News :
F * CKING SRAM! Cyclist releases the "piropo" of the year in full Giro d'Italia.
We could not overlook what happened in the past Giro d'Italia. Barely 8 seconds of video (and audio) that give game to talk at length about the electronic changes and specifically the new Sram eTAP AXS.
We are in full stage when in the absence of just over 50 kilometers to the finish line and with the race fully launched the Trek cyclist Bauke Mollema suffers a mechanical breakdown. A problem in the rear electronic change of your bike that temporarily prevents you from keeping up with the group of favorites.
The problem completely drives the Dutchman who takes the opportunity to leave before the television camera a compliment towards the American brand shouting "Fuck Sram".
Heater? Adrenaline of the competition? I doubt it. It is not the first time that SRAM is harshly criticized by professional and amateur users. The Chicago firm, trying to follow in the footsteps of Shimano, continues to innovate with products such as the SRAM eTAP AXS, but the truth is that the quality of its products begins to leave serious doubts. In addition, its warranty service is not exactly the most effective on the market and whenever there is a problem at the factory processing any incident becomes an ordeal both in time and in uncertainty.
To many it will seem that this is a gratuitous criticism to SRAM but it is not like that. A group for bicycles like the eTAP AXS that has just hit the market and that in almost all models exceeds 3000 euros can not fail more than a shotgun fair. Mollema is true that it can be bad luck and that Shimano or Campagnolo (the other two groups for bicycles) are not exempt from breakdowns but all of us who follow the cycling news know that SRAM has been struggling and criticized for years in the World Tour peloton .
Proof of this is that last year the only team that carried their bicycles mounted with the SRAM group, of the 18 that make up the highest category of world cycling, was the Katusha. This year they have joined the Trek team but apparently and judging by the cries of Mollema the American team is not very happy with the change.
Even Campagnolo continues to have more presence in the international squad with 3 sponsored teams, compared to 2 from Sram and 13 from Shimano, which remains the king as far as road cycling is concerned.
Sram would do well to improve its products as the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France or races of this level are the commercial showcase to attract and seduce amateur cyclists. It is very good to innovate with ultra-light 12-speed electronic groups and to be the first to launch novelties but without neglecting the reliability of the product..