SRAM and Why its Aweful

So to start out my unbiased reviews I will flat out tell you that Sram sucks. Although the ergonomics are slightly (very slightly) better than Shimano the feel of shifts is clunky and not very smooth at all. Big ring shifts are like playing Russian roulette with all but one slot full of bullets. Sure it'll shift eventually, maybe, if we're lucky, nope still not, oh there it is finally. While it will rarely drop the chain even under full power while well adjusted, it also will likely not shift at all for a very long time. The shifting on Shimano for the big ring is far better and snappier. Also one thing to worry about for cyclocross racing is durability. For the 2010 racing season I went through 2 sets of shift levers, sure its cheap and light, but it is also highly fragile and susceptible to mud damage. While wearing gloves it it also possible to wedge your fingers between the shift lever and the brake lever, it happened in a race, trust me it's possible. All in all go with Shimano or Campagnolo, or go with Sram I guess. It's your choice, but you'll probably regret it when it it brakes and goes in the garbage can.