The giant has always prevailed. Shimano has almost traditionally been the undisputed market leader in shifting components. And yet, every time the Japanese company introduces a new system, there are not only positive voices among bikers. But they usually go unheard. Shimano sticks to its new systems - until the criticism is silenced.
The most recent example is the "Dual Control" shifting logic of the current "XTR" groupset. "Dual Control" and inverse logic don't just divide the bike scene. Some manufacturers are also clearly opposed to the new system. This is also the case at Specialized: the global player only installs the "Dual Control" levers together with the old "XTR" rear derailleur. Despite this, Japan is fully committed to "Dual Control". The latest bang for the buck is the revised "XT".
At Eurobike 2003, it was already clear that something was happening in the gear shifting market. SRAM and Suntour in particular offer interesting alternatives to Shimano. A comparison of the systems is exciting. In order to make the comparison as meaningful as possible, we had the ergonomics of the systems assessed from a scientific point of view in addition to the practical test. Our expert: biomechanist Dr Achim Schmidt from the Cologne Sports University.
