Alternative components

[AndrewS]

The current thread about the Ultralight brake calipers got me thinking about something that I already enjoy - using alternatives to Shimano, SRAM or Campy for various components.

On my own bikes I've engaged in this a number of times. My SRAM Rival group didn't come with a crank, so my Extralight has Ritchey WCS cranks, which I adore. I have Cane Creek levers and calipers on another bike, Tektro levers to power some Campy brakes on a different one. I've been very pleased with Exustar Look and Keo compatible pedals. My mountain bike sports Sugino compact cranks. And we built my brother's Bianchi up with very inexpensive but reasonably nice Microshift brifters and derailleurs paired with Ritchey WCS cranks and Cane Creek brakes.

While there have always been the exotic, high end stuff like Zero Gravity or Magic Motorcycle, what current Shimano price level alternative products have you enjoyed using? There's many different cranks out there, plus companies like FSA also produce calipers and front derailleurs. Mavic sells a nice caliper. Stronglight makes some beautiful cranks. Etc.

[Wilkinson4]

Sampson Stratics but I haven't used them...

mIKE

[AndrewS]

The Stratics shifters and derailleurs are Microshift. Same with the Arsis, Performance Forte, Nashbar Microshift and Token brand names.

Sampson's other parts, like calipers and cranks are a mystery, though. I'd be curious to hear about anyone's experience with that line.

[jblande]

Andrew, do you notice any differences between the Exustar and Look branded pedals?

[palincss]

Paul makes some wonderful brakes. Sugino and TA make some of the best cranks in the business, and Phil Wood makes the bottom brackets and hubs to go with them.

[Spinner]

... i think that they they shift more precisely than the da rings that they replaced.

i'm also a fan of sugino cranks.

[AndrewS]

J.
The Exustars work very well and are pretty light. Easy to get in to. I use the old original Look style - it just made sense to stay with that because of all the bikes I have. But I've come across their newer Keo style and they also appear to be nice. All are sleek and good looking, too.

I also have Exustar mountain pedals that are Time mountain copies. The also work very well.

Nashbar Izoroad and Z11 and some of the Forte pedals are Exustar.

[gdw]

Sugino cranks (Classic Ritcheys, Suntour XC Pro, and a Mighty 900) with Middleburn rings. The rings shift great and outlast anything Shimano makes.

[RPS]

While there have always been the exotic, high end stuff like Zero Gravity or Magic Motorcycle, what current Shimano price level alternative products have you enjoyed using?
I have Sugino (I think they are called Fuse 500) tandem triple cranks with 110 X 5 bolt circle on my oldest tandem that I like a lot because of gearing flexibility, and also use Tektro mini-Vs on that tandem.

[pbbob]

paul thumbies on the terraplane.
may make the bar look a little busy and may interfere a bit with a front bag, but not my candybar bag.
very minimally more problematic from the drops but better than dt shifters.

[dnades]

+1 on the sugino cranks and TA chainrings.

[fatallightning]

i'm OCD and must be hella matchy matchy. stem/post/bars and gruppo. the fact that my bar bike is all campy athena except for DA dt shifters and rd causes me consternation to no end. i recently test fitted a bontrager stem to my orbea just to try a different fitment, and while undeniably better, seeing that stem with deda everything else drives me insane.

[fogrider]

I've been wanting to get some KCNC stuff...stem, seatpost, skewers and brakes!

I have a pair of Exustar pedals, one froze and I took it apart...they only use one set of bearings in the design.