In an idle moment today I did some window shopping on CRC and worked out what it would cost to replace the current Avid/SRAM/XT setup on my XC bike with XTR.
£1273 !
CRC proudly tell me that if I spent this I’d actually be saving £389. I doubt Mrs. Rusty would be impressed.

It was only hypothetical, but it’s somehow left me with the impression that I’ve got £1200 to spend, having not blown it on Shimano’s finest shiny stuff.
I think I’ll have to go for a ride on my son’s 10 year old GT to get a sense of reality back.

About 1/3 of that is the chainset to be fair, take that out and it’s significantly more sensible.

Why not look at it that you’ve saved more than £1600 by buying nothing at full retail?

I spent £850 on the gear set up with shop discount, im not sure id bother with the brakes stick with the avids, and when it comes to replace the cassette ill probably opt for a slightly heavier ( by about 25g) sram for half the price.

That said i have been impressed with the set up, esp the chainset which is very stiff and light.

I think you have to look at xtr as a very long term investment, i dont think ill replace it for years to come now it’ll pay for itself in reliability and im not sure it’ll go out of date soon.

worth saving up for, but not sure now is the best time to buy – id wait until they change the model year you may get a clearance deal if your lucky

About 1/3 of that is the chainset to be fair, take that out and it’s significantly more sensible.

Get thee behind me Satan.

I much prefer wwaswas’s approach – if I look at like that I’ve now got £1600 to spend, which means I can get a full XTR setup, plus some decent wheels.
Of course, I’ll then need a new frame to put all the old bits on, otherwise it would be a waste.

Anybody want to buy a kidney ?

I know exactly the feeling… there was a lovely singlespeed wheel.. with v brake rim and a ti hope hub for £75 on the classifieds earlier..

It just so happens that I’ve got that much sitting in my paypal account.. 😯

I had to go out for a ride around the woods on my 2.5kg £2 wheel that I got from the tip to bring me back down to earth..

I think you have to look at xtr as a very long term investment, i dont think ill replace it for years to come now it’ll pay for itself in reliability and im not sure it’ll go out of date soon.

A groupset isnt really a long term investment though is it? It wears out.

I’ve done this with a full build. Transition Bandit 29 with Marzocchi 44 Ti, Hope Hoops, full 2012 2×10 XT and a Reverb. Admittedly I’ve not looked around properly but it’s still £3.4k 🙁

i think of it as a long term investment, bought my XTR front mech 6 years ago never gone wrong – ok so its a front mech and has very little to do, but i bought my XTR rear mech 3 years ago for £100 and despite some pretty serious stone chips and some poor treatment, it – (touch wood) has yet to go wrong – in comparison my xt rear mech – which was residing on the road bike, lasted a year!

I admittedly got my practically new XTR groupset for a bargin price (£650) but bloody hell it’s worth it.

Allways used XT before now and never thought I’d ever make the step up because of the massive cost increase over XT. I don’t think I’d ever use anything else now.

and for about £2k you can buy a complete Canyon bike with XTR (groupset, anyway)….. swap the XTR to your current, move the current to the Canyon, sell the Canyon on – or use it as a winter bike…..

Only £ 945,20 at rosebikes.

I’ve got £1200 to spend

Buy a Soda – and explain to the OH the logic behind how you can afford it 🙂

You could buy yourself and your missus a nice SS each and have enough left over for a cycling holiday somewhere warm.

(Not as warm as the place you are thinking of telling me to go to….) 🙂

is this for the whole enchilada

http://www.lexs.co.uk/Product/Shimano-2011-XTR-M980-Drive-Train-Groupset was the best i could find on the web

was the best I could find brand new for the drivetrain looked at last years think he was flogging the cranks for like 270 or something

forgot to add XT is good enough for me

quote:You could buy yourself and your missus a nice SS each and have enough left over for a cycling holiday somewhere warm.

yeah great idea, just make sure there arent any hills

Yikes-a-rooney!

XT/X9 is my absolute limit, for the sake of the gramme difference I’ll happily diet off the excess.

If funds are tight then SLX is where it’s at…

slx is a great looking set.def outs xt by along way.but xtr is in a different league looks and performance wise to anything on the market.still doesnt hide the fact that its all the money though!

Does anyone know the weight saving advantage is over XT?

Does anyone know the weight saving advantage is over XT?

The difference between carrying a four finger kit kat in your back pack instead of a two finger kit kat..

I’d never fit it – XT/SLX works just fine

You could buy yourself and your missus a nice SS each and have enough left over for a cycling holiday somewhere warm.

Jesus! If I had that sort of money to spend I wouldn’t be wasting it on a cycling holiday with the missus! You obviously haven’t been married as long as me 😆
Having looked into it carefully, I’ve discovered that Mrs Rusty has TWO fully functional kidneys. So basically she’s sitting on £20K of unused offal. Chloroform, scalpel, ebay, that’s the funding sorted.
http://www.lexs.co.uk/Product/Shimano-2011-XTR-M980-Drive-Train-Groupset here I come.

I have bought spd s from the german crowd bike-discount cheaper than crc and a quick delivery service. Full XTR 1199 euro or 889 without the brakes

Full XTR 1199 euro or 889 without the brakes

Linky? Before the kidney goes cold ?
http://www.starbike.com/ ?
http://www.actionsports.de/ ?

I just trawl the classifieds on here. Loads of unused bling for sale. I’d never pay new rrp.

is this for the whole enchilada

http://www.lexs.co.uk/Product/Shimano-2011-XTR-M980-Drive-Train-Groupset was the best i could find on the web

No brakes, which are the thing I would want the most.

I’d never fit it – XT/SLX works just fine

so do my 7 year old truativ cranks in my shed but it doesnt mean i’d fit them to my steed!!

No brakes, which are the thing I would want the most.

Yeh, the brakes are actually want I want to go for first. Then the 2×9 to 2×10 upgrade.
You’ve got to love STW – total strangers encouraging you to spend the equivalent of a small hospital on bike bling 😀

Merlin have some great groupset bargains.

XT 2×10 for £549.95 (3×10 is the same price)
H E R E

Unless you’re competing I can’t see the benefit of spending the extra £700ish for the letter ‘R’.

Xtr is for pro racers,
And merchant bankers……

Xtr is for pro racers,
And merchant bankers……

I’m neither, and I’ve not used anything but XTR/X.0/XX for 6 years, bar one XT cassette. 😳

XTR

For Rusty 90

Thanks Andy. Almost affordable.
Weird pricing – the 2×10 40/28 is more expensive and the 2×10 44/30 is cheaper. And I’m after the 2×10 38/26.
Getting closer though.