Credit where credit is due.

[stuts]

I've always used Shimano components on my bikes simply because they tend to work better, although I haven't tried the modern Sram stuff.

Today, I finally got my last wheel back from the LBS, been waiting for this to finish off my Parkpre which is going to be used as a hack. The Parkpre hasn't turned a wheel for more than 10 years, been stored in my mom's.

So imagine my amazement when I took it out to the park behind my house to find that everything still works almost as well as the last day it was used. All the gears change smoothly and the indexing is still almost spot on, except for one shift from largest sprocket at the back down to second.

I hadn't changed any cables or outers, hadn't even adjusted them or lubed the chain or anything.

I know some people aren't keen on Shimano, but gotta hand it to them, their build quality is second to none. To sit unused in storage (albeit dry) for more than 10 years and to still work almost perfectly is amazing.

Lol, on the other hand, the Judy SL's are seized solid and one of the grips disintegrated in my hand and fell off.

 

[REKIBorter]

Yay! another Parkpre

Which model is it?

 

[stuts]

Its a Parkpre comp limited. Was my first serious mtb, bought it in the states on holiday. About the only standard things left is the seapost, bars, frame and front mech. Still got the stem kicking around somewhere and the original Pulstar hubs, unfortunately can't find a bike shop willing to build them.

Massively underated bikes imo.

 

[Rampage]

I know some people aren't keen on Shimano, but gotta hand it to them, their build quality is second to none. To sit unused in storage (albeit dry) for more than 10 years and to still work almost perfectly is amazing.

I was a big Shimano fan in those days.
Now they produce poor tat which lasts 5 minutes. This has been mentioned in magazines too, so it's not just my view.
What they were making 15 years ago lasted far longer.

My modern SRAM stuff however seems bombproof!

 

[Owen]

My modern SRAM stuff however seems bombproof!

..this view baffles me! All the Sram stuff I've used (mostly X9/X0) while it shifts beautifully when new, it seems to last about 5 minutes! I can't put a number on the amount of Sram rear mechs I have had fail on me! And I've seen even more on other peoples bikes! I had one which lasted less than 2 hours before it went BANG and I swear I hadn't hit it off anything! :?

To be fair I have heard a lot of bad rep on the shimano shadow (XT/XTR) rear mechs, but I ran a shadow XT for the whole of last summer and it's still perfect now. And I have nothing but praise for the new Saint stuff! That rear mech is not only a work of art but insanely strong! The one on my big bike has had 2 full seasons/numerous large impacts and it is still going strong! It looks battered and has developed a fair pit of play at the pivots but strangely it still shifts perfect! I don't get it.. but I like it!

Anyway that's just my experience..

Could the difference in opinion by down to riding style???

I like to think I give mechs an easy ride as far as shifting under load is concerned. But I know I am pretty hard on bikes in general, any rear mech I own can expect to get well aquainted with the local rocks and trees! :twisted:

 

[IbocProSX]

In the 90's it was a sport not having any Shimano kit on my bikes. I often ended up with their front derailleurs and the LX cranks/BB really were the king of value for money.

My most memorable experience was when I changed bikes with a mate. My all singing all dancing Santa Cruz custom SRAM 9.0SL build for his Halfords special with Shimano SIS 6-speed low end kit. I was not expecting much, but for half an hour it shifted and braked good enough to get me round the course at Schoorl. Kudos to the big S for making the low end stuff work so well.

As for modern XO, my 2004ish rear mech is still used 40 klicks every sunday and is still spot on. No slop, shifts perfect.

Enjoy!!

 

[Rampage]

Possibly riding schedule or maintenance routines!
None of the SRAM stuff on my bike has missed a beat. The shifters get stripped and cleaned every 6 months - 1 year, the rear mech just gets a small amount of oil on the pivots after washing).

The Shimano rear hub was worn after the first couple of rides (not too bad now after replacing the bearings and one of the cones from a 1991 LX hub), one side of the BB needed replacing after 6 months (although could have been the BB alignment).