This is the mix-n-match middle component group for both Shimano and Sram. Pick and choose your pieces for that ideal ride and you are sure to find biking perfection for a fraction of the cost of the higher end mech.

Shimano SLX offers a 10-speed component group that is versatile. The tech that you can find in this group is something incorporated with the higher end lot called Shadow Plus. This basically is a lever that you can switch to the “on” or “off” position. When it’s “on,” a steel band wraps around the clutch, creating pressure and therefore, resistance. Its purpose is to prevent forward movement on the derailleur cage. Long term, it’s to help reduce wear on the derailleur and prolong chain use. Ice Technologies for your disc brake rotors and an either 2x10 or 3x10 drivetrain can also be had.

Considering that the Shimano Zee is the “younger brother” to the New Shimano Saint (as well as a somewhat cheaper version and they don’t have a front derailleur), I’ve decided to pair up the Deore XTR and the X0. That way, it’s nice and even. All the same components in both groups, all good.

Deore XTR comes in either the silver or the black version. You’ve got a crankarm with Hollowtech II technology, which basically means instead of having a separate axel which you lace through the bottom bracket, you have a tube that is built into the crank and passes through to the other side, where you can attach the other crankarm. Ice Technologies are available for your brake cooling needs and ten-speed HyperGlide cassettes, with a 2x10 option for racing and a 3x10 set up for your trail riding needs.  

When you nose around in the upper tiers in a component group hierarchy, you start to realize a couple of things. One: that components are a serious engineering feat that are years in the making. And two: there are some serious materials and components for the performance-minded biker.

The first thing off the bat that you notice is the graphics. The New Saint and the XX both have an edginess in their particular logos and they are what first draw your attention. You also have an abundance of tech that reminds you that somewhere on the planet, in a workshop, there must be a group of engineers who have probably spent a good deal of time on the design of a single chain link. And probably contemplating the mortality of a blue crab at the same time.

Now that I offered up the road bike components, here we go with a mountain bike comparative. What is pretty evident off the bat are the range and the technology of both groups. Shimano offers the XTR in racing and trail modalities while Sram ups the game with a 1x11 drivetrain. And nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than someone pushing the technology envelope.

This is where Sram is going to bow out for the night as this is its mix-and-match representative, the group that can offer components that can be used in the other, higher end groups of the line. As mentioned in previous posts, this is only a comparative of what these companies offer from top to bottom and by no means am I saying that they compare in form other than the fact that this is how their fall on the rosters of their respective makers.

That said, Campy steps down to the 10 speed sprocket range, Shimano is dabbling in the 9 speed and Sram has 8, 9 and 10 speed options, which includes a variety of aerobar options, as well as cantilever and hydraulic brakes. There are still carbon fiber options at Campy and Sram, whereas Shimano has its standard aluminum and alloy components.  

I can now hear the purists screaming for blood.

Athena, Tiagra and Apex in the same category?

And frankly, they have a point. But this is a comparative that is arranged so that whatever is first billing in these three component companies will be compared with the #1 of the other company.

Here, the road just forks into completely different directions. Let’s just start with that fact that Campy still has 11 speeds running, while Sram has gotten into 10 and Shimano is on nine (but with a whole hell of a lot of gear ratio options). There are still components with carbon fiber parts with Campy (the crankset and the shifter levers). Shimano has a three-chainring crank, apart from its regular two-ring affair. Sram has a black or a white version of this group.

Coming from the top and working my way to the bottom and now at the midway mark, it’s interesting to see how the luxuries start peeling away. And you see it before you even crack open the catalogue. Campy is not as carbon fibered. Shimano finishes on the components are subdued. Sram is very monochromatic black with a hint of silver.

Here too are where the paths diverge as well. The technology employed in the Chorus seems to be more elite and quite advanced in comparison to Shimano, which has pretty near gotten butt-naked, in terms of fancy names for the tech in their component group. Sram and Shimano are down to 10 speed cassettes, as opposed to Campy’s 11, which is already not even footing, but it is interesting where they come on the scale. These are the groups, however, where the purists who rally behind the names of each of these companies say that the quality of their race horse shines.

Now, I am having a hard as hell time trying to figure out who to put into second. Normally, comparatives go across the Sram-Shimano beltway and don’t ever wander too far into Campy territory. That said, I have been stuck as to what to put in Campy’s second string. All this due to a name.

Record and Super Record. How different are they? I’ve scoured the internet and any recent critiques and EVERYONE considers themselves an expert. The weight. The finish. The mechanics. The price. Nothing.

Nothing speaks louder than numbers and cold, hard facts so I’ve decided to go across the board and do a comparison of the top of the line component groups of the three major component companies and look at their road bike line. There are some technologies and aspects of the groups that are shared characteristics and others that are not.

I won’t be putting weights in for two reasons: 1. Weight might not always refer to your specific combination of components; and 2. Campagnolo actually wrote a disclaimer on their website saying that weight can differ due to the immense quantity of grease used on the different components so though they have weights listed, the site already pre-determines that there could be a discrepancy. So in order to be fair, I’ve listed each of the components to compare them side by side, plus their power/wattage capabilities as well as if they have electric versions. 

I'm a little crap at putting together a spread sheet but bear with me here.