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Submitted by
hellvin
a Weekend Warrior
from singapore
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | none | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Decent looking, Shifts quite well, | | Weaknesses: | Havnt reali experienced one | | Similar Products Used: | Various shimano shifters and cheap sram revos
XTR | | Bike Setup: | 08 GT Avalanche 1.0 D | | Bottom Line: | Though it doesnt feel as tight as the XTR and the XT, works well enuff for someone like me.
If you set up ur derailleurs properli, they work almost damn well...not XT,XTR well. hahas.
Looks nice too, black nvr goes outta fashion. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dean c
a Cross Country Rider
from weymouth, ma, us
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | wompatuck higham, ma | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | western preformance | | Strengths: | smooth shifting. designed to be out of the way. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | altus pods, grip shift | | Bike Setup: | altus / acera deraillers | | Bottom Line: | got these to relace stock altus pods that seized up during winter storage a few years back. great up grade.nice, smooth shifting, durable component for those of us into mtn biking and not looking to break the bank. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a Weekend Warrior
from NYC, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | in NYC? fuggettaboutit | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Renaissance Cycles | | Strengths: | Afordable comes stock on a lot of bikes | | Weaknesses: | Cheap and weak mine broke after 6 months with out any crashes to explain the breakage | | Similar Products Used: | Alivio, Deore | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Jamis xlt Drop off fork maxis minion tires | | Bottom Line: | Since it probably came with your bike don't worry about them until they break. When they do buy something better. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Camel
a Downhiller
from CA, FL
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | IC Bikes | | Strengths: | Still shifting fine after 4 years of abuse. So very intuitive and comfortable (for me). | | Weaknesses: | All the plastic around it is not very durable. In fact, the gear indicators and bottom caps have busted off mine due to crashes, but it has not affected performance at all. | | Similar Products Used: | Worked in a bike shop, so I could try many bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Freeride/ All Mountain | | Bottom Line: | Great value. I have never felt a need for any higher grade than this. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Gardner MA USA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | LSF, MA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Cheap, work well in almost any condition(for a little while anyway), great start for a cheap 27 speed build | | Weaknesses: | I took a spill in some mud and the right side optical gear display stops working every now and then, still shifts tho. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Alivio | | Bike Setup: | 02 Kona Bear | | Bottom Line: | These are great for the guy wanting to upgrade his setup to a 27 speed like I did. They are pretty reliable but I've decided to upgrade to LX and hold onto these for Ice Biking;) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josiah
a Weekend Warrior
from Wheaton, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | On bike at Performance bike and eBay.com | | Strengths: | shift well when in tune w/ the ders. | | Weaknesses: | don't shift well when not in tune w/ der. | | Similar Products Used: | none really i had a bad experience w/ gripshifts (pain in the buttocks don't buy unless they are really nice ones... actually don't buy gripshifts at all | | Bike Setup: | stock on a GT Avalanche 1.0 (2006) and a Giant Iguana (2002) | | Bottom Line: | good, standard, stock shifter for a lot of bikes, but need to be adjusted properly to work really well. i recently purchased a new bike with the reverse shifting on the right hand shifter... the name of that tech. doesn't come to mind but it will be nice to have once i get used to it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec City, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Mont-St-anne | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Came with my bike | | Strengths: | Always shifts no matter the conditions
Simple and easy to fix mecanism | | Weaknesses: | The bottom lever can break | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS, Altus, XT | | Bike Setup: | Haro X1 2004 | | Bottom Line: | Well, considering the abuse I put my shifter through,it lasted quite a while. But, its still fustrating when it breaks while riding on a paved road.
There is a weakness in the bolt that heald my bottom lever...one of the strongest part of the shifter...supposively.
Don't expect this shifter to last forever. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | The Great North Walk | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | OEM | | Strengths: | These are virtually unbreakable!!! Shifts easily and does everything its ment to!!! | | Weaknesses: | Breaks on really hard impacts, you cannot fit your finger under the trigger. Hard to get used to after riding Acera shifters. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Acera Rapid Fire shifters. | | Bike Setup: | Norco Bigfoot stock | | Bottom Line: | Really great shifters!!! Does everything its ment to, shifts nicely, everything you could possibly ask for in a shifter. Except maybe that you cant see which gear your in but who cares!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a Weekend Warrior
from michigan
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | single tracks | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | good shifting with a good der. tough last a long time. | | Weaknesses: | depending on the ders acourse it acts better or worse. | | Similar Products Used: | stx | | Bike Setup: | gt 2004 gt i-drive all xt,chris king head set,sun rhyno lite with shimano 756 wheels,titec hell raiser bars,race face stem,shock theray floating brake and hanger,terry fly cromo saddle,jucy 7's 6" brakes,reba fork, fox rp3 shock | | Bottom Line: | you get what u pay for or what the price of the bike is but i do admit they are good not the same level as xt 750 pods but then again they cost more and anyone on this site who writes review or looks at them for future upgrading and reviews know when it comes to bikes you get what you pay for higher means in most cases the better unless you get specials from some sites.they are good shifters tough last a good long time with aleast lx ders they shift good anything else no so good alot of loose play.the shifters are well worth the money you buy for them.most likely won't win races with them but will shift good enough to do single tracks when there alot of hills up and down.I'm used to xt's now so deore shifters are now in the past now since pods are at a good price but if i got a another and when i do and if they come with it i would't make a big deal of it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Solarburn
a Cross Country Rider
from Bonney Lake, Wa.
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Below her navel | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | They are pretty tough shifters. Cheaper and just as effective as any offering. | | Weaknesses: | Left indicator stops working. Still shifts though. I run 2 rings, not a big deal. | | Similar Products Used: | LX, Alivio and higher end ones when I demo bikes. | | Bike Setup: | I got these shifters on a freeride bike and a xc bike. | | Bottom Line: | These keep working for me. I can't justify spending more for shifters that do the same thing...shift gears. I can afford higher end. I'm being practical. I've sent my bikes a flipp'n a few times and they haven't broke yet. They have been through Wa's inclement weather. I also know how to set up cable/housing and routing so there is little friction all the way to the deraileur. I know when its time to change cable and housing. I know how to adjust RD hi & low and slacken or tighten cable to get the shifting I want. When I learned to do these things my shifting has been spot on all the way down to my Alivio pods & deraileur. They are cheaper to replace compared to their upper siblings. Who doesn't appreciate that? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dot
a Racer
from somewhere
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | with bikes | | Strengths: | cheap. durable. I like their look. | | Weaknesses: | a bit heavy | | Similar Products Used: | lots of stuff from shimano and SRAM | | Bike Setup: | never mind | | Bottom Line: | I just wrote a review on LX shifters and decided to add another one on deore ones. I used them too for long time since 2000. I've bought my first set with mid-range used bike.
I had upgraded everything on that bike but deore shifters lasted forever.
I also owned another set and strange thing happened with both sets: the left indicator broke. I think its just a coincidence. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron Maco
a Cross Country Rider
from Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | uphills and firetrails with beautiful scenery | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durable and reliable. Relatively inexpensive for the 9 speed performance (Deore group) on the trail. | | Weaknesses: | Not as light or expensive compared to so called higher models of Shimano. | | Similar Products Used: | All the Shimano groupset, Campagnolo, Suntour, Truvativ/SRAM/Avid, and other no name bike parts, since I used to own a bikeshop(a family business for 25 years) before we(family) migrated here in Canada. | | Bike Setup: | My favorite is the '93 Bridgestone MXR(Japan version of the MB1), though in the turn of the millennium, I have replaced the XT components with Deore Mega 9 drivetrain, Avid SD7 brakeset, and Araya RM20 wheelset. This bike had already done a 24 hr enduro race, and scaled 2 volcanoes as an adventure mountainbiking. And yes, i still have this bike and i intend to keep it forever. | | Bottom Line: | What you hang on your bike doesn't matter if your frame/fork and wheels are crap. Why do you think company racers have custom frame/fork and high tech wheelset?! I see weekend and individual racers all the time spend so much on the components more than the cost of a good frameset or wheelset, just to have a lighter bike?? Sure a light bike accelerate faster, that is a scientific fact, but riders win races not bikes!! Besides, light weight means less durability and reliability, i should know because I'm a structural engineer, and in a mountainbike arena(in the real mountain not in a NORBA course) the same durability and reliability means you either get back with your bike or walk home, or worse get stranded in the middle of a volcano. Given this senario: a light sports car accelerates faster(all sports cars are not known for durability, it's a fact!!) but will not survive an unpaved road nor offroad, but an M1A1 tank which has more mass(that's "weight" for ya weight weenie morons!) will definitely thrive in severe offroad due to it's sheer durability and reliability. My point is, if you are not a professional racer don't bother about light weight just go out and enjoy your ride on a dependable bike(bike tourers have this mindset for more than a century now, I salute you!) As for the racers, athletic prowess is the key to win races not bike parts. A good example is the legendary Lance Armstrong, older(age), and few grams heavier bike than Ulrich and Vinokorouv, and yet he reign supreme in Tour de France(7 wins), now that's athletic prowess in the highest echeleon!
And about the Deore group, it's a good compromise between weight and performance, trust me, I've seen a lot more broken XTR, XT, LX parts than Deore in my bikeshop or my uncle's, and 2 best friend's bikeshops, except for the XT BB which I think is the best. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Donald Kuhns
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE, USA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Lewis & Clark Monument | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | received as gift | | Strengths: | Accurate shifting, rarely needs adjustment | | Weaknesses: | Prone to Breakage, right gear indicator is vague. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore XT and Suntour Lever-type shifters | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rainier, mostly stock | | Bottom Line: | Deore Shifters came as standard equipment on my bike. Shifts have always been crisp and accurate. Last year the left shifter fell apart for no apparent reason. I am not a hard rider, nor was I riding very frequently, so abuse is no excuse. I reassembled it, but since that time it hasn't been able to shift to the largest ring. Lately, it's been getting sloppy and ghost-shifting at times, so It's got to go now. The right shifter has always performed flawlessly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom Becksted
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Fantasy Island | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Stock | | Strengths: | Durable
Cheap
Shifts great for price | | Weaknesses: | No gear number display (no big deal)
Left shifter spongy
| | Similar Products Used: | Alivio, XT | | Bike Setup: | '03 Iguana,XT all around,Monkey Lites,Rock Shox,Thomson Elite, blah, blah, blah | | Bottom Line: | These are excellent shifters for the price! Theyre a little heavier than XT (about 10 g more each) and the left shifter is a little spongy but for half the price it's a steal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zeldar
a
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Index finger lever very crisp, quick shifting, whole package is clean and sharp, good value. | | Weaknesses: | Thumb lever lacks responsiveness, not crisp like index finger trigger. Don't ask me why, thats a question for shimano. I usually have to mash it down twice just to switch one gear | | Bottom Line: | Great package, decently crisp shifting, good value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hui Chuen Chuang
a Cross Country Rider
from Penang, Malaysia
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | it's black...looks good...shifts good...durable | | Weaknesses: | u don't know what gear are you in...they have a display but no numbers | | Similar Products Used: | shimano revoshifter | | Bike Setup: | 2005 trek fuel 70, manitou axel comp, rock shox bar | | Bottom Line: | great product...does the job well... very common shifter | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chip
a Cross Country Rider
from Blue Ridge, GA
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Sumack Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Cheap; probably a good buy if your shifters are more prone to breaking from impacts than actual use. | | Weaknesses: | clunky shifting, unreliable, definatly NOT on the same level as upper end shifters. | | Similar Products Used: | I've got a box full off worn out shifters, most of which are XT or XTR that held up to years of abuse. | | Bike Setup: | Tomac Eli built to take a beating. | | Bottom Line: | These shifters are fine for occasional riders, and probably a good choice for dirt jumpers/ freeriders because they are cheaply replaced. For someone that puts lots of hard miles on a bike in terrain that requires constant shifts, these are not up to par. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Willi
a Weekend Warrior
from Texas
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | long winding single track | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | everywhere | | Strengths: | They're black, very tough and work great | | Weaknesses: | Barneys don't like'em cause they aint XTR | | Similar Products Used: | XT dual control, LX, Sram grip-shift, Sram attack | | Bike Setup: | Dirt Jumpers, XC's and Freeride all with Deore shifters and derailleurs; some with Deore brakes | | Bottom Line: | Most of us don't have money to burn. And most of us will never race. Deore is for us! These shifters do what they where made to do. When the shifter or derailleur that came on bike fails or gets destroyed, I replace it with Deore. It cost half as much and they work just as well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Aberdeen Scotland
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything long | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Cheap, they work | | Weaknesses: | looks,rough shifting | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, SRAM Attack | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Heckler with Hope Mini's, Manitou Black Elite, Sram Attack shifters, Hope Xc's on black 317's. Hope Headset | | Bottom Line: | I was running these on my Heckler with an XT rear mech for over a year and 2000 miles in some of the worst weather Scotland has to offer (heavy snow and rain, sub zero temperatures, loads of mud. Not as smooth as LX and the shifting is a little rough and clunky. But for the money you can't comlpain.
I would recommend these to anyone who doesn't mind the fact they are Deore. They are cheap, but they work! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NutsandBolts
a Cross Country Rider
from Saginaw,Tx,USA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere there is dirt | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came on the bike | | Strengths: | They are cheap to replace. They look ok and most of all THEY WORK. | | Weaknesses: | Durabiltiy may be an issue if you are into racing and training on the same bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Altus, Lx and XT | | Bike Setup: | Three Mt bikes, all with Shimano Deore/LX and XT. | | Bottom Line: | Shimano makes parts that work. The deore shifters may not be the top of the line but I can not tell any difference between these shifters and XT. They may not look as fancy but when you are covered in mud, dirt and grime does it really matter. I have never had a problem with these shifters even after wrecking and landing on them. The only reason I have XT's are they came on the bike. If I need to replace them I may use the Deore, they are cheapier and they work just as good, save the coin for someother high zootin part. Like others who have reviewed this product, if your not concerned about what name or model number is on your gear these are probably the best upgrade you can make if you have something lesser on your bike, like Alivio. If you ride hard your gonna wreck hard, Hats off to Shimano for making a part that works as well as their high end parts. It keeps those of us with small pockets on the trail. Rock on everybody and Happy New Year.
Check out those Deore Hollowtech Cranks. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Magical M
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Cycle1st.com | | Strengths: | Well made and strong with a consistent no nonsence shift. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Marin Rift Zone. | | Bottom Line: | I've tried many shifters, including XTR and Gripshift. These Deore are as good as anything I've used and I think they last longer that XT. They are cheap but well made and unless you are concerned about the badge on your shifters then these will do everything you expect from a top shifter. I've had mine more than 2 years....no problems at all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dom
a Downhiller
from Milton NH
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | where ever possible | | Strengths: | Price, quality shifts, weight. Great looks(solid black). | | Weaknesses: | Like all gear indicator windows, they break easily. Little more plastic than LX, XT or XTR. | | Similar Products Used: | All types in the past twenty years of MTBing. XTR, XT, LX, all SRAM systems to date. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH | | Bike Setup: | Rocky RM7 Fox Vanilla RC(850 lb spring), Marzocchi DC Shiver & Stem, Easton Monkey Lite DH Bar, FSA Pig DH Pro headset, XTR chain & Rear derailleur, XT Front derailleur, RaceFace XY seatpost, B.B. & North Shore Cranks, Marzocchi Carve saddle, Mavic DeeMax Wheels, Purple Hayes 8" disc, Shimano DX pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I first took notice to Deore shifters while walking through the Rocky Mountain team tent at Mount Snow in 2002. Behold Deore rear shifters were on the team DH bikes(2001 RM9). 2002 was the last year Rocky had a DH team sadly. But anyway I had to give them a try being kinda stuck in the "nothings better than XT or higher" snob mindset and I needed a cheaper replacement than XT. So I figured what do they know that I don't? Well I soon found out the performance was on par with all the upper line Shimano shifters with a minimal weight penalty. I use mine on my '02 RM7 mated to an XTR short cage in the rear(XT on the front). The way I was breaking the other shifters from crashes the Deore's were a "God send". So I came to conclude if you break alot of shifters Free riding or DHing then these are for you. I've had great reviews from people on their cross country performance also. They last a long time and shift as good as the other offerings from the big "S". What's up with the stupid new XTR and XT integrated brake lever/shifters? I've been running the 2004 XTR on my Rocky ETSX 70 this season and I can't wait to switch back to the old rapid fires or twisters(I like either). On XTR I need to grab more than one Low gear at a time and can't with the new levers/rapid rise rear derailleur. Give Deore shifters a try you'll be pleased with the performance and savings. Because of the price and durability the score high for me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SGT. ROCK
a Racer
from Grande Cache, AB
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | They do the job, very well | | Weaknesses: | Says "Deore" on them | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX | | Bike Setup: | Ventana Pantera | | Bottom Line: | These shifters work way better than a low end product is supposed to. I have 9 spd. XT shifters the same age as these Deores, and if you blindfolded me, I probably couldn't tell them apart in use. The XT are supposed to be more durable, but the Deore's are holding up great.
The only downside is that bike snobs on the start line see the "Deore" label and think you're a wannabe....until you kick their asses up the first climb, that is. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
El ray
a Cross Country Rider
from the midwest
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Solid, reliable, precise | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR, STX, Gripshift MRX, older gripshift | | Bike Setup: | long-travel hardtail, deore drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | These shifters work as good if not better than my XTR shifters. Seriously. All they lack is fancy materials and consumer appeal. Don't buy into the bike companies' marketing gimmicks - go with what works. I would love to support a company besides shimano but gripshift sucks and I can't afford sram trigger shifters. If you're in my shoes, give these a try. If you want to be a tool to the marketing gimmicks, go buy some XTR STI shifters. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Ketchikan, AK
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | With bike | | Strengths: | Durability, these things just keep working, almost 3000 miles now, and two - three 'over the handlebars and fly 3-4 feet' type crashes (though bar ends probably protected them) | | Weaknesses: | The right one doesn't click as loud as it did when it was new, but it still works. Most of the shifting problems I had were the Deore derailures that came with the bike. | | Similar Products Used: | these are the only 9 spd shifters I've used, I did really love my old LX 8 spds, and have used Alivio 7 spd | | Bike Setup: | '01 GT i-drive, XT deraillures, XT R hub, XT cass, SRAM PC58 chain | | Bottom Line: | These shifters have outlasted 4 chains, 3 cassettes, 2 cranksets, 2 bottom brackets, and a rear hub. They are the only 'mega 9' product I've found to have at least as much durability as the old 8 spd stuff. The only shifting problems I've encountered were due to the deore deraillures. The front der developed enough play on the cage that I could shift all I wanted, watch the mechanism move, and watch the chain not even try to move, after only 6 months. I upgraded the still fully working rear der at that time, and the jump in performance to XT blew me off my feet, it was like riding a whole different bike, very crisp neat shifts.
I did recently take off the covers to see if there was anything obvious to cause the lack of clicking in the right shifter. nothing I could see, but it could be due to the cassette having less than 100 miles left on it. Cassette deformation / chain stretch is my big complaint with 9 spd in general. My old 8 spd set up went over 2000 miles before it's first, and would have gone much longer had I had changed the chain regularly at 1000 miles. This 9 spd set up lasts me 1000 miles, and I've heard of cassettes lasting 1800 with regular chain changing. (however it's cheaper to just change the chain and cassette at 1000 miles, if you're chainrings can take it anyway)
Bottom Line: this is the best product intended for 9 spd use exclusivly that I've come across. The LX, XT, XTR may be better, but this gets the job done very well, and for less money. I'd still change to 8 spd in a heartbeat (and bought an old high end cro-mo hardtail frame just for that purpose), but not due to these shifters. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
loco
a Cross Country Rider
from spain
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | many | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | cheap | | Weaknesses: | not very precise neither firm feeling. | | Similar Products Used: | lx is pretty similar. Xt and xtr are way above | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale f-800, xt discs, coda cranks, xt der. rear and lx front | | Bottom Line: | Good for the money.
Recomended if you need urgently a shifter or you are running full deore drivetrain.
Upgrade as soon as wear out if you have a better rear derailleur.You are missing crispness if blended with a xt derailleur, or higher than a deore.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Clarkston, Michigan
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | many | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | mailorder | | Strengths: | price, looks | | Weaknesses: | under-rated | | Similar Products Used: | XTR, XT, LX | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakar XC, Manitou SX-R, Deore shifters, Deore deraileurs, Easton post and stem, Rigid ZAC2000 wheelset | | Bottom Line: | No embarrasment here. I use them and like them.
I bought a set of Deore shifters a few years ago as cheap replacements. But I soon found that they're performance was very close to the XT and LX shifters that I've used over the years. The braking feel is not as good, but it's much better than the Alivio's on my son's bike. I sold the Deores with my Sugar-3 last year.
Then this year I purchased a new Jamis Dakar frameset and built it up using almost all Deore compnents (tight buget).
I must say that I am impressed with the overall performance of the deore groupo. Granted, these are not close to XTR performance, but they work just fine for the average Joe.
If I were racing and putting a lot of heavy use on components I would suggest going with XT or higher for purely durability issues. But as a general "workhourse" type of shifter, the Deore is hard to beat. They're performance is only minimally below XT/LX. In fact, I would choose these before LX. But I would have to go with XT if money was not an issue. And if the Deores do break down or fail, the cost to replace them is much cheaper.
5 chili's for value because they are an excellent value.
3 chili's for overall because they are good. Not great(4) or outstanding (5). Simply good solid performers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
E W
a Cross Country Rider
from Willamette Valley, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ones without gravel | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Santiam Bicycle | | Strengths: | Cheap, works as it is supposed too, has been durable so far. | | Weaknesses: | The gear indicator windows can be damaged fairly easily. The cable tension adjusters are cheap plastic and can be difficult to adjust. The little cap that covers the cable ball end is a little tiny threaded plastic plug that can be easily lost. The levers are plastic and may flex if you are strong. | | Similar Products Used: | I used grip shift before these - apples and oranges... | | Bike Setup: | XT rear derailer. Deore shifters (pods only - no brake levers) | | Bottom Line: | Ok, since this is the first review, everyone else must be too embarrassed to admit they use Deore shifters :)
To sum it up, I have used the same shifters for 2 years in all sorts of mud and nasty trail conditions. I am not known for good bike hygiene, but I don't intentionally abuse parts. These shifters have worked well, and shift well as long as the rest of my drivetrane is adjusted properly. They seem plenty smooth and shift accurately. In fact, any shifting problems I experience are most likely due to dirty cable housings. They can be damaged, though. The gear indicator window is fairly weak, and can be damaged easily. In addition, the little plug that covers the cable ball end is a joke - but mine have never fallen out on the trail.
So if you are running a middle of the road XT setup, and don't race, these work very well. I'm sure XT and XTR are smoother and more durable, but hey, these are cheap and they work. Despite all of the weaknesses I list, I can't see myself spending much more. I guess the best thing I can say about these is that I forget all about them when I ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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