Time to retire the XTR that Ive ran for 11yrs after it kept me stuck in one gear today. I don’t need carbon or clutch(?) control just durable, precise clean shifting etc.

What does long medium or shortcage mean? Short would be better for rocks?

X9 or is microshift good? Any others? Ps. 9 speed.

If you’ve got 11 years outta an XTR, surely XTR – or is that 11 years of ownership, rather than use?

11yrs on every bike. Never owned/ran 2 bikes. The M950(?) was a sturdy bit of kit though. Todays xtr looks weight weenie? Unless recentish older versions are still available new?

long, medium or short cage will depend on how many chain rings you have – 3=long 2=medium & 1=short

i’m guessing you have shimano shifters? so your prob restricted to shimano rear mechs (SLX,XT,XTR)…

Sram Attack shifter as the actuation was different? on the old mech.

8 speed? – all of the mid-top end stuff is 9 or 10 speed now, so your chain wont run through it smoothly….. its possible to bodge it but it wont shift as nice as the xtr you had….

personally, to avoid an expensive complete drive train upgrade, i’d have a look around for an other good condition M950, ebay or retro bike.

SLX or XT.

Merlin had a XT 9spd for not mental money I think.

M771 – seem as good as anything really, normal one not that Shadow nonsense

Having killed a new XTR rear mech last weekend and put an old M952 rear mech circa 2003 back on the bike, I don’t think the new stuff is anyway near as robust, there’s different kit in the range to provide this durability now.

And Shadow’s ‘nonsense’ why? 😕

chives – Member
And Shadow’s ‘nonsense’ why?

Hmmm never put one on my own bike but hey why should that stop me knockin’ ’em? 😉

Put a Deore Shadow on the Mrs bike the whole hanger bolt bit just looks a bit thinner and weaker, however nothing has actually gone wrong with it. 😳

And Shadow’s ‘nonsense’ why?

Prior to my shadow SLX, I have knocked a few mechs, either bending hanger or actual mech. In the Peak and Lakes it seemed a yearly thing.
Now 4 years in on the shadow, and no bangs.
Don’t knock it (badoom) until you try it, especially if you ride round rocks a lot.

11 years? 🙁

I’ve had to fit 3 in roughly as many months after mech-tree/rock interfaces.

That said, very happy with my SLX Shadow. Hoping its slightly lower profile will mean less chance of smashing it to bits.. 😀

I stuck a Tiagra on my 29er as It was all i had around after knocking another off.

Its still on now and will be till it dies. Neat and out of the way also very good value.

I don’t like Shadow mechs (they seem more frail and the cages are much longer than the equivalent conventional cage). I’d go for a 9 speed XT conventional. SLX has a weaker steel cage than XT’s aluminium one. They also seem more reliable.

The hanger bolt is supposed to be thinner…they are the new shear-bolts to protect the hanger…seriously.

Shadow is excellent unless you have dual-control and actually like reverse (rapid-rise) mechs.

Back to the OP…I would seek out a good condition M750 XT with the rubber boots and put BBB cartridge bearing jockeys in when the originals wore down.

PaulD

Just picked up a XT shadow mech for £39 on fleabay 🙂
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=270895813658&index=1&nav=SEARCH&nid=47061918002

Whats actually wrong with this XTR mech?
Having removed it from the cabling does it not move freely any longer?

IME of shadow’s I’ve not broken a mech or a hanger since starting to use them. They also don’t keep knocking the chainstay as you rattle your way down rocky stuff like normal/old style mechs can

I bought a shadow on the basis I was bashing a normal mech and taking out hangers every 6months or so