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Submitted by
Saby R
a Weekend Warrior
from Halifax
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | It delivers! smooth and consistent shifting, powerful brake, problem free group. | | Weaknesses: | Not as glamourous as XTR, product branding is not very evident (brake lever front derailleur) | | Similar Products Used: | XTR on my other bike. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Cardiac full XT (beside crank and hubs), Titec Big AL | | Bottom Line: | I upgraded to XT when I got my RMB O2 race in 1996, since then, I have never had any problems with the parts, they still perform as good today as they were when I bought them. Recenlty I upgraded all my parts to XTR and hand down the XT one to my girlfriend,since she does not ride as often as I do, I can ride both bike in different condition thus can compare the two... I have never pushed the XT to their full potential nor have I with the XTR, having said that here is my conclusion.
For a non racers, XT will perform as well as XTR, the shifing may not be as smooth (simply a different feeling)but the overall performance is just as precise. I agree with everyone saying that if you have lots of $$ get XTR other wise you will be as happy with XT. I can't give it a 5 for overall rating since XTR is better bit it is a solid 4.75 in my book | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Agent Z
a Downhiller
from Norcal
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mammoth Bullet | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Pretty strong
Good Looks
Good shifting
No problems directly related to the components. (Usually has to do with the conditions) | | Weaknesses: | Hmmm.. none. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 9.0 - just as good. A bit smoother rear shifting with the SRAM, but then again, it costs more. (Supposed to compete with XTR) | | Bike Setup: | GT STS w/ X-vert R and DH/Slalom Components.
XT V brakes, XT rear Derailleur, XT hubs, SRAM plasma shifters
Other bike - Stumpjumper M2 FS w/ Old Judy
XT rear derailleur (old one) XT V's, and LX other stuff | | Bottom Line: | These components are reliable and cheap. DHers should use XT if they break their components a lot. Fall in the rock garden and there goes your rear derailleur. XT rears can be had for only 35 bucks. Buy a couple, and head for Snoqualmie and Mammoth. (and Les Gets, Mount St Anne, Snow Summit, Mt Snow)
Note: A derailleur peforms good if it's adjusted right. People say the derailleurs suck just don't know how to adjust their stuff. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tebbetts, Mo
Date Reviewed: November 18, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Relatively light, strong, shifts well. | | Weaknesses: |
chain suck (the 8 spd XT was better) | | Similar Products Used: |
8 spd XT group | | Bike Setup: |
Lightspeed Unicoi, SID XC | | Bottom Line: | The Shimano 9 speed XT group is a very good product, the tolerances on the chain and crank are a bit too tight though and this results in excessive chain suck. The 8 speed XT group was much better. More is not better. The bike manufacturers need to band together and insisit that Shimano bring back the 8 speed groups | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jamie
a Racer
from nova scotia
Date Reviewed: August 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
went worth | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
good preformance to cost ratio. | | Weaknesses: |
sloppy brake pivots
crappy brake pads | | Similar Products Used: |
LX stx rc sugino mix | | Bike Setup: |
norco torrent with Z3 | | Bottom Line: | I think these compontents are all you need for the lower catagories (I race under 17 expert i'm 14) I use all 98 XT parts. XT- shifters, brake levers, brakes,derailures,pedals. I have lx hubs and race face cranks with lz bb. I find the brake pivots sloppy but mine have never ever squealed in about 2500km. The shifters are very good and I love the levers. The casatte comes loose some times bit not I big deal. XT is not XTR by any stretch but It is good for most people. I would rate XT about a 4 1/2 | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Helena, Montana
Date Reviewed: June 8, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
Everything | | Weaknesses: |
Nothing | | Similar Products Used: |
Alivio, Esp 9.0, Lx, Torque-drive | | Bike Setup: |
Raleigh M-9000 | | Bottom Line: | Best thing I have used(after the 9.0) everything works great totally quiet and works flawlessly. Defifnetely worth the money | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mitch
a Weekend Warrior
from Snohomish, Washington
Date Reviewed: May 14, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Works great. | | Similar Products Used: |
All Shimano Groups | | Bottom Line: | I have all XT stuff on my bike (except for the crank is a White Industries, and the shifters and cassette are LX) and it works great. Nobody has pointed out that the XTR stuff is harder to shift as XT and LX because is supposedly made for racers and experenced riders who have the right touch and so they say the XT/LX is better for inexperenced Riders. Another thing that wasn't mentioned is that the XT is tougher than than the XTR in a few ways also. The XT front hub has a bigger axle than the XTR so if I was building another set of wheels I would use a XTR rear hub (for the Ti axle) and a XT Front hub for strength. sure it doesn't match, but it is better so who cares. Also i agree with Tom about the nine speed thing. I havent used the 9 speed stuff, but do I need to? NO. Like he said it is just a gimmick and it makes your chain and the gap between cogs on a cassette more narrow, making it harder to adjust. I hope that the nine speed suff is discontinued for 2000. It will just make all the eight speed stuff obsolete. And I don't think that it is much of an advantage. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darren
a Weekend Warrior
from singapore
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bukit Timah | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very fast shifting and smooth. | | Weaknesses: |
Brake a bit slow compared to Alivio | | Similar Products Used: |
LX/STX, Alivio | | Bike Setup: |
GT Avalanche full XT, Spryder R
GT Backwoods LX/STX, Jett XC | | Bottom Line: | The best I ever tried, much faster shifting than any others I tried, though the brakes can be more responsive | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
>_<
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: April 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Driveway | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very reliable, could be the biggest bang for your buck in the component group market. | | Weaknesses: |
Some parts weigh alot more than equivalent parts in the top flight (and top dollar) XTR line. | | Similar Products Used: |
Acera. | | Bike Setup: |
Stumpy, with XT group and other guy' cranks. | | Bottom Line: | If you are a so called hardcore rider but do not race very often, I can say that XT is plenty good for you, unless you are a (rich) weight/techno/brand weenie. For a heckuva lot less dinero than the XTR gruppo, you get solid, reliable, almost flawless performance under the worst riding conditions. Just make maintenance a regular thing (this applies to ANY gruppo) and XT will deliver when you need it. Most of the XT group weighs just a wee bit more ( within 10-20 grams mostly)than the same part in XTR line except the cranks, r der, b b and cassette. If you must have your XTR however, I recommend getting only the rear derailleur and cassette. Stick to XT for everything else and upgrade your fork or something with the dough you saved. Or get lighter/better boutique brand parts for the rest of your bike to satisfy your brand name fever. Examples are Englund Air carttridges for that crappy Judy or Manitou, DT Revolution spokes, Selle Italia Flite saddle, you get the idea. XT, it's all good. Keep on riding. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Card
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tustin, CA
Date Reviewed: April 10, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Peters Canyon | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
easy adjustability
easy installation | | Weaknesses: |
easy to scratch | | Similar Products Used: |
grip shift | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar frame
Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | I am building a bike from scratch. Installing these parts on my frame was a an absolute BREEZE thanks to comprehensive Shimano service manuals.
Things like an alignment sticker on the FrDer. to line up easy. Brake setup also gets BIG plus. (These are '99 9spdmega parts) New V-brakes let you tighten the brakes on the posts as tight as you want. Every cable came pre-greased and ready to go. Havn't ridden on yet but here that everything works great. 5 chilies for INCREDIBLE ease of installation. However, the cast aluminum finish is easy to scratch. P.S. New crankset looks really cool. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Larry
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mesa, AZ
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Bang for the buck, crisp shifting, much less expensive than XTR! | | Weaknesses: |
Not as chi-chi as XTR, also heavier. | | Similar Products Used: |
Some STX-RC, LX, and XTR on two previous bikes. | | Bike Setup: |
Full '98 XT 8 speed. | | Bottom Line: | Can't beat it for the money! Great brakes and shifting, hubs hold up well, I'm happy with the 4-arm crank.If you have the money, XTR is nice, other wise get 90% of the performance at around half the cost.You really can't go wrong with XT.
4 chilis for now we'll see how it holds up this season. XTR is a little nicer and
the benchmark 5 chili group. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nat
a weekend warrior
from WA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
My 97 Stumper came with XT F & R derailluers, and XT Rapid Fire shifters. I installed an XT cassette on my new wheelset as well, so except for the cranks, I pretty much have an (8-speed) XT gruppo. I have no XTR experience, so I really can't say that XT is about the same as that top dollar line. However, I have ridden my bike through a lot serious mud, the kind that clings in chunks to your brake bosses, arches and chainstay area, and I can honestly say that my XTs shifted when called upon. All I do for it is a good clean up and light lube to moving parts every weekend (except the shifters of course), and immediate gross clean up after a real grungy ride. I use White Lightning on my chain too, it helps keep gunk off my cassette. XT... do your part, and it won't let you down. I don't like the brakes tho, I have Avid's AR-50s :oP | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Watters
a cross-country rider
from Stearns, Ky
Date Reviewed: March 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just purchased a Trek VRX 300 with shimano's new XT mega 9 rear derailler and I've got to ask. Was 24 inadequate? I've been using the Mega 9 for about 3 months now and to be honest it sucks! More isn't necessarily better. The rear cassette is a crap magnet. If you even think about getting it dirty you might as well forget about shifting smoothly. 24 was fine, 27 is a gimmick. Other than the rear derailler and the wimpy chain the bike is great. Come on Shimano, get your act together! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derrick
a cross-country rider
from SunnyIslandSingapore
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I would just like to say my 97 XT group with XTR rear D has been great to me and my life for the last year of mountain biking.Very reliable , pretty tough ,
(but fo the BB)
I can only imagine the magic of full XTR . | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: November 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The XT groupo rocks! However, the brakes scream as the bushings wear out; and the hubs are average. However, for the money this is the best stuff out there in MTB land! The shifters rule as do the brake levers. Don't bother with LX!
Why? The XT is almost as cheap and performs better. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zuno
a cross-country rider
from Brotherhood of PAIN
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hi, just got myself a set of XT Mega9s, using an XTR casette, minus the brakes. No one here in Singapore seem to have the levers so I changed the brakes and levers to XTRs, real peachy. Shifting seemed on par with the ESP 9.0sl it replaced though the extra low gearing really did come in handy on extended climbs. Performance is as expected from Shimano in their XT group, smooth throughout the range except this. When I use the big chainring big cog combo, backpedalling will cause the chain to fall onto the smallest chainring, very nasty especially halfway up a slope. Except for that little incident, no complaints though I'd have to ask myself, do I really need 27 speeds? If you like trying new things like me, it sure doesn' hurt to have the extra gears around. On the other hand, if I were to seriously consider the purchase, I'd probably not need it. I was riding fine with 24 speeds. Anyway, good smooth shifting all round. Durability still an issue here with the thinner chain width and all. Will get back to it when I can get more ride time in. Meantime, 4 chillies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jay dott
a racer
from hicksville, tx
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i have the mega9 xt grouppo.
the brakes look funny, the shifters have huge buttons, the chain line looks horrible when in my middle-32rear and works worse in the store.get the chain dirty, let is soak up some lube, and the bike will rip b/c you'll never take it out of the big ring-especially if you're running a 42t big ring.works. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Funked up Maestro
a racer
from hell
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't have the entire group (as a matter of fact I only have the r derailleur.
But that derailleur is worth every penny! I think they're on sale at wheel world for 32 bucks--don't take my word for it though. the derailleur rules
though and as long as you keep the pulleys lubed, it'll be peachy | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Quail
a cross-country rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I upgraded to the full XT group after my LX group wore out after around 1500Kms. What a difference! LX is good, but XT is light years ahead.Because of the conditions we ride (very rocky and dusty, and in summer, VERY muddy) I decided XT would hopefully do the trick, and it has, and more! The parallel-push V's stop extremely well in all conditions. I also fitted the 5-arm crankset. Shifting across the 24 gears is great, and with the XT Rapidfire combo brake/shifter set, I only need one finger on the brakes, leaving the rest free for shifting and steering. The XT rear der. is very reponsive and smooth, and needs very little adjustment, as does the XT front der. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mad Max
a cross-country rider
from Germany / Bavaria
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The XT Grouppo is very very very very good for doing every kind of job.
I can regard everyone to buy bike with the XT Grouppo. Bevore I was driving a bike with an old LX Grouppo , but if you ride with the new XT you feel like you were in heaven and drive down to hell.
So just have fun and ride. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a cross-country rider
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
A full XT gruppo, including hubs but excluding bottom bracket and headset, came with my Klein 3 years ago. It has been a terrific workhorse group. It takes almost all the punishment you can give it and comes back for more. The shifters/brake levers, brakes, front deraileur, right crank arm, and rear hub are all still original. The front hub finally got too pitted to ride, the rear deraileur ate a stick, the left crank arm ate a large rock, and all of the chainrings and cassette have been replaced with brand new XT due to normal wear. Thousands of miles and still going strong, I will stick with XT. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted Knab
a cross-country rider
from Easton, MD
Date Reviewed: July 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am a moderate to hard rider and the XT just doesn't hold up to a hard rider. I rode about 200miles off road the last month and my front deraileur broke off the hings. The chain needs some type of stablizer to keep the chain on the cogs. Does any other company provide a chain stablizer for the XT group? Excessive speed on downhills causes the chain to bounce and get caught in the front deraileur. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drew
a cross-country rider
from Mississippi
Date Reviewed: June 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the XT rear derailleur on my Trek 7000zx and i like it so much I am thinkingh of upgrading my bike to complete XT except for three parts, the Bottom Bracket, Crank and Rear Derailleur. The only diffrence between the LX and XT cranks are that the big chainring on the LX is black instead of Silver like on the XT. The LX and XT bottom brackets are also the same. And the rear Deraileur is great but I am going to get an XTR rear derailleur put on. After I put a long travel kit on my Indy XC I am going to race my pimp gold bike | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frederic
a cross-country rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: June 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Had my xt gruppo for the last 500 miles. Glad to say they have been performing very well. I have no regrets having a full gruppo. I just keep them clean after one at the most 2 rides. Am about to get a fully suspended bike and will still install an xt gruppo still.
Question though, there is the creaking somewhere around the BB and the cranks am not really sure. If anyone has an answer on how to minimize this i sure would appreciate it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stuart C.
a cross-country rider
from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Let me echo the sentiments of the majority of respondents here and say that the XT gruppo is truly superb. Half the price of XTR and with pretty much the same performance, XT is an excellent choice for all riding styles. It's not an inexpensive group of components but it would have to rate as one of the best value groups around. A quick summary:Rapidfires are excellent;
Brake levers are ergonomic and provide very good braking modulation;
Brakes are marvellous, powerful and reliable;
Cranks are attractive and totally compatible with the derailleurs and cassette;
Derailleurs provide quick, precise shifting even under load;
Hubs are smooth and strong;
Cassette is a work of art, probably the best part of the gruppo.Some problems to note with the group set are that the cranks are prone to creaking, the brakes arms and pivot points will eventually need re-tuning due to wear, front derailleur is prone to developing slop in the pivot point, and the rear derailleur spring is not as strong as it could be.Overall these problems are fairly minor and will occur as a matter of wear and tear. In any case, I don't think the gruppos available on the market at the moment are entirely designed around long-term durability, rather the compromise between performance, light-weight, and provision of quality.XT delivers ...Five stars Shimano! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a weekend warrior
from T.C., MI
Date Reviewed: April 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Killer Groupo. Brakes stop on a dime. Shifts are clean and 100% under load. Good ratios. Can't go wrong with XT!
One complaint is the gear indicators. They are fragile. I broke one of the viewing windows with my lock by accident. I do not think that this will cause any long term problems. I ride in the rain and snow. Have not noticed any changes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a cross-country rider
from knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: April 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just got a full XT group on my new Zaskar, these components work together almost perfectly. It is new stuff, but I can shift fast even under a heavy load. The brakes modulate well, but can easily send you over the bars if you're not careful. Rapidfire is definately superior to Gripshift for cross-country (I just rode my neice's new Huffy around the block with Gripshift, and would never, ever go back to that unnatural, wait-and-see-what-gear-I'm-in crap) especially if you've ever hurt you wrist before. For money, servicability, looks (esp. w/ball burnished gt) and performance XT is the tits. However, if someone is actually paying you to ride.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
art martinez
a weekend warrior
from philippines(southeast asia)
Date Reviewed: February 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i don't have a xt group but i did get the chance to borrow one for about 2 weeks, and all i can say is that it was the best experience in my life!!!! paired up with a cannondale titanium frame, i was biking over mountains!!!! given, the cost will leave you without a leg and an arm, but once you get past that, you're going to be in heaven. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alun Evans
a cross-country rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: February 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Alright. XTR IS better. Without a doubt, hands down, no competition. But, I'm sorry, it still costs at least twice as much as XT. I can't justify spending that amount of cash on XTR when I can get accurate prescise shifting, enough braking power for 90% of all situations, and faultless, smooth hubs and BB for half the price. XT, for me, is the benchmark for all aftermarket products. When I buy aftermarket stuff, I always compare it to XT first. If you're thinking of buying XTR, my advice is to buy XT and use the change to buy a new jersey or something. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Wu
a cross-country rider
from Hsin Chu, Taiwan
Date Reviewed: February 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Shimano XT ROCKS!!! It's almost half the price of XTR, but it offers the performance anyone will ever need. Although XT isn't as light as XTR, it still is fairly light. Many bike companys even spec XT on their top of the line bikes. There's a big gap between the durability of LX and XT. XT can stand up to much more abuse than LX. If you have the money, go for XTR. If you don't, XT is just as good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a racer
from Vancouver, Canada
Date Reviewed: January 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
It all works very well, until the XT rapidfire shifters go belly up. A small metal part within my shifter sheared off within 6 months. Exactly the same thing happened to a friend of mine (his only lasted 3 months). We don't thrash our bikes. Don't expect Shimano to care - my letter to them hasn't been answered. You'll also need to buy a whole set of shifters to fix this - no parts available. Its a pity, they work well otherwise...... | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brook
a cross-country rider
from santa cruz
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
have ridden the complete group brakes, ders, hubs, etc for 7 mos- no problems. pros: fairly light, durable, consistant, rear der shifts perfect, hubs are smooth
cons: could be lighter, brakes need more modulation, front der could be smoother
overall price/efficiency 4.5-5stars for the money | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave the Equipment Whore
a weekend warrior
from SoCal, USA
Date Reviewed: November 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
IMHO, the best price/performance/durability ratio out there. No doubt XTR works even better (from hardcore racer fiend friends' bikes), but it's not twice as good for twice the price. Not nearly. LX is great from a materials (and hence weight) point of view, but it doesn't ever shift nearly as crisp as XT. Trust me, move a step higher than LX and go to XT. You'll find yourself hard-pressed to justify going to XTR once you've tried it.P.S. - A correctly assembled FULL XT drivetrain (cranks, cassette, derailleurs, chain, shifters, and yes, even the heavy BB) is as solid as bedrock. Bombproof and crispier than Kellogg's Special K. I spent in excess of $1K for boutique crap to learn this the hard way. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pk
a cross-country rider
from norway
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
XT has the highest performance/price ever. It is very close to the XTR group
and it is absolutely affordable.
The drivetrain is accurate and reasonably light, although it is bullet proof(compared to PAUL, SYNCROS, SACHS, and GRIPSHIFT.
The braking power is great, as good as anything else on the market and paralellogrammed (perfect angle every time).
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie
a cross-country rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: October 23, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Here it is plain and simple: 1) I am a mechanic and see it all. Xt is definetly the best value for shimano parts. 2) I have a super trick bike BUT I use XT ders., brakes, and shifters. Why? Value Performance. First we know der. choces are limited, Shimano is the only way to go really (I don't like ot either but at least the sh*t works). Brakes cheap $35 a piece, work excellent and don't weigh too much. Shifters, well most people might hate me for saying it but Gripshifts sucks. PERIOD. Replacing cables takes forever! Sachs work better, if you must twist try these. Some good places to replace XT are BB, rings, HS (no threadless headsets, Shimano are *sses!). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Very Big Daddy From Down Under
a weekend warrior
from Come on down to New Zealand
Date Reviewed: October 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
How can you improve on a classic. XT is MTBings equivalent of Mona Lisa, the only think is that it still constantly gets better. This is my second full set of XT stuff and every time it has never failed me. Gotta love those V-brake, price to stopping power ratio can't be beat!!!. Super smooth shifting. Slap on some gore cables and you wont have to adjust them for months. I suppose you can get better (ie XTR) but for the price you pay, you don't get anywhere near twice the performance so be sensible, XT is as good as you'll ever need. (unless you just won the lottery) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brandon Wong
a cross-country rider
from San Luis Obispo, CA
Date Reviewed: July 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This complete group came on my PARKPRE back in 1995. I still have all the
origional equipment, and when my old brakes stated to die, I replaced
them with the conventional cantilever XT brakes, and it provides the
same modulation.Excellent group, 8 speed and Servo-wave brake levers! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jerry
a cross-country rider
from Corvallis, Or
Date Reviewed: July 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have XT shifters, V-brakes, derailluers, XTR 12-32 rear cassette, Race Face Crank and rings (20-32-42). Front shifting is very good although shifting up from the 20 inner is a little slow and requires a touch extra push, but its OK cause its not the standard set-up and I like the ultra-low gearing for the steep uphill singletrack. The rear shifting is very smooth and fast, the brake levers are comfortable and I'm just getting used to one finger braking. I have Chris King wheelset but for the more budget minded the XTs can't be beat. Very nice stuff although the V-brakes flop around on the studs a little, they need a nice sealed bearing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hrubes
a cross-country rider
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: July 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Just got the full group on a sweet aluminum GT frame. I can tell you one
thing....It is scarey. I can't even tell when the rear derailleur shifts.
It is so smooth and quick. There is no delay it just shifts right on demand.
At times I think the bike shifts to the correct gear before I even have finished
moving the very comfortable shift levers. The brake system is very smooth and
strong. It actually saved me from crashing into the back of a car the other day.
With the light weight, smooth shifting, and powerful braking, I give this group
5 very hot chillies!!! Nice work Shimano | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kc
a cross-country rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: July 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Rock solid reliability, wicked V-brakes and pretty light too...
Basically, it's the best grouppo without a sponsorship contract! :^) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a cross-country rider
from NY , USA
Date Reviewed: March 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Shimano will remain on top with this group. Shifting is awesome, braking is as good as any hydraulics i've used. At half the price of XTR, it is the perfect choice for anybody who wishes they could afford the super group. I vow to never use grip shift, after feeling ergonomic smoothness like XT.
Shimano = Quality, enuff said!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Colin DeForge
a cross-country rider
from Wilbraham, MA
Date Reviewed: February 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The 97 xt is a great set up. but if your going to use a grip shift type shifter, make sure that you keep you cable very cleen and buy a power spring to help with the return of the rear deraiur into the small cog.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a cross-country rider
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: December 6, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
XT, front and rear deralieur.
This thing sucks, the main spring is much to weak, if i put the cable tension
so that it shifts perfectley to a larer cog, i have to twist my Gripshift X-ray two clicks to shift to a smaler cog.
So i´m going for a Gripshift ESP 900.
The front der. works okay but the chrome finish gets ugly wery fast.
Shimano is weak i the upper priceclass. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Duke
a cross-country rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: November 9, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This group is as light as it can get. Sealed bearings and bushings, bomb-proof construction, and that Shimano dependability we've come to expect make this group better than anything in the market. Except XTR perhaps, but at twice the cost, I'd go for XT anytime. The best thing I like about this new group are the V-brakes. I never imagined braking would be this good. XT equals no-nonsense components for the serious racer at the right price. God! I should have bought that XT shifter instead of this Gripshift SRT-800 I'm currently using. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Lancaster
a cross-country rider
from Vail, CO
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The new XT shift/brake combo is a close tie with my '94 XTR set. The V-brakes RULE, and the shifting is almost as precise. The new standard. | | Overall Rating: |
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