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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Saby R
a Weekend Warrior
from HalifaxDate Reviewed: October 18, 2002
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)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
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: XTR on my other bike.
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain Cardiac full XT (beside crank and hubs), Titec Big AL
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Agent Z
a Downhiller
from NorcalDate Reviewed: February 2, 2000
Strengths: Pretty strong
Good Looks
Good shifting
No problems directly related to the components. (Usually has to do with the conditions)Weaknesses: Hmmm.. none.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.
Favorite Trail: Mammoth Bullet
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
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
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tebbetts, MoDate Reviewed: November 18, 1999
Strengths:
Relatively light, strong, shifts well.Weaknesses:
chain suck (the 8 spd XT was better)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
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Similar Products Used:
8 spd XT group
Bike Setup:
Lightspeed Unicoi, SID XC
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jamie
a Racer
from nova scotiaDate Reviewed: August 16, 1999
Strengths:
good preformance to cost ratio.Weaknesses:
sloppy brake pivots
crappy brake padsBottom 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
Favorite Trail:
went worth
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Similar Products Used:
LX stx rc sugino mix
Bike Setup:
norco torrent with Z3
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Helena, MontanaDate Reviewed: June 8, 1999
Strengths:
EverythingWeaknesses:
NothingBottom Line: Best thing I have used(after the 9.0) everything works great totally quiet and works flawlessly. Defifnetely worth the money
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Similar Products Used:
Alivio, Esp 9.0, Lx, Torque-drive
Bike Setup:
Raleigh M-9000
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mitch
a Weekend Warrior
from Snohomish, WashingtonDate Reviewed: May 14, 1999
Strengths:
Works great.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.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Similar Products Used:
All Shimano Groups
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Darren
a Weekend Warrior
from singaporeDate Reviewed: April 27, 1999
Strengths:
Very fast shifting and smooth.Weaknesses:
Brake a bit slow compared to AlivioBottom Line: The best I ever tried, much faster shifting than any others I tried, though the brakes can be more responsive
Favorite Trail:
Bukit Timah
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Similar Products Used:
LX/STX, Alivio
Bike Setup:
GT Avalanche full XT, Spryder R
GT Backwoods LX/STX, Jett XC
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
>_<
a Weekend Warrior
from San DiegoDate Reviewed: April 16, 1999
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.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.
Favorite Trail:
Driveway
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Similar Products Used:
Acera.
Bike Setup:
Stumpy, with XT group and other guy' cranks.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Card
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tustin, CADate Reviewed: April 10, 1999
Strengths:
easy adjustability
easy installationWeaknesses:
easy to scratchBottom 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.
Favorite Trail:
Peters Canyon
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Similar Products Used:
grip shift
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar frame
Judy XC
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mesa, AZDate Reviewed: April 8, 1999
Strengths:
Bang for the buck, crisp shifting, much less expensive than XTR!Weaknesses:
Not as chi-chi as XTR, also heavier.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.
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Similar Products Used:
Some STX-RC, LX, and XTR on two previous bikes.
Bike Setup:
Full '98 XT 8 speed.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nat
a weekend warrior
from WADate 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, KyDate 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 SunnyIslandSingaporeDate 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 VancouverDate 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 PAINDate 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.
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