as per the title really. Always used XT, but considering getting LX due to the price. opinions please.

Deore.

LX ways a ton, stick with XT

deore – go for a poo before you ride and save your money (and go on nice holdays instead)

holidays…

i used to be told that Lx was more reliable given its slighty heavier and not as weight important, so unless your trying to shed weight it might not be bad to consider?
If some who promotes XT can tell me the exact difference that would be interesting?

SRAM 980

Deore XT is ~300g for 11-34, ~250g for 11-32
Deore LX is ~440g for 11-34 (according to weight weenies)

If you aren’t a WW, prob doesn’t matter.
If you are a WW, the £/gram ratio is probably better than a lot of other components.

P.S. No idea about longevity!

P.P.S SRAM 980 is almost as light as XT, 990 is ~XT weight.

Just ordered 3 LX cassettes for the same price as 1 XT.

Yeah that’s the other big diff… price!

I still really don

u

t fully explain why a cassette that you could have bought for around £30 a few eeeks ago is now £63 on crc.Why is it that the recent price rises have affected the price of XT cassettes and mechs ,seemingly more than most other Shimano parts?
You can still get a 10 speed Ultegra cassette for around £40 for example?

Something to do with the price of the dollar/yen against the pound I believe.

I changed my transmission at Christmas and went cheap as there’s really no point blowing the money on XT for the winter season in the peaks. It’ll be trashed by the time spring comes around. I will be going back to XT though for the summer and picked up a cassette off CRC when they were cheap.

I don’t think an LX cassette would be to good on an aluminium freehub. As you won’t be able to use the other cheaper ones coz it will be stuck.

Evans have OE XT cassettes for £34.99 are LX cassettes cheaper on CRC because they are discontinued, Deore cassettes are £28.99!!!

You could always use the stronger Pound vs Polish Zloty (as its not as strong vs $ or Euro). Currently You would get about 5-5.20PLN for a £1. Look at Allegro.pl (which is bigger and more popular in Poland than eBay) and You see that for about 180PLN posted Youll get a XT cassette – so about £35-40 and You should be able to get them to be sent to UK for not much more. £23 saving from RRP. (XT chainsets are still for about £100 on there as well)

Thats only if You really want a XT cassette and dont want to spend a fortune. Or a UK option: I bought a new Deore cassette for my constantly skint mate, get them on eBay for £11, sram 7.0 or 5.0 chain from JeJames and Youve got Your cheap but working really well winter transmission to trash and not feel sorry.

I had a Deore and a LX cassettes and TBH I couldnt see or feel a big difference. Lasted for almost as long – but Lx was 1/3 more expensive.

Lx in nickle plated, deore isn’t if i recall?

Unless the design has changed the LX & Deore can pack out with mud whereas the XT is a more open design and doesnt jam out with mud and leaf mulch..

FFS, I hadnt realised they had gone up that much!! £63 for an XT… I would seriously re consider buying XT!! I got 2 completely shot drivetrains but will be waiting utill they fall to bits before replacing them.

I think the new SLX cassette has an aluminium spider?

buy from the woolyhatshop ebay shop – waay cheaper than £60

If you have a Hope Pro II rear hub with the alloy freehub body you have to use a an XT to prevent chewage.

To me, saving weight on transmission components is not value for money – they need to be replaced frequently and are not rotating at the perimeter of the wheel like tyres adn rims.

Cheap and cheerful for me every time – save moolah for other bits (or other parts of your life – for those that have one)

Wow they have gone up (or as the travel agents would say that’s the real price)
It’s a tough call. The XT is better in every way and it’s lighter where it’s important, the back wheel.
However that’s not always that important and you’d be better off saving your £’s.
I’ll be sticking with XT even though I’m normally very tight.

I have just bought 2 xt 9 speed for £40 each, would normally have lx’s but have hope hubs

I have Hope pro11 hubs and your saying I shouldnt use LX?

on pro 2s you should use a cassette with a carrier or it will chew into the freehub body and get stuck!!

I’ve got an XT on my Hope Hoops and a LX on my Mavic 321’s/Deore Hubs and to be honest I can hardly tell the difference, theonly real issue bar the free hub thingy is the XT is easier to clean.

Do Hope recommed a carrier style cassette on Pro II hubs?

sram 980 lasts ages doesnt clog its pretty light and costs about 30 quid

Phoned Hope as I was concerned about using an LX cassette on the Pro11 hub and they said it would be fine. It would mark it slightly but no more than that.

This winter I decided to use deore cassettes as stronger and weight little issue for me when there’s so much mud about. Got a few spare XT cassettes whislt they were still cheapish for the drier months though.