Shimano vs. SRAM: Which is the Better Brand?

[@anthonyg-can]

As usual, this is a great, high-quality, well-researched video. My brother-in-law rides a Specialized with SRAM with electronic shifting. He rented a Pinarello with the new Ultegra Di2 on vacation in Spain. He was really struck by the difference in the shifting, smoothness, and drivetrain feel.

[@bikesbymike]

Thanks, Anthony. Cheers!

[@ausbrook]

Good comparison vid

[@bikesbymike]

Thanks!

[@steveindorset]

Good vid mate, I agree too. I’ve had SRAM & Shimano stuff on my MTB and Shimano stuff on my road bike. I think that Shimano just edges out SRAM on everything except innovation. Like you say the lock on the SRAM clutches is a wonderful development. As are the SRAM MTB “finger thumb” gear changers. But Shimano does have that polished feel, especially on the road stuff and you know (generally) that it’s just going to work perfectly for years. I’ve just purchased a new road bike with 12 speed Ultegra Di2, because I know from experience it’ll just work. As for the power-meter, I’ll just fit a 4iiii….why doesn’t Shimano just buy 4iiii?. But as you say it’s only small things really, but when we’re paying the prices these companies charge, I think we’re allowed to be picky! 😎👍🏻 Blessings from England. 🙏🏻😎👍🏻

[@bikesbymike]

Thanks for sharing your opinion. Cheers to England!

[@mipko]

Good news is that for normal person they are completely interchangeable. It really doesn't matter which one you chose as differences are almost indistinguishable and both works just fine and reliably. Also both are greedy corporations without any conscious and any loyalty towards them is misplaced, therefore I would chose purely based on ergonomics and on price of bike I desired. Said that there is one thing I would really appreciate and that is if they were forced to use more standardized parts like freehub bodies, Bottom bracket axel standards and chains so it is easier for consumer to buy upgrades.

[@jaredfontaine2002]

No way Shimano is crap. Campy lol. The Hollowtech Cranks cracking is not forgivable. Don't care how well it shifts if your crank arm falls off.

[@woolfel]

I have Di2 and SRAM rival on two different bikes. To me both are reliable, the big difference is the gearing of rival and the wireless. For winter riding, pressing two big buttons is on SRAM is simpler than Di2 tiny buttons

[@ozgurinsan]

So Shimano is better.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Unless you're one of the millions with a delaminating crankset (class action lawsuit) or any of their power meters.

[@Stannystansfield]

So Shimano is better - Amen 🙏

[@meibing4912]

Have always had Shimano - and they are the pro's fav too btw (they're not saying it of course but there's an ex-pro saying that this is the sentiment in the pro peleton). But I'm sure I would be happy to ride SRAM too. Have a certain bias because I worked with Shimano and met the brothers several years ago.

[@bikesbymike]

I agree with your comment about the pros, as a whole, favouring Shimano. Of course, no pro would explicitly state this as they'd have team management, and team sponsors, all over them. But you hear enough off-the-cuff comments, and non-verbal cues, to suggest Shimano gets a bigger stamp of approval overall. As Phil Gaimon once said, "I don’t think anyone is riding SRAM unless they’re paid to, or forced by their bike sponsor. If a team is buying parts and can afford to choose, it’s Shimano."

[@Gufolicious]

i have shimano dura ace 12s on my sl8 and the new sram xplr 13s on my grail. the new sram levers are much better and the brakes as well but the bonus button on the hoods is missplaced, im so angry about the placement. shifting on dura ace is just smooth and while the sram for me is just 1 by i still notice a difference. shimano is more refined but for winter riding (which the grail is for) the big shifter paddels on sram have their advantage. but in terms of pure performance we are not close here. i would pick shimano any day.

[@bikesbymike]

I've heard the same negative comment from others on the placement of the hood button. Seems as bad or worse than their design of the current gen. AXS POD shifter.

[@Gufolicious]

@@bikesbymikeyeah for me personally they are unusable literally. I dont get why they put them there.

[@ilgour]

Im all in shimano, clearly quite a conservative company but their stuff just work.

[@gravelDave]

I dont know if its just me but it always seems to be the sram equipped new bikes both MTB and gravel that are always heavily discounted.

[@daytch9485]

I've said the exact same thing about cross chaining.

[@jonienglish3231]

How About Chinese wheeltop EDS

[@bikesbymike]

Definitely one of the Chinese brands to look out for. A bit too new for my liking, but I think they’ll be stiff competition for both Shimano and SRAM in a few years. Chinese group set manufacturers haven’t evolved as quickly as their fellow wheel and bike brands.

[@jonienglish3231]

@bikesbymike v1 wheeltop ox battery can be removed, v2 sealed. Possible patent infringement. Not sure why Shimano is late to offer complete wireless

[@fiddleronthebike]

I like the SRAM red etap on my TT bike (with Shimano cassette, shifts better than with SRAM cassette!) but I don’t like the new AXS models at all. And you are absolutely right about hookless wheels for road bikes - they are dangerous crap - and about how stupid 1x for road bikes is. Shimano parts are mostly good and reliable - but their behavior when parts are bad (PM, cranks for example) is absolutely unacceptable. I like Campagnolo the most, best ergonomics (imo), very well made and working fine - also beautiful… but sadly very expensive

[@bikesbymike]

Yup. 100% agree with all that. Your mix-and-match approach with SRAM and Shimano is a smart option. Take the best parts of each drivetrain system and combine to create a super drivetrain. I considered going that route with my mountain bike. Going with SRAM AXS rear derailleur and POD to get electronic shifting, but Shimano XTR cassette, chain and chainrings for super quick and smooth shifting. I decided against it simply because I'd have to swap out new components and couldn't justify the extra cost.

[@nickjones5728]

Give TRP another couple years and they’ll be right there with both. I have there brakes and they are Just as good as Sram and Shimano if not better.

[@dperreno]

The better brand is the one on the bike I'm riding right now!

[@petersouthernboy6327]

So the Mike's Bikes race team uses SRAM Force.

[@weiwenng8096]

You can be sure Shimano products are good out of the gate except the power meters. At this point, if I were gifted a Shimano PM, I'd take the chainrings and throw the PM in the trash.

[@tonyg3091]

Does Shimano offer the equivalent of SRAM Force wide 46/30 cranks with 36t cassette? No? Well there you go then.

[@kubackjeee]

Shimano is an engineering company that makes bike parts. SRAM is a marketing company that makes bike parts

[@bikesbymike]

Sums it perfectly! Wish I thought of that quote.

[@StanEby1]

Thanks for your valuable and objective observations, assessments, conclusions, and guts to take a position. Being picky here....although there are many nuances that could be argued regarding the pronunciation of "Shimano," almost anyone would agree that the "man" in "Shimano" is not pronounced as the word, "man." That is, with a short "a," but rather as the "a" sounds in "mano a mano" pronounced in Spanish. All the best, and thanks again.

[@bikesbymike]

You're the second one to point that out :)

[@arvandero]

Campagnolo

[@daniellarson3068]

Microshift ?- Old Suntour stuff?

[@kubackjeee]

Irrelevant

[@kettlebellcarnivore-vr5cw]

If you like Toyota, you'll love Shimano.

[@laneromel5667]

The SRAM components fail far sooner than Shimano. Just not reliable enough, for me.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Don't go to a gravel race or a MTB race - you'll be disappointed.

[@Stannystansfield]

SRAM has too many plastic parts in components for me and in an off-road situation lack durability. That’s fine if I could replace those parts but you can’t you have to buy a complete replacement which is hard to get hold of ridiculously expensive. Let’s not even talk about SRAM disk brakes. Just terrible. SRAM are very good at getting their groupsets on bike manufacturers bikes so you are stuck with their components on a new bike unless you pay for an expensive groupset change

[@petersouthernboy6327]

@@Stannystansfield Shimano also uses plenty of molded carbon-reinforced plastic parts - just like SRAM.

[@JohnDoe-ci4ne]

Campagnolo vs Suntour 😂

[@mister_ray]

Shimano has no 1X12 electronic MTB or gravel group set. SRAM is crushing Shimano now. Too bad.

[@bikesbymike]

Yup. It's like they've given up on mountain bike drivetrains.

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

@@bikesbymike Yet the recent XCO Olympics were won using a Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes.

[@bikesbymike]

@@johnlesoudeur3653 Yes! And they work fantastic. I have them on my fat bike.

[@JFomo]

Sram

[@jaredfontaine2002]

Wheel top lol

[@skiwithpete]

I like your content, but you only get to the meat of the subject after 30seconds. Literally you could have cut the entire first :30 and we wouldn't have missed anything. I think you should. Making your content shorter and punchier will help you grow.

[@bikesbymike]

Thanks for the advice. Cheers.