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Shimano
XT Top Mounts (yes, the old ones)
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Submitted by
Jo Curtis
a Weekend Warrior
from Edinburgh
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Glentress | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | £55.00 new | | Strengths: | Look Deece, work well, rarely seen, XT init!! | | Weaknesses: | Not sold anymore, rare | | Similar Products Used: | None - Theres only one thumbie
| | Bike Setup: | Orange P7 with Pace RC40, XT throughout, Mavic Crossrides (Wheels are Crap) | | Bottom Line: | These shifters are wicked, I'm currently trying to source another set cause I broke mine when I was adjusting the ratchet the other day - Gutted!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg H
a Cross Country Rider
from Phx, AZ
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | San Tan's | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$59.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambriabikes.com | | Strengths: | 8spd baby! solid, proven. Old school, you bet! Screw that 9 spd horsesh*t. Adjust once, ride many. | | Weaknesses: | Nothing. Bullet proof. | | Similar Products Used: | OEM POS Deore | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6500 - Marzocchi Comp ETA, XT der. front & rear, SRAM chain & cassette, DH pig pro headset, Avid BB7 mech's, Avid SD7 brake levers, LX crank, WTB motoraptor's, Shimano SPD m-647 pedals, Cane Creak thudbuster, Brooks B17 saddle, yes! :-) ODI Grips. | | Bottom Line: | you can find em, buy em! can't go wrong. seriously, a bullet proof setup. I'm considering 8spd for my recently purchased Titus SwitchBlade.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Smokee Dog
a Cross Country Rider
from Somewhere, Mass
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | OE | | Strengths: | Simple & indestructable! | | Weaknesses: | No longer in production | | Similar Products Used: | Various rapid fire and twist shifters | | Bottom Line: | Simply the best MTB shifter design ever! The fact that they last forever and can withstand a beating is probably why they stopped making them - no profit in a product that you can use forever! I have destroyed so many sets of rapid fire shifters on my other bikes in the 10+ years that I have had these babies on my "retro" ride, that I can't even remember. BRING THEM BACK SHIMANO!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yung
a Weekend Warrior
from McKinleyville
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS in 1992 | | Strengths: | Bombproof. You can switch between Index or friction. The rapid shifter on my new mountain bike wore out and Iinstalled this babies, which continue to work flawlessly. | | Weaknesses: | The price. $50.00 in 1992 | | Similar Products Used: | You name it I tried. Even the air shifters by Shimano. | | Bike Setup: | Too many to list. | | Bottom Line: | You can't go wrong with this shifters. It is simple, well made( the best Japanese engineering) and serviceable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Schmidt
a Weekend Warrior
from Spokane, WA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Montlake Cyclery | | Strengths: | Simple and they never fail. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Rapid Fire. | | Bike Setup: | 91 Bridgestone MBI. | | Bottom Line: | I have about 20,000 mostly touring miles on these and they work like they did when I purchased the bike over 10 years ago. Shimano should read these reviews and start making them again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Mesa, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Simple. | | Weaknesses: | Too simple | | Similar Products Used: | Everything | | Bottom Line: | When the index shifters first came out, I bought a set. I broke the right shifter on my 2nd ride (crash). I bought a new one and never had a broblem in the years, miles, and crashes that followed. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Owen
a Cross Country Rider
from Yeppoon, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | somewhere green and shady | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | simple yet effective | | Weaknesses: | can't get parts anymore | | Bike Setup: | Morati Ti frame mixture of older running gear Judy forks and also still run old XT cantilevers on front which are great | | Bottom Line: | These shifters are bombproof though sometimes with dirty cables things need double shifting a bit (mind you I've done tens of thousands of K's in 15 years on these babies)
Easily runs 8speed on the 7p shifter and there is still another space.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Byron
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | All of Them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop in Missouri | | Strengths: | simple, light, responsive, the best | | Weaknesses: | not produced anymore | | Similar Products Used: | Everything else breaks, these don't. | | Bike Setup: | 7-speed Rockhopper | | Bottom Line: | A Collector's Item. If you ever run across a pair of these in your local bike shop graveyard grab them. But they most likely will have already been nabbed by your favorite mechanic because he knows their value: priceless. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nethead Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Charleston, WV, 25309
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Black Bear - Kanawha State Forest | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Keeps working. Cool retro factor. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | All | | Bottom Line: | OEM on my 1990 Cannondale. This was before they started making suspension forks. 14 years later and I am still using the same pair. They have been hammered on and wrecked several times but still shift flawlessly. I love them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
prod
a Cross Country Rider
from toronto ON CA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | don,rouge,hardwood | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | bulletproof,they are easy to use,quick shifting,easy to see or feel what gear youre in | | Weaknesses: | Looking for another bike now, and I cant find thumbies :_( | | Similar Products Used: | gripshift,rapidfire | | Bike Setup: | bianchi supergrizzly (1990) all XT | | Bottom Line: | I look at other shift systems on new bikes and dont even want to touch them.
Been using these for 14yrs, never had a problem and they work great. What else is there to say? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
angus henry
a Weekend Warrior
from ottawa
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Gatineau | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Bike cellar | | Strengths: | the most reliable, easiest to use system ever. I didn't even use my thumb More the side of my palm, they rocked and lasted. Simplicity and ease of use are paramount in all aspects of design blilliance and they were a stroke of genius. Shimano only discontinued them because they never wore out. The guy from London is dead wrong on all counts. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | gripshift-sucked, rapidfire-ok but finnicky | | Bike Setup: | Cindercone cro-mo, with the upgrade | | Bottom Line: | Truly one of the best components ever built. If shimano was smart they would do an anniversary release with some cool retro marketing and make a $%@%5load of cash. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Barney Gumball
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Junction, CO USA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Vail Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Gart Sports (I think) | | Strengths: | Simple, Reliable, Light | | Weaknesses: | Can no longer buy them, 7 speed | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano rapid-fire, grip shift | | Bike Setup: | Gaint AC frame | | Bottom Line: | These shifters came with the fist mountain bike I ever purchased. Since then my bike has morfed through four different framesets, and countless components. The only constant are the XT top mount shifters. These shifters have lasted over 14 years of active riding all over the country. You can still find them from time to time on ebay. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Farrington
a Downhiller
from UK
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Port Talbort | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Amazing!! Best gear shifters ever made. Had my set for 10 years and never failed!! The bracket on one broke the other day in temp -4oC..sob. Have tried several other shimano shifters since and all broke in under 9 months. Not impressed. Furtunatly have managed to find some deore ones on ebay to rob for parts. Should keep me going a lifetime.... | | Bottom Line: | Dont use anything else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pablo Estevez
a Cross Country Rider
from BA, Argentina
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ruta 40, Patagonia, Argentina. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$36.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Best shifter for touring. Always works. Very simple, precise, durable. | | Weaknesses: | Difficult to find. | | Similar Products Used: | NO. just RF.....ok for racers. | | Bike Setup: | GT CroMo frame, touring setup, XT hubs, DX brake levers, Mavic-Rigida rims. ACI spokes, Acera derailleurs, SunTour Cranks, front and rear racks and the XT thumbies ;-) | | Bottom Line: | I've been looking for this thumbies for 8 years and finally found it ;-), I think XT thumbies are perfect for Touring, easy shifting, always work, everytime, everywhere. Excellent for long trips.
Hey!!! Shimano!!! why dont you start making XT thumb shifters again???? what are you waiting for????...I will need another set for my wife's bike, and a few more sets....just in case ;-)) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | The best shifter ever made! | | Weaknesses: | hard to get | | Bike Setup: | 03 S-Works M5 Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | That's right, I am building up a new S-Works M5 hardtail with 7 Speed thumb shifters. Aren't 21 gears enough? If you can find these on ebay, buy them along with a 7 speed rear hub and you are set for life. I had a wheelset built up and even bought an extra new 7 speed rear hub incase my rear wheel ever gets ripped off! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ridge Master
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Wall Point Road - Mt. Diablo | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Is this the greatest shifter ever made? Quite possibly - simple design, lite and strong, no plastic parts to break, easy to maintain/repair, no-doubts-shifting...the list goes on. | | Weaknesses: | Shimano had to market more techy/gimmicky shifters to keep the capital flowing - thus a flawless design is cast aside. | | Similar Products Used: | rapid-fire, grip-shift - both much cooler designs for show | | Bottom Line: | SOmeone should re-market this design as an american-made product: dress up the looks to make it hot, and keep that flawless, simple design that can't fail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Daddy Blue
a Cross Country Rider
from Somewhere
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Will withstand a nuclear bomb blast, uglier than sin, young bucks don't know what they are, bike shop guys make fun of you for riding them, always work no matter how dumb I am, can't be easily found. | | Weaknesses: | Not quite as snappy as Suntour XC pro's, not as svelte as XC Pro's, not as exclusive as XC Pro's, not easy to come across anymore. | | Similar Products Used: | Gripshift (Yeah, right. Gimme something that WORKS!!!)
Rapidfire, RF+, Quantum underbar shifters (remember those?) | | Bike Setup: | Does it really matter?
| | Bottom Line: | I got mine while working in a shop here in SLC when a lady brought her demolished KHS. Apparently she flipped her car with the bike on the roof and rolled it about 7 times. She got a new bike and I got the old stuff off her destroyed bike. One of the perks of working in bike shops. Anyway, I've never ever ever ever had problems with them. I'd like to see any other shifter survive a crash like that. Endoe'd and cracked your XTR housing? Hit a tree and shattered your GS housing/cable tension adjuster? Gotten sand in either of them and had them ever shift again? If you can find some good ole thumbies either Suntour or Shimano and you don't buy them, well, you deserve the life of hell you've brought on yourself. I got mine and I'm never getting rid of em. 5 flaming turds fer exclusivity, 5 flaming turds because I got some and you don't. Plus, the kiddies are flabbergasted to see such archaic(?) stuff on the trail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Racer
from USA
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere there's dirt | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | I've been riding topmounts since back in the day and guess what,I'm still using one set of 1988 SIS thumb shifters on my new 2003 rig.Both Suntour XC Expert and Pro and Shimano's Deore and XT can go up to 8 speeds.Index to friction mode in an instant when you tweak the derailluer.Bullit proof and durable. | | Weaknesses: | Hard to find,command a high price.Someone should start making them again so we can have a choice other than rapid fires and grip shifts. | | Similar Products Used: | Suntour XC Pro and XC Expert,Shimano Deore XT and Deore. | | Bike Setup: | 3 bikes all XT, 1 bike all Suntour, XC racing. | | Bottom Line: | Still don't know why Shimano dropped the topmounts.I haven't had any problems with shifting or durability for for 17 years and they are still in high demand from people looking for something bullit proof.
I busted one tiny part on my Rapid fires and I was told I needed to buy a whole new shift/brakeset.What the hell!
I like my stuff to last and I don't like being forced to buy something I don't need.I'm not being a retro-grouch.I just want tough parts.
Bring back the topmounts. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Castle Douglas , Scotland, UK
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Big water of fleet viaduct | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$42.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay USA (try finding them on ebay UK) | | Strengths: | Cast from a solid piece of Cryptonite, these are Allied forces proof, (shame about the iraqi's).Definate precise, solid feel to every "click click click ".
They outlive the average human being | | Weaknesses: | Shimano cottoned on to the fact they are long living, then found nobody was buying replacements because of this, then they pulled the plug and promoted xtr crapid fire to the top slot!! | | Similar Products Used: | Deore top mounts, Suntour xc pro cra*id fire(1st gen), suntour xc comp cra*id fire. | | Bike Setup: | 91 stumpjumper, xtr 1st gen mechs, xt crank arms with onza buzzsaw small, biopace middle and campagnolo big rings (i dont know how it indexes so well either, but it does)
Plus loads of mixed matched retro/new stuff. | | Bottom Line: | If you have a problem, and no-one else can help, call the XT Thumbie team (if you can find them)
Do us all a favour shimano, blow the dust of the old machine press and start production again, before someone else does and makes an equally good job. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Monce
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta, GA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Mountain Town Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$56.00 | | Purchased At: | E-bay | | Strengths: | Simple design. Short, quick, and easy shifts. Why do all the shifter companies have to make everything so complicated? I believe no other shifter can compare with the quality of the shift of this product. | | Weaknesses: | No one makes them anymore. Difficult to find. | | Similar Products Used: | Gripshift - yuk. Rapid-fire, various models. | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Hoo Koo e Koo. | | Bottom Line: | If you can find these, and have a seven or eight speed cassette, do not hesitate to purchase. Read the other reviews, these shifters do what shifters were made to do "Shift without any hassle, delay and slack". | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sebastian
a Cross Country Rider
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Blackforest | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | local shop | | Strengths: | Simple function, almost unbreakable, will keep on working with all dearranged equipement. | | Weaknesses: | Not longer available. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore (2/DX) top shifters, Exage Trail top shifters, Gripshift, Rapidfire | | Bike Setup: | several ;) | | Bottom Line: | When I was a boy I used to dream of having Deore equipement. I thought I would never be able to afford it. When I became older and started to earn money the first thing to buy were Deore XT topshifters. I love them. I can't imagine to have anything else. It's simply a passion. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nigel saunders
a Racer
from swansea, wales, uk
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | when the mud is so bad and your hands are numb because of extreme conditions, you can still get these to shift when your grip shifts or other types would struggle. They last for years and are solid. | | Weaknesses: | a bit heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | grip shifts & some others. | | Bike Setup: | klein Pulse, SID forks. | | Bottom Line: | For reliability in extreme race conditions plus long lasting, these are the biz. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rick
a Cross Country Rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Misery Mtn | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | several places | | Strengths: | They work every time and will last forever. The oldest set I have is now 9 years old and works even better than new. Seven/eight speed limitation is IMO not a limitation, the wider cogspacing and more robust chains on the 7/8 speeds are much more durable | | Weaknesses: | Sh*tmano no longer makes them | | Similar Products Used: | Why would use anything else? | | Bike Setup: | 1 Tandem, 2 MTB's all have XT thumbshifters. | | Bottom Line: | These are heavy doody, rapidfire and it's decendents are Howdy doody. For a trick setup swap the shifters left to right and they will be under the bar, much more ergonomic. you can shift with Thumb and fore finger. I'm seeing these sell for as much as 60 bucks on Ebay.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Hawaii
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | the one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | which pair? | | Strengths: | They last forever. They are so old new riders ask what kind of high tech device they are. You can run any brake lever you want. Friction on those really smoooth days. Easy to use from barends or other assorted funky hand positions. Able to trim ft deraileur. The original optical gear display. Just bloody good stuff. | | Weaknesses: | Not nine speed compatible.
Not made any longer.
That's all! | | Similar Products Used: | Grip Shift
Shimano RF&RF+, and STI
Suntour Accushift thumb shifters | | Bike Setup: | a whole heck of a lot of parts no longer made. | | Bottom Line: | I recently took my thumbies off as I thought they were causing my thumb to hurt. Ran Grip Shift for two weeks (silly boy). Decided that carpel tunnel syndrome was preferable to junk Grip Shift. Put thumbies back on, and ache in thumb went away.
Been running thumbshifters for a while. Have also spent time on all the other systems (GS x-rays I liked, newer GS I don't. RP+ can't get thru lots of gears at once. Bang them with my knees. Too many small parts. Cable replacement isn't easy.), and still like the thumbshifters the best. Comfy, clean, smooth, flexible.
One of my friends rode my bike and remarked how he had forgotten how nice thumb shifters shifted.
Next bike I build up, be it urban HT or XC D/S, it's going to have a set on them.
Not going to be a good day when I have to go to 9 speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a Weekend Warrior
from Earth
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | mtbr classifieds | | Strengths: | See review | | Weaknesses: | Discontinued. Nice going, Shimano... | | Similar Products Used: | Rapidfires
Grip Shift | | Bike Setup: | Yeti A.R.C. | | Bottom Line: | What can I say that hasn't already been said? I've cycle toured across 33 countries the past 10 years on XT thumbshifters, covering thousands of miles without a single problem. And they perform as flawless as when I first purchased them. I've also crashed and bent the rear derailleur on a trip and still was able to shift. Try doing that with Rapidfires or Gripshift! Now I see why Shimano discountinued these - these things last forever! BTW, these shifters would've received the highest rating of ANY product on this entire review site (based on at least 50 reviews) if it weren't for that fellow in London who gave it 2 chillies (and double-posted, I might add). In summary, the finest bicycle I've ever used. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mine | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | ? | | Strengths: | They always work perfectly. | | Weaknesses: | Only 8 speed | | Similar Products Used: | Grip shift | | Bike Setup: | Which one? | | Bottom Line: | I have been using these shifters for at least 12 years, and never had a malfunction! I have been fiddling with an extra set lately and may have a way to make them index 9 speeds. I would like to gauge interest here if anyone would be willing to pay for a 9 speed upgrade to their shifters.
You would have to provide the shifters and send them to me for the upgrade. It will probably cost about $30.00 with return shipping. I am still working on the first prototype, so we will see how it goes. Anyone who might be interested please E-mail me and let me know. The more people I can find, the cheaper the parts will be. My E-mail is MLUDL@LUDL.COM. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frank
a Cross Country Rider
from Las Vegas NV
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Strengths: | The shifters that will last forever | | Weaknesses: | Not available in 9 speed | | Bike Setup: | 94 Specialized Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | I've had these on my bike since buying the bike. It's the only thing that is still working like brand new. In '97 I found a pair in a mail order catalog and bought a set just in case. They are still in the box in my cabinet. Never had to put them on and don't think I ever will since I am building up a new bike. Anyone need a set? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lunite
a
from Santa Clara, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Indestructible, light, fastest shift in the west or anywhere, precise shift everytime | | Weaknesses: | Obsolete, 7-speed SIS index mode, 8-speed SIS index mode for newer model only (but you can use Friction mode for 9-speed bike) | | Similar Products Used: | Suntour XC Pro top shifter (great), Shimano XT Rapid Fire (crappy), and Grip Shift (good) | | Bottom Line: | Weight without cable:
Left shifter: 90 grams, right shifter: 95 grams
Although listed as a 7-speed SIS on newer model, there is an extra "click" in SIS mode for 8-speed.
Using the top thumb shifter, I could shift from largest gear to smallest gear or vice versa in one (1) second. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich Matthews
a Cross Country Rider
from London UK
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Dorset Coast Path | | Duration Product Used: | More |
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