[torres del paine]

I've been riding a Sram drivetrain for the last few months for the first time and my thoughts on it have changed. Initially, I thought it was sweet but increasingly it is annoying me. I'm finding that my brand new 10 speed Sram 1030 cassette just doesn't shift as well as my old XT 10 speed cassette. It's the downshifts, high to low gears are poor in comparison; the chain does not glide and snick into place. Instead the movement of the chain is more awkward and crashy. The cable tension is spot on, I'm meticulous when it comes to setting up a bike as i'm a stickler for precise, smooth shifting with no noise.

Also, the shifters X9, supposedly crisp and precise are not a patch on my XT shifters. The amount of slop in the lever is bad and downshifts are pretty sludgy and indistinct. My XTs are smooth, punchy and very crisp with no slop in the lever. I thought Sram was supposed to excel in this department? Genuinely surprised.

Anyway, anyone feel that Shadow plus era Shimano shifts better?

I think I'm going to get rid of the Sram and go for either a Saint or XT shifters with XT cassette and rear mech.