Micoshift,SRAM Double Tap or STi?

[Edge705]

When you say there is not much in it I think there are 2 distinct situations where I would prefer sti over sram Firstly shifting up the cassete with sti its a quick flick or if you prefer you can do a slow gradual flick this comes in handy when your cycling at speed and you hit an incline you can keep your cadence high by moving the lever gradualy not in ne quick action. Secondly the front drailleur situation with the SRAM is not as good as STI with STI you can move the shifter when on the small cog to avoid rubbing the chain guard with SRAM you cant seem do this on the small chainring. perhaps where the SRAM is slightly better is that with that clunk click you know youve gone downthe gear sometimes STI is so quiet your not quite sure especially when cycling at higher cadence. I like SRAM but its not blown me away Im struggling to see what benefits it has over shimano and by integrating the up and down level onto one you can actualy go up when you want to go down or vice versa. Just my opinion

 

[Sittingduck]

I'd agree that SRAM shifts better up (to a higher gear) and the 105 is a little better in the other direction. SRAM front lever seems to brake a little better also and can be adjusted quite easily for reach. Blocks the same on both bikes (Koolstop Salmons) calipers obviously come into this too but they are of the genuine 105 variety, on my day-to-day steed.

 

[Cyclist33]

The only bike manufacturer I know of that uses microshift (or branded versions of the same) is Merida with some of their low-mid range bikes.

And Felt.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've heard, (no pun intended), that SRAM shifters are very loud. As for Shimano, you'll definately notice a difference stepping up from 2300 to 105 IMO. I've used 105 in the past, (2011 version), and my C'dale has Dura-Ace shifters, and TBH the difference in performance is negligible IMO.
The way I've always understood the hierachy of componentry is the dearer they are the lighter they are, (and subsequently the quicker they wear out ) I appreciate this is a very simplistic description of things but it does seem to be the way it is. Yes the DA no doubt has better springs and such, but in terms of day to day performance there's virtually nothing to choose between 105, Ultegra and DA, again IMO.
Don't forget also that this years 105 is probably last years Ultegra, and this years Ultegra is the last incarnation of Dura-Ace, the technology simply trickles down

 

[Psyclist]

All good opinions so far.

Anyone know the warranty on each manufacturers components? I was told that Campy let you send of your broken parts for repair if they break, but not sure about the other manufacturers and where they stand on this, especially Microshift.

The guys on an American forum seem to have a love/hate experience with Microshift. The 'long throw' on shifts is what they don't like. They like the weight and price (which is most important to me) of Microshift too.

Guess it's Sti v Microshift now then.

 

[rollinstok]

Sorry to stray off subject
Was there ever a cable-less electronic shift system ?
I seem to vaguely remember something about such a system
Might be my brain playing tricks again

 

[cyberknight]

Having used 2300 , tiagra and apex my vote goes for sram , i prefer the sram lever feel and hood ergonomics to that of the shimano set ups .
cant say i have noticed sram being any noisier than any other groupset on club runs there is a full range from every manufacturer and as long as you keep your drive train and cables running clean and smooth then it all comes down to what ever feels the most easy to use for you .
Try a range of systems at the LBS and then decide .

 

[Hacienda71]

I have Sram on one bike and Shimano on another and had thought about Microshift as an option. I have a mate who swears by Microshift and has Super Record and Dura Ace on other bikes in his collection and says it is a good setup. Arsis the top of the range is as light as Dura Ace but costs less than half the price. I ended going for Sram on my last build as I liked the gear range for hilly riding and the cable routing is neat. Microshift has the gear cables coming out of the side of the Shifters rather than behind the tape on the bars

 

[Psyclist]

After reading opinions on here and other forums, also reviews I've settled on the Microshift White groupo.

Thanks to everyone for the opinions by the way.

If you want, read the following.

(Copied this from my main forum of a thread I made.)

Microshift White reviews:

Great review on Road bike review .

Even a pro rider was using MS on his bike.

I did some digging and found loads of different reviews. Might be too long to read but if you're bored...

GOOD POINTS

"Aside from it’s BLING factor as the only white groupset out there, it is also incredibly light and after having put it through its paces, I can safely say it is better than anything else I have ever used including Dura-Ace, yet it retails at a third of the price!

I have yet to run it with my race wheels but on my very worn and tired training wheels it shifted like a dream. In fact I completely forgot about it after the first few kilometres and to me that’s the sign of great componentry.

Let’s face it you don’t want to be worrying about something so fundamental as a gear shift, it must just do what it is supposed to and let you focus on the road and going fast."

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"I've owned Sram Apex and Force (current), Shimano 105 5500, and Microshift 9 speed shifters. I have to say, that the Microshift shifters were much nicer than expected. I bought them for next to nothing off craigslist intending to resell them for what they were actually worth, but in the mean time I installed them on the bike that had the 5500 parts. I ended up liking them more than the Shimano setup! The brake lever is rigid which I really like, and having the two paddles there right next to each other is really nice (which is mainly why I went to Sram). The shifter shape is fairly good and they felt just fine on long rides.

Quality wise, they were right in line with the 105 stuff, maybe even a little better. The shifters were much lighter than the Shimano (although not as light as the Sram shifters). I suggest you try them out, the parts are cheap enough that it's not a big investment, and you might end up liking them as much as I do!"

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"Mechanic at my LBS (felt dealer) said the same thing. felt goes to microshift and explains exactly what they want and microshift makes it. he had the same comment about the 105s being better, but said there's nothing wrong with microshift.

felt also puts the microshift shifters on some lower-end bikes with sora components. not the same shifters as the 105 bikes (9 spd vs. 10 spd obviously), but it seems like it'd be nice to have shifting in the drops as opposed to normal sora shifters with the thumb button."

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"Getting everything working on the stand is one thing, it's how it performs on the open road that counts. I have only put on about 150 miles on the MicroSHIFT set-up, but every shift has been flawless and I have not had to make an adjustment yet. The hood are comfortable, with a Shimano-like feel. Reaching the brake levers is easy despite having smaller hands and once I became used to the shifting method, it is not only easy, but it becomes second-nature. The shifters are easily reached from the hoods or the drops, but I do spend most of my time on the hoods. Each push of the lever results in a smooth down-shift and a quick, but firm, push of the smaller lever up-shifts quickly, with a sharp click, but nowhere near as loud as some reviewers stated. MicroSHIFT lacks the refined feel of the Ultegra levers, but I was never once disappointed by a missed shift."

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"Shimano sued and LOST a while back. I have microshift brifters running ultegra cranks, fd and rd. Works great, shifts are quick and precise, throws on the big lever can be a bit long but not terrible. Unlike sora, you csn shift from the drops. Biggest drawback is you can't hide the shift cables like the latest and greatest 105 and ultegra. But for $120 a pair, they are a great option. You could save a lot of money buying a felt with them up front then upgrade later to some used Shimano brifters."

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"Like most threads in the Road forum, you will find wildly differing opinions. The throw on 105 was too much for me, and Microshift was the cure for that. I currently run 8 and 9 speed MS. Microshift is my preferred shifter."

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I'd put most of the Microshift shifters against 105 quality.. but I've only tried 5600. Perhaps 105 made a huge leap with 5700 (by all accounts it did) and so now maybe it's closer to 10 speed Tiagra. I will say that in feel and ergonomics it's loads better than Sora. Try it out with an open mind and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
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BAD POINTS

"I also bought a Felt F95 this year that has Microshift 9 speed shifters mated to Tiagra derailleurs. Everything functions just as well as a complete Tiagra package would, but I would likely have paid several hundred dollars more for a full Shimano groupset. I will admit that shifting from the drops can be a bit daunting, and the throw from the small ring to the big ring up front is pretty long (making it difficult if you have smaller hands).

All in all, Microshift isn't perfect, but it works quite well and at the price it's a fantastic alternative to larger competitors if you're on a tight budget."

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"Bike shops don't call it MicroShit for nothing.... "

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"I don't like the mushy feel of brake levers that come on the felt f95. I haven't ridden them extensively, but they do seem to last fairly well, and the price point is right. the forte rear (micro shift) isn't as long lived. "

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I find they're the clunkiest of all road shifters, but they work fine and are reliable in what they do. Just not as smooth. Shimano is the smoothest, but that doesn't make Shimano what I prefer. I don't prefer Shimano's road shifting.

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The local bike shop recieved some bikes with Microshift on them from the factory. The shop had so many problems with them, they refused to take more, and exchanged some of them for shimano.

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When I was shopping for a new bike, I test rode a Felt Z6 with the Microshift shifters and hated them. They felt cheap and they were noisy as hell. They did seem to work fine but I couldn't get past the noise and cheap plastic feel. It appears Felt is no longer using these on the Z6 for 2012.

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As you can see there are mixed opinions on them.

A budget is in place due to being on low funds. I think after reading reviews on MS, they're great for the money.