[LyNx]

Front page takes a while to load for me on dial-up so I don't really visit there much so I also don't see the polls etc. Got a PM about something and attached was a link to the latest poll - which I checked out. Then I decided to browse over all the polls and found one on which Rear Derailer you were running and the results are very interesting.

Considering all the "I hate Shimano", "Shitmano" etc, etc that's posted on this site I was amazed to view the results of the poll (8385) when I voted that said that 30% were running XT, 22% XTR, 12% XO, 10% X9, 7% LX, Other Shimano 7%, 4% I ride SS, 4% X7, 1% Other SRAM, 1% Saint, 1% Not Sure..

If you haven't voted yet go vote, 'cause it's so interesting with all the Shimano hating and bashing that it turns out that 67% are still using Shimano products, while only 27% are using SRAM.

http://www.mtbr.com/polls/polls.asp?id=1103

 

[notrelatedtoted]

I haven't used SRAM, but I've had Shimano on all my bikes. Seems to me that Shimano does what its supposed to do, and has always worked for me. Like it or not, they're the 900 pound gorilla on the block.

 

[Megaclocker]

Never had a problem with shimano.

I run :

Hone Cranks
Shimano HG53 Chain
Xt Cassette
Deore Shifter
Ultegra Derailleur
Xt Hubs

 

[willtsmith_nwi]

Shimano is the biggest OEM ...

Front page takes a while to load for me on dial-up so I don't really visit there much so I also don't see the polls etc. Got a PM about something and attached was a link to the latest poll - which I checked out. Then I decided to browse over all the polls and found one on which Rear Derailer you were running and the results are very interesting.

Considering all the "I hate Shimano", "Shitmano" etc, etc that's posted on this site I was amazed to view the results of the poll (8385) when I voted that said that 30% were running XT, 22% XTR, 12% XO, 10% X9, 7% LX, Other Shimano 7%, 4% I ride SS, 4% X7, 1% Other SRAM, 1% Saint, 1% Not Sure..

If you haven't voted yet go vote, 'cause it's so interesting with all the Shimano hating and bashing that it turns out that 67% are still using Shimano products, while only 27% are using SRAM.

http://www.mtbr.com/polls/polls.asp?id=1103

Everyone has ridden Shimano. Not everyone has been introduced to SRAM.

There is a LOT more legacy Shimano stuff out there since until recently pretty much all bikes shipped with stock Shimano components. The poll says nothing of what those who have used both prefer. It is non-applicable to the issue. It is a bit like conducting a presidential preference poll at an oil executive meeting. It's kinda a biased sample.

 

[loco-gringo]

I took X9/X0 off of my bike for XTR. It just works better for me. Not for everyone, but for me.

 

[Magish]

I had a mix of the "new" and "old" XTR stuff on my old Stumpjumer, and was impressed with the shifting, though not the strength. It shifted much cleaner than the X9/X0 mixture I now have on my 575. However, it only took one fairly nasty wreck to destroy the shifters and rear deraileur. The XT stuff I had used before had held up to much more of a beating.
Cheers
-Jeff

 

[hamachi]

my Seven is spec'd out in XTR...

 

[LyNx]

Since "we're" getting so defensive, I thought I'd clarify what the poll says.......What rear derailer are you using NOW? not what did your bike come with, what did you switch it too? So if somoenone had either and switched they'd vote for what they're running now, which would indicate their preference - easy up sram ladd

It's about what you're riding now and I my case I had Shimano and stayed w/ Shimano 'cause they work and cost a crap load less. I did however have RF cranks and was the best thing when I bought the XT HT2's.

Everyone has ridden Shimano. Not everyone has been introduced to SRAM.

There is a LOT more legacy Shimano stuff out there since until recently pretty much all bikes shipped with stock Shimano components. The poll says nothing of what those who have used both prefer. It is non-applicable to the issue. It is a bit like conducting a presidential preference poll at an oil executive meeting. It's kinda a biased sample.

 

[willtsmith_nwi]

Yes you are correct ...

Since "we're" getting so defensive, I thought I'd clarify what the poll says.......What rear derailer are you using NOW? not what did your bike come with, what did you switch it too? So if somoenone had either and switched they'd vote for what they're running now, which would indicate their preference - easy up sram ladd

It's about what you're riding now and I my case I had Shimano and stayed w/ Shimano 'cause they work and cost a crap load less. I did however have RF cranks and was the best thing when I bought the XT HT2's.

Yes your facts are correct but your reasoning is flaw. SRAM is an insurgent in the marketplace. Most bikes come stock with Shimano so it's not surprising that most people are still riding Shimano.

I am not a critic of Shimano. I happen to be very fond of their cranks and hubs. And I certainly think they make fine shifters and derailleurs. I just happen to think SRAM makes better shifters and derailleurs.

You might as well take a general poll on what kind of beer a given person drinks. Given the massive volume that Budweiser and Miller puts out, most people will comment that they drink one of the two. That doesn't mean Budweiser or Miller is better.

 

[mtb_biker]

the numbers don't lie, you just see sram advocates voicing their sramness more

 

[donboyfisher]

You might as well take a general poll on what kind of beer a given person drinks. Given the massive volume that Budweiser and Miller puts out, most people will comment that they drink one of the two. That doesn't mean Budweiser or Miller is better.

I think that sums it up nicely.

There is no qualifier on what makes something definitively better in this case. Each to their own. Personally I run Shimano stuff ( mostly XT ) as in the past its been fine and at the moment its perfectly fine. I upgrade parts when i wear them out . . . so normally its a bit here and a bit there. so a complete drivetrain jump to SRAM is simply not justifiable.

I certainly dont feel that its limiting me in any manner, so a complete change is not worth it.

If my bike setup came with SRAM to begin with, i'd probably stay with SRAM as again, it would do the job fine and not be a limiting factor of my riding.

 

[shiggy]

Yes your facts are correct but your reasoning is flaw. SRAM is an insurgent in the marketplace. Most bikes come stock with Shimano so it's not surprising that most people are still riding Shimano.

I am not a critic of Shimano. I happen to be very fond of their cranks and hubs. And I certainly think they make fine shifters and derailleurs. I just happen to think SRAM makes better shifters and derailleurs.

You might as well take a general poll on what kind of beer a given person drinks. Given the massive volume that Budweiser and Miller puts out, most people will comment that they drink one of the two. That doesn't mean Budweiser or Miller is better.

It is also a poll about what riders are using, not what is "best."

I use to run $12 Shimano 200GS rear derailleurs because they did the job and were cheap. I never considered them the best available, just good enough.

 

[uktrailmonster]

The highest volume, most heavily marketed stuff will always come out top in these kind of polls. It doesn't mean they are the best. I prefer X9 to XT, but it's not that big a deal. I currently run X9 rear mech, X9 shifters, XT front mech and XT drivetrain with a Sram chain!

 

[FoShizzle]

i prefer SRAM.

and since there are more Cannondales on the road (ie, more people buy Cannondales) than Turners does not imply that Cannondales are better than Turners......

 

[loco-gringo]

I will note that I see just as many bikes in the upper ranks of mountain bikes lately spec'd with Sram. That was the last 2 years. This year I seem to see more Shimano. I attribute all of that to marketing by shimano and sram. There is really no other explanation. The parts mean less than the price to the bike mfgs I am sure. If it works and they get it for less, they won't start caring.

 

[TLud]

Until recently, I've always run LX and XT. This is what my bikes have predominantly come with, they worked just fine for a good price, and I was hesitant to switch brands when Shimano got the job done. I didn't necessarily think that the LX and XT (or Shimano in general) was the best components. Like everyone else has said, what you use isn't necessarily what's the best.

For my recent Flux build, I went with SRAM for a lot of my drivetrain components because I liked how they felt on the bikes I had demoed and because I felt that Shimano's top end offering (XTR) wasn't durable enough for my uses and purposes. X.0 gave me the same or better performance as XTR, but also added a lot in the durability department.

 

[LyNx]

Exactly - I run XT derailers 'cause for the price I've paid for them they do the job well and seem to hold up to some good abuse. They're not the best or lightest, but they do what they're sposed to for what I can afford or at least see as reasonable for a part that's prob not gona last too long if you ride very bad terrain and smack it all the time.

It is also a poll about what riders are using, not what is "best."

I use to run $12 Shimano 200GS rear derailleurs because they did the job and were cheap. I never considered them the best available, just good enough.

 

[Sideknob]

I'll never have Shimano as long as they persist with rapid rise. I just don't like it.

 

[tennessee17]

i use shimano stuff on my bike

but the sram stuff feels nice.

The stormtrooper picture is milk funny!

 

[EricTheRed]

The only shimano parts on my singles are xtr rim brakes i've had for a long time, a skewer and a BB.

I think i voted "other in the poll". But the next bike i build if its not a single will be Sram or rohloff.

When i was running gears i always had a shimano drivetrain but i wanted to switch to sram stuff but the cost of getting new rear der and rear mech were not cost effective.