A video clip is worth a thousand words. Look at my bike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Ub8Wtg9fg
An old school style, made of 6XXX aluminium (supose 6025), pretty hard to break any part of it. A bit heavier then it's successors but work perfectly. It has been serving for about 25000km. There are new modded XT 770 shifters, too. I'm not going to switch to any other derailleur, carbon cages are fancy, but not strong enough IMO.
Submitted by
mr.schlong
a Weekend Warrior
from vic bc
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2011
Strengths: smooth shifts,well build/solid(mostly)
Weaknesses: does require regular adjustments but I don't mind as I'm always fiddling anyways.THE PLATE WHERE THE B ADJUST SCREW AND THE SPRING SITS IS MADE OF STAMPED ALU RATHER THAN STEEL FOR WEIGHT SAVINGS BUT THIS CRACKED DURING ADJUSTMENT AND WAS REPLACED WITH SUPERIOR LX/STEEL FROM PARTS BIN. i CAN LIVE WITH THE EXTRA 10 GRAMS FOR RELIABILITY!
Bottom Line:
Me likey. With the exception of the soft aluminum plate this is a solid,no play derailleur that is sensibly light.No carbon fibre to blow up.
Similar Products Used: 1994 xtr(awesome),1994 xt, 1999 lx, Sachs Quarz.
Bike Setup: 1992 Rocky Mountain Team Comp w/Tange Ultimate,TB Project 2,DX thumbies,Syncros cattleprod mated to ec 70 flat bar.. Street set-up with 1 1/8" Gatorskins slicks. Fast and old skool. Like a classic muscle car with cheater slicks!
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.
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.
Similar Products Used: lots of xt, lx stx rc , this is my first xtr came with bike
Bike Setup: scott saprk contessa
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Submitted by
jobrienau
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne Australia
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2008
Strengths: Fast fast fast changes
Weaknesses: None yet
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.
Submitted by
lowflier03
a Weekend Warrior
from Atsugi, Japan
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2008
Strengths: Lightweight and yet still very durable. Gives fast and precise shifts, even under high load.
Weaknesses: None
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.
Bike Setup: '07 Stumpjumper FSR Elite, XTR groupo with XT cranks and cassette, Bomber 140mm Fork, Chris King Headset.
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Submitted by
Nick S
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, VT USA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2008
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
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.
Submitted by
Fritz Lehr
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2008
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.
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.
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
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Submitted by
Gerald Badoz
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007
Strengths: Design, appearance, function, fit, form, quality, weight, and performance.
Weaknesses: None!!
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!!
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...
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Submitted by
Lemão
a Weekend Warrior
from Brazil
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
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!
Bike Setup: XTR deraileeur, with attack grip-shifts
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Submitted by
TrailMaker
a Weekend Warrior
from Vestal, NY
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006
Strengths: Quality
Weaknesses: None
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.
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.
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Submitted by
Michael Lopez
a Downhiller
from Phoenix AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2006
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
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!
Bike Setup: 06 gary Fisher Big Sur. Giant DH team, gary fisher cake 2 DLX
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Submitted by
garret
a Cross Country Rider
from tres rivers, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2006
Strengths: smooth shifts, light, sexy
Weaknesses: none so far
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