Why wouldn't you want the better mech? The higher-end ones are made with more precise manufacturing techniques and more durable materials, they should be able move the chain more precisely for a longer time compared to a mech built with cost savings a driving factor.
While I'm not sure about Shimano shifters, the top 3 or 4 SRAM shifters literally use identical internals (with just casings, lever shapes, and lever adjustments being the only differences) so the quality of the the actual shifting, the chain moving across cogs, cannot be any different.
I mean, isn't this part of the AXS argument? The mech does the hard work, and it's precision of movement is directly related to the speed and precision of the shift. Most arguments against mechanical use the cable and housing as the weakest point. So why would the device on the far end of the cable, the shifter, have a larger impact than the mech? If cables are so imprecise, then how does having a "better" shifter help shift quality, since it's inputs have to go through a crappy cable?
Sept. 27, 2021, 11:41 a.m. - Justin White
Why wouldn't you want the better mech? The higher-end ones are made with more precise manufacturing techniques and more durable materials, they should be able move the chain more precisely for a longer time compared to a mech built with cost savings a driving factor. While I'm not sure about Shimano shifters, the top 3 or 4 SRAM shifters literally use identical internals (with just casings, lever shapes, and lever adjustments being the only differences) so the quality of the the actual shifting, the chain moving across cogs, cannot be any different. I mean, isn't this part of the AXS argument? The mech does the hard work, and it's precision of movement is directly related to the speed and precision of the shift. Most arguments against mechanical use the cable and housing as the weakest point. So why would the device on the far end of the cable, the shifter, have a larger impact than the mech? If cables are so imprecise, then how does having a "better" shifter help shift quality, since it's inputs have to go through a crappy cable?