Submitted by
jonnyd_963
a Weekend Warrior
from Southampton Date Reviewed: August 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
The Wall, Afan forest park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Versatile fit system, suitable for any cable routing, spring strength & smooth shifting
Weaknesses:
Weight, high clamp design interferes with seat-tube bottle mounts
Similar Products Used:
Deore, and Deore LX front mechs
Bike Setup:
Specialized Rockhopper 2002, Marzocchi MXC Air, '08 XT shifters, XTR Shadow carbon r/mech, Middleburn cable oilers on shifter cables, Hone Hollowtech II Crankset Hayes Stroker Carbons (on avid rotors, 185 / 160mm), Thomson Elite X4 Stem, Masterpiece Seatpost, Selle San Marco Aero saddle, ABR Venture Carbon Bars, Setlas Kevlar locck on grips, Mavic Free-ride rims on Deore Hubs, Maxxis Swamp-Thing steel bead tyres.
Bottom Line:
Don't be fooled into thinking XT means light-weight, this product (and the shifters incidentallly) are 10-20% heavier than Shimano deore models. However, the positive return, and shift performance more than makes up for this - this mech has good, positive engagement on the up-shift, and rapid, reliable return on the down-shift. Great for all mountain riding, and free-ride - possibly a bit heavy for XC racers.
I reckon the performance gain is well worth the weight penalty if upgrading from entry level kit (deore, x.3 or x.5); but for all those gram-shavers out there, go for the xtr mech if your wallett will stretch to it (same design, reduced weight)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft. Lauderdale, FL Date Reviewed: December 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Markham Park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Big Wheel Cycles, Holywood, FL
Strengths:
Simple installation, versatility-top pull or bottom and includes adaptors to fit all 3 seat tube sizes. Very smooth operation.
This is a great component for the price. Very similar to the XTR at half the price. I would recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade or build a new bike. The trails I ride are very tough on bikes and components and this derailleur takes it like a champ.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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