Microshift Sword groupset review

Punching above its weight

Microshift bills its Sword gravel groupset as “modern components with an analog soul,” and that description seems apt with no batteries, motors, buttons, or Bluetooth to be found anywhere. The shifting is cable actuated with a system of good old fashioned levers, ratchets, pawls, and springs, setup and maintenance should be familiar to anyone who’s worked on bikes in the last ten years, and the operation is intuitive. 

Heck, even the brakes are cable actuated (for better or worse).

It’s also extremely affordable with heaps of cross-compatibility between the available 1x10 and 2x10 configurations and lots of useful gearing range, it’s lighter than you’d expect, the clutch on the rear derailleur actually works pretty well, and it shifts much better than you’d expect, too. 

This isn’t a story of David slaying Goliath, though, and the old adage of “you get what you pay for” still holds true to some extent. The shifting is very good but not great, the lever ergonomics are a little goofy, there are some annoying squeaks and rattles, and while there are upsides to mechanical braking, they just don’t work as well as a good hydraulic setup. 

Nevertheless, riders who want or need more field serviceability, are on a strict budget, or who simply prefer the mechanical simplicity of cable actuation will find a lot to like here.

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• Pros: Fantastic value, very good shifting performance, excellent gearing range, simple and easy-to-maintain cable actuation throughout, comparatively repairable, looks pretty good.

• Cons: Goofy shift lever ergonomics, doesn’t feel especially premium, variable brake performance.

• The takeaway: A solid-performing, DIY-friendly counterculture groupset that won’t break the bank.

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