Microshift

PB Forum :: 29ers
Microshift
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flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 12:56 Quote
@BBLB - They're MS Arsis re-labelled, a lot of people say they're good, maybe it depends on the rider, as I said, it's like marmite from what I've read, you either love it or hate it!!


@oeae - I'm changing to 10 speed set up. Just buying shifters then upgrading the wheels.
flag badbadleroybrown
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 13:01 Quote
kinetic-uk wrote:
@BBLB - They're MS Arsis re-labelled, a lot of people say they're good, maybe it depends on the rider, as I said, it's like marmite from what I've read, you either love it or hate it!!


@oeae - I'm changing to 10 speed set up. Just buying shifters then upgrading the wheels.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I wish you all the best with 'em, hopefully you like them...

I hated the ergonomics of them, would always unintentionally upshift while going hard on the hoods and the action of the downshift lever was super inconsistant.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 13:16 Quote
badbadleroybrown wrote:
I hated the ergonomics of them, would always unintentionally upshift while going hard on the hoods and the action of the downshift lever was super inconsistant.

There's a review on the Forte on that link which seems to be love/hate. It's the same on RBR and other forums too. People like it some don't.

If they do end up upshifting and fcuking up, I swear to you I will post here red faced Redface and tell you all.

I just don't get why a pro biker team would still use MS if it was crap Confused

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flag anthonysjb
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 13:16 Quote
They're like Marmite!!!!!

Oh wait how can a clunky shift on a cheap groupo be nice.
flag badbadleroybrown
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 14:00 Quote
kinetic-uk wrote:

There's a review on the Forte on that link which seems to be love/hate. It's the same on RBR and other forums too. People like it some don't.

If they do end up upshifting and fcuking up, I swear to you I will post here red faced Redface and tell you all.

I just don't get why a pro biker team would still use MS if it was crap Confused

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They're a second year continental squad... so they're basically taking whatever sponsorships they can get and are being paid to ride crap. I can assure you that it wasn't the riders being asked 'what do you guys want to ride' and them chosing that... They team directors were out begging for equipment and money and MS stepped up to try and get their name out. I haven't actually searched this but I'd be willing to be that there's not a single ProTour team using Microshift at all. Add to that the fact that they have a literal team of mechanics who will be tuning the drivetrain every single day and repairing anything that's not working and it's much less of an issue regardless of how crappy it is.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 14:16 Quote
Fair statement BBLB Smile surely wouldn't Shimano or SRAM (especially SRAM being U.S company) would step in and offer better $$$ to sponsor the team who have probably 3x more £££/$$$ than MS? I know Felt were using MS on their lower end bikes before. In fact there's paragraph in the 'good points' (o.p) saying that the lead mechanic at Felt likes MS. Team Exergy are also using MS for their second season

Not trying to stick up for MS, I'm just buying their d's and shifters as I can get discount on them and as I said if they do break, I can sell the broken shifters with working d's on ebay for probably 20% proift and buy some 105 d's and shifter.

Honestly though, I think they're going to be good for me as a recreation road cyclist. Maybe when I get into racing, that's where they'll be put through their real test, but that'll be next summer.
flag badbadleroybrown
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 14:32 Quote
You'd be really surprised just how tight Shimano and SRAM are with their sponsorship dollars... They're both extremely gung ho in terms of the resources they dedicate to sponsored teams and won't spread themselves too thin for a little extra exposure that neither really needs. Everyone knows who SRAM & Shimano are so, for them, racing is more about R&D and top level pro feedback than advertising. Also, Shimano in particular, is very big on making sure that you use everything Shimano if they're sponsoring you... wheels, cockpit, etc... I can't recall who it was but there was a team buying Zipps with their own cash and having the logo's stripped cause the riders didn't like the old Shimano wheels. Probably less common today though as Shimano is cranking out some really solid wheels.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 14:41 Quote
Fair enough, I know nothing about sponsorship, but Team Exergy seem to be doing well after looking at their race results and I'd think that the MS groupo is partly responsible for it, as if it broke easily or shifted shit, they'd be losing and end up forcing themselves to change parts anyway!!

I guess the only way to find out is to try them and see what it results in. I'm hoping they don't break more due to the fact I'd have to sell on the broken parts and losing riding time. I'll gladly put my hands up and say they're shit if it does happen though.

Alex.

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flag singlespeedtoday
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 15:30 Quote
Check it, I was able to dig up some MicroShift patent images!

Here's my quick rundown...

It's a REALLY basic mechanism. The shifting is definitely going to feel harsh next to a Shimano or Campagnolo setup.
The downshift gear and lever work together as the holding point for the upshift indexing (not the best for reliability) and it looks super fragile. That's the heart of the shifter, so be extra careful with it!
The upshift lever looks like it could be prone to bending, if that happens the pawl won't engage properly with its gear.
The brake lever blade looks like it's only mounted by two small screws! This may cause a mushy brake feel and probably isn't very resistant to snapping off under force.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 15:39 Quote
Thanks for the heads up SSTD. I definitely will take care of them. The guy I got that picture above off of on Flickr says he's been running the Forte shifters on his bike for 4 years when I PM'd him on there, so it seems like it's gonna be hit and miss with breaking them.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 15, 2012 at 19:35 Quote
On weight weenies there is another review on the Forte groupo which looks promising!!

I've added all the links and pictures,good and bad points which I've found so far on the original post. Might as well turn this thread into a info and discussion thread on Microsft lol
flag anthonysjb
Posted: Mar 16, 2012 at 5:50 Quote
Implying any 'weight weenies' in here are interested in buying a Microshift groupo.
flag road-psyclist
Posted: Mar 16, 2012 at 6:20 Quote
Very confused

I'm not planning on selling them. If they broke, I would sell them on eBay for extra (even if broken) than I bought them for. I'm all good and have faith in them.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Review if you can be bothered to read it:

The Shifters:

One thing I was concerned about regarding the shifters was the size. I have small hands and need a smaller shifter. My favorite shifters of the past were the Shimano 9 speed ones. Anyway, got these mounted and they are just right. Size is slightly larger than Shimano 9-speed and slightly smaller than Shimano 10-speed. The shifters have a cheaper plastic feel to them and they rattle a little on bumpy roads. The internals seem fine and I haven't noticed any defects or flaws to date.

Microshift systems work a little differently than the big 3. There is a large paddle and a much smaller paddle for shifting. The actual brake lever does not move in the shifting process. Shifts are quick and as precise as I'd expect a $200 gruppo to be. Shifting is significantly louder than other systems I've used so if you're into stealthy ninja shifting these aren't for you. The front shifter has a great trim feature: both the big and small ring are allotted a trim setting (instead of just one). Some may have concerns with the cheap looking resemblance to SRAM Red in looks... personally I could care less.

I've been running the stock cables and housing. There have been no major issues. Overall, the system is on par with 105 I'd say. Works fine and will likely last a long time if maintained properly. Although shifts are quick, it's not as smooth as DA or any other high end system I'd imagine. I do wonder if better cables and housing would do much but I really have no reason to spend the money to find out. I recommend this group for those looking for something cheap and light. However, if you need pinpoint accuracy with shifts and lightning fast speed, then this is not the group for you. Also, if you have money to burn, I'd go with something else.

Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/robncircus/Biking/DSCF1942.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/robncircus/Biking/DSCF1945.jpgUnsecure image, only https images allowed: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/robncircus/Biking/DSCF1948.jpg
Negative Response:

These are fully compatible with Shimano 5600, 6600, and 7800 shifters and derailleurs. I actually have used this group as well. I received a KTM frame from Taiwan a few years ago, and it came to me built up with the Microshift aluminum 10-speed group. Functionally it is the same as the Arsis, but not as flashy looking.

My experience with the group was so-so. If you like Shimano ergonomics and functionality, and want a budget group, this might be for you. The shifting is very different from Shimano though... it has a very mechanical (almost clunky) feel to it and definitely doesn't share Shimano's smooth feel. The lever throw for moving up the cassette and shifting into the big ring is also very long/slow. I also had a problem with the loops on some of my gloves (you know the ones between the fingers to help pull the gloves off) getting caught on and looped around the tabs that drop the chain down the cassette.

I can also second the rattling problem that was mentioned above. The internal build quality is not nearly as good as you would find in anything from the big 3, so it might offer the performance of say 105 (5600), but it is no-where near as durable long-term. One person I know who tried to run this long-term on his main bike changed to Ultegra SL because many of the internals started to wear and fall apart (springs for the brake levers broke, the brake cable holder came apart, when replacing the cables the head had to be drilled out because it had been glued in by Microshift, as well as other issues).

I didn't care for the performance or the ergonomics, so I've since switched over to all SRAM on my bikes - which offers much better performance and I much prefer the ergonomics. IMO, if you're looking for a high performance budget group, it is smarter to spend a few extra dollars and look at lower end Campy, SRAM, or Shimano (Veloce, Rival/Apex, 105-5700/5600). My personal choice would be SRAM or Campy...
flag anthonysjb
Posted: Mar 16, 2012 at 9:16 Quote
kinetic-uk wrote:
Very confused

I'm not planning on selling them. If they broke, I would sell them on eBay for extra (even if broken) than I bought them for. I'm all good and have faith in them.

Lol no, I mean we don't really care for reviews of them as we don't want new groupos, appears to be only you who do so no need to share on a forum, lol.
flag robncircus
Posted: Mar 16, 2012 at 9:23 Quote
Hi

I was sent a link to this thread and thought I'd throw in my $.02. When I got my Tsunami in 2010, I decided to outfit it with the Forte Carbon Microshift group. Shifters, and FD/RD are what my bike had. I also used the provided cables. I rode this group regularly for quite a few months, and raced maybe 15 or 20 crits with it. The group works fine. Is it as smooth as DA or Record? Nope. Is it a heck of a lot cheaper? Yep. I never had any issues with the group. The FD is a long throw, but not unbearable. Just different. Rear worked as well as any other rear I've used (105 and Ultegra 9 speed).

That bike was stolen, but I liked the shape enough to use the shifters (Nashbar brand of all things) on ym new crit bike. I'vesince changed to DA FD and RD, but still use the Forte shifters. They work fine. Any remotely competent bike mechanic can adjust them properly, and if they can't then find a new mech. I'm currently deployed and lack links to my other reviews but I did a review on WW and BF for thos interested. Just search my username. I'd say they are a great alternative to 105.

Just my $.02.

Cheers

Rob

 


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