|
Shimano
XTR Rear Derailleur
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Sports Wagon (Recover)
a Weekend Warrior
from Elkridge, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | seven springs and snowshoe | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Shifts really clean and precise. Handles a lot of abuse. | | Weaknesses: | Due to its high level of precision, if it is not adjusted just right, then your chain can hop around. However a poorly adjusted derailleur is the owners fault not the product. | | Similar Products Used: | Other xtr derailleurs and xt derailleurs | | Bike Setup: | transition dirtbag, chris king, deity, fox 36, azonic outlaws | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur works great, even after smashing it into rocks and landing on it and sliding on it. It shifts really well when you got your cables tension tight and the derailleur adjusted properly. Also, its lightweight for those who have weight issues. Last time I checked it was cheaper than sram's x0 and a lot stronger. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jenine
a Cross Country Rider
from Cornwall UK
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | it still workes really well, it looks pritty and it shifts really well, and thats all that matters | | Weaknesses: | none...... | | Similar Products Used: | lots of xt, lx stx rc , this is my first xtr came with bike | | Bike Setup: | scott saprk contessa | | Bottom Line: | i always wanted one of these when i was a kid, now i got one..lol | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jobrienau
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne Australia
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Wombat Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Came with Giant Tran | | Strengths: | Fast fast fast changes | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | LX, Deore XT | | Bike Setup: | Giant Trance 0 | | Bottom Line: | Wow this derailuer is awesome, I have only had it for a month and it is really good. It is not a feel type thing like the LX, you touch the lever and it snaps into position. If it lasts like the LX one did (12 years) then its the best derailuer ever made. I am starting to see exactly why all other companies are chasing Shimano, their gear is just the best hands down. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
lowflier03
a Weekend Warrior
from Atsugi, Japan
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Fujimi | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Lightweight and yet still very durable. Gives fast and precise shifts, even under high load. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, LX, XT, and SRAM XO | | Bike Setup: | '07 Stumpjumper FSR Elite, XTR groupo with XT cranks and cassette, Bomber 140mm Fork, Chris King Headset. | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the 2008 RD-M970. This derailleur is awesome! Setup is fast and easy. I have not had to adjust it at all since the initial ride. I used to have issues with shifting on steep climbs and under load. Not with this. It always gives a fast, crisp gear change. Even if dumping several gears at a time. Definitely a great performer, its just too bad Shimano keeps the price on their stuff so high. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick S
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, VT USA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike shop in MA | | Strengths: | This review is for the M952 rear derailleur.
Its strength is that it works, keeps working, then works some more. No fuss, no fidgeting. The derailleur came on my Cannondale T2000 touring bike, so it hasn't seen much dirt riding. I will say that after more than 13,000 road miles it shifts just fine. I haven't cleaned, lubed, or serviced this much at all during the 4 years i've owned it, the pullys are still smooth. | | Weaknesses: | Price if you're buying one new. From what i hear the XT are just as good, though perhaps not as light | | Similar Products Used: | LX rear derailleur. | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale T2000 touring bike. | | Bottom Line: | The difference between XT and XTR is a hotly debated topic. What i would say is that i'm sure you won't be sorry with an XTR. Mine has worked well for 4 years and i have no expectation of anything different in the next 4. If you've got the money it is worth it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fritz Lehr
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Beaver Dam | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | eBAY | | Strengths: | Very light and trick looking, 90% or more of the time it shifts perfectly | | Weaknesses: | Medium cage does not work well with full suspension on extreme shifts, spring seems a little weaker than in past and derailleur is more sensitive to cable wear. | | Similar Products Used: | XTR, XT, Deore XT 9, 8 & 7 speed, Demoed SRAM XO | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Blur, Using 2007 XTR Shifter Pods, 2007 XTR Rear Derailleur med cage, XTR cranks, XT cassette 12-34T, XTR disc hubs, Aztek Teflon coated shift cables | | Bottom Line: | This reveiw is for then new 2007 XTR Rear Derailleur Med Cage. Seems to be well made in my opinion, but has trouble working with my suspension occasionally. The short cage derailler is probably better suited to a smaller gear spread and a hardtail where the length of the axle to the crank does not change. Still, I think it works great most of the time, but occasionally on suspension compression and downshift I get this binding. Could be set-up, but it is inconsistent so I think it is suspension related. Also, more sensitive to cable wear than in the past. I am going to go back to a long cage and I may finally try out rapid-rise since my XTR shifter pods can now shift 2 gears on the trigger as opposed to one in the past. This limitation kept me from trying rapid rise in the past. Also the Trigger shifts quicker that it did in the past, even quicker than the SRAM XO stuff I demoed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gerald Badoz
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Jones Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | EBay | | Strengths: | Design, appearance, function, fit, form, quality, weight, and performance. | | Weaknesses: | None!! | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Raleigh Ram 2.0 with full XTR, RockShox 318 Tora and Rear SID, Avid Juicy Carbons, Truvativ Team Carbon Riser, Cane Creek Solo head set, Titec Pluto Carbon seat post, WTB Speed V saddle, and Jagwire cables. Plus a few other things... | | Bottom Line: | XTR M970 rear derailleur is simply amazing!!! It shifts butter smooth. I got it with the matching M970 rapid fire pods and the response is simple incredible. Right as you are pressing the button, click the chain shifts...
ITS FREAK INCREDIBLE!!!!! Highly recommend it...
Plus, not only shift one gear at a time but you can grab a bunch of gears at once (2, 3, 4, etc); the transition to grabbing a few gears at once is super smooth...no hestitation or clunking...just a smooth buttery shift...
AWESOME!!!!
I had cheesy performance with the Deore components. I had to search for the sweet spot for shifting and the lever strokes are much longer on the Deore. The XTR shift is just a short quick stroke...
Don't waste your time with other components; go with XTR, you will not be disappointed!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lemão
a Weekend Warrior
from Brazil
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | very Strength derailleur, in 5 years of use, I didn't have any problem. Very easy maintenance and instalation. It changes gears better than my car! | | Weaknesses: | None at all | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | XTR deraileeur, with attack grip-shifts | | Bottom Line: | Buy it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TrailMaker
a Weekend Warrior
from Vestal, NY
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Quality | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | It's been with me on 2 bikes; Sugar 2+D and now my Heckler | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur came on my '02 Fisher Sugar 2+ Disc. It is now on my '05 Heckler. If you take the time to learn how to adjust your cables/shifters/derailleurs, you will find that this product is excellent. Although I never broke a hanger, in the time that it was on my Sugar, it got SERIOUSLY bent from an unknown event. The jockey cage runs nowhere near parallel to the cassette, and it will not cycle through its complete range. I set it up to shift the lower gears because who cares about 9th anyway?
Other than adjustment, I've never touched it. The worst it does is cackle a little because of wheel missalignment. Despite being seriously tweaked, when I do the proper and necessary periodic adjustments, it shifts beautifully. I ride LOTS of creeks, MUD, MUD, MUD, ROCKS, ROCKS, ROCKS, sand, logs, roots..... It still works like a derailleur should.
I'm debating replacing it right now. My first inclination is to save a buck and go XT, but in the back of my mind I know that this XTR has been a great piece. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ftydfgf
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | every one | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | stiff strong light looks cool light,quick action | | Weaknesses: | weakness?what weakness? | | Similar Products Used: | acera | | Bike Setup: | trek 3900 xtr fox f80 rlt | | Bottom Line: | well worth upgrading especially on ebay!!!!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Giancarlo Pelosi
a Weekend Warrior
from Miramar, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Markham Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Bell's Bikes | | Strengths: | Very fast. Lives up to the XTR name. Smooth and reliable under adverse conditions. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | XT and SRAM X9. | | Bike Setup: | 06 Giant Trance 1 stock set up with a Chris King headset, Mavic Crossmax SL disc, XT rotors, Kenda Nevagal UST's, and an ODI Rogue lock on grip upgrade. | | Bottom Line: | Keep it in the family so it can continue to live up to the XTR name. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Lopez
a Downhiller
from Phoenix AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | any one I can find! | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Extremely light for its class. Oversized spring keeps the chain rigid so it doesn't suck or slam on your chain stay as much as other derailures. | | Weaknesses: | They stopped making em!!! Screw rapid rise | | Similar Products Used: | Sram XO | | Bike Setup: | 06 gary Fisher Big Sur. Giant DH team, gary fisher cake 2 DLX | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line: If you arn't completely familiar with every aspect as a bike, or couldn't even build one up yourself., or at least read product reviews before use, You shouldn't even be on this page writing a review. Keep your sorry @$$ comments away from this page!!! do not down a product because your a moron and broke it out of stupidity! Do yourself a favor and rate yourself a 1 chili! this is and will always be one of the best derailures out there! Its hard to beet!
Take care.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
garret
a Cross Country Rider
from tres rivers, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | sterage rock | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | COMPETITIVE EDGE ELM. THEY ROCK!! | | Strengths: | smooth shifts, light, sexy | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | lx, xt | | Bike Setup: | 06' stumpy expert stock; stans upgrade | | Bottom Line: | it does it's job, and does it well. i've been on 7 hours of riding so far on it, so i can't comment on durability, but this thing shifts the way it's supposed to, climbing, decending, i ride hard, i ride steep rocky terrain,i've seen mud, sand, hardpack... massachusetts; so we basically get all conditions.. it hasn't skipped a beat yet. will come back and post midseason
5 flamers so far.. key words there.. so far | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
garret
a Cross Country Rider
from tres rivers, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | sterage rock | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | COMPETITIVE EDGE ELM. THEY ROCK!! | | Strengths: | smooth shifts, light, sexy | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | lx, xt | | Bike Setup: | 06' stumpy expert stock; stans upgrade | | Bottom Line: | it does it's job, and does it well. i've been on 7 hours of riding so far on it, so i can't comment on durability, but this thing shifts the way it's supposed to, climbing, decending, i ride hard, i ride steep rocky terrain,i've seen mud, sand, hardpack... massachusetts; so we basically get all conditions.. it hasn't skipped a beat yet. will come back and post midseason
5 flamers so far.. key words there.. so far | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nod
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Foothills | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$110.00 | | Purchased At: | ABC-ABQ | | Strengths: | Light, good looking | | Weaknesses: | Breaks easily | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX, X0 | | Bike Setup: | Santa Crux Superlight, REBA | | Bottom Line: | This derailuer was set to be the great shifting replacement for my "inferior" XT. 2 rides later, it mysteriously combusted. Shimano wouldn't cover it under warranty! I have never had a problem with the XT, but when I need a new one, it will be SRAM | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lance Lowry
a Cross Country Rider
from La Habra, CA
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Santiago Oaks | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | free!! | | Strengths: | Buttery smooth shifting with no problems and it's light! | | Weaknesses: | nope | | Similar Products Used: | XT and Alivio | | Bike Setup: | '04 Mountain Cycle Rumble. Hardtail baby! | | Bottom Line: | I was lucky to get this free from my riding buddy. He said he just had it laying around so voila! This thing is just friggin killer. I always have problems with my front XT derailleur. Ghost shifting, chain suck, you name it.
The XTR rear derailleur, however, is a god send. Not only is it light, it just shifts so effortlessly. It's the type of component that performs so well, you just forget you have it there.
I ride agressive XC trails with rock gardens and some drops and this thing just keeps ticking. In addition I ride a hardtail so I'm sure it's a bit harder on the derailleur. I have a 2001 model and it performs flawlessly. Get one if you can. They are expensive but if I knew how well this performed it would have been one of my first investments. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from North Augusta, SC
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Horn Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | PricePoint.com | | Strengths: | Flawless shifting. Consistency. Stout. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, X-9 | | Bike Setup: | Yeti 575 very nicely adorned. RS Pike fork, mainly XT/XTR, some Thomson parts. | | Bottom Line: | I have used Shimano stuff (LX and XT) for about 17 years now with no complaints, and recently tried SRAM X-9 with zero success (I was building up a new bike and wanted to see what the hype was all about). Went back to Shimano and went with XTR this time. It does 100% of what it is supposed to do, which is consistently shift properly and shrug off trail imperfections. It has not required ANY adjustments between rides. This has been an install, forget and ride item.
This XTR rear derailleur has functioned perfectly since I put it on my 575 (Jan-Feb 05). I run full housing from shifter to derailleur. Right now I am at nearly 1400 miles of true off-road/mtb riding. Mud, muck, rocks, twigs, whatever. This derailleur is 100% worth it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
j Filgate
a
from Boston
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | vietnam | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Smooth shifting. Feels really good. | | Weaknesses: | WEAK!~ This product lasted 2.5 years on my stumpjumper. The knuckles came loose to the point where the chain skips whenever i hit a bump or a drop. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX | | Bike Setup: | 02/05 stumpy | | Bottom Line: | If you race, this might be the way to go. But if you beat on your bike at all on a regular basis, i strongly recommend looking elsewhere. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | slbs (somewhat local bike shop) | | Strengths: | (Review for older M952 SGS)
Flawless shifting. The only derailleur I have used that stays in adjustment after several months of use. | | Weaknesses: | Not made anymore. They seem to still be available though, and I'd love to have a spare. However, I simply can't justify the cost since I don't have nice cranks yet. | | Similar Products Used: | old shimano 7 speed SIS, C201, tourney, altus, acera, alivio, deore, plastic SRAM 5.0 | | Bike Setup: | '03 KHS FR2000 frame with Romic shock, Marzocchi 120mm MX Comp ETA fork, 4 pot XT hydros | | Bottom Line: | Simply the best. Shimano had to go and screw it up with a new shiny finish that is easily scratched, worst of all, rapid rise. I like being able to shift into higher gears (smaller sprockets) more than shifting into lower gears faster.
Once my bike is complete, I buy an extra if I can still find one.
I'm tempted to rate it lower because the people at Shimano are a bunch of pricks, but that doesn't stop this particular derailleur from being perfection. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kg stok3d
a Cross Country Rider
from clemmons, nc
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | hobby park, nc | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$135.00 | | Purchased At: | clemmons bike shop | | Strengths: | instantaneous shift between gears. extremely durable. Lightweight. looks good. is versatile, can be used for 8/9 speed bikes.(mines 8, want to upgrade my cassette to 9) | | Weaknesses: | recommend that u upgrade the rest of your drivetrain to get maximum benefit of xtr derailleur. | | Similar Products Used: | I used a deore for about a year, and it wore out and started not changing gears efficiently. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Specialized hr comp. XTR rear, XT front. XTR shifters, brake levers, v brakes, pads. rock shox judy tt. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that people say xtr components arent worth their weight in gold, but to be honest, if u love bike riding and youre serious about it, the XTR is a must have for the best performance. Because for 50 dollars more, youll be changing gears in a whole different planet than say a deore. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Captain America
a Cross Country Rider
from Harrisville, RI USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Light, looks sweet, shifts smooth when working | | Weaknesses: | the bendix spring in the "P" body jumps out of its hole - makes the derailleur flop dead and ride the cogs - I junked three of them. eXTRa expensive! | | Similar Products Used: | xt, older xtr | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSR Enduro Expert - used with grip shift | | Bottom Line: | Not made to take the tech pounding of heavy XC riding at an expert level or for that matter any downhill rec riding. - the spring will jump out of it's hole. XT is the value these days - | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Captain America
a Cross Country Rider
from Harrisville, RI USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Light, looks sweet, shifts smooth when working | | Weaknesses: | the bendix spring in the "P" body jumps out of its hole - makes the derailleur flop dead and ride the cogs - I junked three of them. eXTRa expensive! | | Similar Products Used: | xt, older xtr | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSR Enduro Expert - used with grip shift | | Bottom Line: | Not made to take the tech pounding of heavy XC riding at an expert level or for that matter any downhill rec riding. - the spring will jump out of it's hole. XT is the value these days - | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a Cross Country Rider
from ohio
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | strong light takes a beating and won't break | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | deore rear,xtr rapid rise, | | Bike Setup: | 97 gt lts3 w/ xt shifters and 02 oryx freak w/sram rocket shifters. | | Bottom Line: | I have had sticks get caught in these derailluers bending them backwards and breaking the small chainring or jaming the chain.They do not bend or break.
Most problems with shifting are the chain length or bent deraillerhangers.You can find these cheap on eBay. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft.Wayne Indiana
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | mail order | | Strengths: | It works | | Weaknesses: | Price keeps going up | | Similar Products Used: | XT,STX | | Bike Setup: | Specialized M4 HT, LX shifters, xt cass, xtr derailer | | Bottom Line: | This is a set and forget derailer. Most of the complants on this part are bogus. Your cogs are full of mud and the chain skips is not a result of rear derailer failier. 90% of the shifting performance is in the shifters and the set up. The derailer is just spring loaded to travel back and forth. Your shifters determine and provide all the indexing involed. If your shifters don't perform correctly or the set up is all whacked out (cable is not tight) you will see the results in your shifting or lack there of. The XTR is one of the best on the market but just like any other rear derailer this can part can only perform as good as the shifters it is linked to and the set up or tune will allow. Properly cabeled to the right shifters and the XTR is sweet as butter. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Saratoga, california
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Saratoga Gap | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$67.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | very smooth, reliable shifting. Instead of clicking from gear to gear, there's a soft, quick transition. Looks that could make Adrina Lima drool, if she knew the significance of the part. | | Weaknesses: | Seems to scratch rather easily, pricy when brand new. | | Similar Products Used: | ESP 9.0, STX | | Bike Setup: | k2, xt drivetrain with xtr rear deralleur | | Bottom Line: | I was using an esp 9.0, and i was told the two derailleurs were similar in stature. the esp uses a carbon composite material, and i must admit it feels a couple grams lighter when detatched from the bike. The real difference comes in during the shifting, both are quick and percise, but the xtr offers a generous amount of smoothness to each and every shift. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Lindros
a Cross Country Rider
from Belize
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$93.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Longevity, top of the line, looks, reliability. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Many various derailleurs both road and MTB and very varying degrees of quality. | | Bike Setup: | Many bikes. This particular one is all XTR drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur came with the bike. It's a 1999 Stumpjumper M2 Pro. Since then I have replaced almost every single component of the bike except for the frame, fork, neck, and yep... you guessed it, the rear derailleur. So in seven years this derailleur has been kicking ass for me. I have had some serious wipeouts with this bike and the rear d remains. Sure, there have been times when the shifting got a little weird, but it was because it was time to adjust things. Keep your bike tuned and shifting is silky smooth. This was the first or second year of the 9spd too and I have had no troubles.
These bikes cost a lot, and the riding experience needs to be good. You may argue that XTR costs a lot, but not having to replace it in seven years has proven its value to me. Now I will accept nothing less than XTR. XT is good, but I put those components on my backup bike for other riders. (Then again, I haven't had to replace the XT stuff either... the backup bike is still running well too with the XT.) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jaggi
a Cross Country Rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | came with the bike | | Strengths: | Durable, shifts well when tuned ok.
Light. | | Weaknesses: | It broke!
It just snapped from the derailler hanger.
Not so good with Rocket twisters. | | Similar Products Used: | LX 8-and 9-speed versions, Deore, 9.0sl, 7.0 and some road-deraillers as well.... | | Bike Setup: | XC-hardtail; Duke xc, xt/xtr, SDG, Truvativ stylo | | Bottom Line: | It was allright, but it wasnt so good that i`ll spend money to buy new one.
Also i hate Shimano´s new monopoly(new brakelever-shifters/hubs/brakes and so on), and im going to wich to SRAM x.9 + x.9twisters!
Shimano, see you on the trail! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ilakano
a Cross Country Rider
from clayton, ca
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Clayton Bicycles | | Strengths: | For most of the gears, it shifts well. It has skipping and ghost shifting problems in the higher gears when I'm doing a steep climb. Absolutely the worst thing that can happen. | | Weaknesses: | Inconsistent shifting, constant need to keep tuned. Overpriced for performance | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT, Sram 5.0 | | Bottom Line: | The XT line is a much better bargain, a little heavier but I think the XTR line is way over priced and unreliable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicholas Goh
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Store | | Strengths: | Nothing in particular. | | Weaknesses: | Attention seeking, pricey. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, SRAM Plasma, Deore | | Bike Setup: | Carbon Trek, xt/xtr | | Bottom Line: | Doesn't live up to its hype. Forked out hard earned cash to find out that it shifts just the same as an XT but is at twice the price. I expected it have to tune it just twice, once when cables are new and again when cables have stretched properly, but the shifting only gets worse with time. i have had to adobt over and under-shifting techniques to compensate. should've saved the money and got an xt cos i dont count the grams of my parts. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | flameout | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | vision | | Strengths: | Quick,easy and smooth shifting. bullitproof | | Weaknesses: | Just give it a tune up every 100 miles. | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Heckler,5th element coil,hayes hd plus,singletrack with dt spocks and hadley hubs,thompson post,stem,easton dh bars,maxxix minion F,highroller rear 2.35,wtb saddle, raceface turbine, spd peddles,manitou sherman firefly. | | Bottom Line: | I think this is a great investment. I had no problems in 3years of thrashing this thing. It has never left me stranded anywhere. It has even been thrash tested at northstar also. Buy one. Its butter smooth. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan R
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island N.Y
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Pandora | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up review for this derailluer my orginal post is a way back down and around this time last year:
I'm removing this derailluer ASAP! It's barely been a year since it was intially set up and installed. It has been cared for and cleaned religously and has gone through three sets of cables (Jagwire, Shimano XT, and Shimano XTR) still the longer it is used the worse it got. Now I'm down to having the chian skip as I power her up hill. It has gone through three chains a Shimano XT, Shimano XTR and a Wippermann 908 Nickel plated chain! So as you can see it has been maintained. I don't let my equipment go to the point that it is shot I ride close to 9 to 18 miles a day and if it breaks I have one long a$$ walk home! So I belive replace it and spend some bucks now then walk home spend money and hope nothing else broke when something else did.
As for XTR rear Derailluer as time went by it just seemed to get worse the pattern was quite simple. Ride two weeks needs to be tuned ride another two weeks needs to be tuned. That's if the weather worked with me. If it was muddy or wet I got one week out of the tune. This thing hates mud and water and the more you ride it it the worse it gets. The pulleys could use rplacement but I asked my LBS and they said it was not need right away. I like riding it varying terrian a little sand a little mud and a little hard pack makes the day great! Ilike the challange of the different terrians here in Long Island. You can tell the differnce of what shore (north or south) from the terrian your on. Still when you lose about 25% of you gears by the time you head home in wet meddy conditions cause the chain and cogs are gummed up and the derailluer dosen't want to shift NOT FUN!
I'm heading over to SRAM X.0 they say it's set and forget about it Crisp shifting (which this never had in it's best day) and it handles the elements better than XTR. Shimano's Light action and rapid rise is going to lose them allot of customers. I'm also still not convinced about the dual controllers. Why would you get rid of rapid fire when that is what is selling you shifting equipment Shimano? I've had it with Shimano and all this NEW style equipment, let me rattle down the list (Lock on hubs for disc brakes, Dual control shifters, Rapid rise derailluers, and now I keep hearing about mountain bike ten speed drivetrains) Enough allready! If it's not broke don't fix it! We didn't really need nine speed and they never worked out the bugs with them and now TEN! SRAM works, It's reliable, and if you don't belive me read the reviews here! It's not that I don't like Shimano but forcing people to use their newest drivetrains or not be supported by the company! Let the masses buy Shimano I'm going to SRAM!
I'm going to give it a decent value rating since it lasted a year but it is not getting a spectacular review from me, PEACE! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles Stansbury
a Racer
from Ann Arbor, MI, US
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Pontiac Lake Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | Shifts well when it's in tune. Light. Durable | | Weaknesses: | Constantly working on it. Can't go for more than 3 rides without having to make adjustments. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX and XT. Sram X.0 (amazing) | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8500. XT/XTR components. Answer Pro-Taper carbon riser bars. Race Face crankset. Time Pedals. Sram 9.0sl brake levers with avid sd 7 v-brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur has been a never ending battle. It works well when it is in tune, but I am constantly having to adjust it. I tuned it up last week, went for a ride and it shifted awesome. Three rides later and it was skipping towards the top. This has been the story since I bought the bike. I bought new cables and that helped for a little while, but it still just stops working right after a while. A friend of mine has a SRAM X.0 rear derailleur and that thing is amazing. Even when my XTR is working perfectly, it can't even come close to matching the sram shift quality. My buddy put the X.0 on his bike 2 months ago and has yet to make a single adjustment and it still works perfect. I on the other hand will adjust my XTR the night before a ride. I will hop on the bike and it will work well, then about 5 miles into the ride I will be stopping to mess with it.
Sorry Shimano, but when it comes time for replacement, I'm going with SRAM! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gary
a Cross Country Rider
from broomfield, co usa
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | monarch crest | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came on fsr comp | | Strengths: | good shifting | | Weaknesses: | b spring failure | | Similar Products Used: | shimano stx rc, lx, xt | | Bike Setup: | specialized fsr comp factory spec: xt front, xtr rear deuraillers | | Bottom Line: | i would not recommend this deurailler. never had a problem with other shimano rear deuraillers. granted, this one shifts a little better, but the b-spring failure is apparently a common problem and should not be expected in a top-end product. i have ridden the bike for barely over 3 years, and although i ride hard i don't put in that many miles a year. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a
from Modesto, CA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Bottom Line: | Over 3 years of great performance! Never had a problem with this part of my bike. Expensive, but it has lasted so long how can I complain? My mechanic buddy said it's getting pretty close to the end of it's life. I won't be able to afford another one right now. I wonder if the XT or LX will last as long? Probably not :( | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
timc
a Cross Country Rider
from Logan, UT
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | worked well for a few months | | Weaknesses: | expensive. B-tension spring failure | | Similar Products Used: | XT, 105 | | Bike Setup: | RM Instinct | | Bottom Line: | The B-tension spring will fail which is completely unacceptable for a high end product. Stick with XT's and save some money and frustration. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a
from Gilroy
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Off the Top | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Strengths: | Super crisp shifting; great tension from spring | | Weaknesses: | none... so far | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore: Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | Giant AC2, 5th Elemt; Marzocchi Z1, DK iron cross pedals, Hayes, Raceface | | Bottom Line: | Works great... so far. I upgraded to titanium spring and that added a little more tension for a little bit more. The rollers seem to attract a lot of dirt/grease and must be occasionally wipped off. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aleks
a
from USA
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hartshorne NJ | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay, Cambria | | Strengths: | Butter shifting | | Weaknesses: | maybe price, but worth whats paid for | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX derailleur | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8500 - all XTR w/Rolf Propels, Psylo SL. | | Bottom Line: | Its been prooven that the best shifting upgrade you can make is get XTR setup. BUT, if you dont change the cables/housing it all goes to sh.t. I've got a XTR running for a year and on the second bike i just put on brand new XT derailleur with AVID rollamagik with XTR cables. and boy, do i feel the difference. Now, on the one year old setup feels like i have a rubber band instead of a cable. With the Avid thing it shifts in one pedal turn - flawless. And i was never a fan of noisy drivetrains, so cleaning the edges of pulleys and rings is a must if you dont want a bike sounding like a chainsaw. And does anyone else having problems with XTR pulleys? after a cleaning mine show a little "splinters" on the top pulley. never had that problem on the old LX. RIDE ON PEOPLE! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alastair
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | 42 traverse - NZ | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Flawless shifting | | Weaknesses: | Price | | Similar Products Used: | XT rear derailleur | | Bike Setup: | Tomac 78 Special, XTR, Hope | | Bottom Line: | The XTR derailleur does what it is supposed to, shifts smoothly and flawlessly in most conditions, only requiring simple adjustments every now and again to keep it changing smoothly. Whether you are getting real benefit by stepping up to this over XT is another question. I have the XTR short cage rear derailleur on one bike and an XT short cage rear derailleur on my other bike, which makes for good comparisons. In shifting performance they are both very close. With new cable inners and housings on both bikes, it was nearly impossible to tell the difference. The XT weighs more, but I replaced the steel main pivot bolt (where the majority of the extra weight is) with an aluminium one and got within 6 grams of the weight of the XTR. If you want the best, no compromise, go for the XTR, but you are getting very, very little over an XT for double the money, especially for a bike part that is vulnerable to being destroyed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Colin
a Cross Country Rider
from Hamburg, PA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Reservoir trail/Weisser State Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Light, crisp&precise shifting | | Weaknesses: | Damn B-tension spring | | Similar Products Used: | XT/LX | | Bike Setup: | SC SL, CK isodisc, tubeless, | | Bottom Line: | This is my second XTR rear, and while I love the weight and precision shifting, I need to vent about the damn B-tension spring. The first I owned worked great until it met its untimely demise in a crash. The second (installed last fall) worked great until about 2 weeks ago. Now the B-tension spring won't stay in place. About 30 minutes into my ride last evening I noticed the dreaded sound of the top pulley rubbing against the cassette. This happened to me over the weekend, too, so I took it all apart, cleaned, lubed, and reinstalled to specs. Now I have to go through it all again, without even getting a full ride in. I've been a firm supporter of Shimano equipment since I started riding (it just works), but this is annoying. For a top-end piece to fail like this is ridiculous. I know there are those out there who will say "you didn't set it up properly" or some crap like that, but if you follow ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS AS PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER and it shifts perfectly (which it still does) and this keeps happening, there is something wrong.
Looks like it's time to go back to XT or to try SRAM. Hey, buy American and all... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
WithDrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Brooklyn, NY
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Bay Ridge Bicycle World, Brooklyn NY | | Strengths: | Super smooth, flawless shifts. It just DOES NOT GET ANY SMOOTHER. Lightest of the bunch. | | Weaknesses: | A little pricey especially for those who can't feel the difference. | | Similar Products Used: | XT Rear | | Bike Setup: | Merlin Newsboy, XTR Derailleurs, XTR Front V-Brake, Horrible Rear U-Brake, XTR Drivetrain, Mavic Ceramic 517's (I think these suck too) | | Bottom Line: | If you have the extra $$ I challenge you to be disappointed with any XTR component, especially something as essential as a rear derailleur. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Knowlton
a Cross Country Rider
from East Dover, VT, USA
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | East Burk Kingdom | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | looks, weight, smooth shifting | | Weaknesses: | strength | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, XT | | Bike Setup: | gary fisher sugar 2 | | Bottom Line: | This was a good deraileur to begin with. While I was getting to the trail, it served me well. But as soon as I got on the trail, it broke on the first twig that I hit. I wound up dragging my bike to the begining of the trail, and prying it out of my spokes! I know that these don't hold up well against sticks hitting them, but the first twig that I hit? 3 chilies 'cause it came w/ my bike so I didn't have to pay, and 3 overall because it didn't die of a random cause (like breaking on the road) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Cleveland
a Weekend Warrior
from Lake Mary FL
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | City Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$79.00 | | Purchased At: | www.nrcycles.com | | Strengths: | Very Nice shifting I also Like the ajustment and the pulley if Shimano would make it a little stronger it would be kick-A | | Weaknesses: | Its weak at the top(bolt on part) | | Similar Products Used: | Sram xo 9.0 | | Bottom Line: | A good deal! and it shifts much smoother than the LX r/d | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Downhiller
from sydney
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | works good when it gets set up properly | | Weaknesses: | doesnt stay set up properly for long. have had more problems with this sh!t than anything else on my bike. b tension spring keeps changing itself | | Bottom Line: | xtr is alright when it works but id rather have something that is reliable. it might be called xtr and look cool but its not cool | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan R
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island NY
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pandora | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with my bike | | Strengths: | Shifts like butter,
Looks good in stealth
Tough able to take a hit
Never misses a shift at all
Hasn't busted a tooth off my cogs | | Weaknesses: | Comes out of adjustment way too easy
A little hard to adjust
Have heard of a bad b rate sping this hasn't happend yet
Crud collects in the pulleys easy
Phantom Shifting See Bottom line For More | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano: XT, LX, Deore, S-Ram: 7.0, 8.0 | | Bike Setup: | 02 Stumpjumper FSR XC All kinds of goodies on it | | Bottom Line: | This thing shifts like butter it's so smooth some times I overshift cause it make no noise at all. It's never missed a shift of broken a chain or a cog tooth. I don't ever worry about rear shifts any more at all. I did have one problem and at my local bike store who is Specialized dealer told me about the fix. I had a lot of problem with phantom shifting in the past with it. On long climbs on steep hils or swithchbacks it would phantom shift bad. I was use to this though with my experience with S-Ram, I don't care what anyone said it happened all the time with 7.0 & 8.0. so I thought for years this was just my luck. At the bike shop I go to alot they told me Specialized had made a recall on the FSR bikes equipped with this derailer. Due to a flaw in their specs when they designed this bike the made the rear derailer cable too short. When you climb and heavey pedel pressure with an FSR frame it would pull the cable and cause phantom shifting. If your having the same problem IT IS NOT YOUR DERAILER! Get to your Specialized dealer and they will remedy this problem with a longer cable at no cost to you. Your Welcome. Back to my review: it's also very tough I have bashed it on a rock and nothing my XT would have been toast. I crashed real bad a month back I was hauling a$$ and lost it the bike fell and slid right on the drive train the grip and myself was shreded and the barend was twisted but nothing to the drive train but a quick trailside adjustment couldn't fix. The only two problems I have had with it that are still ongoing are one it comes out of adjustment really easy. I have experienced this with almost all Shimano products though. Also the pulleys pick up crud really easy if you don't do a full drive train clean about every two months it will foul the chain and your shifting will suffer. I ride almost four to five times a week and if this is the only problems I have with this product but I'll take it over some other problems I have had with other drivetrain componets PEACE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
B P
a Racer
from St Paul
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | The Farm | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$67.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo.com/QBP | | Strengths: | Light
Shifts like butter
Looks stealthy XTR Grey,
Tough as nails, stands up to nearly everything I've thrown at it.
90% of pro-racers out their can't all be wrong, eh? | | Weaknesses: | Design flaw that has been fixed with 960 ('03) version:
Hanger bolt is too close to the top pulley, and thus B-tension is difficult to balance without rubbing on 34t cassettes. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, LX, XT, SRAM9.0 (garbage), SRAM X.0 -not worth the $$$ | | Bike Setup: | 01 Schwinn Homegrown with lots of upgrades, King custom wheels, '03 Manitou Skareb Super (sweet!!!) | | Bottom Line: | This is the crispest-shifting derailleur available (aside from the new version). I've run this in mud, sand, grit, dust, rain, snow, ice, salty road grit... you name it, and it's never missed a shift. It's way sleeker than any other rd around (the XT is huge and bulky; and the fake cf-weave on the X.0 is cheesy).
I did break one, but it was no fault of the derailleur; the junk SRAM 7 cassette and PC 69 chain kept snapping in bad conditions, and finally caught on the rd cage, wrapping my expensive rd around my rear wheel. When I replaced it, I upgraded to an XT cassette and 7701 chain.
At first whith the new setup, I couldn't get the top pulley to stop rubbing, even with b-tension set all the way up. However, after some fiddling, I removed two additional links from the chain and found that I could run the b-tension at about 3/4 (without overstressing it) with no rub. I can still shift to big-big, but I really try not to do so. People having B-tension problems need to be more innovative in their problem solving instead of cranking the sh!t out of their springs. A Shimano tech with whome I spoke at the QBP show said that this is a common problem, and that the issue has been fixed with the new 960 series. Too bad it's only available in rapid-rise.
Since my adjustments, I've had absolutely NO PROBLEMS. My ride shifts like a dream, even in horrible conditions, covered in wet grass and mud. I once dropped the rear end of my bike off the side of a small bridge, landing full-weight on the rd!! Bent the hanger (one more down, and homegrown hangers are in limited supply) but the rd is TOTALLY FINE!!! Pretty toug little sucker.
Bottom line: There is no smoother rd available, including the slightly lighter (and much more expensive) SRAM X.0. I give 5 fiery pits of damnation for value because they can be had at just over shop cost on Supergo. Despite the b-tension issue -because it can be solved- I give 5 chunks of flaming brimstone for overall performance as well. If you want the best, this is it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
L Carroll
a Weekend Warrior
from Charleston, SC USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Mike's Bikes--Downtown Chucktown | | Strengths: | Smooth, quick | | Weaknesses: | Price, if you don't know where to look. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore | | Bike Setup: | '03 Gary Fisher Tassajara, XT brakes, levers, Shifters, M-646 SPD pedals
| | Bottom Line: | A little pricey compared to the XT. The quality leaves nothing to be desired. My gear are avalible exactly when I need them. Can't feel the switch on most of the cassette! Great derailleur if you got the money but if not, stick w/ the LX. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jessy
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything at South Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | Accurate shifting, light weight, great looks and its XTR! | | Weaknesses: | B-tension spring. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT and LX. | | Bike Setup: | Titus HCR, Full XTR minus shifter/levers, Sid team, chris king and so on. | | Bottom Line: | Great product until the B-tension spring goes out. The first one I had lasted for 8 months before the srping broke. Had the deraillure replaced then 3 months later the B-tension spring went again! I'm on my third try and I am hoping that I got a good one. Aside from this problem it is a great product. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
darin
a Weekend Warrior
from salt lake UT
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | slickrock, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Colorado Cyclist | | Strengths: | Looks great. | | Weaknesses: | Will not work with a 12/34 cassette | | Similar Products Used: | ft xtr der, works killer!! all the time no problems. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8000,xtr& Cane creek comp, | | Bottom Line: | The XTR der cant be adjusted to work with a 12/34 cassette with out the upper wheel rubbing against the big cog, I downsized to a 11/32 cassette. The upper wheel still rubs,I turned the tension screw upside down to add to the adjustment, helped a little, but still rubs bad in the small chain ring and big cog.With all the technicians at Shimano you would think they could fix this problem on such a high end bike part. Shouldnt of changed from my XT. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bizario
a Cross Country Rider
from Rexford, MT
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Web Mountain & Cliff Point | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Kootenai Konnection | | Strengths: | Looks nice on the bike. | | Weaknesses: | Derailler can't ride on the 2 largest cogs without chunking. Noisy drive train. It's 9 speed | | Similar Products Used: | STX RC, XT | | Bike Setup: | GT, Zaskar X (With all 8 speed XT drive train) Marin, Mount Vision Pro (With all XTR drive train) | | Bottom Line: | Tweak, Tweak, Tweak. I'm still not sure if it is an XTR issue or a 9 speed issue but all I can say is it will never be as nice as my XT drive train. I'm not the only one to work on the bike as it has been in the shop for warranty issues. It was aligned then as well. The part that really gets me is the 34 tooth rear cog that the pulley rides on if you shift it into granny gear it makes a chunking noise. The tension screw was adjusted to the maximum and it still chunks. I find this drive train quite noisy over all. I have felt that Shimano should have kept the 8 speed drive train around as it outperforms the 9 speed in less then perfect conditions, and the last time I checked that is what mountain biking is about. If you’re a sponsored racer with a personal mechanic then this is for you. If you’re a real person who has to pay for your stuff get XT. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Igor Santiago
a Weekend Warrior
from Ibicarai, Bahia, Brazil
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Trilha do Caldo | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Pedal Power | | Strengths: | Strong, lightweight, color, precision, durability, | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Lx | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Vertex Frame, Duke Race, XTR deraillers, Sram Rocket Shorty Grips. | | Bottom Line: | I ride my bike every day, 800 to 1000 km per mounth. I like use my bike in mud and greats uphills. I really use my rear derailer and in one year there was not problems. I have sure that the XTR is the best derailer for a mountain bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug Simmonds
a Weekend Warrior
from ferndale MI
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Pontiac lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | great shifting, smooth. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | XT, Alivio, Acera | | Bike Setup: | xtr rear, xt front, z1 wedge, hardtail, discs | | Bottom Line: | I think the people who dont like or are having a hard time with this der. are not using an XTR shifter with it. It makes a world of difference. I love my set up! xtr shift pod w/ der. on the rear and an XT shift pod w/ xt der.on front. match them up and your stylin'! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ken klein
a Cross Country Rider
from ormond beach fl
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | works for a couple months anyway. | | Weaknesses: | b-tension spring, b-tension spring b-tension spring b-tension spring, a major flaw that should bring a total recall of this craprailer | | Similar Products Used: | all | | Bottom Line: | I have two bikes and two broken b-tension springs in less than a year. A lot of others I know also had the same problem. many reviewers also have had this problem. recall this crap!! This is shimano's big screw up which should result in the downfall of the company!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Concord, MA, USA!
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | www.jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | Shift like a mofo. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bottom Line: | You can't go wrong with the XTR derailleur. I've been using it for over a year now. It works as good as new. Never had any problem with.
Super smooth shifting. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Racer
from Orlando
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Smooth as butter | | Weaknesses: | Not rebuildable | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX | | Bike Setup: | Ti hardtail, XTR, XT, Mavic Crossride | | Bottom Line: | This der came stock on my ride and it worked wonderfully... until I damaged the "B" tension screw plate. Thought, "OK, I've got spare ders around... I'll just swap out the plate." No can do! XTR is a different size than XT,LX, and Deore. "OK, I'll head out to the LBS to see what I can buy or take from a used der." Wrong again!
Shimano doesn't sell any small parts for their components and no one has a junker der around. I decide to buy an XT to race with for the weekend and I'll just get one from online, "real cheap like."
I noticed a difference with the XT instantly. It was slower, had ghost shifts, and didn't have the same feel at the lever.
Next trip to California, stopped by Performance Bike Shop and dropped $65 on a new XTR and, BAM! I was back in the money.
Great product that you don't know your missing until it's gone! Only wish you could rebuild/replace the small parts. I guess Shimano knows how to make money... NEW SALES! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian
a Weekend Warrior
from Amager
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Til og fra mors kødgryder!!!! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on my C-dale | | Strengths: | World Class Design - lite, performence is superb "and that with my Lx shifters" | | Weaknesses: | NONE AT ALL | | Similar Products Used: | XT - LX - STX "hmm sorry, what can i say i allways play it safe" | | Bike Setup: | C-dale Caad 5 frame, Leafty Titanium Fork, XTR / LX Combo and stock parts from coda | | Bottom Line: | Xtr rules like nothing else out there, the bedst, a little prizy, but if you want the bedst just buy it. It has allready givin me some really najs moments on the backyard trail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Wayne
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | single track | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | price point.com | | Strengths: | bullet proof | | Weaknesses: | a tad bit salty (but it is xtr) | | Similar Products Used: | STX,XT | | Bike Setup: | 01 stumpjumper, XTR brakes,hubs, Rr derailleur | | Bottom Line: | went from XT to XTR with no regrets. *bombproof* Had to adjust it when it was installed after that no adjusting required. For the few who are having trouble keeping it adjusted, buy some new shiffters! The best derailleur can only perform as good as the shifters it has been laced to. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Strengths: | Tension srew, short cage, lighter, and looks great. | | Weaknesses: | I've had no problems, but I'm a mechanic. | | Similar Products Used: | I've seen them all and adjusted them all!!! From pro racers to beginner racers!! | | Bike Setup: | Custom Lightspeed/ XTR frt/rear/der and shifters, Thompson Elite Post Stem, Cross Maxx Wheels, Avid Ultimate Brakes | | Bottom Line: | They don't make a better der. aslong as you don't mess with it. Let someone who knows how to adjust a der. the proper way do the work for you and you just enjoy your ride!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Strengths: | Tension srew, short cage, lighter, and looks great. | | Weaknesses: | I've had no problems, but I'm a mechanic. | | Similar Products Used: | I've seen them all and adjusted them all!!! From pro racers to beginner racers!! | | Bike Setup: | Custom Lightspeed/ XTR frt/rear/der and shifters, Thompson Elite Post Stem, Cross Maxx Wheels, Avid Ultimate Brakes | | Bottom Line: | They don't make a better der. aslong as you don't f#@* with it. Let someone who knows how to adjust a der. the proper way do the work for you and you just enjoy your ride!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
C Strakal
a Cross Country Rider
from Morgantown
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mon National Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | This is the absolute best derailleur money can buy. Period. | | Weaknesses: | Price? Maybe, but the extra cash is quite worth it, considering all the miles you can put on it. So, no weaknesses in my opinion. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 7.0 and 9.0; Shimano STX RC, LX, and XT. | | Bike Setup: | SRAM, Shimano XT and XTR, Bontrager, WTB, Yeti, Manitou, Easton, Avid, Lizard Skins, Tioga | | Bottom Line: | I have had my XTR for 2 years, and I haven't had a single problem with it. I haven't adjusted in over a year, and I ride 4 to 5 days a week, right around 80 miles of technical WV rocky and rooty terrain. I couldn't be any happier with any other derailleur. It is smooth, precise, and most importantly-it has never let me down. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dano Mano
a Racer
from Sunnyvale
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Skegg's Point | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Jenson | | Strengths: | Hardly EVER any problems. If you talk about taking it to an LBS for adjustment, spend some time to understand how the thing works and do it on your own. These are great. | | Weaknesses: | I've used these forever and have had only one problem. | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | Intense Tracer, XTR and Race Face, Z2 Atom Race, King hubs and headset, Kore Stem... | | Bottom Line: | This is more of a Shimano review. I have always loved shimano parts for reliability and value. I did have an xtr rear derailleur fail on me at the 24 hours of tahoe last weekend (spring wore out). At 9PM a Shimano mechanic replaced it (the whole thing, not just the spring) and installed it for free and then adjusted my brakes. 5 chilis for the product and 5 chilis for the company for providing race support and great service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hayden
a Racer
from Russellville, Arkansas
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Old Post | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint | | Strengths: | XTR SHIFTS EXTREMELY SMOOTH AND DOESN'T SKIP OR JUMP. AS SOON AS YOU HIT YOUR TRIGGERS, IT GOES RIGHT TO THE GEAR. SHIFTS AS SMOOTH AS BUTTER. | | Weaknesses: | NONE AT ALL | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | WERKS XCR W/ SID SL, SPINERGY XYCLONE WHEELS | | Bottom Line: | This thing shifts so smooth i can't believe i ever used anything else. If you want a super smooth rear derailer, get the xtr. The xt shifts great but the xtr blows it out of the water. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LSett
a Cross Country Rider
from Stamford, CT
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Light, durable, good looking, fairly easy to adjust. | | Similar Products Used: | LX | | Bike Setup: | Klien Attitude | | Bottom Line: | I had a LX derailleur which I bent through my spokes on Saturday. I decided to upgrade and noticed a huge difference in shifting. The LX was good, but the XTR is great. Smooth shifting all the time. It definitely worth a few extra bucks. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a
from Modesto, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mix | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Smooth shifting, lightweight | | Weaknesses: | Price! | | Similar Products Used: | Alivio, XT | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500, Full XT/XTR | | Bottom Line: | GET ONE!!! I upgraded from an XT, just hoping to lose a miniscule amount of weight, to find out that it gives the smoothest shifts! I never knew that my shifting could be this smooth. It is pricey, but it is worth the upgrade. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hakan
a Cross Country Rider
from NYC
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Moab slickrock | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo.com | | Strengths: | Incredibly smoooth shifting every single time | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Vertex, Chris King, XTR f/r der., Sram 9.0 brakes, XT shifters, Z2 Atom 80 shocks | | Bottom Line: | Upgraded to XTR from XT for my recent 10 day trip to Moab and there is definitely a difference in the shifting. There was nothing wrong with my previous XT derailleur but I wanted smoother shifting. XT works well but the shifting is smoother and quicker with the XTR setup. The chain shifts immediately and never fails. If you can't tell the difference between XT and XTR front derailleur you have not set it up correctly. Well worth the extra $50 for an upgrade. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from west virginia
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | guess | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | jenson | | Strengths: | great shifting, durable, light
| | Weaknesses: | ummmm i dont know when i shift sometimes because its sooooooo smooth. Also it makes me annoyed whether or not to lay my bike on the disk brake side or the derailer :)
I HATE SCRTCHES | | Similar Products Used: | acera x w/ rollamajig, lx,xt,sram
| | Bike Setup: | not important
| | Bottom Line: | it is a insanely good derailer! it works all the time no matter what. I clean my drivetrain about once every month and ride EVERYDAY. So im no clean freak. and for u peeps that cant keep your xtr presice try locktighting the screws on it. It worked for my friends. I wish there was a 6 so i could give it to this derailur.
umm people who pour tarr, or acid, or salt water on there drivetrin shouldnt buy this derailur. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JP
a Cross Country Rider
from Ga
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | works | | Weaknesses: | price | | Similar Products Used: | lx | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz S.L., xt,xtr mix, Thompson post, Fox fork | | Bottom Line: | Works well, but I paid a little extra to upgrade from Xt, and didnt need to. My previous bike had Lx rear, used for 3 years, and it never failed me, not one time. It always shifted and I never did much cleaning or general maint. to it. Maybe I got lucky, but this Xtr doesnt do anything or shift any better than lx. It is a tad lighter but, if you got money it might make you feel better that an XTR is back there. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MITCH
a
from Lancaster, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | I don't know what happened to the guy before me, but the XTR is the most precise and smooth shifting rear derailleur out there. This is the Flagship of derailleurs. | | Weaknesses: | Price | | Similar Products Used: | LX, XT | | Bike Setup: | Pretty Nice, but I don't have to brag. | | Bottom Line: | Never tried SRAM, so i can't really comment, but this is the best Shimano der. it is really smooth and light.
Check out www.KickBag.com | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a
from New Jersey
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Reputation | | Weaknesses: | Performance | | Similar Products Used: | XT, STX | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale SV-700 | | Bottom Line: | If I could give this thing 0 chilis, I would. The performance is crap. It requires constant adjustments just to get it to work decently (note that's decently, not correctly). My LBS couldn't even get it so that it would stay adjusted for more than one ride. It would seem that after the cables and chain have been sufficiently broken it, these adjustments would not be necessary however it requires adjusting after every ride. I'll never buy another. You should stick with an XT, it's much better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mtber
a
from New Jersey
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Next one I ride | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Crisp, Smooth, No Hassle Shifting, | | Weaknesses: | NONE! | | Similar Products Used: | STX | | Bike Setup: | 02' Giant AC Air Lite | | Bottom Line: | Works great, Looks good, No Problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Bay Area CA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Downeville Downhill | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Came on bike | | Strengths: | Performance, light, Durability | | Weaknesses: | Price | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT, LX, STX, ALIVIO | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight, Blah, Blah, Blah | | Bottom Line: | This Derailler Rocks! It came with my old bike that I hammered for over 2 years. Now it is taking care of shifting duties on my superlight.
The only time adjustment was needed:
1. After changing cables.
2. After a hard crash.
3. After installing on new bike.
This derailler has seen hard use and still performed perfect. I always keep it clean and lube the pivots at least every 3-4 rides. Its expensive but probably worth it. I'll buy another one when this one dies.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pimp dog
a Weekend Warrior
from USA
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$79.00 | | Purchased At: | jensonusa | | Strengths: | When it's dialed in, it works excellent. | | Weaknesses: | Ghost shifting and I can never keep this thing dialed in. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT 8-speed, Sram. | | Bottom Line: | I have spent more money and time screwing around with adjusting this thing. I can only get one good month of riding before I or my LBS has to adjust this stupid thing. I have gone through two rear derailleurs and I can get only a few good rides in (approx 50 miles) before it needs adjusting. I can't wait until the Sram X.0 stuff comes out. I should have never switched from Sram, I never had a problem with their products. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike b
a Cross Country Rider
from Sodom in the North
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | boggs | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800000000.00 | | Purchased At: | grim grimmy grim grim's nasty house of humiliation | | Strengths: | still very precise after all of this abuse
reasonable cost versus performance versus durabilty ratio
gun metal grey color makes it look like an instument of destruction
was available in short or long cage | | Weaknesses: | never seemed to work well with sram twisters | | Similar Products Used: | stx, lx, xt, exage | | Bike Setup: | superlight dog dick red 25.5 lbs long range mountain bike | | Bottom Line: | the story is simple.
three years. four frames. twenty four cross country races. many, many miles in many many places all over california in the best and worst of conditions.
this thing still shifts like it did the day i installed it.
this i cannot say for any other rear derailleur i've used. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | -Extremely Precise
-Quick Shifting
-Reliable
-Easy to Adjust | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | XT (okay but not great), old school Shimano 300 LX and 500 LX (21 speed derailleurs) | | Bike Setup: | XT shifters (good), XT brakes (functional but squeak), XT E-clamp front deraileur (horrible), XTR rear (awesome). | | Bottom Line: | I love this derailleur. It has been submerged in mud, rocks, sand, dirt, and pools of water, and it has never, ever let me down. It has also never required more than one adjustment even after a year of use. It always works flawlessly and keeps very precise shifts. It is undeniably the most worryfree part of my bike, and should I ever get another bike, an XTR rear derailleur will be mandatory on the spec list.
Just keep your chain cleaned and lubed, lube the derailleur pivots every few months and you're good to go! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger West
a Weekend Warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Wendover - Chiltern hills | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Surgery | | Strengths: | When properly set up indexes very well.
Light.
Looks good. | | Weaknesses: | B-tension spring failed after 3 weeks of easy riding.(during the foot & mouth, so no real trails available). Even though it was brand new shimano would not replace it as they have a repair only policy.
Harder than other derailleurs to set up and keep indexed correctly. | | Similar Products Used: | LX & XT | | Bike Setup: | Custom built ali hardtail.
Race face turbine cranks and race rings.
XT shifters & cassette.
Avid singledigit V's.
Hope titanium (sport model) hubs with mavic618 rims.
| | Bottom Line: | When it is working this derailleur shifts really well, although as mentioned can be annoying to set up and often needs tweaking.
I'll go back to XT next time. It's less annoying and shifts almost as well, just the finish quality and weight is not as good.
If you're a good mechanic and enjoy tinkering then this may be for you. Also for those who want race performance this a good bet. Regular mtb enthusiasts should probably stick with XT.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike b
a Cross Country Rider
from Sodom in the North
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | boggs | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | park cyclery sf | | Strengths: | may last indefinately
gun metal grey color
| | Weaknesses: | what? | | Similar Products Used: | xt
lx
stx
shimano's cheap stuff back in 1988 or 89 that i cannot remember | | Bike Setup: | this is irrelevant in this review
| | Bottom Line: | my xtr rear changer has been on my GT, both my alibis and now my superlight. it has raced with me over two seasons, one season being ten races and all the training rides that accompany a ten race season, and the following season of twelve races. it is still going strong--all i do is lube the pivots now and so often, blow it out with some compressed air and keep my eyes on the cables.
xt is reliable too, but i've had an xt changer die on another bike during the time that i've used Mister XTR.
if you can afford it, get the XTR, if not, get the XT. either way, i don't think you'll lose. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Desmond --
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | all XC | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$140.00 | | Purchased At: | T.H.H | | Strengths: | 1. Smooth shifting
2. Light in weight
3. Nice Design
| | Weaknesses: | So FAR so GOOD. | | Similar Products Used: | Alivio | | Bike Setup: | GIANT ATX890, XT brakes disc & hubs, XTR drivetrain, XT crank, Raceface & thomson control | | Bottom Line: | I think this is the BEST of the BEST derailleur if you really finding a cheap n good shifting performance. This derail really cuz it. U doesn't feel anything while u pedalling due to the seal bearing gear pulley rotation. Its do not cuz any noises n seldom cuz ur change to jump to the next cogset when u back pedalling due to its smoothness. if not juz try on biggest chainring n rear 4 cogset from the largest n back pedalling it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Flyer
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$69.00 | | Strengths: | Good quality...at least with my experience. Shifts very well. | | Weaknesses: | Expensive considering performance | | Similar Products Used: | LX, XT | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Giant xtc se2 | | Bottom Line: | Good derailer....but to be honest I don't notice any performance difference between this and XT. If you have an XT....I wouldn't bother with an XTR...unless the 10 or 20 grams is really that important. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Bader
a Cross Country Rider
from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mont Tremblant | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | Fall Bike Show in Toronto | | Strengths: | It shifts a lot smoother than my LX or Alivio. It goes to any gear no matter what gear I am on in the front. Works great with LX or higher shifters. I've had it for 2 months now and so far I haven't had to touch a screw on it yet. | | Weaknesses: | NONE yet. | | Similar Products Used: | XT,LX,Deore,Alivio,Acera,Altus,Tourney | | Bike Setup: | XTR rear, lx front, ritchey clipless, deore cassette, lx bb | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent derailleur if you have the cash for it. I got lucky I only paid 100CDN for it at the bike show. Just keep it clean and it'll work great. GOOD WORK SHIMANO! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Felcyn | | Strengths: | Looks cool and it says XTR | | Weaknesses: | WEAK!!! Broke within first 15 minutes of "light" riding!!! | | Similar Products Used: | All other shimano derailleurs | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Bullit/ Mr.T, D521's, Race Face everything else... | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that I'm extremely PI$$ED off that my exspensive A$$ derailleur broke before I could even enjoy it! I guess the B spring came unseated and the damn thing rubs all over my cogs. GET THIS!! Shimano wouldn't replace it or fix it because they said it was on a long travel bike!! SO basically I shelled out a ton of cash for nothing! I WAS a loyal shimano customer, but now I'll never buy anything from those chumps.
ZERO FLAMIN TURDS FOR YOU!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jon c
a Racer
from st louis
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | chubb | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | oem | | Strengths: | worked for a while | | Weaknesses: | then broke lots of tuning required, soon going to single speed want sub 20lb mtn bike, and chicks dig no gears | | Similar Products Used: | xt lx 200GS | | Bike Setup: | some carbon 2 wheeler, its green | | Bottom Line: | it broke in the middle of a race, missed 1st by 20 seconds...stuff happens | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from lilburn ga US
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | yellow river | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$89.00 | | Purchased At: | alantla cycleing | | Strengths: | Quick to the draw,lite!,carbon look,strong I've droped/crashed my bike on the wong side, don't you hate that! | | Weaknesses: | $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ brek the bank | | Similar Products Used: | oh god,LX,XT,Deor,XTR | | Bike Setup: | Ok,cannondale 900sl ultra fork,XTR(upgraded)Fox rc with remote lock out (soon upgrading hayes) | | Bottom Line: | pritty nice on problem $$. If you ride every weekand buy it If you ride once a month dont wast money.
For a 12 year old
I know some thing... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zaskie
a Cross Country Rider
from Earth
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Pyrenees | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light, quick shifting, strong, durable | | Weaknesses: | F@ckin' expensive | | Similar Products Used: | Old Suntour, LX, XT, XTR | | Bike Setup: | Zaskar LE, Bomber Z2 Atom, Formula B4/Magura HS33, XT/XTR derailleurs, SRAM Attack Shifters, Mavic X-517 Sup CD's, XT (front) & Hugi (rear) hubs, Roox XC crankset & seatpost, Ritchey WCS bar/stem combo | | Bottom Line: | This is a review of the '95 XTR derailleur.
I've used this derailleur for over 4 years (approx. 40.000 kilometres) in various conditions. I never had any problems with it. Quick, crisp shifting even with SRAM/Grip Shift shifters and Gore cable set.
About six months ago I had to replace my beloved XTR due to excessive in the "pivot points". Replaced it with a new XTR derailleur but I wasn't very lucky with this one. The derailleur cage broke while shifting under pressure (normal???). Fortunately the guy in my LBS applied the Shimano Service rigorously and replaced my broken derailleur at no cost.
I sold my new XTR derailleur to a friend and I'm happily using a "new" '95 model on my bike again. I bought 2 of them as bargain in a shop that was closing down from business (90$ for both).
If you can lay your hands on a '95 XTR don't hesitate. They're said to be even better than teh newer ones.
No max score for the because the hilarious price you normally have to pay for an XTR.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay Dawg
a Racer
from Twin Cities
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Strengths: | Light weight, smooth, and accurate | | Weaknesses: | None of you make sure you have a certified bike mechanic adjust it. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 9.8, with a few upgrades, like full xtr | | Bottom Line: | The entire XTR line kicks ass, there is no problem with XTR as long as they are adjusted right. Since they are designed to be light and strong they do need constant adjustments. Its like owning a ferrari, they do need work every month. One more thing never use a power washer to wash your bike, it will ruin every seal on it. Only use a power washer if you plan on dropping a bunch of money at your local shop to get your bike runnig again | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Hardy
a Weekend Warrior
from Rhyl, north wales , UK
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all of coed west of ambleside | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Chainreactioncycles | | Strengths: | XTR light strong | | Weaknesses: | b spring tesion | | Similar Products Used: | XT, SRAM | | Bike Setup: | Azonic DS-1, Hope XC-ti hubs D321 rims (just built them this morning), Z4 airs, hope enduro 4front hope mini (custom 155 disc for horizontal dropouts rear), XT rear shifter XTR mech, blaskspire AS1 chaindevice, rolloff chain, azonic stem, raceface xy post, raceface turbine LP ISIS cranks and BB, various intense tyre, Spesh BG saddle | | Bottom Line: | it seems lose tension if left for a few weeks then banged hard, took it apart and the pivot axle was very gunged up even though i cleaned it 1 month ago after it happened when it got splashed going though a river crossing. anyway took it apart today and drilled a 2.5 mm hole 1/4 turn anti-clockwise so i could get good tension with the screw back all the way off. if it slips in future i just clean all the grease out an epoxy the bloddy mechside pin in. when it works it's great and i don't mind modifying compents and working on my bike but i had an XT long cage 9 speed on for over a year before this and never had an probs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Lang
a Cross Country Rider
from Asia
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | any trail. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great shifting, and to be honest - looks. | | Weaknesses: | Price (when I got it). | | Similar Products Used: | Sram 7.0, 9.0, 9.0sl, Shimano Deore, LX, XT. | | Bottom Line: | Shifts great and dependable (mix and match will never perform better than full XTR or XT). But, in all honesty amongst the entire XTR range the front and rear derailleurs are the two components that perform almost exactly as the XT's so does not really justify the massive price difference. I got them anyway just for the looks. Hey, at least I'm honest. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Abbott
a Racer
from Salt Lake City
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Aardvark Cycles | | Strengths: | Shifts great. | | Weaknesses: | B-Spring came loose. Pulled it apart, put it back in place. Same thing happened again. The resulting messyness bent my casessette as well. | | Similar Products Used: | Proshift | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth SE, XT shifters, XTR der. XT cassesette, Shimano chain, Gortex cables, Bullseye rear hub. | | Bottom Line: | I liked it until this spring problem. Over the years I've owned Shimano Deore, Suntour, Shimano XT (couple times), Precision Billet (guess they're BombShell now), and then this one. This is the only der. I've ever seen fail in the B-spring. I liked the ProShift except the cages were too short so the chain was always loose (I don't like riding with no cross-over capability -- too dangerous when you're tired).
Mine was a 2000. Maybe they fixed the 2001's? Maybe not? Where to go? XTR fails, SRAM's break (according to other reviewers), PB has short cages, and Sachs is gone. XT might be good, but kind of heavy. Well, I least I got close to a year of good shifting. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
downhiller
a Cross Country Rider
from California
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | * Quick
* Laser Precision shifting
* Troublefree | | Weaknesses: | None. Absolutely none | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT = POS. Pony up the $$$ for XTR | | Bike Setup: | Dual Suspension Klein with 9 cogs on the rear. | | Bottom Line: | This is absolutely the best rear derailleur I've ever had. The sucker shifts extremely fast and moreover it's precise -in ALL gears regardless of which ring I'm on up front.
Overall, this is a great product. Since the rear derailleur is used all the time during the course of a ride, I can't believe that so far I've never had to adjust or tune it. The XTR Rear Derailleur is definitely one of only a few components that I can truly depend on.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brendan smith
a Cross Country Rider
from norfolk mass usa
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | tuff climbs and rocky decents | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | bikes plus | | Strengths: | amazingly quick shifts... strong... for any rider who puts thir derailers tot he test.. its is the best derailer avalable | | Weaknesses: | absolutely none... this thing is unbelievable. | | Similar Products Used: | none like this | | Bike Setup: | combo of XT XTR parts | | Bottom Line: | a great thing that makes your bike a great ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John R.
a Racer
from Houston, Texas
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | The spring is too weak and it shifts too slow. You have to consistantly adjust the P.O.S before every ride. It up shifts ok but will not down shift. | | Similar Products Used: | XTR Rapid Rise 9 speed, XTR Rapid Rise 8 Speed, XT, LX | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Rockett 88 Stage 1, Trek 8500 modified both bikes are pure shimano. | | Bottom Line: | I use to race on the XTR 8 speed rapid rise and it rocked. Then Shimano put out this 9 speed cr*p and I thought I was upgrading. The XTR rapid rise 9 speed would not work on my full suspension so I switched to the regular XTR 9 Speed and It would not work either. I have the same set up on my Trek and its tolerable. Maybe the 9 speed system does not work well with XC full suspension. It has unreliable shifting and It shifts too slow. I know how to work on derailers and I have to work on this before every ride or I might brake a chain. I will probably go to Sachs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray Jaimez
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedar Park, Tx
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville,Tx | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$69.00 | | Purchased At: | Mail order | | Strengths: | The XTR rear derailler works as good as I expected. If you keep your machine clean and spend a little time keeping your drivetrain free of gunk, this product will keep you happy on the trails. The people who ride w/o keeping up with their bikes are most likely to have numerous bad experiences with their drivetrain. | | Weaknesses: | None. Adjustments made are inevitable. If you ride your bike hard, adjustments will need to be performed to keep it fine tuned. | | Similar Products Used: | Alivio, STX, LX, XT, and finally the good stuff XTR!! | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR drivetrain, brakes, and shifters. Chris King headset, Kore stem and bar, Mavic Crosslink/Crossland wheels and 2001 Manitou limited edition TiLite front suspension shock. | | Bottom Line: | If you want good light weight stuff that works the best, go XTR. Remember, all good products need maintenance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rei nic
a Weekend Warrior
from Hong Kong
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Tai Hang | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$95.00 | | Purchased At: | Flying Ball | | Strengths: | The best MTB derailleur currently available | | Weaknesses: | Not as good as it could be | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, Campagnolo Record, Dura-Ace | | Bike Setup: | Porsche | | Bottom Line: | There's no doubt that this is the best MTB derailleur on the market with the possible exception of the XTR rapid rise (which I almost bought). I can't help feeling Shimano are holding back on making it much better. My old Campag Record shifted almost as well and the quality of construction was a lot better. Shimano's own Dura-Ace is higher quality than the XTR: The moulding and overall fit, feel and finish of the parts just exude quality. Bottom line: it's time for Shimano to overhaul the complete XTR line-up. It's obvious from the other reviews here that users want more performance than XTR is giving them. I wish Campagnolo would re-enter the MTB market because Shimano have become very complacent. When Dura-Ace was introduced, Shimano were hungry for success against Campag. Perhaps they need some real competition to make XTR as good as it should be and as good as Shimano are certainly capable of producing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Westy
a Racer
from Peterborough, Ontario
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath Peterborough | | Strengths: | It's reasonably light, durable, reliable. | | Weaknesses: | One of my pullies cracked, and they are really expensive to replace. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX, ESP 9.0 | | Bike Setup: | Wheeler Aluminum with XTR and Race Face. Sram Rocket Shimano compatible shifters. | | Bottom Line: | My XTR unit has proven extremely durable. I've raked it across rocks, through gravel, laid it down on the road and smashed it off logs... and it still works! The shifting is precise and fast especially with the Sram Rocket Shifters. I clean it after every ride and lube the pivots occasionally and it has stood up to my abuse for two full racing seasons. My only gripe is the XT performs about the same as the XTR for around half of the cost. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ross Young
a Weekend Warrior
from Mount Pearl, NF Canada
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Don't know yet....won't work long enough | | Weaknesses: | B pivot tension spring keeps slipping | | Similar Products Used: | LX,XT | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2001 Jamis Dakar Expert | | Bottom Line: | I have read other reviews here with the same problem. The damn spring lets go, the thing bangs around like crazy, your chain goes loose and the RD rubs on the bigger rear cogs because the spring has slipped. I have fixed it 3 times but can't get a full ride out of it. I just put an old XT on and I 'll bet my problems are over. But Shimano should do something with these XTR things (mine is M-952). We just may have to launch a class action suit! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jay
a
from London
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | Shifts well, is light, looks good. | | Weaknesses: | Is fussy | | Similar Products Used: | xt | | Bike Setup: | Heckler all the bits | | Bottom Line: | I've used this through two English winters through all sorts of mud and crap and It's never given me any trouble at all. Cleaned after each ride and cleaned properly once a month you'll have no trouble.
Highly recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JDUB
a Cross Country Rider
from Izmir, Turkey
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bornova | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Performancebike.com | | Strengths: | Looks cool an it's Light. | | Weaknesses: | JUNK!! I have endured this vile contraptions ill behavior for almost a year. Constant adjustment and weak spring make the XT a better choice. | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR, Bontrager, Avid, Salsa, Easton | | Bottom Line: | Save your money and buy an XT. Due to the overall performance of the XTR derrailleur I wonder if it was ever tested before it was released to the public. If your own pit crew to work on it buy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a
from bay area
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | works well, crisp shifting | | Weaknesses: | needs to be taken care of | | Bottom Line: | if you are breaking the b pivot, it's probably because you are running big ring/big cog with a chain that it slightly too short. Converse is that a longer chain is slap happy in the big/middle and small/medium cogs.
This is a good derailleur, but it's not as durable as the older stuff (which isn't coming back, so get used to it). It will take abuse, mine has survived many crashes, but you do have to keep it lubed and watch that chain length. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shaun Finning
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | Bristol | | Strengths: | Lightness | | Weaknesses: | cruddy shifting, too weak a spring, my old LX der, shifted better!Honest. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, LX | | Bike Setup: | Stock Marin Pine Mountain | | Bottom Line: | Waste of money, save it for something else, buy LX. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Walshy
a Weekend Warrior
from Dorchester,MA,USA
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything w/ dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Weaknesses: | This thing SUCKS! I've used XTR since 96 and I never had a problem muddy weather,snow,rain you name it I've ridden it no problem! This is the second one in 6 months and the same problem keeps happening! My adjuster screw keeps breaking off. Scaring my frame. That makes for a bad ride walking my bike out of the woods. Lighter is good but the hard earned money that we spend on this equip. is unheardof! There product is cheap! Not inexpensive but CHEAP! They suck! | | Similar Products Used: | 96 XTR 95XT Alivio STX RC | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight W/xt shifters chris king headset XTR REAR DER.(PUKE) | | Bottom Line: | This thing is junk I don't know where to turn? ESP 9.0 OR XT! HELP | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodstock, GA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bear Creek in Ellijay, GA | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | AJ Barnes Bicycle Emporium | | Strengths: | Super fast and precise shifting between cassette rings. Durable too. Raced in a sloppy mudhole last weekend and it did great. It takes a crash pretty well too. | | Weaknesses: | It was a little "nervous" when I was first getting it dialed in. It jumped around on my second ride, but a little cleaning, a little screwing, and a little break in, and I'm pleased with where it is. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore on my first bike | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GF Sugar 3. | | Bottom Line: | I started racing this year and upgraded the dirvetrain on a sweet deal I got on last year's Sugar 3. The derailler is quick and crisp. It's performed flawlessly in racing conditions and on training rides. After reading a bunch of the negative reviews, I've taken great care to clean it after the slightest bit of slop, and I lube the pivot points after every cleaning. It's already got scars on it from crashes, but it's not been a problem. Maybe Shimano fixed some of the stuff that all the guys who bought in 2000 were talking about. I got a good deal on it with my XT trade-in when I bought the bike. I'm sold on this product. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Beattie
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Altos, Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Corte' de Madera/TNT in Tahoe | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Buys | | Strengths: | Worked Great when new, after a winters worth of riding in the Mud, it now has difficulties | | Weaknesses: | WEAK SPRING!!!!! It now won't travel the legnth of the 9 speed cassette without serious nudging or actually unclipping and banging it with your foot. Also the B adjustment spring is too short for those of us who don't mid the occasional cross chain of the big ring. You would think that the guys who designed this stuff actually rode in the dirt but I don't think they do! You would think they would design something that worked when anything other than absolutely clean, including the cable lines. | | Similar Products Used: | XTR Rapid Rise 8 speed | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Truth XC style | | Bottom Line: | Until they fix the spring it won't get any better, try rapid rise, a weak spring won't effect shifting that badly. Also you can but a replacement B screw at any good hardware supplier. I believe its a 3x.5 but I don't remember. Next time I will try an XT. ANYBODY KNOW ANYONE OFFERING AFTERMARKET SPRINGS!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$ 80.00
