Just got my SLX rear mech replacmement from the nice people ar Ribble (in 24Hrs!).

To add to my last post – Why bother with XT for a rear mech?

SLX 662 SGS = 258g
XT 772 SGS = 228g

so only 30g difference and by all accounts functioality of both seem spot on? Are the Jocky's any different/longevity – For the people like me who choose bad lines and constantly trash their rear mech is there any point going above SLX?

no

I'm glad some people are now realising what I've known for years and years and years….

😉

why go above Deore in that case? only adds another 30ish grams.

If it weren't for the recesion menaing less free money, and increaced prices SLX would be just as popular as LX ever wasn't.

why go above Deore in that case?

Indeed. Deore lasts for yonks, costs peanuts, and works superbly.

I disagree – I have only gone above LX as I have more disposable income than I had before. My HT winterbike has LX cranks and they are spot on and were dirt cheep and I am in no rush to replace them – I have XTR cranks on my doublebounce and the shifting is spot on – my OP was just concerning rear mech really. I expected the deore longevity is probably less and shifting performance worse but I guess this is probably subtle. Perhaps I will go deore when I rip this one off 🙂

The SLX, has a slightly stronger spring too… 🙂

How much was yours? Looking for a gs med length for under CRC's £39.99

The longs are £32.99 another case of less is more. 😐

ps I am thinking of it as an upgrade over the old XTR I am currently running !!!

For your scaffold pole steel POS with 150g of old innertube wrapped over the stay Deore/SLX will be spot on.

Mine was £33.96 for medium cage from Ribble but you had to order over £50 to get the additional 15% discount!

BlingBling – Member

For your scaffold pole steel POS with 150g of old innertube wrapped over the stay Deore/SLX will be spot on.

LOL – you fit your nickname well my son 🙂 Tis how you ride not what your ride IMHO 🙂

Thanks foxy… anyone looking to order anything from dribble?

why go above Deore in that case?

in my experience XT lasts WAY WAY better than Deore. It also shifts more precisely under the sort of use it gets when racing, and that shifting is more consistent over the longer term. Shifters in particular are very noticeably different – a much more solid, crisp feel.

XTR is another step ahead – I've only used it once for racing, but I was massively impressed with it's performance.

Now, for a lot of people who don't ride their bikes hard & fast (by which I mean racing, fast trail riding), then there isn't much real world difference, and it's certainly not worth going over SLX stuff.

Can't say I can tell much difference in performance between XT and SLX mechs, XTR shifters though do 'almost' seem worth paying for (I have SLX shifters on one bike, XT on another and XTR on a third – all with either SLX or XT mechs), XTR has a noticeably better feel and multi-shifting comes in handy.

Well I feel I ride "hard & fast" and also race. I have XTR shifters on my double bounce and they are def better than XT – my old deores a few years ago just gave up.

My OP was to point out that things that get trashed or under great wear and tear (for me at least) perhaps don't warrant too much money spent on them?

I have ripped off at least 5 mechs in the same amount of years inc and XTR 😆 Perhaps I ride to the max!

I didnt notice any difference whatsoever swapping my last bike (hardtail) from an older XTR to an SLX except the shaddow was lovely and quiet on the rough downhill bits, I cant stand running this hardtail with all the clatter, the normal rear mech was fine on the full suss, but after a frame swap I just got to get another Shaddow. Thats why I am going to do the same again on this one.

Both running XTR shifter pods though (again older ones)

I have ripped off at least 5 mechs in the same amount of years inc an XTR Perhaps I ride to the max! I'm a clumsy fecker!

Tbh, when I inevitably rip my X.9 mech off (I can't believe it's still in one piece after some of the stacks it's had) I'm only going for X.7 I reckon…

And I ride to the MAXX0R too!

For the people like me who choose bad lines and constantly trash their rear mech is there any point going above SLX?

My point exactly BlingBling 🙂

Also, based on a lot of maintenance schedules I see going on when out and about, properly serviced and maintained Deore is way way better than neglected XTR which I see plenty of! 😀

I think my Med cage SLX was about £35, can't remember where from though, Merlin perhaps? It was a few months ago now…

Anyway, I thought I’d see if shimano’s new “shadow” mechs lived up to the hype.
It seems to work very nicely, worth the money I paid? Probably.
Worth the RRP? (in your LBS of course) Dunno about that, it’s got better cable routing, bangs into the stays a lot less, and it’s not caught a rock yet (but that’s probably as much good luck as the design), shifting is on a par with any other mid level shimano mech I’ve ever owned, no better or worse, I didn’t run out and replace the Tiagra on my DH bike with one, I certainly wouldn’t spunk the £100 odd for a Saint I don’t see how it’s worth 4 times a basic Deore/Tiagra level mech, other than a being a bit lighter…

Depending on the application, I would consider the SLX, but there are shimano mechs that push the chain back and fourth just as well, if you’re constantly catching rocks or the cable loop on your “traditional” style mech, or you are really annoyed by the sound of the mech bashing your stays than give it a whirl, but shop about for the best price you can and buy the Med’ cage, I couldn’t find a short, I have a Med and I think it’s pretty long, so god knows how low the Long version hangs…

currently running xtr which i have found to be in a different league than the others (also have a spare on the shelf at £45 from crc the old gunmetal coloured rr ones)it hasn't missed a beat in years but to answer the op no i would put xt on cos it never works on my bikes (hence the xtr) so slx would be my choice and save the money g

GaryLake – Member
Also, based on a lot of maintenance schedules I see going on when out and about, properly serviced and maintained Deore is way way better than neglected XTR which I see plenty of!{/quote}

Thats kinds of a pointless arguement there as you're not comparing like with like. Obviously a clean and lubed rear mech is going to perform better than a gunked up one.

I would say that some high end components would last longer, others less so (cranks being an example) but functionally when new theres little between them.