FU*K SHIMANO

[wombat]

ARGH! I just saw the pics of the '04 XT grouppo, and saying I'm not impressed would be a monumental understatement.
Shimano is rapidly becoming the bicylcling equivalent of the faschist dictator. Sure, they make high quality components, which do their jobs well, I'm not going to argue that point, but that's not the issue. What is the issue though is their rapidly increasing number of compatibility issues. I for one am not a big fan of the intergrated braking shifting system, but if some people like it then fine, let them use it, but for god's sake still give us the option to run trigger pods with whichever brake we like!
Are the heads of the company so unsure about the quality or performance of their products that they're not willing to give us choice? Do they believe that we won't choose their products if we have options? There must be some severly insecure individuals woking for the big S. How long will it be before they design an exclusive cassette spline which won't be compatible with anybody elses hubs? or chains that won't run on anybody else's chainrings, with matching rings which won't fit anybody else's arms? Why stop there, why not make their own frames with their own bottom bracket size and derauiller mountings?
I am ashamed to say that my next set of shifters will also be a Shimano product, but only because I have a set of old school LX 8 speeds sitting in the cupboard which I happen to love. I know for sure that any new components I purchase will not be Shimano (provided I have a choice of course....).

Rant over.

 

[Simo]

it's sad isn't it. They dont make their stuff compatible because they think people will buy their gear because of it's name/history, and many may. It's just disapointing that they are doing this to customers.

 

[josh]

If anything it may drive people away from shimano. No one likes to be 'forced' to use a certain brand etc.

 

[Turley]

Sram is your answer! All reports about the x.7 shifters that are available have been great. Just a pitty they ain't out in 8speed

 

[chuckrockswell]

you're all gonna laugh at me i know. but a good friend of mine actually imports campagnolo stuff into australia, yes, yes hes a hardcore roadie - wankers

but it would be so awesome if they got back into the mtb market, their components are sooooo cheap in comparison to shimano road stuff and the quality is really just awesome.

its time shimano got their arse kicked i reckon.

 

[Guest]

seeing this is a fr/dh forum.....why not just put a road der on a dh rig?

 

[perfor8r]

If anything it may drive people away from shimano. No one likes to be 'forced' to use a certain brand etc.

All its's gonna take is few anti-Shimano articles on websites and on a few of the major MTB publications and the movement to look elsewhere is on.

It's funny how when a company reaches a certain status they think they can dictate what their customers should and shouldn't buy...it's bollocks!

 

[Turley]

all I can say is sram has made an awesome move. Having a dual thumb shifter is what we have been asking for! And it just so happened to be released at the same time as shimano brings out the lever shift which everybody has already made the assumtion that it is not ergonomic (it is very obvious). I will be personally going to sram next time I upgrade my drive train!

 

[Ty]

you're all gonna laugh at me i know. but a good friend of mine actually imports campagnolo stuff into australia, yes, yes hes a hardcore roadie - wankers

but it would be so awesome if they got back into the mtb market, their components are sooooo cheap in comparison to shimano road stuff and the quality is really just awesome.

its time shimano got their arse kicked i reckon.

aint nothing wrong with campy, they listen to what their riders want and tweek there products to perfection before they ever get put into full production. i wonder how many real world riders shimano talked to before introducing this STI type shifter?

 

[RaID]

i also reckon its a crock of SH!T :evil:
but you have to realise that most of their profits come from OEM
deals with big bike companies like Giant, Specialized etc

when your gonna buy a new bike most of the componets on it are gonna be shimano ( i know on my bighit nearly everything that could have been shimano is only exception i think are the brakes not XT but hayes)
all drivetrain, hubs shimano
the only bike company i can think off the top of my head that has SRAM on their bikes (not sure if all the models are like this ) is Rocky Mountain (RM7 i think has SRAM)

so now with the new shimano SH!T which will come out next years bikes
when you brake something eg need a new brake
if you wanted to buy hayes you not only need a new brake but also a new hub, wheel build adaptor leaver etc which will cost a lot more, hence youll go FARK IT just replace shimano brake with a shimano easier chepear and probably works nearly as good as the other brands

i dont think they are going for the custom market where people like to choose what they have cause not enough money in that
anyway you cant choose with new shimano if you want to run 04 shimano drivetrain you need shimano brake + shimano hubs + other something else that isnt compatible


so yeh FARK EM :x :evil:

 

[belly_up]

For those of you familiar with computers, Shimano is turning into IBM, they've been dominant for so long that they've become arrogant and decided that they can be as proprietry as they like and all the customers can just put up with it. And look where IBM is now... still at the cutting edge of R&D, but does anyone actually buy their products? nope. i can see shimano heading down the same path.

 

[RaID]

For those of you familiar with computers, Shimano is turning into IBM, they've been dominant for so long that they've become arrogant and decided that they can be as proprietry as they like and all the customers can just put up with it. And look where IBM is now... still at the cutting edge of R&D, but does anyone actually buy their products? nope. i can see shimano heading down the same path.

yeh totally agree with that
you can pretty much same or better performance for a lot cheeper

 

[Scott]

unfortunatley, i cant see a server or oem market for shimano appearing anytime soon

however, think of it this way. will your next shifters be shimano or other?

although i'd like to think i'd buy something else based on principle, i think i'd still end up buying something shimano. i think for me, shimano's line is a 'you know what you're getting' kind of deal. with the other brands im not so sure. but then again, im not a real parts buff, i just like to ride, and have my bike keep working.

 

[Techno Destructo]

I'm so happy Shimano is making this move. Now the masses will awake from their slumber to see Shimano for who they really are... the Microsoft of the bike industry.

Ignore ISO standards in the name of screwing customers?

Burn baby burn...

 

[belly_up]

It's not like its really a new thing, XTR bits have been incompatible with everything else for years now what i reckon is even worse is the way their own groupsets are incompatible, so they won't even let me buy their own cheaper parts. ie, if i brake my XT <insert part here>, then i won't be able to replace it with say an LX one, cause they won't be compatible. Not only are they forcing everyone to stay with Shimano, they're also forcing them to stay in the same price bracket.

 

[belly_up]

And of course you know all these fancy incompatible bits will all require special tools as well, which will only be available from... guess who? The big S.

 

[Ryan]

Tools from Shimano are actually quite reasonably priced in my experience. Putting the word "Park" on a tool however automatically doubles it's retail price, I have proof.

 

[perfor8r]

Park = kickass tools = empty wallet!

 

[S.]

Once SRAM trigger shifters come out, goodbye Shimano!

The only Shimano things on my bike are the shifters and derailleurs... and over to SRAM I go.

 

[kalem]

Once SRAM trigger shifters come out, goodbye Shimano!

The only Shimano things on my bike are the shifters and derailleurs... and over to SRAM I go.

fo' sho'