I've just paid nearly £200 for a new set of seperate SLX shifters and disc levers to replace the XT crappy/flappy all in one units that my 07 five came with. I couldn't stretch to XT this year and was assured that last years xt are this years lx etc and that it all trickles down so I'll still be better off.
I understand the basic premise might be true, but I'm dubious about there being such a literal trickle down or else we'd never buy XT or XTR etc surely?
Just look at the progress of shadow rear mechs, and anything else you care to mention
Today's Deore has more functionality then the original XTR.....
else we'd never buy XT or XTR etc surely
well yes as that would mean xtr is still better, but I do agree its not a direct trickle down.
You'd buy this years XTR if you want those features this year, rather than having to wait for them to trickle down, if they ever do.
These days an aluminium entry level frame is a whole lot better than most expensive alu frames were when I started buying 'proper' MTBs.
The features trickle down, that's not to say the XTR doesn't remain lighter and better at those features.
HT2 for example, that was introduced on XTR then introduced to one new groupset a year, but it was only the concept, the 2004 XT cranks are not the 2003 XTR ones, and the 2003 XTR ones still weigh less than the 2009 XT ones.
Trickle down definitely happens, but it's not just a re badging exercise from old products.
njee is on it - aspects of the design trickle down - but that's not to say this year's SLX is the same as XTR two years previous.
agree with Njee.
Same thing happened with specialized frames and their M5 alloy which was originally only used on high end frames then trickled down almost all the way to the bottom.
Clearly they dont just rebadge last years XT as LX, they ship it all off to CRC (or so I heard) :wink:.
They trickle down the IDEAS, then downgrade the low end stuff so people still buy the expensive stuff.
probably..
Same thing happened with specialized frames and their M5 alloy
I remember them coming up with M4, let alone M5! £600 gets you an M4 framed bike now, in 2001 you'd pay £700 for an S-Works M4 frame, crazy! Although again, I'll wager the 2001 S-Works is lighter than a 2009 Rockhopper frame!
Is it just me thats got a bit lost with Shimano now... with Deore, LX, XT XTR, I knew where I was, then they brought in the Saint and the Hone stuff, not sure what they are about, DH stuff I guess, now we have SLX, not sure where that fits, but I have bought a few SLX bits myself and it seems alright for my biking..
anyone who can enlighten me?
SLX is for mountain bikes?
The tech trickles down, and the prices trickle up. MTBing has got very pricey this year.
On any normal bike it goes;
Deore->SLX->XT->XTR
Leaving Saint as a hardcore option with comparable technology/features/materials to XT.
SLX is heavier and has steel threads at the pedal end so that people can kid themselves theyr more hardcore than everyone else, despite 99.999% of the population never having a problem with the alloy threads and most (pro) DHers and dirt jumpers going for XTR over saint given the choice.
The prices of bike stuff has gone ape-shit bonkers, I've done very little MTBing over the past couple of years and bought almost no kit over that time... some prices have more than doubled (esp. mechs and HT2 chainsets)!
XT stuff especially is silly money now, I reckon my two XT-equipped bikes have actually appreciated in value while they've been sitting in the garage.
SLX is good stuff, I recently put a shadow mech on and it's a bloody sight better than the old XT one.
If top-end stuff is still better than mid-range stuff, and mid-range stuff is as good or better than top-end stuff from a few years ago, then clearly stuff is trickling down.
so SLX is the new LX... I get it (i am a bit slow)
Its the shaddow mechs I particulary like, but i dont get why XT/XTR has shaddow and normal and SLX shaddow only. Will they all be Shaddow soon?
SLX is heavier and has steel threads at the pedal end so that people can kid themselves theyr more hardcore than everyone else, despite 99.999% of the population never having a problem with the alloy threads and most (pro) DHers and dirt jumpers going for XTR over saint given the choice.
Yes but, if they're pro they don't have to replace them out of their own pocket.
The best thing about them steel pedal inserts is the ease of swapping pedals over, which I do a lot.
Cool, that's got me feeling a lot more confident. I was feeling a little crest fallen at having to "downgrade" my nice full XT set up to a LX or SLX whatever it's called. That said though, nothing could be worse than those awfull flappy shifters.
Skidding to a break assisted halt and then playing guess which gear you're in now is never a great way to pass the time on a ride especially when your screaming down a rocky hillside.
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