Choosing Components

Finding the right bike for yourself is a difficult task, finding the right components to suite your riding style is a whole other ball game. wether you are in to racing XC, riding downhill, road racing, or just commuting, you will have a wide verity of components to choose from. Depending on your budget for your upgrades or bike build, there is a few manufactures to go with . In my experience from racing XC for four years, commuting to work weekly, and training on my road bike. i found that the leading manufacutres are Sram and Shimano.

If you want a crisp, hard shift and nicely cnc'd components I would choose Sram all around. When choosing Sram components you get light weight components randing in all price ranges. Starting at the top with the Sram X-O group for mountain biking, you will notice that you will hear all of your shifts, but rarely miss a one. Being light weight I am not sure how they made such a strong group of drive train cycling parts. With carbon fiber cover plates on the shifters and carbon fiber cages on the derailleurs, you can't beat the look.Sram also came out with an assortment of colors to choose from. Down to a more affordable group, you can choose from X-9 or X-7 shifters and derailleurs. These are not as cosmetically sexy, but still offer a firm shift and a strong long lasting performance. While still on the topic for Sram X-0, I will get into the road bike aspect of the company. With Sram Red being comparable to Sram X-0, it is the leading group set for road cycling. Again it has the appeal of a diamond and the performance of a Ferrari, and these parts will rarely break down and will surely give you a nice riding experience. When your wallet is tight choosing from Sram Force and Sram Rival are dependable yet cost friendly.

When you're looking for a buttery smooth shift and a quiet drive train I would definitely recommend going with Shimano components. Offering a smooth streamline appeal, you will hardly notice your shifting with the Shimano parts. Just like the competition, Sram, Shimano will allow you to choose from wide range of components differing in price levels. If you want the best, don't hesitate to purchase Shimano XTR for your mountain bike and Shimano Durace for your road bike. You get what you pay for. While shifting, the only way to tell if you hit another gear is by the resistance of your pedals. Shimano's shifting is effortless and extremely quiet. You get the action you want out of a shifter while still having light weight parts. Again, it times are rough, and you can't afford the high end group sets like the XTR or Dur-Ace, Shimano has affordable components such as the XT and Deore components.

Whatever it is you choose to ride, definitely stick with these two cycling manufacturers; Shimano and Sram. They are the leaders in the industry and have been for some time now. I ride both products and have not been let down by either. Check your pockets and buy what you can afford, but if you choose Sram and Shimano you will never be let down.

Matt- The Pedal Stop