For every rider who loved the derailleur, there was someone who hated the levers. While durable, the shifter pods were huge and boxy by modern standards. The thumb trigger required a firm, deliberate push—it wasn’t featherlight like XT. Furthermore, because SRAM was still transitioning from gripshift, the ergonomics felt like an afterthought. Riders with small hands often struggled to reach the release lever without shifting their entire grip.
Here’s a text that examines the groupset from its heyday. SRAM 9.0: When the Underdog Found Its Teeth Before SRAM became the drivetrain juggernaut it is today—dominating mountain biking with 1x systems and shaking up the road world with AXS—there was the 9.0. If you look at a mountain bike from the late 1990s or early 2000s, and it isn’t wearing Shimano, there’s a good chance it’s wearing the chunky, industrial grey of the SRAM 9.0. sram 9.0
So, where does the SRAM 9.0 sit today? It’s a cult classic. You won’t see it on a high-end restoration, but on a "klunker" or a retro dirt jump build, it’s pure gold. It represents a pivotal moment when SRAM stopped being "that gripshift company" and started being a real competitor. For every rider who loved the derailleur, there
The product has been added to your cart