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Currently have Shimano HG73 (LX) chain, Sram PG970 cassette and Shimano FC770 XT 32 ring.
All need replacing and currently running XT hub.
Lots of good deals around but genuinely unsure what is generally best...want longevity and quality but not stupid prices. I know they're all compatible BUT...
Chain - XTR £22 v XT £18 v Sram PC971 £10
Cassette - XT (forum) £30 v SLX (forum) £25 v Sram 970 £20 v Sram 980 £32.50
Chainring m770 - XT £27 v your suggestion.
Boring, I know but could really do with a steer here! 🙂
Sram chain, everything else Shimano SLX.
KMC chain, SLX cassette, Deore chainrings
KMC chain, XT cassette, probably Deore chainring but whatever Shimano comes up new/hardly used and under budget.
Forgive my ignorance...what's so good about KMC chains?
They're alternative/not mainstream/underground/cooler etc.
And they come with a decent split link.
I find that Shimano chains rust with little provocation, regardless of their level, plus the joining rivet is bobbins.
Shimano chains with a SRAM/KMC link are acceptable, but I too find KMC stuff excellent - the chains are plated and well finished, as good as SRAM but usually cheaper.
Cassettes are definitely in Shimano's favour, either SLX or XT depending on the deal. SLX cassettes are made artificially heavier thanks to the weighty lockring, so you can trade down from XT, retain the original lockring and you won't have a significant weight penalty.
Chainrings? Deore every time, especially if they're steel. I challenge anyone to tell the difference in shift quality to XT.
JE James are doing X9.93 for a tenner - that sounds good - silly to not?
I read in a few places that KMC manufacture Shimano chains, but they come with a missing link instead of the daft pin and cost less. That JE James deal is a corker!
KMC X9 chain from overseas eBay sellers (I've had a few now all been good and arrived in around or just over a week)(also try On One they sometimes have KMC cheap offers on)
Deore chainring
Shimano cassette, SLX (or XT from German shops (bike discount.de, rose etc) if cheaper - remember postage, may be worth getting chain here too)
Personally I suspect if your replacing all three anyway getting a second hand cassette even slightly worn, may be a false economy
Cheers Iain
Both cassettes on here are new and unused so no issues there...gonna go XT cassette, KMC chain...not sure about the ring yet - lot of shout-outs for good old Deore though.
[i]...what's so good about KMC chains? [/i]
Nothing, people went a bonkers for the gold ones a few years back, but being blokes, need to find something rather than clapping their hands together and squealing "but it's gold..." in a effeminate falsetto.
to the OP, there is no correct answer, both SRAM and Shimano make pretty decent groupos now, pick one out of a hat.