Undecide what to go for, I guess its down to personal choice but your opinions would be appreciated rather than magazine reviews I would rather hear the opinions of real riders.

Not tried sram but my XTR stuff has always been faultless for many years. SRAM chain of course tho’.

Doesn’t the 10 speed Shimano stuff now have the same pull as SRAM?

Sram is well overpriced! Stick with shimano.

chiefgrooveguru no it doesn’t have the same cable pull

shaggmiester So you’re saying XTR isn’t overpriced? lol both are premium products with premium price tags

Personally I prefer Sram to Shimano, Shimano set up’s used to need constant adjustment to keep them running well, my Sram set ups have never needed any adjustment once set up initially

I preferred SRAM to SHIMANO until i borrowed a demo bike with SLX all round.

I’m now saving up for an upgrade to XTR after my holidays!

SRAM shifters have a heavier feel i find, but are more clunky and reassuring.

Mix and match here, but have Sram rear mechs as they are more fit and forget I find, and keeps its indexing better in poor conditions. XT front mechs, X0 and X9 rear mechs on my bikes with X0 or X9 shifters. XT and Truvativ chainsets with Sram cassettes and Sram chains…

I have SRAM XX and I hate it….hate it I tell ya. I’d go back to XTR tomorrow if I could.

So if anybody wants a swap let me know.

What I don’t like….
The push only shifters that shift twice if you hit a bump while shifting.
The brakes have no feel, and all that bite point and reach faff.
I don’t think it looks as good either.

SB

4ndy b- yeah xtr is overpriced too but what i meant is in terms of xtr being equivelant to xo. personally i would’nt have either, im happy enough with slx. 🙂

I have X0 and X9 rear mechs, Sram chains, XT front mechs and XT cassettes on my bikes. With X0 shifters. Rear mehcs and shifters feel alot better than the Shimano stuff I’ve tried previously. Plus, the Matchmaker clamps with Avid brakes keep my bars nice and tidy 🙂

Ride both, pick which you prefer.

Plus, the Matchmaker clamps with Avid brakes keep my bars nice and tidy

Like I-Spec does for XTR and the new XT.

i always go for XO rear mechs and XTR on the front with XO shifters,

works for me, nothing against XTR rears but i just always loved the positive feel of Sram but the
price is silly for a mech. never liked Sram front mechs.

Sram stuffs chocolate nowadays, shimano for the win.

I seen a SRAM XX cassette the other day; over three hundred pounds.

😯

WHY???

Madness….

I think it’s because it’s machined from one piece of steel, I’ve not read any reviews or reports on longevity or reliability, so I’m not sure if its worth to extra £240 over an XT cassette.
😯

I doubt it…

SRAM still feels cheap even at the top of the line. XTR is peerless.

I have ridden both and compared XT to XTR and XX to X9.

To me SRAM doesn’t feel as good as Shimano, there’s a quality ‘feel’ to XTR which is appreciably better than XT. I don’t think you get the same increase in quality feel as you go up through the SRAM groupset hierarchy. Just my twopeneth worth.

I think as with a lot of things American, they hype it up. Bulk sell to large manufacturers. People see it on high end bikes, thus reinforcing the hype (Marketing) and the result is people go around thinking it has got to be better than Sihmano.

One more vote for SRAM – Light with grip shift, solid feel to shifting and more resistant to mud/poor mechanics.
I’ve X 0 on my bling bike and I prefer it to my old Shimano set up.

I do like SRAM; the 1:1 ratio gubbins means a ‘feel’ to shifters you don’t get with Shimano. I loved XX, but my new wheels has 10sp XTR. I like it so far. Longevity takes time to get a feel for, though.

I went off XTR shadow after trashing 2 mechs in 2 rides. The carbon cage shatters if it gets a whack. SRAM blackbox did seem tougher. The new carbon on M980 looks better, so we shall see.

Isn’t it nice we are so spoiled we can argue the toss as to which is the nearest to being perfect?

Have used XTR, X0. But for me the quality/price ratio SLX is mutts nuts. Cheap, reliable and did I says cheap?

Been on XO rear mech and gripshift since they were launched. In fact I’m still running the setup I preordered as soon as I saw the lauch shots in a mag. The mech has had 2 sets of joockey wheels and a new rear plate afyter I hit a rock in the alps 4 years ago. Grips are a bit worn on the shifters but the whole setup works like it did when it was new and has done on the 4 or 5 bikes I’ve had it on. Cheapest gearset I’ve ever run, averaged out over its age!

I prefer SRAM personally tbh but in reality I doubt there is much difference it just which you prefer.
Dont get a carbon mech the X0 ones broke often as well not the place to have carbon IMHO.
My X0 mech split in half shattering both jockey wheels, pulled the cage out of the bit bolted to the bike and left the inner plate bent at 90 degrees in the middle . I bent it back into shape with vice and hammer got new jockeys and rebuilt it. It works perfectly now [ 2 years on]. I dont know of any other mech that would have been repairable from that state tbh.

Sram stuff just feels a bit cheap, love the look of the new xo but with xtr cheaper there’s no contest, xtr stuff feels and looks top dollar, even after years and years.

Currently running a 5+ year old xtr short cage rear mech, shifts perfectly, no play in the pivots (at all) and keeps the chain nice and tight.

not tried much of sram, the x0 twists work great, but im truely in the shimano camp, i’m not sure what more i could ask for from xtr, it just goes on working, even the sp41 and cable lasts for ages

I’ve had XTR rear and XT front mechs for years and had no real reliability problems … Except regular cable changes required to keep the rear working (I ride in all weathers).
Recently bought a bike with full X0 set up …. I love the rear mech & the real positive click on changes. The front mech however is total junk! SRAM have no idea how to make them & I switched to the new XTR up front.

Now I feel I’ve got the best of both worlds 🙂

Ran XO for years – again since it came out. It’s good, but I prefer the new XTR 10 speed – much more positive and lighter action.

GB

popartpoem – it would seem that Trek agree with you. My 9.9 Fuel EX has got full X0 apart from the front mech!
Having had XTR for in various incarnations over the last 5 years, I have to say, I love the SRAM kit, the push of the rear shifters seems much more positive.
As far as setting up the brakes is concerned, I can’t see where the problem is. Follow the instrustions (I have Elixir CR Mag) and you can set the lever/pads where you like. I’m now one finger braking (with the lever nice and close to the bar) with huge stopping power and I love it. The wife’s Juicy Carbons are a pain in the arse to change the pads, but I really rate my CR Mags.

I have been riding for 25 years. I have always used Campagnolo on the road and Shimano off road.

In an effort to move with the times, and since a change is as good as a rest I have twice made the mistake of trying SRAM off road (XO and XX) and once on the road (Red). I have always been disappointed. XTR feels like a robust product, whereas SRAM feels a bit flimsy and plastic. The finish is nothing to compare, and the feel is more reliable with XTR.

You pay extra for XTR over lower tier Shimano groups not only because it is lighter, but because it is harder wearing and longer lasting. With SRAM, it would appear that you just pay for the weight as the more you spend, the flimsier it seems to be.

So, for me, there is no question that XTR is the right choice. Just feels a more quality product and better engineered, finished and smoother in operation.

Thanks for so many replies, plenty of food for thought there, good to hear your views and opinions.

Another one here who has ridden both (along with loads of other combo’s too), but….

I will now not be budged from:

SRAM X0 Shifters
SRAM X0 Rear Mech
Shimano SLX front mech

MY mate who I ride with has…

XT Shifters
XTR Rear Mech
XT Front Mech

Let’s just say he has far more issues with his gearing whilst we’re out riding then I EVER do!

Let’s just say he has far more issues with his gearing whilst we’re out riding then I EVER do!

That’s more likely down to poor maintenance or poor setup than anything else.

I’m pretty extreme in my dislike of SRAM mechs and shifters on MTB’s, I hate the position of the smaller lever on the shifters and how it moves, and I hate the cheap plasticky toy like feel that all SRAM has, even XO (though I’ve not tried XX). I’d rather have Deore than any SRAM, SLX is miles better, XT like a lighter better feeling version of SLX, and XTR is peerless! And 10spd stuff is markedly better in use than 9spd too, you don’t ever have to overshft to get the gear you want.

mboy – Member

That’s more likely down to poor maintenance or poor setup than anything else.

I’m not sure that is the case, seeing that I am the bike mechanic for both bikes?? But like you said, each to their own. I was in a similar mind regarding the positioning when I first got them but then I put them together with the Hope Matchmaker clamps and I love where they sit now.