XTR or. . .

[cchris2lou]

Sram stuff works the same as Shimano .

SLX range looks good , a lot cheaper than XTR but not as light .

 

[Tallpaul]

Following on from the bottom bracket thread...and not really concerned with seat, post, stem, bars, wheels or forks/suspension

What are the 'acceptable' alternatives, with equal or better performance, quality, looks and price.. talking brand new parts, where available (or NOS at least), with the possible exception of the cranks

Rear mech : XTR
Cassette : XTR
Cranks : Cook Bros
Brakes : XTR disc
R/H shifter : XTR

What are you actually asking about? :?

You're in off topic, so I assume modern. But then you mention NOS and Cook Bros, so I think retro. Then I see discs, so we're back to modern again.

Are you actually asking for a comparison of all components available since 1992?

What bike are you building and what age parts would you like to fit? At least then we'd have a fighting chance of drawing some meaningful comparisons...

 

[IDB1]

It's in off topic, it's modern.. mostly.. and it's not about a build I'm doing (or it would be a what should I buy. . . . question with time and budgeting restrictions).

Just asking what people think the current market alternatives are to XTR, what they would go for instead of (but of a similar price/aesthetic appeal/quality)..
Only chose XTR since it's the top of the Shimano range and that's all I know about...

Giving the NOS option just opens it up slightly. In case anyone thinks there is a 'must have' groupset that exceeds the expectations of the original question.

As for cranks, there seems to be a much wider choice so I opened that up completely..

 

[yo-eddy]

SRAM X0
or Rohloff

 

[Chris]

When I get the new mountain goat its gonna be built with nos m952 shifters, nos m952 front mech, nos m953 rear mech (as I prefer rr) near nos grey raceface turbines and hope discs.

Mainly cause I don't like/think there is much of an advantage of the newer m970 stuff but also because I prefer the retro looks.

I have had a bike built with full m970 and didn't like the shift action compared to an m952.

 

[IDB1]

No mention of Shimano Saint... pricewise, it seems to sit between XT and XTR.

How does it match up?

 

[FluffyChicken]

No mention of Shimano Saint... pricewise, it seems to sit between XT and XTR.

How does it match up?

Different target market.
Saint is aimed at Downhill and associated mountain biking as opposed to all purpose mountain biking (aka XC and everything else)

See the MTB range brochure on Shimano's site for a 'table' of marketing gumf. but puts it nicely.
http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/con ... ds0/1.html

 

[IDB1]

Cool brochure but infuriating to read.. can't get it full screen... :evil:

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

Really??

Subjective of course but XTR, to me and in general, looks better - and is lighter too by all accounts.. XT just looks like relabelled lower end stuff.

Without going completely ott, XTR just seems that bit nicer than the lower XT stuff. .

I can think back to mid to late 90's when XT always looked better than gawdy awful blue/gray XTR. Shimano should just go back to polished on everything with dark gray and black accents and throw in an occassional black crank. All this painted/ hard ano colored stuff is ugleeeeee. IMHO

 

[Neil]

It's in off topic, it's modern.. mostly.. and it's not about a build I'm doing (or it would be a what should I buy. . . . question with time and budgeting restrictions).

Just asking what people think the current market alternatives are to XTR, what they would go for instead of (but of a similar price/aesthetic appeal/quality)..
Only chose XTR since it's the top of the Shimano range and that's all I know about...

Didn't you get that when people replied with XT?

No matter how you paint it, XT has always been very good kit, light enough, robust enough, and performs well.

Sure, XTR is the Shimano groupset / parts that go to 11, but XT kit is perfectly good.