front derailleur while riding to avoid chain rub. By the way, I have found they are compatible with Shimano XT brake levers, although I'd be interested in knowing whether some other combination would be better.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
T-bone
a racer
from Texas Date Reviewed: January 7, 1999
Bottom Line:
Wait, wait, Jon, go buy a new Toyota, run it into a wall after 5 hours of driving, then ask Toyota for a new car, come on, it's only 5 hours old. This is the only industry where consumers break the products due to their own negligence and want new ones. These shifters have been on my hardtail for almost a year now with no problems whatsoever. I'm dying to know what kind of wrecks you're having. With where the barrel adjusters sit on my bike, I'd have to have a pretty bizarre wreck to break them.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Lofthouse
a cross-country rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: January 7, 1999
Bottom Line:
Well, i got a reply. They won't replace products under crash damage. But one day after buying them? ONE DAY? with 5 hours use?! come on!!! my old 600's held up from 3 nasty crashes, these didn't.. needs to be far more durable. Perhaps they should make them out of the Grilion composite the brake levers i've had have survived 5 nasty crashes (thats my total).. not even a scrath on them, and one of them was on pavement. argh.. i may go with rapidfire or have a shot at them once more. sorry to give this review a big ol'...
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Lofthouse
a cross-country rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: January 6, 1999
Bottom Line:
These are really good shifters except for one thing, the cable hanger snapped during a bad crash at a race which was my own fault, but the thing is i was only able to use them for about 5 hours.. i bought them the day before the race. i idnd't really notice until now (wednesday.. 3 dasy after ) that it had snapped, i just thought my front derailleur might need a tune. Oh well, my faith in sram is still strong, hopefully they will warranty the shifters. -1 for the breakage.. 5 for everything else about them, looks, shifting, feel etc. i feel bad about giving them 4 cause their products are usually up to such a high standard that they deserve a 5. oh well.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mOtan
a cross-country rider
from Somewhereoutthere Date Reviewed: December 13, 1998
Bottom Line:
I am sorry to be a spoil sport, but these shifters really suck! I have had them for 3 months and I would have to say from day one that they shift like crap! I am using them with XTR cables, to a STX rear derailler, which are not very good to start with, but these shifters made the shifting worst! I used XT combi shifters before the Attacks and they worked fine till I broke something in the internal mechanisms. Read the reviews for the Attacks and believed it was the way to go, but I am very disappointed. If anyone thinks that maybe my shifters were set up wrongly, I will on the record state that I had 4 different bike shops try to improve the shifting, all failing. These shifters are not worth the money, and I am buying new XT shifters once I get enough money. They are really poor shifters!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BART
a weekend warrior
from RHODE ISLAND Date Reviewed: December 10, 1998
Bottom Line:
I HAVE BEEN USING THE ATTACKS FOR 6 MONTHS NOW AND THE HAVE SHIFTED FLAWLESSLY SINCE THEY WERE INSTALLED. THEY WERE AN UPGRADE FROM THE OE GRIP SHIFTS. I RUN XT FRONT, XTR REAR. GREAT JOB SRAM...PLASTIC IS LIGHT AND CHEAP.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J
a
from weekend warrior Date Reviewed: December 9, 1998
Bottom Line:
Good set of shifters considering the price, not the most durable things in the world, but Sram has made improvements. Reccomended for the hard core rider, but if your race depends on it, go with the new 9.0s, you will never break those.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Wolfe
a weekend warrior
from Indianapolis Indiana Date Reviewed: November 29, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have used the 8.0 Attack Shifters for several months now. They shift fine, have not broken,required no adjustment, and have done nothing to cause me to think or worry about them during a ride. I do not understand the concern over the use of plastic in the shifters. Some plastics are strong and some are not. Some metals are strong and some are not. These shifters held up fine. I guess they could be made of steel but then people would complain about the weight; or titanium and they would gripe about the cost. We are not talking about rocket parts here.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Russell Doratty
a weekend warrior
from BC Canada Date Reviewed: November 28, 1998
Bottom Line:
Shifters feel nice and work well but break far too easily. I had the shifters for 2 months and then managed to break them both within one week in seperate incidents (once by crashing, once by bashing my knee into the shifter). Needs to be way more durable.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
smudge
a racer
from Baja Date Reviewed: October 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
easy shifting because your hands don't leave the grips... that is the only good feature. they are plastic and plastic breaks easily they are tougher to install and maintain not as crisp as other systems such as shimano and even suntour they look nice and feel nice but shifters are supposed to shift nice. 4 stars for feel one star for shifting one star for durability average approx 2 burning cow pies
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tony
a racer
from utah Date Reviewed: October 11, 1998
Bottom Line:
I won these shifters at the end of last season, they have worked and shifted so peachy clean this whole year, I am very, very delighted! I ride XTR deraillers and these shifters are totally compatible with them, the tendon in one of my thumbs is jacked up so I have to use GripShift and these shifters have done the job as well as the XTR Rapidfires I had last year. The shifting is very fast and smooth. Good job GripShift!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Superbros
a weekend warrior
from Gävle, Sweden Date Reviewed: October 5, 1998
Bottom Line:
The 8.0 Atttack! is the best ever shifters I'd used so far. To be onest I'll never ride anything else than GripShift, so I'll never learned to use the Rapid fire. If you want to get the best result with shimano der. then BUY IT!! If you find somthings that works better, then BUY IT!! The shifters is now been used for at least 6 month, and it's NO Problems so ever with the function.If somthing could be rated 6 it would be the 8.0 ATTACK!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Massrider
a cross-country rider
from Mass Date Reviewed: September 25, 1998
Bottom Line:
Exchanged the rapid fire STX shifter for these on my Mantra Comp. These are great, thick grips, precise shifts with little slop. Have been using them for a month so cant say much about durability. Dont think Ill go back to rapidfires, nothing shifts quicker. Now I need to replace the crappy Sugino cranks.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Timo Marttinen
a cross-country rider
from Finland Date Reviewed: September 11, 1998
Bottom Line:
These shifters work great with shimano XT Derailleurs and lx. I have used them 4 months in a shitty conditions and there has been no need for adjustments. Review might be totally different after first cable change but ... Shifting is very smooth and fast even with LX-cassette. The micro adjustable front shifter take´a while to get used to it. So i got no use for rapidfires :)
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gregg
a weekend warrior
from Thousand Oaks, Calif Date Reviewed: August 25, 1998
Bottom Line:
Attention all Grip Shift X-Ray 800 owners: Stop eating, don't pay the rent, let little Billy go barefoot and leave the fleas on Fido. Take the money you've saved and immediately buy a set of Attack 8.0 shifters. Shifting is quicker and more precise. I thought X-rays were fine. Attacks are vastly superior.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
monkeyboy
a cross-country rider
from iowa Date Reviewed: August 20, 1998
Bottom Line:
This review is in reference to the SRAM customer service. I broke the rear shifter cable cover (the one that screws on and covers the cable). I called SRAM and talked to JP. My replacement was sent to my LBS then next day. Outstanding service.......The shifter still worked great although the housing was cracked.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
monkeyboy
a weekend warrior
from IOWA! Date Reviewed: June 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
I've been using these shifters for approximately 8 months.....NO PROBLEMS!!! I have them mated to a XT Derailleurs and a rollamajig. Rode all winter+ very wet/muddy spring and summer and have had little trouble. Actually no problems with shifter but the rear cable housing became clogged which cause some slow shifting. The sytems still functioned good (probably due to the aftermarket spring in the derailleur). If you like twisters as apposed to shimano then these are the choice.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Owen W.
a weekend warrior
from Mass Date Reviewed: June 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
theyre really smooth, kick xt ass, are inexpensive, are easy to configure, are light and just straight out rule!!!!!!! 'nuff said(did I mention smooth...)SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules SRAM Rules Damn Straight!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
cjm
a cross-country rider
from Coquitlam, BC Date Reviewed: June 21, 1998
Bottom Line:
I just got these shifters this season, and so far I've been very pleased. While I won't go so far as to say they've got Shimano's butt kicked...If: 1) You have a non-ESP derailleur, preferably an XT or XTR 2) And you like grip-style shifting over rapid-fire (a matter of personal preference for me)... You can't go wrong with the 8.0's!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ALacritas
a
from cross-country rider Date Reviewed: June 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
I slapped these puppies on to replace some worn out rapifires. I bought these because they are sooo much lighter than Shimanos. I run Precision Billet derailleurs and gore rideon cables, and the shifting is really sweet. Before the gore cables, shifting to the big chainring required a lot of twist effort...so did shifting to the big cog. Now it's all good. I had a hell of a time removing the black grips and replacing them with the yellow ones. The cable changes still aren't quite as easy as with Shimano. I sometimes shift accidentally going downhill, but it's not too big of a problem. This is my first pair of Gripshifters--before the easy cable changes and other improvements I refused to use them. The quality of materials and design is fine, but these don't appear to be as dirt-proof the Precision Billet shifters; of course, I haven't actually had a prob with dirt. I won't give them a 5 pepper rating because I didn't like them before I got the gore cables, but as far as twist shifting goes it's a nice effort.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John B.
a weekend warrior
from Urbana, Il Date Reviewed: May 20, 1998
Bottom Line:
This is an update on my review of the Grip Shift 8.0 Attack shifters on December 24, 1997. These shifters are still shifting as smooth as when new. I think if I can say the same thing about them in another six months they will have Shimano's butt kicked. I have really grown to like the ability to trim the front derailleur so there is no chain rub.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
john
a weekend warrior
from so cal Date Reviewed: April 28, 1998
Bottom Line:
got some '98 attack 8.0 shifters at interbike as shwag!! these shifters are awesome!! shifting is quick and precise. i run an xtr derailer so everything is super smooth. i love these shifters. when i first started to use gripshift i hated it, but as i got used to them i really started to like them. the micro adjustable front shifter is absolutely awesome. now i am sold on these shifters. the cable change is so simple with these shifters too. try them, you will like the quick shifts with these.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marc
a racer
from CA Date Reviewed: April 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
The 8.0 Attack paired with XTR is outstanding. Quick, precise shifting. What else can you ask for. I have done several races in the mud over the last couple of months. Even though my bike was covered in muck, the shifting was still very clean. As an added bonus, the new colors match well with XTR.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James
a cross-country rider
from New London Connecticut Date Reviewed: April 14, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have recently built my first custum frame,(United Bicycle Institute) I equiped it with Gripshift 8.0 ATTACK! These shifters rock. Had Rapidfire before which was bombproof. those are on my other bike. These Shifters are fast and smooth so far(with XT der), riding in serious spring water and mud. No problems shifting off the large cassete rings either. Only problem is brake levers they would work best with four finger Avid ultimates which are expensive, I have Avid 2.0's which work fine but make you think about grabbing the lever in the right spot. XTR Grey rocks and so does the addition of grips, and a bass worm that comes with.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philippe
a cross-country rider
from Blainville, Québec Date Reviewed: February 9, 1998
Bottom Line:
I am using a GripShift 8.0 Attack with a 1998 XTR rear derailleur and 1995 XTR up front. Shifts are crisp and incredibly fast. Grrreat looks two. Pretty neat construction (they have replaced some plastic parts with composites). I think they bought the desing from their recently acquired Sachs Company. Way to go SRAM!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John B.
a cross-country rider
from Chamapign, Illinois Date Reviewed: December 24, 1997
Bottom Line:
I just bought a set of 8.0 Attack shifters after having my second pair of rapidfires go south. Both sets went bad in less than a year. The shifting is crisp and precise. So far, I like them much better than rapidfire. The front shifter is actually faster than the rapid fire and the rear just about the same. The only question that remains is on durability. Time will tell.
Overall Rating:
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