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SRAM 12-speed Derailleur Choices


AustinBike
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Then either a 12-speed is the way to go or consider staying with an 11 and getting a 30T for the front just for that trip. The cost of a ring and a chain would be less than $50. It would be a simple way to deal with real mountains by only having to change the cheap components.

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1 hour ago, AustinBike said:

Man, if I had 11 speed I'd stick with that. 12, for riding around here, is overkill. The 50T that I have is hardly ever used, I spin too much. In the process of replacing my front ring with a 32T (long story on why it is not done yet) and I am thinking that in the future I might consider a 34T for the front because the 50T is kinda worthless for me. A 34T up front might change that dynamic. Ultimately 11sp would have been a better choice but the bike came with 12.

Shifters seem to last forever for me, I chew through derailleurs about ever 18 - 24 months, go through cassettes about every 24 - 36 months. But shifters never wear out for me. If I replace them it is because I misjudged a tree gap.

I had a friend that went wireless. She loved it. Then one day she forgot that she was charging the battery and ended up with a singlespeed and could not get it into the optimal range (I am sure you can...) I'm an old guy, I'll stick with cables, I don't trust technology that much (as a tech person).

Had 11spd X01, X1 and both eagle x01 and XTR 12spds. IMHO, SRAM shifts better but if you are committed to going 12spd I'd do Shimano XT. Do the full kit though.

BUT....if you're willing to try something outside the box, the SRAM EX1 8spd is freaking perfect for here. It's an 11-48 cassette that weighs less than the more expensive eagle offerings while having enough bailout for out of state trips. The Derailleur is same weight as XT 8100 and who gives a fuck about the shifter. I've been really, really happy with mine. Plus it's all overbuilt for e-bike use so you get that as well. The only downside is the shifter is 1 to 1 action but with only 8 gears it's not much of a factor.

FWIW, I have the xtr and ex on my bikes now and you can give them a try if you want.

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51 minutes ago, AustinBike said:

Then either a 12-speed is the way to go or consider staying with an 11 and getting a 30T for the front just for that trip. The cost of a ring and a chain would be less than $50. It would be a simple way to deal with real mountains by only having to change the cheap components.

Haha I went from 30t to 28t in an attempt to remedy the situation for my CO trip! I did actually think about a 24/30 dual chainring up front. Wouldn't even need a front derailleur - just a manual swap to the small ring when needed 😆

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29 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

Had 11spd X01, X1 and both eagle x01 and XTR 12spds. IMHO, SRAM shifts better but if you are committed to going 12spd I'd do Shimano XT. Do the full kit though.

BUT....if you're willing to try something outside the box, the SRAM EX1 8spd is freaking perfect for here. It's an 11-48 cassette that weighs less than the more expensive eagle offerings while having enough bailout for out of state trips. The Derailleur is same weight as XT 8100 and who gives a fuck about the shifter. I've been really, really happy with mine. Plus it's all overbuilt for e-bike use so you get that as well. The only downside is the shifter is 1 to 1 action but with only 8 gears it's not much of a factor.

FWIW, I have the xtr and ex on my bikes now and you can give them a try if you want.

That is actually a pretty cool idea. If I had to redo a drivetrain that would be a good consideration. I will take burly over finesse in most cases. 

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6 hours ago, throet said:

Since it's time to replace my SRAM 11-speed cassette, I'm once again considering drivetrain options. One thing I'm trying to factor in is the useful life of derailleurs and shifters. I'm sure there are many variables, but I've been using the same XX1 setup since 2016. The clutch failed once after a year or so, and SRAM replaced the derailleur under warranty. Everything has worked flawlessly since then. A shop guy told me that once you get past 3-4 years of heavy use on a derailleur, you've gotten your money's worth. If that is true, then I'm running on borrowed time. What's been your experience with useful life on shifters / derailleurs?

In terms of options for upgrading to 12-spd, I'm seeing a lot of good reviews on the XT 12-spd setup (mechanical). Anybody had experience with both SRAM and Shimano 12-spd? I rode a buddy's GX AXS 12-spd and honestly wasn't that impressed. To me there was an ever-so-slight delay between pushing the button and getting a shift, whereas on my XX1, the shifting is instantaneous and incredibly smooth. I haven't completely ruled out wireless shifting, but based on my one experience, I'm not sold. In fairness, I've only tried it on pavement.  

You're welcome to come take my rig for a spin if you want. XT 12 speed 10-45 with a 32T oval ring up front. Shimano doesn't shift as buttery smooth as Sram, it has a more mechanical feel and action. 12 speed doesn't really make much of a difference for MTB not like for road bikes where being able to keep a consistent cadence is important, 12 speed has a closer ratio between gears allowing you to find the right gear more often and keep your cadence steady. I think 12 speed is a good choice for people who ride a lot of flat land trails where you can spin and like to keep your cadence consistent. Now if you were to go with XT my recommendation would be to go with an XT derailleur and an SLX shifter. My personal opinion is that the SLX shifter feels much smoother more like Sram than the XT shifter does. Is your bike having any shifting issues? If not I would think that the derailleur is still good although I do know that Sram has a tendency to wear out quicker than Shimano mostly at the pivot points which typically leads to poor shifting that adjusting just won't correct. As far as initial cost and cost later down the road for wearable items Shimano wins with Sram being $300-500 for a replacement cassette is just absurd, if weight is a major concern then Sram would be a better choice Sram is typically lighter than Shimano. like I said you can come grab my bike and see how you like it. 

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I have XTR 12spd derailleur with XT shifter and I prefer my old XX1 (8 years old now) 11spd feel.  To the point I have thought about switching it over.  My derailleurs and shifters last forever (my XX had 12k miles).  I had my old XX break a spring but I just replaced the spring.

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38 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

I have XTR 12spd derailleur with XT shifter and I prefer my old XX1 (8 years old now) 11spd feel. 

Do you think going to the XTR shifter would make any difference? I've become quite spoiled with XX1, and if yours lasted that long, maybe I need to just keep mine for a while longer, possibly move it over to my backup bike.  

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1 hour ago, Chief said:

You're welcome to come take my rig for a spin if you want. XT 12 speed 10-45

I believe the new Shimano 12-spd tops out at 51t. Seems the big difference between them and SRAM is that the low-end cogs are more evenly spaced whereas SRAM takes that one huge jump to the big cog. I'm definitely having problems but more than likely due to my chain and cassette being overdue for replacement (still rocking what you installed for me nearly 2 years ago). Under stress or when taking big hits, the chain just drops down 2-3 cogs on its own. I might take you up on the offer to come try yours out, even if it's just up and down the street.   

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1 hour ago, throet said:

I believe the new Shimano 12-spd tops out at 51t. Seems the big difference between them and SRAM is that the low-end cogs are more evenly spaced whereas SRAM takes that one huge jump to the big cog. I'm definitely having problems but more than likely due to my chain and cassette being overdue for replacement (still rocking what you installed for me nearly 2 years ago). Under stress or when taking big hits, the chain just drops down 2-3 cogs on its own. I might take you up on the offer to come try yours out, even if it's just up and down the street.   

I chose the 50T vs 52 because of this. You can run the shimano cassette with sram drivetrain.

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14 hours ago, throet said:

Do you think going to the XTR shifter would make any difference? I've become quite spoiled with XX1, and if yours lasted that long, maybe I need to just keep mine for a while longer, possibly move it over to my backup bike.  

I test rode xtr xtr and I feel the same about it.  They just have different philosophies on feel I think.

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