So I Was Talking To A Shimano Tech Guy

Originally posted by HEYPIP
**this consumer has decided.
i had a meeting set up with shimano at whistler today.
they pissed me off so much that i'm only gonna spec their front derailleurs next year. (and that's only because no one else makes front derailleurs)

no hubs, no rear derailleurs, no shifters, no chains, no sprocket sets, no cranks, no brakes.

shimano as a company is so arrogant and full of themselves that i refuse to support them anymore. you can see it in their design and customer service. they treated me like shit for the last time. if they treat you like shit, i suggest that you do the same.

pip **

FROM ZASKAR ON KEEFERS COMPUTER

THANK YOU

:D

wah wah wah. :cry:

i'm sure shimano won't give a shit if you pinners buy other stuff. i for one will continue to use what works.

Originally posted by Dante Alighieri
i'm sure shimano won't give a shit if you pinners buy other stuff.

I think that was the point of this thread, Shimano doesn't care.

~~~~~~~~~
Owner of:

1 SRAM equipped bike (XC/Trail)
1 Shimano equipped bike that eats rear derailleurs (NS)
1 Suntour equipped bike (Commuter)
2 antique Shimano equipped bikes (1 Rigid/Beginner Trials [HTML_REMOVED] 1 Road)

they don't care because whiny freeriders are such a tiny percentage of their market.

Originally posted by Dante Alighieri
they don't care because whiny freeriders are such a tiny percentage of their market.

shifting quality applys to every aspect of riding. not just freeriders. im pretty sure the pure mechanics of it makes an uphill gear shift a much more strenuous action than shifting going fast.

i dont care how many hits it can take cuz i havent broken a derieleur off in over a year. but crisp shifts and reliable. thats what i care about.

Originally posted by sanrensho
How so? You can still buy 8-speed XT rapidfire shifters (and Alivio brake/shifter units), Shimano 8-speed chains, all Shimano rear derailleurs are backwards compatible, and XT and LX-class 8-speed cassettes. I've purchased all of the above items in the last 6 months.

Yes, From Norco and Cycles Lambert you can get 8s stuff.. but once its gone, its gone. I just bought an 8s shifter and cassette and I asked how many where left, I dont think its looking to good as the guy couldn't give me a straight answer.

As for 9s, I cant find a chain that lasts long enough, that simple. Ive tried a few SRAM ones (even the pc99), a few shimano (xtr included), amd IRD which lasted the longest. The most any of them went is a week or so.. im not impressed with 9s at all.

My thought is that when other companies start making better, more user-friendly, stronger, better shifting, longer lasting drivetrains Shimano will have a hard time sell their high end XTR, XT, LX and maybe even deore. Companies will realise what the customers want. Shimano will always be around, look at department store bikes, most are outfitted with Shimano parts I bet they make most of their money at that level of bikes?

Originally posted by Shmoe
Yes, From Norco and Cycles Lambert you can get 8s stuff.. but once its gone, its gone. I just bought an 8s shifter and cassette and I asked how many where left, I dont think its looking to good as the guy couldn't give me a straight answer.

Which 8-speed shifter did you get? The XT pods? I love mine. This thread is making me paranoid so I might have to shell out for a backup set soon.

I'm not too worried about cassettes as SRAM will likely make their 5.0 cassettes for a long time.

i'm trying to talk sram into 7speed with a really thick chain.

pip

Got to hand it to Shimano though for making some really nice goodies. XT hydros, shifters, deraileurs and cranks.

Personally, I use whatever works. And so far, Shimano has not let me down.

I can only imagine the bling that Shimano makes. Even without the freeride market, they'll still be rich off Shimano S.I.S. off all the freaking department store bikes around the world.

Originally posted by Zaskar
**shifting quality applys to every aspect of riding. not just freeriders. im pretty sure the pure mechanics of it makes an uphill gear shift a much more strenuous action than shifting going fast.

i dont care how many hits it can take cuz i havent broken a derieleur off in over a year. but crisp shifts and reliable. thats what i care about. **

well my derailler has takin some huge beatings and i had to overhaul and straighten it a few times. i find with routine maintenance, i can keep my stuff working pertty good for quite some time. because of chain line, a result of running an envy inner E bashguard with evil 13 and an XT bb/crank, not the shifter/derailler, i can only use 8 of my 9 speeds, but it shift excellent otherwise, and i have no real use for the one gear i don't use anyways. my hubs have been great, my shifter has taken hits and works fine, my XT cranks feel wicked, i guess im just not hard enough on my bike :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Dante Alighieri
well my derailler has takin some huge beatings and i had to overhaul and straighten it a few times. i find with routine maintenance, i can keep my stuff working pertty good for quite some time. because of chain line, a result of running an envy inner E bashguard with evil 13 and an XT bb/crank, not the shifter/derailler, i can only use 8 of my 9 speeds, but it shift excellent otherwise, and i have no real use for the one gear i don't use anyways. my hubs have been great, my shifter has taken hits and works fine, my XT cranks feel wicked, i guess im just not hard enough on my bike :rolleyes:

same with me, my vike works fine, you just need to give it soem love and care, my xt derialer worked awsome its 3 years old too, its ussually my hanger that makes it suck, i run ss now, becuase i find i dont use many gears, and im a huge wimp and need some more muscles in my legs… so ss climbing is hwere its at dawg

I just dont like the idea of shimnao making everything so specific…. like you buy one thing you need everything else for it to work properly

i dont know about that. i run a SRAM chain and have for ages. i like their chains better and it shifts fine. im still using my original xt rotor and 32 tooth with the original shifter/derailler and XT cogset all from my XC bike over 3 years ago.

i got to admit, i am planning on getting some of those cranks you got there Blaine. they are nice and the price is descent.

Originally posted by HEYPIP
**i'm trying to talk sram into 7speed with a really thick chain.

pip **

theres an interesting story about 7 spd.

i was taking the bus with the bike today and as usual i have a fair load of people having conversations with me about it and i mean i dont mind right. so this guy i was talking to today used to be big in to being a bicycke courier and all that. and he was talking about the 9 speed vs. 8 and that. and he was saying even with his 9 spd XT stuff on his new rocky somethin something (Forget, a cross country one) it doesnt shift half as well as his XT 8 spd thumb shifters and likewise with 7 spd. that in the end he settled with 7 spd cassette and 8 spd shifter and he says it works beautifully.

how? i dunno. morale of the story, more does not always mean better :D

the sad thing is….i dont think 7 spd with a burly chain would catch on. most people ride their bikes up the mountain freeriding, are doing XC/Commuting and want those extra gears, or are downhilling and (i'm guessing) would want to have as many options as possible. So 7 spd I can see with people who break chains all the time or who are just fed up with 9 spd.