# Shimano or Sram? From a female persective.



## nOOky

I'm almost certain the gf is getting this bike Aqua Dama Tpx — Orbea

the only concern, other than we have to order it and can't test ride, is the Sram Apex components. I have the Apex group on my cross bike, and I find front shifting to require a bit of effort to move it into the big ring. Shimano imho gives you more leverage because you can use the longer shift arm which gives a bit more leverage.

I'm just looking for real world usage from someone that has used both groups personally, maybe my concerns are nothing.
She likes the feel of both the Shimano and Sram hoods, although she doesn't have enough miles in either to really have a good feel for them. The downside to buying a small framed women's bike is that there is not a lot of stock out there in the shops, everything she wants has to be ordered. We live in the middle of nowhere so driving around to a bunch of shops isn't really an option.


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## GEARHEAD_ENG

My gf has an Orbea Aqua with the SRAM Apex and loves it. She test rode the Shimano 105 and Apex at the bike shop and liked them both with a slight edge to the double tap operation. She came from a Mountain bike and never owned a Road bike, so she was able to adapt to either one pretty easily. She is 5'10", so her expierence could differ from a female of smaller stature.


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## love4himies

I prefer the Shimano to SRAM because I find that with such tiny hands that the double tap was a royal PITA.


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## nOOky

Thank you, that's what I was thinking and hoping for some good replies and I got some.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I didn't intend to sound chauvinistic with my post. I just assume somewhat that women tend to have smaller hands and might find actuating the Sram levers a bit more difficult. She can sit on my cross bike, but she can't reach the pedals even on the trainer to actually sit there and use it for any length of time. She's short, 5'2" and has had a hard time finding a bike in the area with Sram shifters to try. So far she's only ridden a 105 bike, and she's gradually getting used to that style.


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## il sogno

I actually prefer Campy because it shortens the reach to the levers by about one centimeter when compared to Shimano. I've never ridden SRAM so I got nothin' there. 

Hope your gf loves the bike!


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## nOOky

She loves the color, and that's the main thing. She's not into the pinks, violets, or light blues that many WSD bikes come in, so the Orbea was a refreshing find. Campy is not an option with this bike, although the lower end Sora? actually uses a thumb shifter which is kind of nice.
Thanks.


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## robdamanii

My wife has ridden Shimano and SRAM bikes. She rides SRAM because of the shorter lever reach and has no problem with the front shifting (small hands and all.)


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## AvantDale

I've ridden all three and I have small hands.

I prefer SRAM. The high pivot of the brake lever gives more leverage when braking on the hoods. The double tap allows me to shift from the drops by pulling in on the lever. 

Shimano: For me the levers are too big and the lever pivot is too low. I find that my hands cramp much sooner on a long descents with the Shimano levers. I have to squeeze harder to slow the bike with the low pivot of the Shimano lever. When shifting from the drops I'll brake at the same time. There is also no adjustment for lever reach...only with shims. IIRC only Dura Ace has reach adjust built in.

Campag: Only issue with them is that I can't reach the thumb lever when low down in the drops. 

My GF is using Rival on her Cervelo and really likes it. SRAM has reach adjustment on all their models.

My ex has some really small hands...and she had Tiagra on her CAAD8. She could not squeeze those giant levers if her life depended on it. I had to put a pair of cross levers on the bar tops.


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## love4himies

Hmmmm, that's interesting to read about the reach problems with Shimano. My hands are so small I wear youth mitts and have not had a reach problem with Tiagra or 105's.


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## il sogno

nOOky said:


> She loves the color, and that's the main thing. She's not into the pinks, violets, or light blues that many WSD bikes come in, so the Orbea was a refreshing find. Campy is not an option with this bike, although the lower end Sora? actually uses a thumb shifter which is kind of nice.
> Thanks.


 Orbeas are great! :thumbsup:


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## nOOky

Yea, there's enough Trek in the basement already  we will order the Orbea most likely when my tax return gets here. I don't know how I got roped into that!


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## RoadrunnerLXXI

I love the Sram after trying it. Before I demo a S2 with Sram, I have only ridden with Shimano. I also found the reach for the brake lever a bit difficult with my medium size hands, especially when I was in the drop down position. I don't notice it when I am sitting upright. With the Sram, you can adjust the reach on both the brake lever and the shift lever between high, med and low. I also find the doubletap shifting to be faster than Shimano's duo shifters.


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## Justagirl

Dura-ace! The new electronic group is amazing! Technical but amazing!


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## nOOky

Can't afford it. The Orbea with Apex is as good as she'll get for now.


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## x37

SRAM is my choice. It's has a stronger, more snappy feel to the shifting, it feels more racey than Shimano. I like being able to shift when I'm just fluttering the brake levers too. I feel like I have more control than with other brands.


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## JasonLopez

nOOky said:


> I'm almost certain the gf is getting this bike Aqua Dama Tpx — Orbea
> 
> the only concern, other than we have to order it and can't test ride, is the Sram Apex components. I have the Apex group on my cross bike, and I find front shifting to require a bit of effort to move it into the big ring. Shimano imho gives you more leverage because you can use the longer shift arm which gives a bit more leverage.
> 
> I'm just looking for real world usage from someone that has used both groups personally, maybe my concerns are nothing.
> She likes the feel of both the Shimano and Sram hoods, although she doesn't have enough miles in either to really have a good feel for them. The downside to buying a small framed women's bike is that there is not a lot of stock out there in the shops, everything she wants has to be ordered. We live in the middle of nowhere so driving around to a bunch of shops isn't really an option.


Just wanna make the point that there is not any difference between a man and a woman's hands, and I find this poast offensive as a small sexless human.


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## nOOky

I challenge you to go out and measure the hands of 100 random females, and then 100 average males, and using the average measurement of each tell me that there is no difference! 

Not that anyone cares, but she ended up with a blowout Fuji Roubaix 1.0 from Performance, mainly because of the color, and for $999 it has 105 stuff on it and I get the Performance points from the sale. I liked the Orbea better, but it was her choice in the end.


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## love4himies

nOOky said:


> I challenge you to go out and measure the hands of 100 random females, and then 100 average males, and using the average measurement of each tell me that there is no difference!
> 
> Not that anyone cares, but she ended up with a blowout Fuji Roubaix 1.0 from Performance, mainly because of the color, and for $999 it has 105 stuff on it and I get the Performance points from the sale. I liked the Orbea better, but it was her choice in the end.


We need pics.

Sounds like she got a great deal and you get a bonus too. I hope she loves her ride.


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## nOOky

It's a men's bike, but her body type favors that over a WSD design.
We have to have it shipped and assembled and sent to a Performance bike store, the nearest one is 4 hours away, so a friend is picking it up for us.


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## love4himies

Nice bike! I love the colours, I bet she's some excited to get it.

Both of my bikes are men's. My last one, the LBS just changed the bar to narrower one and a shorter stem.


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## Alfonsina

I just don't want WSD on principle LOL. I am short but I don't see small men on WSD bikes because they are so petite.


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## Kernyl

Alfonsina said:


> I just don't want WSD on principle LOL. I am short but I don't see small men on WSD bikes because they are so petite.


It has more to do with geometry than height. Riders with longer legs, but a shorter torso than most men's bikes are designed for. Typically more women are built like this than men but there are men that could fit a WSD and women who can ride men's bikes just fine. There are definitely short women who could ride a men's bike, but sometimes their size is not available and so they end up with WSD.

I am 5'6, but could never get a men's bike to fit right. I would end up with ride ending shoulder and upper back pain in an hour. I resisted WSD because I hate the super girly colors many of them come in.
But finally I gave in and luckily found one that was pretty cool looking (IMHO). Now I can ride for hours. Think about what will keep you in the saddle, not the label.


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## rich p

My sister in law (average height and build) with alot of biking experience tested both and hated the SRAM and loved the Shimano 105's.


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## kbwh

WSD is mainly about having more stack relative to reach than a "man's" bike isn't it? Or less reach for a given stack to put it the other way round.
Lots of granfondo/classics type frames fit that bill.

Shimano controls are usually longer than SRAM and Campagnolo. Both SRAM and Shimano lets you shorten the lever reach independenly of hood angle. It may be difficult to reach the Campagnolo thumb shifter from the drops, depending on hand size, the position of the controls and handlebar shape.

Looks like a great find, nOOky!


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## nOOky

She's only ridden it on the trainer, but the shifting is coming along. The darn thing weighs 20.8 lbs with Shimano 540 pedals, I was like damn for a 46cm bike?! No doubt the wheels are probably 2,200 grams. She's worried that the 50/34 and cassette won't be enough to get her up some steep hills, I told her well get on it and start training harder


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## il sogno

That's a heavy bike.


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## kbwh

My wife's 50 cm Colnago Technos with a mix of Veloce and Record, and 32 spoke wheels on Mavic Open Pros is not lighter. She gets up the hills with 50/34 and 12-25, but I might sneak in a 13-27. She doesn't like high speed much, and tends to coast when her speedometer passes 50 km/h.


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## il sogno

kbwh said:


> My wife's 50 cm Colnago Technos with a mix of Veloce and Record, and 32 spoke wheels on Mavic Open Pros is not lighter. She gets up the hills with 50/34 and 12-25, but I might sneak in a 13-27. She doesn't like high speed much, and tends to coast when her speedometer passes 50 km/h.


My 48cm Colnago Dream weighs in at around 17lbs. Not my lightest bike, but it's my most comfortable bike.


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## love4himies

That's what I had on my old Opus and I had no problems climbing some pretty steep hills and I wasn't in the lowest gear unless I had a head wind. BTW, I'm 50 and a bit overweight and only took up cycling a few years ago, so she should be fine with your help with training.


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