Originally Posted by
hybridbkrdr
I read a message from someone saying he asked clients questions about Alivio/Deore for 5 years. From what I remember, the advantages of Deore over Alivio are:
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1 . Deore doesn't have to be adjusted as often as Alivio
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2 . Deore lasts longer then Alivio
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3 . Deore can do better in difficult situations then Alivio (I suppose he meant like shifting while pedaling fast)
However, I changed the grips shifters on my winter/rain bike with Altus 3x7 rapidfire shifters and was blown away by how well it shifted with the Tourney front and rear derailleurs on the bike. So, since you can find a full Alivio groupset on eBay for like $60 with Deore groupsets easily surpassing $200, I would prefer buying Alivio then buying another groupset once it's no longer working well.
In the example you gave, those Altus shifters are great... and most Shimano shifters generally last a long time.
The three reasons you give are pretty accurate... two thoughts, though... Deore lasts longer than Alivio... so how long is that? My experience is that one or two seasons of regular riding and your Alivio parts are going to be pretty sloppy. Deore will probably go four or five years. This is the main difference between all the component levels in my experience. Even your third point, that Deore works a bit better in difficult conditions, isn't really true when the parts are new. Like you found, even the lower end stuff works fantastically when new. Especially when it's 7 or 8 speed and not 9, 10 or 11+. The difference comes when the parts get a few years old - it becomes very difficult to keep everything working perfectly.
But to each their own. I find the hassle of having to rebuild my drivetrain every one or two years, compared to every four or five, is worth the extra $$$. Others think differently, and there are excellent lower-cost parts for you people!