Equipment/Product Review (1987) SHIMANO Deore XT Group (mtb)
04-26-23, 07:16 PM
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Equipment/Product Review (1987) SHIMANO Deore XT Group (mtb)
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04-27-23, 12:16 AM
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04-27-23, 02:58 AM
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many thanks for the article
older xt stuff unlike the new shadow stuff is bulletproof and can take abuse and last many decades
older xt stuff unlike the new shadow stuff is bulletproof and can take abuse and last many decades
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04-27-23, 04:20 AM
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Classic 1987 Deore Components
Back in the mid 2000's I bought a bunch of NOS circa 1987 Deore components dirt cheap... XT cranks for $25 and so on. I prefer steel cage long arm RDs for hard starts so I've used LX's instead of XT's.
I built this frame for off road trekking back in 1992. I used mostly 1987 vintage Deore components. They still work perfect.
I picked up this 1987 Colnago Master Ibex MTB back in 2006. It had been rode hard and put away wet but the full Deore XT gruppo still worked great! Too bad the bike handled like a wheelbarrow. Seat and bars were jacked up because I used it as a "loaner".
I got this Colnago Technos frame in 2006. It was so over the top that I set it up with components to make any Campy/Colnago purist go apoplectic! HaHaHa
XT Biopace triple cranks, XT hubs, XT FD with a later version LX RD. Had the wheels built up with Mavic Open Pro rims. Climbs like a mountain goat!
Being an old retro grouch, this was my first indexing venture with a road bike. The frame and XT rear hub were 126mm wide. The hub had a 6 speed free hub. 6 speed cassettes were rare in 2006 so I put together a custom 13-28T 7 speed using 3mm wide 8 speed spacers with a screw on Uniglide small sprocket. Per Sheldon Brown's advice (RIP) I used Suntour 7 speed indexing levers for 7 on 6 rather than Shimano. Worked perfectly!
7 on 6...
7 on 6
7 of 9
verktyg
I built this frame for off road trekking back in 1992. I used mostly 1987 vintage Deore components. They still work perfect.
I picked up this 1987 Colnago Master Ibex MTB back in 2006. It had been rode hard and put away wet but the full Deore XT gruppo still worked great! Too bad the bike handled like a wheelbarrow. Seat and bars were jacked up because I used it as a "loaner".
I got this Colnago Technos frame in 2006. It was so over the top that I set it up with components to make any Campy/Colnago purist go apoplectic! HaHaHa
XT Biopace triple cranks, XT hubs, XT FD with a later version LX RD. Had the wheels built up with Mavic Open Pro rims. Climbs like a mountain goat!
Being an old retro grouch, this was my first indexing venture with a road bike. The frame and XT rear hub were 126mm wide. The hub had a 6 speed free hub. 6 speed cassettes were rare in 2006 so I put together a custom 13-28T 7 speed using 3mm wide 8 speed spacers with a screw on Uniglide small sprocket. Per Sheldon Brown's advice (RIP) I used Suntour 7 speed indexing levers for 7 on 6 rather than Shimano. Worked perfectly!
7 on 6...
7 on 6
7 of 9
verktyg
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Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....
Chas. ;-)
Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....
Chas. ;-)
Last edited by verktyg; 04-27-23 at 04:35 AM.
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04-27-23, 06:26 AM
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The M730-735 variants are the ultimate in class... and a lot of those components are still among the all-time very best in their class. The M732 brakes, M733 thumb shifter, the M730 crank and the M735 RD- just absolutely fantastic. On top of that, they made M730 high flange hubs.
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"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
04-27-23, 08:06 AM
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My 1988 Strumpjumper Comp makes a fine commuter and most of the Deore XT bits are going strong. The u brake gave up the ghost a year ago and the Deore XT cantilevers were AWOL when I bought the bike. I did replace the pedals but after reading all the love for this generation of Deore XT, I may just reinstall the original pedals!
Last edited by bikemig; 04-27-23 at 08:10 AM.
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04-27-23, 09:07 AM
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Pretty much a wonder that Campagnolo even thought they could create a competitive MTB group after reading this.
04-27-23, 09:23 AM
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Campy was outsold by Shimano on the mtb market since1982 when deore xt 1st gen was introduced,euclid wasn't selling so well so after1994-1995, they dropped their MTB line of components. They don't make rims since 20 years or so.
04-27-23, 10:54 AM
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I have a real appreciation for 7 speed Shimano groups at the moment. Both road and off road stuff is just so durable. Not at all finicky. The gear range of 7 speed works for how I ride. The gaps between gears is about perfect.
I have 9 speed bikes also. Nothing really wrong with that but they can require more maintenance and sometimes those two extra cogs seem useless.
I have 9 speed bikes also. Nothing really wrong with that but they can require more maintenance and sometimes those two extra cogs seem useless.
04-29-23, 01:11 PM
#11
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There is an article about the "New Deore XT" in the February 1987 issue of Bike Tech.
I'm not allowed to post images/attachments so here's a link to the album containing the scans:
bikeforums.net/g/album/28892739
I'm not allowed to post images/attachments so here's a link to the album containing the scans:
bikeforums.net/g/album/28892739
