sram x0 vs. shimano saint

[mx_sic]

I am building up a an 07 Giant reign x0 with more of a dh/heavier duty bike. I have narrowed my derailleur choices down to either a sram x0 or shimano saint (both short cage). What are your thoughts on these derailleurs?

Price is not too much of an issue as I would rather spend more money and get a good derailleur as most of the other gear on my bike is high-end.

Cheers

 

[tc2233]

Shimano. Sram break easy.

 

[jacob123]

care to explain?
do you mean sram in general or x0?
i can tell you now the day i bought x9 is the day i felt a smooth bike replacing
skippy the shimano xt derailuer

 

[eyes]

reasons ...

Hey mx_sic

Well...

Shifting performance: SRAM wins here, shifting is crisper with an XO than with a saint. I've used both. SRAM is 1:1 so I think this is the root of the better shifting.

Durability: Don't know really, I run 135mm rear axle, so the XO derailieur sits well in from your typical 150mm setup. I have still giving it a hiding and it keeps on going (I don't have replaceable drop outs, so the mech takes all the crap by itself). The Saint mechs are of 'shadow' type, so they tuck into your chainstay more - so with 135mm on the Reign and the Saint it would be a low profile set up.

Cost: XO cost way more - I would quantify this but it varies left, right and centre depending on where you go. Probably due to the actual shifter which is carbon, and the carbon parts of the mech.

Look: Both are blinging.

End result... how often do you wreck these things? Go with the cheaper one if it's often...

Both are purpose built for DH (given that the short cage can only deal with close ratio cassettes), so you can't go wrong really.

Hope this helps.

Eyes

 

[Buggergrips]

X0 is an xc racing mech. its not tough enough for DH. besides, do you really want that much money dangling where it can be hit by rocks?

I've bust 2 X0 rear mechs riding XC the first one I cried, the second one I thought soddit and got something else.

if your rich and money is no object, then thats a different matter


so in conclusion, If you want to have it look fancy, but only be take a couple of whacks get X0
if you want more robustness get saint.

(personally I think new saint looks better anyway)

 

[Jzx90]

Price is not too much of an issue as I would rather spend more money and get a good derailleur as most of the other gear on my bike is high-end.

Seeing as you said price isn't an issue, i'd go with the x0 as I find they shift more nicely than the saint ones. The extra adjustability on the x0 shifter is nice too.

 

[Daver]

Seeing as you said price isn't an issue, i'd go with the x0 as I find they shift more nicely than the saint ones. The extra adjustability on the x0 shifter is nice too.

New Saints (and XT, and XTR) have similar adjustability at the shifter.

 

[mx_sic]

Seeing as you said price isn't an issue, i'd go with the x0 as I find they shift more nicely than the saint ones. The extra adjustability on the x0 shifter is nice too.

When I said price was an issue what I meant was I would rather spend money on good parts, and no I am by no means rich. If I went for the x0 I would go second hand, whereas if I went for saint I would go brand new because I can get a heavily discounted price.

Also I don't want to be replacing derailleurs all the time...especially not a nice expensive x0 if its more prone to damage. What about the x9 when compared to the saint?

 

[dhDRucer]

X0 is an xc racing mech. its not tough enough for DH. besides, do you really want that much money dangling where it can be hit by rocks? QUOTE]

What are you on about.Loads of people run x.0 as i do.i love my full sram x.0 set up it shifter great and i have never broken one

Id be going the x.0

 

[Viv92]

I would never, ever buy a second hand derailleur. Almost all 2nd hand DH stuff is hammered, and everyone bends rear mech's in DH.

Definitely go the saint, new. To be honest I would save my money and get slx or XT shadow and buy a better shifter+chain. Good derailleurs don't make much difference to shifting, good chains and shifters do, plus they are less likely to get mangled.

 

[mullan2304]

I been running Saint since the start of the year after using X-0 for a couple of years.

Shifting quality is pretty similar, the feel is crisper on the SRAM but I like that you can downshift multiple gears with the Shimano. The biggest problem with the Saint is the noise, they clang terribly against the B-tension screw. A Boxxer bumpstop fixes the problem though.

 

[Buggergrips]

X0 is an xc racing mech. its not tough enough for DH. besides, do you really want that much money dangling where it can be hit by rocks? QUOTE]

What are you on about.Loads of people run x.0 as i do.i love my full sram x.0 set up it shifter great and i have never broken one

Id be going the x.0

smashed the swingarm bit - one of the carbon ones
popped the plastic things where the adjuster screws go
snapped a linkage plate.

i dont know anyone who hasnt bust a sram mech.

 

[RangaRMX]

smashed the swingarm bit - one of the carbon ones
popped the plastic things where the adjuster screws go
snapped a linkage plate.

i dont know anyone who hasnt bust a sram mech.

You quoted yourself..

Anyway..yeah, I disagree with you as well about how X0 is an XC racing mech, why then do a heap of bikes come standard with them that aren't XC race bikes? Surely this isn't because SRAM want them to break and make more money

I think you've had bad luck bro. If you smash a mech on anything, then you've gotta expect it to be a bit funny thereafter, if it's fine then you're lucky IMO. For the record I've never broken a SRAM mech, and I've had some gnarly crashes which I thought OH SHIT MY BIKE/FORKS/MECH as I watched it cactus down a hill etc..or where I've been cactus down the hill..

On the other hand..XT shadow, in the spokes, busted, busted spokes..yeah, shadow! It's all about how you've crashed, I think you'll find that you seem to be the only one who can't accept it was their fault or an accident that their mech broke, maybe you're angry at yourself but choose to blame those bastards who make your mechs which break..cause you know, they should be bomb proof.

After all that I vote X0, damn fine mech, damn fine shifters. Win/win if you ask me..I just can't stand Shimano shifters now I'm a SRAM man, but I'm sure there are heaps of you like that.

 

[mx_sic]

ok sweet cheers for all the replies. So what about sram x9 compared to saint? Is the x9 still good/even to saint?

 

[DhNorcoRider]

saints

out of shimano saints x-0s or x-9s
i would defientely go for the saints as there alot stronger and stiffer
which is great for downhill
hope that helps

 

[mx_sic]

I been running Saint since the start of the year after using X-0 for a couple of years.

Shifting quality is pretty similar, the feel is crisper on the SRAM but I like that you can downshift multiple gears with the Shimano. The biggest problem with the Saint is the noise, they clang terribly against the B-tension screw. A Boxxer bumpstop fixes the problem though.

I am still trying to decide, although now the choice is between x9 and saint. So what is a boxxer bumstop exactly? where can you get them and how much do they cost?

 

[b_S]

New Saints (and XT, and XTR) have similar adjustability at the shifter.

And "dual release" or whatever they call it too.
I've been a SRAM fan for a while (dunno where my Plasma derailleur ended up though ) but the new Shimano shadow + dualthingy stuff has won me back... check it out, they'd be my suggestion.

 

[mullan2304]

I am still trying to decide, although now the choice is between x9 and saint. So what is a boxxer bumstop exactly? where can you get them and how much do they cost?

The little rubber bumpers on the top of the staunchions to stop the forks hitting the frame. I uesd some double sided tape and sst the B tension screw to hit the rubber instead of the deraillier stopper.

I found a split one on the track. I think that you can order then through an LBS but I wouldn't have a clue on the price.

If your going to go x-9, still get the x-0 shifter if you can afford it. I find the downshift lever needs to be repositioned, and you can only do this with the x-0. It's all personal preferance though.

 

[driftking]

shimano are stonger dont break as easy
sram break easier but are a smoother derailuer

iv had my x-0 for 2 years and fortunatly i havent broken it yet, however id suggest buy a X-9 they are alot cheaper and very close to a X-0 its worht the money in teh long run and the performance difference is minimum.
as for the reposistioning you can alwasy run a x-9 deraileur with a X-0 shifter.
to me you dont need X-0 for dh unless you are a top level racer where the smallest impovement is needed.
i brought the X-0 when i had no idea what i was doing. so i got sucked into sales