Trying to understand shimano range

Hi guys, just after a bit of advice with all the produce range, Acera, Alivio, Deore, LX, DX, XT, STX, Exage. I've worked out bits - Deore is better than acera & alivio + deore XT is better than LX but where do they all fit in, as a list???? :? :?
Thanks, Kev

• XTR
• XT
• everything else you needn't bother with

However if your not a gear snob but a person with an open mind

Many early bikes had Exage. and as a follow up deore and lx are fine

Xtr is for people with more money than sense and Xt represents good value

It's a bike after all and not the space shuttle

stx decentish and functional enough also

Don't profess to be an expert but in my day it used to go: XTR > XT > LX > STX > Alivio.

BITD I could never afford much XT or XTR so I used XT where I either could afford it, or knew it made sense: things like the BB, for example, that was going to be in for the long haul. I used to have an LX rear mech as XT used to be significantly more expensive - I've only just got round to changing it to XT actually - and it always worked faultlessly, even in some fairly nasty conditions. For a long while I used to run Alivio rear cantis, on my Zaskar, because they were very cheap and when they were set up right they'd lock the rear end as good as anything.

I'd agree with sylus though, go for XT these days if you can. Good quality kit and, tbh, I think probably priced about the same as everything else (give or take). Also don't feel that you have to be Shimano everywhere - I used to run Onza front brakes, Avid brake levers, blah, blah, blah. (Sorry, that's a bit off the original question, I know. )

XTR > XT > DX > LX is all I remember... in the 90's.

Never got to the dizzying heights of XTR bitd... I was a poor juvenile / junior with no job to be able to afford top of the range stuff!

I dont have any XTR, its too modern.

Why has no one mentioned everyone's favourite grouppo 200GS? Ill tell you why, you are all despicable snobs.

In my day it was 200GS <Exage 300LX <Exage 400LX <Exage 500LX <Deore LX <Deore DX <Deore XT and then XTR came in at the top (and 100GS at the bottom).

Then they went all namey with Alivio, Acera and STX and I lost track and interest.

Rod_Saetan":7cqmhjd2 said:

I dont have any XTR, its too modern.

Why has no one mentioned everyone's favourite grouppo 200GS? Ill tell you why, you are all despicable snobs.

Click to expand...

Probably the most common entry level group for teenagers in the early 90s. Certainly was mine.

early 90s tourney,100gs.200gs.300lx.400lx.500lx.lx.dx.xt.xtr

mid 90s tourney,altus c20,c10.altus a20,a10. exage.exage es.lx .xt.xtr

late 90s tourney,alivio,stx,stx rc,lx xt xtr


as far as i can remember