Both SRAM and Shimano are huge companies in the cycling industry that manufacture bike drivetrains and more. Though Shimano has been around for much longer than SRAM, the latter managed to compete head-to-head with its rival.
In the SRAM vs. Shimano battle, you can never really say SRAM is better than Shimano or the other way around. Each company has its loyal fans and determining which one is the best is strictly up to the individual’s personal preferences.
Below you’ll find a detailed comparison between SRAM and Shimano.
History
Shimano was founded by Shozaburo Shimano. It’s a well-established Japanese company that has been manufacturing bicycle components for more than 100 years. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that Shimano made it into the U.S. market.
SRAM, on the other hand, hasn’t been around for that long. It’s a Chicago-based company that was founded in 1987. Nevertheless, it was able to build quite a reputation in no time.
In the 1980s, Shimano introduced indexed shifting, which was and still is the basis for every bike’s mechanical shifter. Similarly, SRAM introduced the Grip Shift, which revolutionized the road bike market.
Shimano dominates the market of road bike components, while SRAM, although half the size of Shimano, sells most mountain bike components. That said, Shimano was the first to create an electronic mountain bike groupset.
Products
While SRAM only manufactures bike drivetrains, Shimano has a lot more to offer. Shimano manufactures and sells bike drivetrains as well as other bike components like pedals, wheels, and brake components.
Aside from bike products, Shimano also makes snowboarding equipment and fishing tackles.
Innovation
SRAM, as mentioned before, introduced grip shifting. It also brought double-tap shifting into the competition.
Similarly, Shimano offered more than one innovation. For example, it came up with clipless pedals, index shifting, and electric shifting.
Aesthetics and Popularity
As far as the outer appearance and aesthetics, you’ll notice that Shimano has more compact and cleaner lines to their groupsets than SRAM’s.
Popularity, however, varies according to the bike’s type. Shimano takes the lead as a dominant choice for road bikes among new buyers as well as in the used bike market.
On the contrary, SRAM is the most popular choice when it comes to mountain bikes.
Bike Component Differences
The differences between each component of SRAM vs. Shimano can only be noticed through testing and experience. From the outside, they both look almost the same.
However, there are quite a few differences between the two.
Drivetrains
SRAM first initiated the introduction of 1x drivetrains into the market. The simple single chainring design is now the most popular option for mountain, cyclocross, and gravel bikes.
At first, Shimano resisted the idea and preferred to stick with the 2x drivetrain. However, under the pressure of competition, Shimano started the production of a 1x drivetrain alongside their already existing 2x drivetrain.
To overcome the reduced gear range of their 1x drivetrain, SRAM introduced the 12-speed Eagle. The 500% gear range eliminated the issue.
Consequently, three years later, Shimano released its first 12-speed mountain bike with a 510% range.
Cranksets
Shimano manufactures crank arms using hollow aluminum. It calls the technology it uses Hollowtech. The company claims that this product is just as strong as solid crank arms but much more lightweight.
SRAM, on the other hand, uses carbon fiber to make crank arms for higher-end models. They’re considerably more lightweight than steel.
Both materials are great. However, Shimano claims that Hollowtech crank arms perform just as great as carbon fiber arms do, but they offer more durability.
Shifters
Shimano has an STI shifter, which separates the upshift and downshift controllers into two different levers. The upshift and downshift levers are both found side by side on the right shifter, next to the brakes.
SRAM’s double-tap shifter doesn’t separate the two levers. Instead, it uses the same lever with two levels of clicks. One click onward shifts the drivetrain in a certain direction, while another click further shifts it to the other direction.
Both shifters are great and choosing between them depends on the functionality level you think each one has.
When it comes to mountain bikes, both SRAM and Shimano offer trigger-style shifters. They’re pretty cool fellows, as they allow you to downshift multiple gears in one stroke.
That doesn’t mean that they’re identical, though. Shimano has the “two-way release” shifter style. It allows the upshift lever to move in both directions by pushing and pulling it. Unfortunately, SRAM bikes lack this.
Freehubs
Both Shimano and SRAM have the same freehub design. SRAM’s design is the same as Shimano’s hyperglide, which allows bike users to switch between the two brands without having to change their wheels or hubs.
In 2012, SRAM released a proprietary freehub: the XD driver. It was made compatible with the PowerdomeX mountain bike, which has a cassette with a smaller 10-tooth cog.
Additionally, Shimano also released a new freehub to fit larger cassettes, which was named Micro Spline. This freehub works with a group of 11 and 12-speed cassettes.
Charging and Batteries
Shimano’s battery system doesn’t need charging that often. You only need to charge your Shimano batteries once every couple of months. S
RAM’s batteries, however, need to be charged once or twice a week.
On the other hand, SRAM’s removable batteries system offers more flexibility, and you can use the front and rear derailleur batteries interchangeably.
User Experience
SRAM’s app is really easy to use. It enables you to make adjustments to your drivetrain and other components via Bluetooth.
Shimano also offers an app with almost the same options. However, the user experience varies between the two. Shimano’s app feels a bit outdated, while SRAM seems to be always working to improve its user interface.
A Final Thought
There are a few differences between the two brands. However, both SRAM and Shimano offer great quality bike components. While Shimano is leaning more towards the conservative side, SRAM is bolder and more adventurous.
Both brands use different approaches and strategies in designing their products. Each of their products works better for different types of bikers.
So, in the battle of SRAM vs. Shimano, there’s no overall winner. Each person gets to pick his winner.