shimano RD m735 / RD m900

XT rear mech for XTR, is it really worth the upgrade? Is there much weight difference between the two? I mean the XT m735 deraileur seems rather heavy in todays standards but is the XTR any lighter? I dont see much difference apart from the appearence

Sean

A matter of aesthetics as much as anything but the M900 is slightly lighter than a M732/735. Of course, if you're going for a matching groupset for a build, then you're obviously dictated to.
See the chart for comparisons:

Re:

7 speed v 8 speed. Jockeys are different. Id say m900 is quite a bit nicer in the metal

Re: Re:

xxnick1975":2twrqhs5 said:

7 speed v 8 speed. Jockeys are different. Id say m900 is quite a bit nicer in the metal

Click to expand...

Yeah, there's that too!
I presumed the OP was just looking to swap a 7spd XT mech for an XTR but keep the rear hub & cassette the same.

2016 M9000 rear mech is still around 222g?

The M732/5 rear mechs have the ceramic bearings in the top jockey wheel too. With a bit of rebuilding you can make the original XT mechs very light anyway. They work well with 9spd too as later STi is a bit nicer to use than the 1st genration XT/XTR.

I'm slightly bemused by the term 'today's standards' - It seems to be used by some as a stick to beat people over the head who use anything older than six months out on the trails.

Here's a 1981 Deore mech for direct comparison: at 218g! Take that fatty macfat fat XTR!

I wouldnt use it though, Suntour had the patent on the slant parallelogram leaving Shimano's mechs a bit poo at shifting.

http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Home.html



And before anyone gets froffy at the mouth that today's shifting soooo brings the trails alive - its simple physics. with 10,11 or 12 cogs, the mech has to travel far far less in mechanical terms than they did with 6spds so shifts will 'feel' near instantaneous.

As before, even the original MT-60 mechs work well in a 9spd system and 'feel' quick.

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regan_ev":t1ye004i said:

xxnick1975":t1ye004i said:

7 speed v 8 speed. Jockeys are different. Id say m900 is quite a bit nicer in the metal

Click to expand...

Yeah, there's that too!
I presumed the OP was just looking to swap a 7spd XT mech for an XTR but keep the rear hub & cassette the same.

Click to expand...

This was exactly the plan! Im running my xt m735 as an 8 speed anyway, so I just wondered if the xtr was worth the extra £££? It seems that the cage and the other silver bits on the xtr are anodised where as on the xt they are polished, Apart from that i couldnt see any difference. The jockey wheels in the xt mech arent original so i guess thats out of the comparison

I didnt know you could use them with a 9 speed shifter though :shock:

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Here's a 1981 Deore mech for direct comparison: at 218g! Take that fatty macfat fat XTR!

I wouldnt use it though, Suntour had the patent on the slant parallelogram leaving Shimano's mechs a bit poo at shifting.

Click to expand...

I had several Suntour mechs on my road bikes in the 80s, a VX, an ARX and later a Cyclone II, I think. I was quite amused to find many years later that according to the author at Disraeli Gears that these were as light and probably shifted better than the way more expensive Camagnolo components I lusted after, but couldn't afford at the time. And all of my old 80s SunTour derailleurs were lighter than any of the Shimano derailleurs, a selection of Deore and XT, I've had since the 90s. Progress? :?

Re:

They're pretty similar, jockey wheels being a difference. The m900 uses a sealed bearing lower (tensions) and it's really nice, look after them
You can't dismiss jockies they are a main rotating part, it's an easy upgrade for other mechs though, not a cheap one. Same top/guide pully

It has the potential to drop more weight as the cage is bolted on differently and this can be switch to Ti or Alu and is a big chunky bolt like the mounting bolt.
Other little aesthetic differences but that is preference.

Of course m900 is medium, where XT is short or long cage.


As a side the weight chart above doesn't quite seem to show like for like sizes for everything.

XT is about usage, XTR is about the show.

I like to use XTR



The original pulleys are the lightest. Lighter than any after market Aluminium CNC pulleys I know of.

Besides that there is plenty of screws you can replace. Adjuster screws, cable screw, the two cage bolts and of course the main bolt, which would be the most suitable for a save of weight. The original bolt is a heavy, solid lump of metal...

I think thou, saving weight is completely useless! But its great fun!