Having a quick look at the new deore group set it seems to me that Shimano are making a real effort to re organise the group set range. In the last few years most people have been able to buy XT and XTR due to the fact that it was affordable, whilst the middle and budget groupsets have been devalued and became less desirable. The range always felt top heavy and most would never buy LX let alone deore.

With the launch of excellent SLX and now the new Deore I know that i would quite happily use SLX and not feel the need to trade up to XT/XTR unless serious weight loss was needed.

I don’t really know what i am rambling on about, maybe i am giving praise to the big S for producing cheaper/better kit whilst still producing stuff that can be aspired to?

Anyway, thanks for wasting a couple of seconds of your time to read my ramblings.

I heart Shimano.

Not really on topic but, have you seen the adverts for their Saint range? Pretty slick, it has to be said.
I have no need for such products but those ads made me want them hard and fast.

Heh, I’d say the massive price rises have done more to make deore seem like a tempting option!

In the last few years most people have been able to buy XT and XTR

Hmmmmmm, not so sure TBH, I’d say some people who care about this sort of thing, and have the time/money/awareness to be able to differentiate, have been buying XT and XTR. I’d hazard a guess and say that these two ranges make up a teeny percentage of Shimano’s overall output. How many no-name rear mechs get fitted to supermarket bikes for every one XT or XTR mech? 100/1? 1000/1?

the new deore brakes look very nice

I think the point OP was making is that 18 months ago, for a “cyclist” specifying a new build, an XT chainset at around £90 would have been a default choice, but today at £170 you’d take a closer look at the cheaper alternatives.