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Shall I just go all SRAM for matchy matchy sake?
The main reason why I don't like SRAM is I have SRAM on my road bike and I absolutely cannot get on with the double tap system... obviously with flatbar there isn't that issue? Any 'downside' of SRAM in terms of shifting?
ExTra-
Look for a Shimano ZEE M640 which take a normal 4 bolt 104BCD chainring and then fit a Superstar narrow/wide 40t chainring? they come in 165mm as well.
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Can Sram it if you want, I really like the doubletap apex on my bike, shifts perfectly (at the back) everytime and I don't like the brake lever moving on shimano, but both work fine and are more of a preference thing. I've always preferred shimano mtb shifters though. Main area shimano wins is brakes, some people seem to like sram/avid brakes but I've only ever had bad experiences and heard bad things from a lot of people.
So get a sram drivechain and hope brakes, obviously. -
SRAM has a slightly heavier lever action, but tbh I think that's an advantage mountain biking. I had a Saint 10sp with Zee mech, which is about as nice-feeling as Shimano gets, and it was still ugly as sin and I ended up double-shifting a lot by accident. Now have 10sp X0. If I was buying new, I'd get GX Eagle and some sexier cranks.
Just go to a decent bike shop and have a play on some properly setup bikes.
edscoble
snottyotter
TvH
LBS is good.
If you're cool with a different crankset then to me SRAM on there is no more or less of a problem than anyone else's and is definitely the easiest and most not over the top expensive way of getting a 40t 1x. Or you could look at rotors or Easton do 40 and 42t rings for cinch direct mount cranks from them or raceface. Or get any old cranks with a symmetrical bcd and more ring options, even older XTs.