2011 XTR and XX groupo's

[banna]

Need some feedback from you guys regarding the 2011 XTR stuff.

 

Reason I'm asking is because I'm not happy with my XX groupo at all. For the past 10 years I've always had XT groupo's on my bikes and have been very happy with those. Not the lightest, but bulletproof. And it also suited my preferred riding i.e. singletrack, all mountain etc. So last year someone convinced me to go with the XX groupo. So far I'm not convinced that its as fantastic as it's made out to be. I find that the brakes have absolutely no modulation and far less power than XT, the shifting is not accurate and everything feels kinda flimsy and fiddly. So now I see there's an AM/trail version of the XTR groupo. Is this perhaps the way to go, considering the type of riding I do? Is anyone riding with this or even the standard XTR stuff? Has anyone taken the new XTR groupo through some tough riding like the Epic etc ?

 

Let me have your views please guys.

[nigelhicks]

Hey Dude

 

I run SRAM on my DH bike but Shimano on my Trail Bike - Personally I'd say go with the new Shimano stuff. BUT you honestly dont need to shell out for XTR! Even Dirt Magazine say in their DIRT 100 (best products guide) that XTR (although lighter) is a bit too pricy for a Trail/AM rig as we generally stuff up our drivetrains before actually wearing them out! They therefore recommended the SLX groupo as a brilliant AM drive system. But i'd still say go with the XT. Also if you watched the Red Bull Rampage last year you may have noticed that Andreu Lacondiguy (or however you spell his name) was riding XTR cranks ON A FREERIDE BIKE! So they must be super strong to take that punishment - Also at the WC in PMB a lot of the racers were using XTR cranks to save some weight rather than using Saints!

 

I'm surprised that you say that the SRAM shifting is not accurate however, as the only shifters that I think come close to X0 or XX are the Shimano XTR's. I personally love the hard "clunk" of an SRAM shift change! Its always spot on! Just wish that SRAM made a derailleur that had a Shadow-style pivot! Personally for DH racing i am not a fan of the XTR's double change system when changing into harder gears and thats why i run SRAM on teh DH bike - BUT i'd still go for XT if I had to change (but with XTR shifters!)

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Nige

[Nimby]

If you can bear it, try and wait for the 2012 XT components - looks like there has been a trickle down from the new XTR. The brakes look especially good.

[intern]

It's not either or, it should be a bit of both....for me, at any rate. SRAM RD on Shimano cassette, chain cranks and FD, with (obviously) SRAM shifters.

[nigelhicks]

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Shimano-XT-and-XTR-2012.html

 

I agree - wait for the 2012 stuff!

[patches]

Hey Dude

 

I run SRAM on my DH bike but Shimano on my Trail Bike - Personally I'd say go with the new Shimano stuff. BUT you honestly dont need to shell out for XTR! Even Dirt Magazine say in their DIRT 100 (best products guide) that XTR (although lighter) is a bit too pricy for a Trail/AM rig as we generally stuff up our drivetrains before actually wearing them out! They therefore recommended the SLX groupo as a brilliant AM drive system. But i'd still say go with the XT. Also if you watched the Red Bull Rampage last year you may have noticed that Andreu Lacondiguy (or however you spell his name) was riding XTR cranks ON A FREERIDE BIKE! So they must be super strong to take that punishment - Also at the WC in PMB a lot of the racers were using XTR cranks to save some weight rather than using Saints!

 

I'm surprised that you say that the SRAM shifting is not accurate however, as the only shifters that I think come close to X0 or XX are the Shimano XTR's. I personally love the hard "clunk" of an SRAM shift change! Its always spot on! Just wish that SRAM made a derailleur that had a Shadow-style pivot! Personally for DH racing i am not a fan of the XTR's double change system when changing into harder gears and thats why i run SRAM on teh DH bike - BUT i'd still go for XT if I had to change (but with XTR shifters!)

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Nige

 

I run a Shimano SLX Shadow medium cage RD on my DH bike, and I'm very impressed. Some see SLX as 'pleb parts', but it's seriously underestimated. Sure for the weight weenies out there it seems somewhat heavy... but for those of us who actually ride bumps... the spring in the SLX is nice and stiff (I actually preffered it to the X9 medium cage I had on my FR bike... in fact it stays put as well as the X9 short cage on my 4X bike).

 

I have a Saint short cage on its way to replace the X9 on my 4X bike (darn thing has a plastic cage which is now bust)... so I guess I'll see how the 'hardcore' RD compares to those I've had in the past.

 

I'm also guessing that you're planning on sticking to 10sp... so Saint won't help you out there. but yeah, as Nigel mentioned... SLX is good stuff... go for XT for more money and less weight. And as for your brakes... the XX ones are XC... if you've got cash burning a whole in your pocket, get some Hope Tech X2's...

 

the limited editions have recently come out.

 

hey make that 2 sets... I want one too, thanks

 

http://www.mountain-trax.com/images/mountain/HOPE-tech-x-ltd-ed-2011-blk-main.jpg

how killer do these look?

Edited May 17, 2011 by patches

[banna]

I run a Shimano SLX Shadow medium cage RD on my DH bike, and I'm very impressed. Some see SLX as 'pleb parts', but it's seriously underestimated. Sure for the weight weenies out there it seems somewhat heavy... but for those of us who actually ride bumps... the spring in the SLX is nice and stiff (I actually preffered it to the X9 medium cage I had on my FR bike... in fact it stays put as well as the X9 short cage on my 4X bike).

 

I have a Saint short cage on its way to replace the X9 on my 4X bike (darn thing has a plastic cage which is now bust)... so I guess I'll see how the 'hardcore' RD compares to those I've had in the past.

 

I'm also guessing that you're planning on sticking to 10sp... so Saint won't help you out there. but yeah, as Nigel mentioned... SLX is good stuff... go for XT for more money and less weight. And as for your brakes... the XX ones are XC... if you've got cash burning a whole in your pocket, get some Hope Tech X2's...

 

the limited editions have recently come out.

 

hey make that 2 sets... I want one too, thanks

 

http://www.mountain-trax.com/images/mountain/HOPE-tech-x-ltd-ed-2011-blk-main.jpg

how killer do these look?

 

Oooh mama.....they are tasty...

[banna]

It's not either or, it should be a bit of both....for me, at any rate. SRAM RD on Shimano cassette, chain cranks and FD, with (obviously) SRAM shifters.

 

Yup I agree. Got the same set up on my AM bike (all XT except the shifters and RD which are XO) and it works like a charm. But the XX stuff on my XC bike is really not that good. Will be changing it soon.

[banna]

Hey Dude

 

I run SRAM on my DH bike but Shimano on my Trail Bike - Personally I'd say go with the new Shimano stuff. BUT you honestly dont need to shell out for XTR! Even Dirt Magazine say in their DIRT 100 (best products guide) that XTR (although lighter) is a bit too pricy for a Trail/AM rig as we generally stuff up our drivetrains before actually wearing them out! They therefore recommended the SLX groupo as a brilliant AM drive system. But i'd still say go with the XT. Also if you watched the Red Bull Rampage last year you may have noticed that Andreu Lacondiguy (or however you spell his name) was riding XTR cranks ON A FREERIDE BIKE! So they must be super strong to take that punishment - Also at the WC in PMB a lot of the racers were using XTR cranks to save some weight rather than using Saints!

 

I'm surprised that you say that the SRAM shifting is not accurate however, as the only shifters that I think come close to X0 or XX are the Shimano XTR's. I personally love the hard "clunk" of an SRAM shift change! Its always spot on! Just wish that SRAM made a derailleur that had a Shadow-style pivot! Personally for DH racing i am not a fan of the XTR's double change system when changing into harder gears and thats why i run SRAM on teh DH bike - BUT i'd still go for XT if I had to change (but with XTR shifters!)

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Nige

 

 

Cool thx for the advise boet. Ja, it's weird to see the DH guys riding with XTR. But that right there is probably the ultimate accolade for XTR cranks.

[Capricorn]

that 2012 stuff re the brakes, looks very similar to the Elixirs. I wonder how their brakes actuate relative to taperbore.

[SwissVan]

Need some feedback from you guys regarding the 2011 XTR stuff.

 

Reason I'm asking is because I'm not happy with my XX groupo at all. For the past 10 years I've always had XT groupo's on my bikes and have been very happy with those. Not the lightest, but bulletproof. And it also suited my preferred riding i.e. singletrack, all mountain etc. So last year someone convinced me to go with the XX groupo. So far I'm not convinced that its as fantastic as it's made out to be. I find that the brakes have absolutely no modulation and far less power than XT, the shifting is not accurate and everything feels kinda flimsy and fiddly. So now I see there's an AM/trail version of the XTR groupo. Is this perhaps the way to go, considering the type of riding I do? Is anyone riding with this or even the standard XTR stuff? Has anyone taken the new XTR groupo through some tough riding like the Epic etc ?

 

Let me have your views please guys.

 

XTR

Avid (Elixir CR)

 

I've got the 2011 XTR group set on my Zula. Had Avid Elxir CR brakes mixed with XTR drive chain originaly but I had problems with dragging brakes and eventualy chucked the avids for xtr.

 

Without a doubt the XTR brakes are more powerful, so much so that it took awhile for me to get used to them and in the beginning I forced myself to use 1 finger instead of 2 just to try and reduce the leverage I would apply in my braking action.

 

Living in Switzerland I get to ride some pretty long downhills and the xtr's feel better than my Avids did. I also did the 2011 Epic with them and performance was constantly top class. Still using the same pads and disks.

 

Only one problem I had which started at the end of the epic with the rear brake lever which felt like it had to overcome some resistance in the first mm of travel when I applied the brake.

 

I mentioned it to my LBS as I thought it might be dust related problem in the lever mechanism, he spoke to Shimano who asked to see the brakes, they replaced both the front and rear brake complete lever assemblies under warranty. Apparently they said there was a problem but it was not dust related....

[banna]

XTR

Avid (Elixir CR)

 

I've got the 2011 XTR group set on my Zula. Had Avid Elxir CR brakes mixed with XTR drive chain originaly but I had problems with dragging brakes and eventualy chucked the avids for xtr.

 

Without a doubt the XTR brakes are more powerful, so much so that it took awhile for me to get used to them and in the beginning I forced myself to use 1 finger instead of 2 just to try and reduce the leverage I would apply in my braking action.

 

Living in Switzerland I get to ride some pretty long downhills and the xtr's feel better than my Avids did. I also did the 2011 Epic with them and performance was constantly top class. Still using the same pads and disks.

 

Only one problem I had which started at the end of the epic with the rear brake lever which felt like it had to overcome some resistance in the first mm of travel when I applied the brake.

 

I mentioned it to my LBS as I thought it might be dust related problem in the lever mechanism, he spoke to Shimano who asked to see the brakes, they replaced both the front and rear brake complete lever assemblies under warranty. Apparently they said there was a problem but it was not dust related....

 

Cool stuff. Thx for the feedback boet. Ja, I kinda think that the second tier components (i.e. XT and X0) is probably the way to go for most us guys who aren't race snakes. Less expensive, but also more robust in design than the ligher top of the range stuff.