Anyone have any experience with MicroShift groupsets or components?

Lemag

Hi there,

I'm looking to build a nice bike but without breaking the bank. I have read some good reviews about MicroShift. Anyone have any experience with them? The groupset which has caught my eye is the MicroShift ARSIS 10S FSA Carbon Crank Token BB GroupSet.

Cheers.

bcmf

Remember reading about them on Weight weenies or Road Bike review and them saying that they were certainly on a par with Shimmy/campy/Sram.

Chips Lovell

You probably won't find anyone who's actually used the group here. I haven't seen it sold in Ireland or on many European websites. It's been around for a few years in a number of versions. It's made by Microshift but also sold rebadged by Token and Sampson. I've read mixed reviews of it. Some peopel say it's grand, others aren't keen. Personally I'd weigh up the savings your hoping for against the fact that's something of an unknown quantity. I'd also consider the availability of spare parts etc.

Lemag

Just bought them there with the FSA cranks. I'll let you know what I think when I get them. That they're "something of an unknown quantity" has me even more excited now that I've ordered them. Just hope they don't turn out to be absolute pants.

kayaksurfbum

Is it available in Ireland? Iv seen it on eBay but I'd prefer to buy from an actual shop.

Lemag

kayaksurfbum wrote: »

Is it available in Ireland? Iv seen it on eBay but I'd prefer to buy from an actual shop.

I got them on ebay. You could contact them via their website www.microshift.biz to ask if they have any european dealers but if you buy them on ebay from a source with a good rating where's the risk?

I like them a lot and they are very light.

iregk

Got to be honest, this is fantastic looking

Paul Kiernan

I see Cofidis are using them on their TT bikes at the Giro.

@Lemag, how do you find them?

Lemag

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

@Lemag, how do you find them?

Hi Paul,

They are for a bike build. I'm currently riding with a compag group so I can't fit these parts to my current bike to test them out. I've only been able to assess them by looking at them. They seem very light and well made. I don't have them to hand but in places on the FD and RD and on the shifters they have carbon where others would have steel, titanium or plastic. I'm looking to purchase trp brakes which are lighter than dura ace and should yet add to the uniqueness of the build in this part of the world.

Paul Kiernan

Sounds good. Nice to have something a bit different.

Good luck with the build and hopefully you might stick up a few photos and a running report in due course.

You might even start a new trend.

Lemag

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

Sounds good. Nice to have something a bit different.

Good luck with the build and hopefully you might stick up a few photos and a running report in due course.

You might even start a new trend.

I'll stick it up in the 'Post images of beauty' thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=138864&page=151 if I feel confident enough that I've got the colour coordination right. Hoping to keep it to about 7.5 kgs. Not hugely important although that I'm a fairly short fecker should help. If you catch wind of any nicely priced light carbon frames around the 52cm mark be sure to let me know and you'll get a nice mention in my post ;-)

Paul Kiernan

Dare I suggest Planet-X SL Pro Carbon? Unfortunately now a bit dearer than it was with the weak euro but good value compared to others I reckon.

Mine was(*) only about 7.5kg in large size with Ultegra groupset, alloy finishing kit, Planet-X Model B wheels and heavyish 25c tyres. You should be able to shave a few 100 grams off easily enough.

* Note: I say was because I now have so much extra crap (bags, bottles, lights, pump) hanging off it I wouldn't dare weigh it.

granda

@ lemag how is the microshift groupset going as i was looking to upgrade mine and they caught my eye and which one did you get

Paul Kiernan

Hmmmm:rolleyes:

Lemag

granda wrote: »

@ lemag how is the microshift groupset going as i was looking to upgrade mine and they caught my eye and which one did you get

I went for the Arsis as mentioned above. I liked them. Quite chunky like Shimano. Different shifting mechanism which you either like or you don't. I was fine with it. Holyboy, boardsie and bike mechanic/shop owner has said good things about microSHIFT in the past. However, I've recently seen a few on here complaining about the cheaper microSHIFT shifters which felt and maybe a couple of other brands have equipped their bikes with.

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

Hmmmm:rolleyes:

Yep. I've moved to SRAM. Chain hoped off one of the jockey wheels on the RD and bent the cage (as well as the hanger) and I've since replaced the lot with SRAM.

granda

so would you recommend the higher end ones or did you just change for the sake of changing

Lemag

I thought that I'd pretty much given them my endorsement above. They work, they're light relative to Shimano. It comes down to personal preferance. I changed for a number of small reasons. The incident with the RD (I've since read over on WW about guys swapping out the jockey wheels) was just another push that I needed. I tried a friends bike with SRAM and really like it. Saw the SRAM bits for a good price. Those bits were very light (my bike weighs about 6.3kg) and a more mainstream name.

Other boardsies with them on their bike builds kayaksurfbum and Trekker09 to whom I sold my shifters.

granda

thanks lemag that has made up my mind to get a set then cheers

Holyboy

granda wrote: »

thanks lemag that has made up my mind to get a set then cheers

Bravo, as said before I'm a fan of mocroSHIFT, it's not COOL but it works and it's cheap:)

Home:Ballyhoura

I was building a bike the other day with microshift shifters on a cheaper felt and was not a fan really, the shifting was just really stiff and clunky a real effort mainly on the front derailleur and up shifting on the rear. Set up to get it working well with the Shimano mechs was troublesome so can't say I would be a big fan of this combo.