Update: got some extra cash now - 2013 SRAM Red vs DA 9000 ??

[yoshirider]

UPDATE *** A little change to my situation ***
Just sold my bike so now I have extra money. I now have the option of buying a full DA 9000 group with C24 wheels all brand new for $2200 and selling the SRAM Red. Just went to the bike shop to compare the shifter shapes and I'm very confused now! The new DA 9000 shifters that was installed on the LBS manager's bike felt very easy to press on the brakes (very loose -- maybe they adjusted it that way?) while the SRAM Red didn't feel as easy. Afterwards, I put my hands on the newer 105 shifters and could not really tell the difference with the 9000 shifter except I could actually wrap my pinky on the 9000 shifter. Unfortunately, there were no bikes my size to test ride. For people who have ridden both groups, which one would you say has the better shifter ergonomics?


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My Original Post:
I just got the new SRAM RED group as an impulse purchase. Before I decide to install it onto my 7900 equipped bike, I would love to hear opinions about whether or not its much of an upgrade to what I have.

One of the reasons why I decided to go with SRAM was because I have really small hands and with gloves on I find it very difficult to use the brakes because of the width of the Dura Ace shifters and I have to push the buttons really hard to shift sometimes (especially in the front). Mechanically, the shifting has been flawless and I have no complaints. Another reason for going with RED is the weight savings. Dura Ace Di2 would be nice (and perfect for my small hands), but it's too expensive :(

Help! Thanks in advance.

[10-4]

It's been a bit since I was on 7900 (made the swap to 9000), but as far as I am concerned I'll never go back to SRAM. Their front shifting is miles behind Shimano, it's getting better, but still not there.

Having spent a fair bit of time in bike shops, I can say that the breakage on SRAM is waaaaaaaay beyond anyone else as well. Their warranty support is top notch, but my mechanic was joking about how SRAM dealer service is the only component manufacturers number he has memorized. I think that's telling.

[Gummee]

I solved the crappy front shifting issue by running D/A front derailleurs on all my otherwise SRAM bikes. (all 4 of em)

I've had exactly one shifter break on me (knocking on wood) since I changed over. I don't know how many miles were on it when I got it and SRAM still warrantied it for me.

M

[yoshirider]

Does sram's warranty work for parts that weren't purchased at an authorized dealer? I got mine as new oem parts from someone else

[irideslow8401]

I just got the new SRAM RED group as an impulse purchase. Before I decide to install it onto my 7900 equipped bike, I would love to hear opinions about whether or not its much of an upgrade to what I have.

One of the reasons why I decided to go with SRAM was because I have really small hands and with gloves on I find it very difficult to use the brakes because of the width of the Dura Ace shifters and I have to push the buttons really hard to shift sometimes (especially in the front). Mechanically, the shifting has been flawless and I have no complaints. Another reason for going with RED is the weight savings. Dura Ace Di2 would be nice (and perfect for my small hands), but it's too expensive :(

Help! Thanks in advance.

Yaw group is shifting perfect. +1 on small hand.. that's the reason i ride sram as well and i never had issue with front shifting issue when i used Force FD.

[Rebel_Biker]

I have run SRAM and shimano on different bikes for a couple of years. I tried to like SRAM because they are an American company but in the end the shifting is just not as good. Especially on up shifts when I shift multiple gears up. I find myself having to shift down again to get the chain in the gear correctly. I have adjusted the cables many times and even had a mechanic look at it and confirmed it is fine. I had the same issue on all SRAM groups. Other than that nuance it is fine. The downshifts are great, bit shimano and campy shifts are perfect in both directions.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[oldpotatoe]

I just got the new SRAM RED group as an impulse purchase. Before I decide to install it onto my 7900 equipped bike, I would love to hear opinions about whether or not its much of an upgrade to what I have.

One of the reasons why I decided to go with SRAM was because I have really small hands and with gloves on I find it very difficult to use the brakes because of the width of the Dura Ace shifters and I have to push the buttons really hard to shift sometimes (especially in the front). Mechanically, the shifting has been flawless and I have no complaints. Another reason for going with RED is the weight savings. Dura Ace Di2 would be nice (and perfect for my small hands), but it's too expensive :(

Help! Thanks in advance.

Ultegra Di2 or Athena EPS is the same $ as red...

[oldpotatoe]

Does sram's warranty work for parts that weren't purchased at an authorized dealer? I got mine as new oem parts from someone else

Nope..they have 'modified' their warranty outlook quite a bit in the last few months..not nearly as freewheeling as it once was. They will check purchase place and date.

[Pelican]

Maybe I should reconsider selling my Record 10 group for SRAM Red.

I want to rebuild my bike over the winter as a weight weenie bike, and I think Red is the lightest group. Looking at individual component weights, Campy carbon doesn't seem that much heavier.

-Hong

[yoshirider]

just sold my second bike so now I have cash to buy DA 9000. SRAM Red 2013 or DA 9000 which one is better for small hands? ask your wives for me please!

[rice rocket]

Are her hands small...or is my...




...nevermind.

[45K10]

just sold my second bike so now I have cash to buy DA 9000. SRAM Red 2013 or DA 9000 which one is better for small hands? ask your wives for me please!

My wife prefers the DA because you can adjust the lever reach. She says it makes it much more comfortable to ride. I am not sure if Sram Red has that feature.

[EDS]

My wife prefers the DA because you can adjust the lever reach. She says it makes it much more comfortable to ride. I am not sure if Sram Red has that feature.

It does.

[yoshirider]

My wife prefers the DA because you can adjust the lever reach. She says it makes it much more comfortable to ride. I am not sure if Sram Red has that feature.

I will adjust the reach tonight. It does make the shifters look ugly though :(. Better than spending $1450 I guess.

[rnhood]

You would have to be drunk to pick Sram over DA.

[tiretrax]

You would have to be drunk to pick Sram over Campy.

Fixed it for you before OP did!

[John H.]

I have ridden SRAM for the last 5 years- this summer I switched to 9000 mechanical.
It is so much better than SRAM Red in every way. Quieter, shifts with more precision, no miss-shifts, I can tell when I hit the bottom gear, and brakes work way better.
Get 9000- you will thank me after you put 1000 miles on it.

[sparky33]

new SRAM Red works well for me. It requires careful setup with the Yaw front derailleur, but that's a one time thing and really not too hard if you can read (the directions) or watch Youtube instructions.

It runs dead silent.
Front shifting is quick with no trim required.
It works.

Seems to me that 2013 SRAM remedied many of the issues of previous SRAM generations.

[thegunner]

I have ridden SRAM for the last 5 years- this summer I switched to 9000 mechanical.
It is so much better than SRAM Red in every way. Quieter, shifts with more precision, no miss-shifts, I can tell when I hit the bottom gear, and brakes work way better.
Get 9000- you will thank me after you put 1000 miles on it.

except for weight.

[firerescuefin]

.

[vqdriver]

i like sram :eek:

[45K10]

I will adjust the reach tonight. It does make the shifters look ugly though :(. Better than spending $1450 I guess.

Yes it does make them look ugly. Wife doesn't care but I am glad the shifters aren't on my bike, just saying.

[John H.]

For real? How much more does 9000 weigh vs. SRAM Red?
FWIW- I went with a heavier frame when I moved to 9000.
I wanted everything to work perfectly so I had a frame made with external cables, press-in headset and threaded bb.
I hate the noise that modern carbon bikes can make and the complications that integrated parts cause.
My bike weighs 1 lb. more than my old one, it works way better, and it is not any slower.

except for weight.

[thegunner]

For real? How much more does 9000 weigh vs. SRAM Red?
FWIW- I went with a heavier frame when I moved to 9000.
I wanted everything to work perfectly so I had a frame made with external cables, press-in headset and threaded bb.
I hate the noise that modern carbon bikes can make and the complications that integrated parts cause.
My bike weighs 1 lb. more than my old one, it works way better, and it is not any slower.

some people care a lot about weight. 2019 vs 1670 grams is a LOT by any standard.

take your steel frame at 1700 grams + DA9000 and pit it against a 650 gram cervelo rca + red and you're talking 3+ pounds of weight difference.

[John H.]

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/01/09/new-sram-red-long-term-review-part-1-actual-weights-install-notes/
1911 without cables. Lighter than 2012 but pretty far from 1670.
Dura-Ace is 1953
http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/12/13/unboxed-weighed-photod-2013-shimano-dura-ace-9000-11-speed-group/
I don't own a steel frame right now but I would take a Pegoretti Duende over a stack of RCA frames.
Did you see the RCA that needed a backwards seatpost to work right? You can have them.
I am not saying that I hate light stuff, in fact I really like light parts. But I would call myself a function weenie more than a weight weenie. I won't sacrifice a single gram if it works worse, is hard to maintain, or tends to make noise.

some people care a lot about weight. 2019 vs 1670 grams is a LOT by any standard.

take your steel frame at 1700 grams + DA9000 and pit it against a 650 gram cervelo rca + red and you're talking 3+ pounds of weight difference.

[cfox]

some people care a lot about weight. 2019 vs 1670 grams is a LOT by any standard.

take your steel frame at 1700 grams + DA9000 and pit it against a 650 gram cervelo rca + red and you're talking 3+ pounds of weight difference.

cervelo with sram?? that's just crazy talk...you do want a bike that actually works, right?

[thegunner]

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/01/09/new-sram-red-long-term-review-part-1-actual-weights-install-notes/
1911 without cables. Lighter than 2012 but pretty far from 1670.
Dura-Ace is 1953
http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/12/13/unboxed-weighed-photod-2013-shimano-dura-ace-9000-11-speed-group/
I don't own a steel frame right now but I would take a Pegoretti Duende over a stack of RCA frames.
Did you see the RCA that needed a backwards seatpost to work right? You can have them.
I am not saying that I hate light stuff, in fact I really like light parts. But I would call myself a function weenie more than a weight weenie. I won't sacrifice a single gram if it works worse, is hard to maintain, or tends to make noise.

ha, i forgot to add in the chain! which would take it to 1900ish (although to be fair, that includes a chain catcher ;)) - fyi, the post you referenced is the new sram red, but not red 22 which clocks in at a supposed < 1900 http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/groupset/groupset-road/product/review-sram-red-groupset-12-46558

i will take that rca any day. good for both of us i guess. i just found your initial response with regards to weight odd. some people DO care a lot about it, even at the expense of durability.

[r_mutt]

You would have to be drunk to pick Sram over DA.

agreed 100%. not even close.

[thegunner]

agreed 100%. not even close.

wow, it's like none of you enjoy drinking :p

[John H.]

I guess an RCA is cool if that is your thing.
For that $, I could think of a lot of other bikes I would rather have.
A custom Crumpton or Parlee come to mind.
Then I could get it just the way I like.
But then it wouldn't be a 12 lb bike, because I would put a 9000 group, a threaded bb, press-in headset, powermeter, and a set of Hed Ardennes wheels.
Wouldn't be heavy, but it wouldn't excite someone who is into light stuff.

ha, i forgot to add in the chain! which would take it to 1900ish (although to be fair, that includes a chain catcher ;)) - fyi, the post you referenced is the new sram red, but not red 22 which clocks in at a supposed < 1900 http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/groupset/groupset-road/product/review-sram-red-groupset-12-46558

i will take that rca any day. good for both of us i guess. i just found your initial response with regards to weight odd. some people DO care a lot about it, even at the expense of durability.

[PJN]

cervelo with sram?? that's just crazy talk...you do want a bike that actually works, right?

Did you see the RCA that needed a backwards seatpost to work right? You can have them.
I am not saying that I hate light stuff, in fact I really like light parts. But I would call myself a function weenie more than a weight weenie. I won't sacrifice a single gram if it works worse, is hard to maintain, or tends to make noise.


I guess an RCA is cool if that is your thing.
For that $, I could think of a lot of other bikes I would rather have.
A custom Crumpton or Parlee come to mind.
Then I could get it just the way I like.
But then it wouldn't be a 12 lb bike, because I would put a 9000 group, a threaded bb, press-in headset, powermeter, and a set of Hed Ardennes wheels.
Wouldn't be heavy, but it wouldn't excite someone who is into light stuff.

But it would ride awesome, the geometry wouldn't be ····ing DUMB and it would fit.

John H. wins again.

Cervelos are for punters. Go play golf.

[PJN]

except for weight.

Redacted. Apparently I'm too mean about fatties.

[Drewmanchew]

I'll pile on, Sram breaks, yes if you buy it from a shop they can warranty it but what a pain. Shimano over sram any day. if you want quiet smooth, OP nailed it ultegra di2 or anthena eps.

[oldpotatoe]

Maybe I should reconsider selling my Record 10 group for SRAM Red.

I want to rebuild my bike over the winter as a weight weenie bike, and I think Red is the lightest group. Looking at individual component weights, Campy carbon doesn't seem that much heavier.

-Hong

trim your nose hair instead..

[oldpotatoe]

some people care a lot about weight. 2019 vs 1670 grams is a LOT by any standard.

take your steel frame at 1700 grams + DA9000 and pit it against a 650 gram cervelo rca + red and you're talking 3+ pounds of weight difference.

You say that twice, and not, not a LOT. Way to much emphasis on weight but it's only one of the two things you can 'measure(other being price)...take a 'normal' bike rider, like many on this here forum..weigh them, bike, rider, shoes, clothes, water, tool/tube pouch, what do you get?

95,000 or so grams?? So 349 grams isn't hardly anything..nor is 3 pounds(1362 grams), when the 'package' is 95,000 grams or so.

Particularly when the resulting 'package' works every day, doesn't break or fail, disappears beneath the rider so he can concentrate and enjoy the ride, not the bike...

"some people DO care a lot about it, even at the expense of durability."

yeegads.....

[William]

Just cut out the half&half in the daily morning coffee and you'll lose that three pounds in a couple weeks. Rather do that and stick to durable goods. The motor runs better that way.:)





William

[oldpotatoe]

Just cut out the half&half in the daily morning coffee and you'll lose that three pounds in a couple weeks. Rather do that and stick to durable goods. The motor runs better that way.:)





William

"why train when you can buy speed".......

[yoshirider]

i adjusted the reach. it looks really hideous now and the brake cable tension is off. is that normal?

1697867098

[130R]

new SRAM Red works well for me. It requires careful setup with the Yaw front derailleur, but that's a one time thing and really not too hard if you can read (the directions) or watch Youtube instructions.

It runs dead silent.
Front shifting is quick with no trim required.
It works.

Seems to me that 2013 SRAM remedied many of the issues of previous SRAM generations.

Yaw FD's require a little more attention on initial setup. But they work just fine if they are setup properly.

http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/tuningsramredyawfrontderailleurs.html

[10-4]

Yaw FD's require a little more attention on initial setup. But they work just fine if they are setup properly.

http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/tuningsramredyawfrontderailleurs.html

But that's the thing: do you want "just fine" or do you want "exceptional"? Because SRAM's new Yaw front shifting is "just fine". Shimano 9000 or Campy on the other hand......