[Closed] Shimano quality through the years

tbh after 10 years in a workshop i saw no more exploded shimano than sram almost all cases shimano or SRAM were caused by external force IE rock/stick impact with the occasional home mechanic error not setting the limits or chain length correctly. The stick through my xtr shadow on my superlight did nearly have me greeting - that was an expensive day.

how ever i did see alot less shimano actually wearing out beyond possible use than sram.

Sram gets sloppy quickly + jockey wheels sieze for fun and the b tension screw casting liked to break off , the main shift spring would lose tension over time as well and it would refuse to go into the bottom of the block - even with no cable attached IME.

I guess unless of course folks were sneaking new shimano mechs on and wheels after they randomly exploded taking out there wheels before bringing them to the shop.

Hmm, we need to figure in VFM here too surely

1995 XT chainset, RRP £145 if I remember correctly

Current model - RRP £150-160

Taking inflation into account, that's remarkable.

We've never had it so good in absolute terms.

Sram gets sloppy quickly + jockey wheels sieze for fun

Totally agree with you based on my experience around five years ago, before I went back to Shimano... but friends with Sram 1x11 don't seem to be moaning about this kind of stuff now.

And a bit of selective memory maybe.

I'm not so sure about that, for a lot of us it's that we are comparing old Shimano kit that's [i]still in use[/i] compared to newer kit that has since expired.

ie: I have some '87 MT60 DX stuff, and a fair bit of 90's XTR 95X and XT 73X MTB gear as well as some RX100/RSX and 600 tricolor (6400) road bits that have outlasted more recent gear despite doing more miles and in worse weather.

in fact thinking about it it's apparent that there's a period around 1999/2000 - 2007ish where I have no surviving stuff, either side of it yes, but little from that era except a road 6600 groupset which I bought NOS so longevity remains to be seen... curious

in fact thinking about it it's apparent that there's a period around 1999/2000 - 2007ish where I have no surviving stuff

The only Shimano I have that survived that period well was 7800-series DA. It was absolutely bombproof.
Still quite happily running M735 XT on one bike and the black Deore LX 7spd hubs on my pub bike will outlast me.

Fair enough, but I can't help noticing that the period I remember getting the most mileage out of stuff overlapped with the period I generally had less disposable income to spend on bike bits. I wonder if I just put up with worn bits more then?

I think M970 was the perfect point for Shimano and here's why:

1. It was available before the price hikes of 2008/2009, so was comparably cheap.
2. It was 9sp so the tolerances were well understood.
3. You could still get rapid rise,
4. The BCD pattern was standard,
5. The brakes just worked (but weren't the most powerful)
6. Standards were standards - Everything was 100/135 with a 24mm axle chainset and 3 rings on a 68/73 BB, so all RnD wen't into a single product cycle, not diffused/compromised over many.
7. Even with heel rub, the chainset looked good...on anything
8. The M970 skewers were sublime

[img] [/img]

The performance from the affordable groupsets like 105 and SLX is simply staggering

This.

Everyone is talking about the age of the rear Deore mech or the XTR chainset from the 90's etc. etc. that they are still using. Its irrelevant if you only ride the bike 2 hrs a week in dry conditions, it will last for ages.

M900 XTR was mega at the time but the new stuff is light years ahead in functionality, build quality is subjective as manufacturing processes have improved dramatically over the years however the latest XTR and Durarace Di2 is jewel like and works flawlessly (I have both). The old XT and XTR "V" brakes would rattle their balls off after about 8 hrs of riding and the XTR pedals from the last series used to fall to bits and the light road wheels would snap spokes regular and they are under so much tension the wheel would be like a pringle.

I have two MTB bikes, one for training and one for racing. I do about 10-12 Hrs a week and I go through XT + XTR stuff after about two years with zero mechanical sympathy in all conditions so I am more than happy with that.

PS. Shimano fit it and forget it.

RRP was £780 in 1993. I hate myself for knowing such worthless information.

I think M970 was the perfect point for Shimano and here's why:

I have M970 shifters and chainset (albeit with an M770 XT middle ring) on my 45650b, even with the logos rubbed away the chainset looks great and the shifters are smooth and positive feeling. I have M77x series XT me has as well and they are similarly quality feeling.

I don't think many would argue the gear shifting gubbins we have now for reasonable money (Deore and above) is very good and more evolved to suit mountain biking as opposed to adapted from road biking.

They have been a bit sneaky with the budget stuff though! Which is now not fit for purpose because of plastic parts (it's not there to save weight either) which warp and weren't in the cheapest road racing derived stuff back-in-the-day! Not a big deal just saying that’s not progress.

I think crucially I was better 25 yrs ago; young, free and fit.