Right, I’m going to treat myself to a new drivetrain for my new frame and I’ve decided that I’m going to go 2×10.

XT groupset from Bike-discount.de is 390euro. so about £390 by the time I add shipping.

I can put together a X9 (with X7 shifters) set from Evans for £410.

So, money wise, not a lot in it.

I quite fancy the SRAM because, frankly, I think it looks nicer. However, I’m open to the wisdom of the forum…

I bought the SLX groupset from Actionsports.de for under £200 – postage only a fiver, and the Euro is plummeting!! I also got a 2×10 x0 crank from CRC for £200, and sold the SLX one for £80. So that’s £320 for a super reliable SLX system with blingy X0 carbon cranks – luvvly jubbly!!!

XT is brilliant. Although that plan above sounds like a good one.

I have had SLX shadow 10spd rear mechs/cassettes/shifter combos on 3 bikes now, and they have all shifted perfectly with no issues. If your bike can take them, I reccommend full outer cables too for uk conditions.

I’m going with SRAM X7 shifter, X9 mech, 1050 cassette and chain, XT cranks as I don’t like SRAM BB’s.

I had real problems with SRAM x9 10-speed. The mech’s just didn’t seem very strong. I’ve talked with other people who had similar issues. It might be just bad luck, they might have changed it now, it might have happened with XT too etc etc etc but I changed to XT and haven’t had a problem since.

I’ve just changed my other bike over to full xt 10 speed, it’s 3×10 so same, same but different. I’m about to put 10-speed SLX onto some of my hire bikes and plan to upgrade them all in the future.
I don’t know if these help or not:
SRAM X9 10-Speed Review
Shimano XT 10-Speed Review

Actionsports don’t have 2×10 SLX, plus I prefer SRAM shifters. The X0 cranks on CR are 170mm too, I’d want 175 🙁

Can you use a Shimano BB with a SRAM crank?

BIKE-COMPONENTS.DE

XT 2 x 10 groupset 394 euros posted which came out as £328

Yes they are 170mmcranks, which actually I now prefer!! Try holding up your fingers to a 5mm gap and see how much difference that really is??? If anything, it avoids pedal strikes on my burly Heckler!!

Can you use a Shimano BB with a SRAM crank?

No.

Hmm, cheers chaps. It’s no surpris that XT is probably more reliable

‘Tis frustrating though. It’s entirely irrational, but the SRAM stuff makes me go ‘ooooh’ but the Shimano stuff makes me go ‘meh…’.

Drivetrain is the heart of your bike – it has to be reliable. Bling is for stems/bars/spacers etc.

That said, I’m a sucker for a looker!! ( bike that is 😉 )

In my experience both work equally well.

But the SRAM kit is made out of fairy wings. If it was beefed it up a bit it could just about be classed as “fragile”.

After lots of rear mechs disappearing into the mud, I switched to Shimano. A bit more robust.

Yeah, s’pose.

I’ll probably go for XT from somewhere Germanic, and look out for a swanky crank…

Got 2 x 10 XT on my solaris – so far it is bloody fantastic. Very positive shifting with definite clunk – if you lie that kind of thing.

Very impressed with the xt discs too.

Whatever you decide is the right decision!! Everyone else is wrong.

Unless you have already tried 170mm cranks and not got on with them, I wouldn’t automatically discount them. It makes them really cheap as people won’t buy them.

the Shimano stuff makes me go ‘meh…’.

How dare you sir?

Very positive shifting with definite clunk – if you lie that kind of thing.

I do, that’s why I like my current SRAM (Rocket) shifters. That’s good to hear.

Unless you have already tried 170mm cranks and not got on with them, I wouldn’t automatically discount them

Yeah, I had some on an old road bike, I could definitely tell the difference (probably because of my gangly legs). Shame, ‘cos there are some bargains.

Sorry scapegoat, but meh… 😕

Oh well, I suppose one man’s meh is another man’s little fatty…….

‘Tis frustrating though. It’s entirely irrational, but the SRAM stuff makes me go ‘ooooh’ but the Shimano stuff makes me go ‘meh…’.

I just like SRAM shifters, if they had the same cable pull I’d be running rapid rise shimano mechs, but they don’t make RR 10 speed, and there seems to be debate as to whether SRAM shifter will work with shimano mechs.

But the SRAM kit is made out of fairy wings. If it was beefed it up a bit it could just about be classed as “fragile”.

Weird, the 9 speed stuff seems like it’s made out of left over Robocop parts. Been on X0 twistys and X9 mech for a year or two now, I like a lot. A real shame if the 10 speed stuff is a bit fragile.

Si my experience of both is that they are all much of a muchness as well but the clutch mechanism on shimano is a big improvement and would add a lot to a 2×10 set up. You’d likely not need any kind of lower chain device with the clutch but obviously you’d have to wait for it to be released on the XT group. If you went shimano now though you could always add the clutch mech later.

The other key difference is that shimano does multiple down shifts whereas sram needs multiple clicks for the same result. Neither is better really it’s just personal preference. The SRAM way means youre less likely to over shift the shimano say is quicker if you want more than one shift.

The XT will be cheaper than that at Bike Discount – shipping is only about 6 Euros so they’ll be about £335 once you allow for the current exchange rate.

I bought XT 2×10 a couple of months ago and it’s been superb – 38/26 with 11-36 cassette. With the larger cassette it means I very rarely need to use the 26 front ring.

The 38/26 wasn’t available as a group from any of the German suppliers then. Merlin were the source of most of it with their extra 10% off offer.

Shimano appears to be more robust. I’ve never had any XT/SLX/XTR items fail. Sram X9 rear mechs seem fragile and another mate has had 2 rear shifters pack up (both warrantied).

Shame about the 10speed x9 – I’ve been after some for a while as they use bearings in the mech pully and in the shifter; I assumed that meant they’d thought out this gen and done it well.

Bike discount is still not cheap for individuals. An XT rear mech is 59 euros, or 48 pounds. Add 6 postage and I may as well shop at CRC.