[Rik]

Howdy...
I'm building up my superdooper bike, a Zaskar Race, and have a choice with components, and need some advice

I've already half built my bike up with new components, and just bought a Merida Race Pro to strip for parts, got it damn cheap on a clearout special Now I've got 2 bikes worth of parts, and have to make my choices (bear in mind everything is brand new, just old stock):

What are better forks out of the two:
2000 SIDs or 2001 Mars (the standard ones with TPCsport). A mate of mine claims that Mars blow their seals, and I'm not too keen on the non-adjustable damping, but if I can get the MRD hopup kits that'd be an advantage.

The next question is the drivetrain:
I have to choose between either XTR derailleur and LX shifters, or Sram 9.0 shifters and derailleurs. What would you prefer? and what are your opinions on them? Which is lighter, which has better "wow factor", and what is more durable?

I'm stuck between those 2 choices, I really like my SID, it suits the look of the bike better, yet the Mars is meant to be a pretty damn good fork too, but I don't really want to have to test ride both of them, as one will be sold and I want to keep it "as new" to increase the sale value, same with the drivetrain too.

 

[Echo]

I think either fork is gonna have about the same durability overall. But honestly I'm no expert on XC forks

As far as shifters, the weight difference between the Shimano setup and the SRAM setup is probably minimal. If the shifters are newer LX, they are really reliable shifters, almost as good as XT. I know a lot of people who run LX because it just plain works and is cheap. The bottom line between triggers and twisters is what works better for you. I have always run triggers and don't think I could make the switch to twisters without spending way too much time re-learning.

Good luck, sounds like you're building up a nice XC ride

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by Echo
I think either fork is gonna have about the same durability overall. But honestly I'm no expert on XC forks

As far as shifters, the weight difference between the Shimano setup and the SRAM setup is probably minimal. If the shifters are newer LX, they are really reliable shifters, almost as good as XT. I know a lot of people who run LX because it just plain works and is cheap. The bottom line between triggers and twisters is what works better for you. I have always run triggers and don't think I could make the switch to twisters without spending way too much time re-learning.

Good luck, sounds like you're building up a nice XC ride

no, both of those forks are not going to have the same durability. the 00 sid was the shiet. i loved that fork!!!! now the mars on the other hand.....well um not to many positive things to say about the 01 mars fork. w/ the shifter's and derailuer, i've always been a sram person. the weight difference b/w the lx shifters n the sram 9.0 shifters isn't a whole lot but it's still a weight difference. shiet the 9.0 shifters i'm quite positive are light then the xtr shifter pods. the weight difference between the derailuers isn't going to be much at all if anything. and it's not really hard to "re-learn" how to use either one of the shifters. i have ridden a few bikes w/ triggers for a while during the summer and it's not that hard to relearn. if anything it's harder to remember which trigger to hit then which way to turn your wrist....

 

[oldfart]

I can't say much on your fork choices as neither have enough travel for my tastes so I have not researched them.

Both shifting systems work well and it may be a personal ergonomic decision really. Either system might be a compromise. The trigger shifters for me are not the best ergonomically as the release trigger, upshift rear downshift front, is a reach for my short fingers and the way I mount them. Gripshift on the other hand requires that I reach for the brake lever a bit or hold around the shifter grip in some braking situations. On the other hand with triggers I can hit the brakes hard soft pedal and downshift simultaneously but I can't do that with grip shift. I thought the grip shift shifted a bit quicker than Shimano too and the front shifting had more adjustment than just 3 positions.

Why not try one system for a while than try the other and see which one works best for you.

 

[D_D]

I prefer to have a rapidfire on the left and gripshift on the right.

The rapid fire works better for the front as it has a long lever so upshifting is easy even in the rain.

The down shift lever is a hell of a lot easyer than gripshift, just hit it and it shifts down. With gripshift I found when I needed to shift quickly I would occasionally not twist it far enough and get stuck in the big ring. I only have a double so the indexing of gripshift isn't an issue.

I prefer sram for the rear, easyer to set up, works better in mud and the 9sl is made from composite so it tends to just bounce off stuff. The shifters are also avalable cheap, Don't go by the numbers for the shifters they are meaningless for perfomace comparisons. I prefer the 5.0 shifters over any of the others.

If you do chose sram don't start in the small cog and whip the shifter straight into the large cog posistion, the mech will take a while to move the chain and will be put under a lot of stress, proberly why some people break them.

The only problem is with sram is the jockey wheels, the lower one stupidly uses a cartrige bearing and the top one is incompatable to shimao and not as good. Shimano ones with the little rubber seals and ceramic bearings are best. The newer sram ones may have got better.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by oldfart
I can't say much on your fork choices as neither have enough travel for my tastes so I have not researched them.

if he's using it for xc racing then they have enough travel. the sid depending on which model it is will either offer 63 if it's the SL w/ out the travel upgrade kit to 80, and 80 if he has an XC model sid. now w/ the mars i think the mars offers 80. i personally think 80 is to much for xc racing n personally perfer 63.

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by indieboy


if he's using it for xc racing then they have enough travel. the sid depending on which model it is will either offer 63 if it's the SL w/ out the travel upgrade kit to 80, and 80 if he has an XC model sid. now w/ the mars i think the mars offers 80. i personally think 80 is to much for xc racing n personally perfer 63.

I have a sis sl with 63mm but I don't race - I think that that is plenty for the XC riding I do. My other bike has a Marzocchi with 100mm - very plush but I am convinced it's an uphill energy waster. My sid is a 2002 and I am very happy with it.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by Serial Midget


I have a sis sl with 63mm but I don't race - I think that that is plenty for the XC riding I do. My other bike has a Marzocchi with 100mm - very plush but I am convinced it's an uphill energy waster. My sid is a 2002 and I am very happy with it.

yeah i'm pretty damn happy w/ my 02 sid as well, the first sid i had was a 99 (yeah just realized i made a typo in the earlier post but they were pretty much the same fork) and man that fork was just great. got it adjusted once and never really had to mess w/ it again. had it rebuilt twice in the almost 3 years that i had the fork. it finally died after 3 years of heavvvvvvvvy abuse on it. but you really shouldn't have a fork fork any longer then 3 years.

 

[JMAC]

i'll make it simple just get the Sid and get sram.

 

[Rik]

Thanks for the help guys

I've decided I'll run the XTR on my race project bike (I swear, I WILL race it one day, when I get fit... ), and the SRAM gear will go on my daily rider, that way I'll figure out what's best for me through experience, and it'll be a nice upgrade too.

As for the forks, on Monday I'll drop into the LBS and see if Manitou still have the MRD upgrade kits in Australia. If I can get the anti-bob lockout, I may keep the MARS, if I can't, then I'll sell the thing. It still all depends on which one better suits my bikes paintjob!

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by Rik
Thanks for the help guys


As for the forks, on Monday I'll drop into the LBS and see if Manitou still have the MRD upgrade kits in Australia. If I can get the anti-bob lockout, I may keep the MARS, if I can't, then I'll sell the thing. It still all depends on which one better suits my bikes paintjob!

poo on that. the paint that better fits the bike isn't going to help you out when you've got oil leaking out of your fork on the side of the trail.

 

[JMAC]

Originally posted by indieboy


poo on that. the paint that better fits the bike isn't going to help you out when you've got oil leaking out of your fork on the side of the trail.

I'd rather have an awsome looking bike with some oil leaking than have some ugly uncolor matched bike that works great.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by JMAC


I'd rather have an awsome looking bike with some oil leaking than have some ugly uncolor matched bike that works great.

well you're dumb so you opinion doesn't count

 

[Rik]

Originally posted by JMAC


I'd rather have an awsome looking bike with some oil leaking than have some ugly uncolor matched bike that works great.

Exactly! I'm that f'n lazy that the thing will never see dirt anyway

 

[Thepagoda]

The sid is a much better fork. the MARS is a piece of junk. Two of my buddies have both had them and they turn into a 20mm fork after a while. The lockout turns out to be locked out all the time after a few rides. They require rebuilds and still suck a$$. As far as the color statement, use the best fork, your'e not going to be looking all that pretty coming in last... Think of it this way, the prettier fork is like choosing a good looking girl that doesn't put out, and the other one is one that performs majic, but ain't so good looking. Its all a matter of what you are into, parading, or doing. Of course the good looking one that puts out is what you're really after. Good luck

 

[Rik]

Lets try this again, with my newly implemented VBB tags:

[ SARCASM] I want my bike to look good, as that's all that counts. [ / SARCASM]
I thought a tongue poking out smilie would be enough to suggest the sarcastic nature of my statement, I guess not.

I decided to go with the Mars, purely because it can handle a heavier rider than the Sids. I'm 85+kgs, and the SID's don't quite cope with me even with maximum pressure in them. The Mars is soft right now though, but in a few weeks time I'm getting the extra hard spring and a lockout kit for it. That's what did it for me.
I also decided to put the XTR gear on my thrash bike, only reason there is the SRAM gear has halfpipe shifters, which are no good for the jumping/trialsing style of riding I have. I'm very happy with the SRAM gear, I've been a trigger man all my life, ever since the first set of XT STI levers I used, but I am very impressed and a bit suprised with the positive feel of the 9.0 shifters.

The bike rides like magic now, I'm waiting for the XT discs to wear in, and waiting on a new derailleur hanger (current one is ever-so-slightly bent, making shifting labourous) to arrive, and then my dream bike will be a reality

 

[scofflaw23]

SID and Shimano all the way. I've ridden both, and let me say just how much i disliked the Mars. It had all sorts of topping out issues, even when the air pressure was set low enough to almost bottom out the fork on every bump. and the rebound was turned way down as well. plus, it made a really nice clunking noise rather often. lets just say, i was glad it wasn't on my bike.
As for the component choice, i've always preferred Shimano (except on my 1982 Pinarello with Campy Super Record), it just feels crisper, and i would rather alloy than composite parts.

ben.

 

[Rik]

Originally posted by scofflaw23
SID and Shimano all the way.

That's what I was thinking until I actually had a play around with the bits. I now have the opportunity to build my other Zaskar up with the SID's and Shimano, but I don't think I have any reason to justify that! Unless my girlfriend wants to start riding, then I could use it as a project bike... or not... Either way, I might just keep the old gear instead of selling it, you can never have too many spare parts!

 

[MikeOK]

I'm not sure about the '00, but I have the '02 RS SID race Ti fork on my XC bike. It's the best XC fork I've ever ridden. The only complaint I have is that is isn't all that rigid, but I'm heavy and that's been an issue on lots of forks for me. It's very tunable, saves you having to worry about changing springs or elastomers.

Somebody above said this but I wil repeat it. Rapidfire on the left, grip shift on the right. Best way to go hands down. Shimano's main advantage is that they have been here forever, and will probly be here forever. Quality. One of the bikes in my shop has Sram, it works but IMO is not as good as the original gripshift brand. Time will tell with them...