Weird.

I’ve been riding mountain bikes for 20 years or so now, and in that time I’ve had a handful of decent top of the range bits and pieces, a couple of XTR rear mechs, one second hand, one a present to myself, and a pair of XTR shifters. Few bits of XO when it first hit the shelves. In the position now of being able to spec out a new bike build with pretty much what I want, don’t need to compromise, don’t need to skimp, thing is, now I look at the frames that I want to build (LT Hardtails) and none of them really ‘deserve’ XTR, know what I mean?

Sorry, long winded, should I, just once screw the cost and just build one bike…no expense spared? Or should I just be sensible, knowing that SLX and XT will more or less be just the same, last just as long, and just enjoy the view.

* It’s not going on an an Inbred BTW, just rolls off the tongue better than “The frame I want costs more or less the same as the chainset, and I’m having angst about it ’cause I’ve never spent this much money on a bike, and the end figure is pretty impressive”

I was in the same situation as you (sort of), and basically built up a bike I’d never want to upgrade. It had XT on it. That was about 4 years ago now. It still has the same XT on it. XTR is lovely stuff, but silly money really.

Custom frame?

Or, if you like it and can afford it, stick XTR on whatever the hell you like – lots of lovely 853 hardtails out there. 🙂

I balk at the cost of ‘consumables’ on my XT drivetrain – chain, cassette, etc…no way I’d justify to myself the cost of XTR.

…but it’s up to you: if you want it, get it

My view is this.

No ‘average rider’ needs XTR. If you accept that then say, “stuff it…. I WANT IT for no reason at all” then crack on. Fill yer boots I say! 🙂

I change my frames a lot more than mechs and shifters

Does not compute.

My bikes are the best I can afford at the time, why buy something that isn’t? It’ll only niggle at you. So you end up upgrading anyway and have a load on spare bits. I have a bike made up of casualties to upgrades, as well as one dripping in xtr/king/carbon loveliness. I’m avoiding this issue with my fairly lowly (in the grand scheme of things) road bike by not upgrading it, just buying a flasher one to start with for my next purchase!

My 2010 P7 was full XTR , carbon Easton Bars n Stem etc… like you it was just what I had to build a bike, twas a nice ride though 😀 probably my fav bike yet, had to sell it when I lost my job 🙁

if youre in a position to build the bike you want then go for it. i swore years ago i would never build another bike with XTR on it as at the time i was working in a job that didnt pay very well and the XTR front mech i broke cost way too much to replace. Since then and up until very recently (13 years ago) i have only ever used XT. I have over the last year or so upgraded 1 of my bikes to full XTR and there is a definite difference i think between the 2 in terms of performance and shifting. I have over the last 2 weeks been trawling the classified and now have another XTR groupset sitting in the house waiting on me to get home from work to fit to another bike.

PP, I know, 😆 I don’t ‘need’ XTR At All, and I certainly can’t justify it, but, y’now, just once…just to see what all the fuss is about.

Black box this….Chris King that…

Got almost full xtr on a 456 summer season…..

Because it was lying about. Old 9 speed xtr off my race bike and well used cosmetically trashed xtr but its xtr 😉

If you like the frame, then put whatever you want on it. The parts are for the benefit of the person on the saddle, sod what anyone else thinks.

xtr shifters are fantastic. No idea whether the other groups have caught up now but 9sp xtr is bloody lovely compared to even xt. I don’t have any other xtr though

What i’d quite like to do is take a bso and furnish it with the absolute best kit available, just to see if it made a difference.

The was a guy on bike radar that sort of did it, just not to ‘best kit available’ standard on an old Apollo.

Be fun thing to do if I won the euro millions I spose!

Buy XT, use the money saved to buy a second bike too. Nice singlespeed maybe. Winner.

xtr shifters are fantastic

That’s where I’d spend the money too. I personally can’t justify/afford a top-end drivetrain, but think it’s worth spending extra on the best pair of shifters you can afford as it makes a really noticeable difference.

I just went for a X7 drivetrain on my Bandit but splashed out on some X0 shifters – the difference over the SLX I was used to is night and day. Doesn’t make me ride any faster and probably doesn’t even make the gear change any faster, but it sure makes it feel a LOT nicer, which as a non-racer is more important to me.

PP, I know, I don’t ‘need’ XTR At All, and I certainly can’t justify it, but, y’now, just once…just to see what all the fuss is about.

Black box this….Chris King that

Yeah, that’s the attitude. Crack on mate, nice steel frame (Cotic as a minimum I suggest) and slather it in the finest blingery that British currency can obtain. No reason why not. None at all….. Just don’t try and justify it to anyone and you’ll be happy as a pig in poop. 🙂

I think I get what you mean about frames ‘deserving’ the componentry hung on them. When looking at road bikes a while back one of the old boys in Steels (Gosforth) suggested that as a rule of thumb, if you break down the total cost into roughly equal thirds (frame & forks, groupset, wheels and finishing kit) you won’t go far wrong. Obviously cos of the cost of suspension forks that gets distorted somewhat when applied to mountain bikes but maybe that thought may give some food for thought?

One thing that used to make I larf was bikes where the owner had spent the same amount on most bits of kit. Eg a £300 frame, a £300 fork, a £300 brakeset, a £300 wheel set, as that was their ‘bike money’ from the pay check. Led to some awesome brakes on very average forks!

Who gives a rats bottom? I’ve got XTR, Formula T1, Reverb, etc on a secondhand Mmmbop… and it’s fantastic to ride.

My carrera was covered in nice kit- mostly hand-me-downs from other bikes. All the parts went straight onto my Soda and not one bit looks out of place on it.

buuut, it does strike me that once you get up to that level of components, it doesn’t make any sense to scrimp on the frame. I’d sooner have Deore on a Soul than XTR on an Inbred…

I’d sooner buy some mid range stuff and spend the difference over XTR on an epic trip somewhere trying to wear it out.

XTR, Easton, Hope – only bike and used in all weathers:

+1 for a custom frame, XTR’s nice, but;

a) I go through rear mechs quicker than chains
b) I always find something I don’t want/like on a frame

I want an 953-456-29’er, not for any reason in particular apart from the decals.

I built a GT Avalanche up with brand new Revs, XT, Hope, Thomson etc. Don’t think I hung any XTR on it though.

It still rode awful.

My SIR.9 runs SLX when I run it geared. XTR was in budget, but my gears go on for a dozen or so rides in summer, & it would bug the hell out of me to look at £300 worth of bits hanging up all winter. 😉

it doesn’t make any sense to scrimp on the frame.

Bfe, probs, if it makes a difference.

br that looks brrrrrrrr.