microSHIFT Sword Black Review - This One Goes To 9
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- Over the last few weeks, Neil had the opportunity to pedal the new Sword Black, Microshift’s budget gravel/bikepacking group built around a 9-speed cassette and square taper bottom bracket. In our latest video, Neil shares all the details, including what he likes, what he doesn’t, and the overall value of the group.
This video was supported by Sulry Bikes; learn more about Surly and their steel bikes here: surlybikes.com/...
Outline:
Intro - 0:00
Differences and Weights - 1:46
The Setup - 4:07
What's up with 9 speeds? - 5:07
The Feel - 7:26
Performance - 8:55
Pricing - 9:33
Final Thoughts - 9:41
Related Links:
Sword & Sword Black Review URL:
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#bikepacking #pedalfurther #microshift
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::About The Host::
Neil Beltchenko ( / neil_beltchenko )
Geometry: 150lbs, 5'9.5", 32" inseam, +2.5" Ape index - Zábava
Love how microSHIFT keeps things simple, affordable and still provide great ranges.
this is a huge temptation for me, I have been on the fence on whether to get a new bike to replace my Kona Rove, but since 90% of my issues with the bike are actually with the drivetrain (2x8 claris), I might just get this instead for like 1/8 of what a new bike would cost me. Hopefully it will hit european shelves for christmas!
yes save ur bike
Really pleased to see a manufacturer supporting the lower speeds, 9 speed always been my favourite for it toughness and cost. Think 9 speed is always better with 2x, I am a bit cadence sensitive as well. Smaller cassette with better gear gaps and really good to be able to dump a load of gears if I get caught out. Square taper bottom bracket are also good, I've been quite surprised by how much abuse they can take.
Just love microshift, making affordable parts for real people. Absolutely love my sword groupset and love to see them getting coverage on big channels. 🗡️⚙️😁
Currently running their older 9speed and apart from some jumps in the gearing it’s been a super durable and reliable setup.
Thank you for the review. I own a new bike with the original Sword group and it is just a delight to use ! Cheers
Great to see this covered. I ride 9, 10, 11 and single speeds. I enjoyed this review.
Thanks! I'll be searching for the Box info as well.
I love Microshift's value proposition. I'm also looking forward to that Growtac brake review!
I’m seriously so stoked about this group set coming out. I cannot afford these EXPENSIVE groupsets and bikes hence why I ride what I ride but since 105 ditched the “groupset of the people” I’m starting to see Microshift filling that void very elegantly!
That's just Sora with Deore m529 rear derailleur made by Microshift. Pretty neat idea to sell it as plain groupset, I mean that 2x9 is always good idea.
I agree with the comment about bringing the shift paddles from the Advent X to the Sword. I have both and the ergos and braking leverage of the Sword are much better than the Advent X but the shift paddles on the X are better.
This is a great groupset for retro builds I could just imagine building a 1× nine speed drivetrain for a retro road bike from the nineties using rim brakes with this groupset. Having the option to use mechanical disc brakes with this drivetrain for other types of builds is also a great option.
I am sold on 1× drivetrains these days with the extra weight and complexity of a 2× not appealing to me anymore.
Microshift is really catering to all comers with it's new Sword components being compatible with every other component in it's line up.
Tektro are another large Taiwanese company that has a great lineup of bicycle parts available. They specialise in every type of bicycle brake and some scooter brakes for the consumer.
😎🇦🇺👍
Your riding spots are out of this world cool!!
As always Microshift deliver something. Simple and interesting at a great price point. I wonder how many bikes this will appear on OEM? Also if you have a chainset kicking around (I am thinking a 32 to 36 mtb)then this is cheap and reliable drop bar fun!
exciting stuff! Keen to see these as a tough OEM option for value hybrids. 100% with you on this needing a 36 or 38 tooth option- a better choice for the brief of this bike. Would be good too see some 160mm cranks too
1x Sword is on my gravel bike atm. Works like a dream! Simple, meters of development is enough for the climbs here, and... CHEAP (+/- 1/2 the price of the GRX)
As an Advent 1x9 user this looks very interesting, but good point about the upper shifter paddle, which seems a little under developed for the purpose compared to Advent lever's equivalent. It took a little to get used to the Advent paddles at first, but after a while I've found quite a fluent touch in using them. Microshift is doing great things, I might actually get Sword Black to a project, being not-a-weight-weenie.
I love my microshift sword stuff especially for the price point but can’t go lower then 10 speed my tandem has old 3x9 and its rough i will be switching everything over to sword myself. I like that they are putting out affordable durable stuff though with options
if only shimano have brifter for cues it's gonna heck of competition
iirc, "Path less pedaled" did experiment and succeed with cues brifters
@@justtobbi2624 10s
but i believe 9s can do it .... but it's hard to get sword brifter in SEA country
I got a surly preamble last year and went with microshift’s advent x drop bar setup. 10 speed 11-48 and fairly affordable compared to the other big names. I have a little over 3,000 miles on it now and the only problem was the preamble came with a straight cut chainring not a narrow wide and I waited about 1500 miles before I changed it. Must’ve dropped the chain 500 times in that 1500 miles.
Cool & Thanks, always ❤ to watch bike packing news videos from you guys and galls, thanks! ❤ From EU - The Netherlands ❤
- Nothing wrong with Microshift. They're cool. Good value for trying a change for sure. I used it often on my city bikes. And it sure functions perfectly. Also for a cycle round the bush, it will do it's thing fine and perfectly. And nice about it, it is easy to fix, and fixable, and used round, globally yes sure globally, it's a affordable derailleur, and it'll function lol, it will stand a lot of beating lol. But like anything needs love & care, like all mechanical things do. And it will accept a change. If it ain't fixable, it sure is easy to replace 🤣 less pain, for a hell of a rig, I can tell that from experience, and my perspective.
I personally like Microshift is my conclusion, I use it in combination with it's SRAM invented Grip Shift combination as a setup on my specific urban MTB bike -, annex old school, day tour MTB gravel - bike. Lol, what can I say. It's a mix of what I had left all 11 speed setup new, Microshift setup on my city socializing bling MTB. It works fine and holds the lines, it's cheap, what more can I say, it keep replacing while improving, what more does a simple-, non professional level demanding, but more than that, I mean it must take a beating and not just only focussed on weight loss.
What a demanding consumer wants? Well this is it...it's Microshift. And not Microshit as is a common joke. Yet Microshift proofs itself, it sure stands a heavy beating, it will get you there most certainly, and soundly, and mechanics facing it, will know how to deal with it swiftly, and securely. It will keep battling till all objectives are long dealt with. For sure and definitively. Microshift is easy to maintain as well. Making it nice to handle, specially since lot's of the models of shifters have nice indicators, got to keep them moist proof though.
But still lot's of ❤ to Microshift! They make things easier to handle, world wide serviceable. And no shame in using these at all. In stead, it might be even the smart way to travel. Sure keeps down overall pit stop times. You can find this brand used, world wide, that is a guarantee, lol. SRAM has grip shifters up to many various speeds now, Eagle System, and so on, compatible.
Coincidentally, I was schemingly checked the gravel groupset in their website. At first, I was a little bit skeptacle, but thanks for this nice review video of microSHIFT! I'll dig in further and consider upgrading my gravel fat bike using this groupset. :D Is this also compatible to SRAM microshift too? Since I'm currently using the SRAM Apex 2x10 groupset
Plain and simple. No batteries to die in the middle of a multi-day ride👍
2x9 🤔. Can a 3x9 be far behind? Perfect bike for gravel and pavement? Oh wait. I have that bike. Bought it in 2000. 😂 My favorite steel stead.
This groupset is refreshing. I don't want everything running on batteries.
This would be a great opportunity for people to run friction shifters on the 2x version
thank you sir
Solid!!!!
Maybe run a triple. Long live the front derailleur!
Can’t wait for microshift ultra instinct
Components for the people!!!
Nice set up . What happened to your merchandise ? No more tee's and or other stuff ?
What's the BCD on the chainring? Does it need proprietary rings just like GRX?
I expected them to use the Acolyte clutch on it
Could you buy the square taper crankset only for an advent x mountain bike.. I'd think so
The 2x 46-29 seems like the best option.
The jump between gears with the 1x must make this groupset hard to use on pavement.
At this price point, it’s a bargain !
How would this work on my surly bridge club? I've got a 34t chainring and 11-51 cassette on the 1x11 drivetrain. I'm using a jines h bar handlebar so the supplied levers wouldn't work. I'm looking for a drive train to modify my BC for off road bike packing like the GDMBR as well as muktimonth road touring.
You mention it doesn't have a clutch, did you test the drivetrain on rough downhills to see if the chain was bouncing off? I've always had issues with 1x
systems not having enough tension due to not having a clutch and the chain dropping is always a problem.
I mean, I think so based on some of the video, but you tell me.
Can you use this with Canti Brakes? For use with my CrossCheck?
Have the 2x10 speed on order for a new Salsa Journeyer to replace the Sora so I'll let you know.
9 is fine
I can totally get behind a groupset which aims to use inexpensive components, but square taper is a step too far for me. I might check out their 2x10.
You can mix and match with the Sword.
square taper is literally all you need, other BB standards were made for carbon frame manufacturing ease in asia, and thats literally it. Always liked microshift stuff, always works.
Hard to understand why the derailleur doesn't have a clutch when Advent 9-speed does and Acolyte has "SpringLock"
nice groupset. i'd prefer the 2x9 sword
speed recovery for your health.
Weird name. They could have just called it Sword IX.
I wonder how this compares to shimano cues?
It's produced for store bought, oem beginner bike. Not for old biker or people trying to modify their bike
Wrong
@@BIKEPACKINGcomagreed. I've been bike commuting and cycling as a sport since 2012. I used this on my latest gravel bike build
Cold or allergies?
Could actually be allergies, I’ve never been hit this hard with them if that’s what it is.
I think microSHIFT will go through the Tour Divide without any problems, with electronic groups we will see how many failure we see.
Nothing what CUES can't offer;)
Sword Black is unique because of the drop bar levers, if you ran CUES you would need to use friction shifters. That said I love CUES, I’ve been using it for the last few months, and I expect a drop bar version is in the works.
...Actually, i'm hearing that you could use the sword/sword black levers on CUES, which is pretty awesome. I have not tried it, but there are a few resources out there about it.
Cues has no brifter
CUES are not 100% backwards compatible due to pull ratio though.
So, MS is still on top. Now, if they could only fix their supply issues in my country.
Have noticed more Microshift on kids bikes lately. Never tried myself, but the last square taper crankset I had was absolutely ruined. Not a trusting user of square taper anything. It's 2024....not 1994 Microshift!
I get the reduction in cost when using antiquated technology, but do Groad bikes require square taper bbs and cranksets?
There is a hollowtech style Sword crankset as well, the square taper "Black" version is just the lower cost version and uses the same chainring. The hollowtech version is basically a clone of the GRX 600 crankset.
I tried 1x8, 1x9. They are good for recreational purposes. They are made of cheap plastic, so I wouldn't put my life on them. MS was a good alternative in the past, but they raised price and now I don't see why you should buy it.
microsoft word?
I would use an acolyte derailleur.
wish klampers were affordable for my 2nd mechanical bike😭
Love microshift but the naming is really bad. microSHIFT Sword 9. Easy.
Like your Chanel but you slightly resemble Ducky , Jon cryer
So their intention wasn't to subliminally make us think of Microsoft Word, right? 😅
9 speed makes absolutely ZERO sense in 2024
Just like your comment.
Майкрошифт молодцы. а Вот Шурли обосрались, 1х1 нет ECR нет Troll нет. пффф