mzeffex 

I know xtr is, just wondering about XT.

hernick

LOL what?

From my point of view, you just can't go wrong with plain ol' Deore, LX or XT, each level being a small improvement over the last. XTR is another matter entirely, as I feel it pushes the lightweight aspect so far as to compromise durability.

Plain old Deore should serve the needs of every serious cyclist - LX or XT are incremental improvements at a great cost, but if somebody can afford it, they certainly can't go wrong with either.

The thing is about Shimano, practically every product they make is good. From the lowly $10 shifter sets like the SL-TX30 or the whole Tourney range, to the Tiagra hubs that Sheldon brown said were better than any hub from any other mfg other than Phil Wood, to the ugly, inexpensive, but strong and reliable Deore rear derailleur, to the low-end riveted cranksets to the inexpensive and expensive replacement chainrings, to the $5 UG-51 chain and the reasonably affordable 9-speed HG-53 chain, to the odd but light and precise Sora Brifters still available in 8 and 9 speed, Shimano makes great products at any price point.

So if you want the best non-racing MTB components Shimano has to offer, go XT. It's a little pricy, but it's very well made, long-lasting and very nice looking. But Deore won't let you down - and as a matter of fact, neither will Alivio, Acera, Altus, Sora, 2200 and yes, even the TX and the 050 series if you're not too hard on them.

mzeffex 

Thanks. My XT front and rear derailleurs and 2010 race face deus crankset arrived today

Just wanted to know if people will look at it and go oh... xt.. or OH! XT!

MudPie

XT doesn't have the bling appeal of XTR, but XT is nothing to laugh at. The cost difference between LX and XT is relatively small, but the cost jump to XTR is a huge leap.

I run XT, so I'm a bit biased, but it seems to be the best bang for the buck. It's great quality stuff and is very respectable, yet not nearly as costly as XTR.

Likewise, I run Ultegra grade components on my road, for the same above reasons.

mzeffex 

Yeah I heard (from my fellow bike shop employees at my shop) that XTR is just not as durable as xt. That's why I didn't go for it. I could have gotten it cheaper than it sells from employee discount.

rankin116

I'm exactly the same. XT and Ultegra. Best for the money. The jumps to XTR and DA are too large for me.

mzeffex 

Also as I'm not sponsored I don't want to have to replace XTR every year or X amount of time.

But back on topic, does XT = snob appeal?

joejack951

Possibly but only to those who give a crap (most people don't know a MTB from a road bike let alone XT from Tourney) and don't own XT or above. XTR owners will still look down on you as a penny pincher.

mzeffex 

^ hahaha, well, too bad. Still pleased from the previous deore/alivio upgrade.

dwr1961

Not with anyone I know. It's well-respected stuff, but no one will slobber over it.

As has been said earlier: The Ultegra of the MTB world. Good choice.

mzeffex 

Eh, alright. aybe the new crankset will make up for that.

FLYcrash

I don't think so.

An XT rear derailer has bearings in the pulleys instead of bushings. That adds functionality but doesn't earn snob appeal compared to LX or below, right? (I don't know...I'm oblivious to snob appeal. I like things that work well and are beautiful.)

Also, XT components don't have the flashy bling look. I wouldn't be able to spot them from further than I can read the stamp. Now Phil Wood, Chris King, Nitto...there's unmistakeable snob appeal. (And extraordinary functionality, too.)

Now an XT front derailer...maybe that's snob appeal. Even quite cheap front derailers work very well.

Tabor

XT cassettes have noticeably less weight than their LX cousins. Now, I am not a weight weenie, but that is rotating mass right there.

What? I better get it off my road bike.

joejack951

XT looks nice...



But XTR is H-O-T

Wordbiker

Why are you trying to appeal to snobs?

froze

I also have XT on my Giant and it's been pretty good stuff...but, I only have about 15,000 miles on components and bike, and the last 5,000 miles has been on a trainer. But the shifters tend to go out of adjustment frequently so I'm always having to do something to get them to work again. This is an older generation so maybe those had bugs. Odd bike, the thing came with all XT stuff except the wheels and hubs which were cheap and on the heavy side from China!

Tabor

The older rapid rise XT rear derailers had problems with constantly going out of adjustment. The new ones are fine. If you have a rapid rise derailer you might consider replacing it.

mzeffex 

They actually do have ceramic bushings - it is labeled on the each pulley

froze

I think they are rapid risers, but I don't ride the bike frequently enough to warrant replacing them till they break altogether. But since you brought that up, your right, I will replace them when necessary.

nitropowered

XT is the work horse group. I typically recommend XT unless you have tons of cash and ok with having "the second best group"

But sure if you want to buy XTR and come back every few months buying super expensive cassettes and middle chain rings, its more money in my pocket.

Though I do recommend upgrading to XTR shifters, they are a lot better than the XT and IMO worth the premium.

mzeffex 

Alright - looking into new shifters as I run cheap-o sram ones anyways. Gripshift. Maybe I'll go for XTR.