XT "v" SLX

I have, at present a XTR crank set and BB.
No one can helicoil the damaged pedal thread on the XTR so I now need a crank set.
The SLX is about £90, where as the XT is about £125.
An XTR is about £280.

Any thoughts as this will be put onto my Turner Flux (XT rear casette, XT front & XTR rear mec's) & will be sharing all mtn bike duties with the HT now the better weather is with us?

I take it its the ring side thats gone?

I'd go XT, and when the rings wear buy Middleburn and then its within 50g of XTR.

SLX is ugly.

No ugly things on the bike. It's more or less the only one I've got (rule, that is) don't care how functional it might be, if it's ugly, it isn't happening.

Strange, I actually prefer the look of SLX chainset over the XT. I still run an XT though.

Surely its not that difficult a job to helicoil?

Theres no flat surface to clamp whilst drilling but surely they could clamp the axel vertically and drill it out?

Or is there insuficient metal left to get the coil into?

Too damaged to helicoil.
2x companies have looked and rejected it.

Ti29er

You're Watford aren't you? Try Dave Wood Racing in Aylesbury, he's an ex-BSB racer, a good engineer and use to working with alloys and the like?

Square taper and Middleburn crankset.

SLX is ugly

+1

The SLX + Bashguard setup looks like something from a £90 supermarket full susser

I was wondering as to SLX double + bash or maybe RS7. but then HTII or square taper.
I always rounded out square taper deore cranks in my dirt jumping days.

there ya go http://www.davewoodracing.com/contact

I've got a pal, an engineer on the BA 747 fleet taking into his work place to see if they think it can be done.

Failing this, XT ?

XT for me if there are no second hand XTR bargains around.

Depends upon the look of the bike, there's not much in it in terms of performance or price.

I assume I'd need the BB too, or can I still use the old XTR BB?

Price: one (XT) is 40% more (than the SLX).
Weight: Can't find the weight of the SLX.

SLX triple is about 40 grams less than XT, IIRC. I got SLX personally, it seems to me that you either go for the super-spendy option or the sensible option, the slight-spendy option is just a bit wishy washy. Also, SLX looks far better than XT and wears better to boot.

Here is the best summary I can muster:

XTR M970 Triple 44A 32Ti/C 22A + BB = 770g (22T = 22g, Al Bolts)
XT M770 Triple 44A 32S/C 22A + BB = 853g (22T = 22g, Al + Steel Bolts)
SLX M660 Triple 44A 32S/C 22S + BB = 889g (22T = 40g, Al + Steel Bolts)
SLX M665 Double 36A 22S + Bash + BB = 999g (22T = 40g, Al + Steel Bolts)

SLX triple is heavier than XT mostly due to a steel 22T.
SLX double+bash is a different animal.

Middleburn RS8 + Square Taper would come in at approx 820-850g, but depends on BB and the ring sizes chosen. You can even get 5-bolt-CD 20T granny.

You normally get a BB when you buy an XT or SLX chainset but if you don't they are compatible with the XTR BB.

It's no contest

I have SLX and it works. And I think I'm just down the road from you.

SLX, I've seen how much replacement XT chainrings cost!

Interesting.
So I could slot an SLX into an XTR BB, and I have a Middleburn middle ring on the XTR which I could swap over too.
Looking like if it doesn't work out with the guys at Heathrow re: salvaging the old XTR, the SLX is looking fine – unless it really is hideous! 😉

Looking like if it doesn't work out with the guys at Heathrow

You are expecting BA staff to be accomodating? har har!

the XTR ring (probably) won't work on either XT or SLX

The XTR ring ouught to work if it's teh current XTR but it won't if it's the 960, I think.

Ti29er, SLX looks very similiar to XTR now

Except they've fixed the crank arm finish so the logos last a little longer.

On cost and cheaper replacement rings I'd go for XT – some really good deals on that too. XTR is super pimpy but chainrings are a stupid price so no go there. SLX is nice though – but FWIW I'd keep to XT.

Northwind – Member

Ti29er, SLX looks very similiar to XTR now

Err….No it doesn't.

{EDIT} Well, suppose it does in the same way that Mila Jovovich looks like Anne Widecomb…they're both girls afterall

IMO SLX looks fine (in triple form) I also prefer the look of it to XT.

However I think it depends on the colour of your frame in terms of the overal look. Most importantly in terms of functionality there is so little to differentiate that you must ask yourself why pay more for XT?

I'm really intrigued why you would want a middleburn middle ring. The new shimano composite middle rinngs are fantastic in my experience.

My FS has XT and my HT has SLX (more recently purchased) for what it's worth.

Buy an entire SLX groupset for £200 ish off ebay. Sell all the bits and keep the free chainset.

This'll work for XT too!

Ti29er with SLX chain set. Looks fine to me. 😀

The Turner's a shiney Ali / silver.
Cheers for the advice, I'll sort it out after the w/end as I've got to bring a ceiling down in one bedroom tomorrow.
Hope to have it sorted for the Merida in 4 weeks – wish my knee was as likely to sort itsself out by then as it's causing me muchus pain today. Shooting sharp pains inside the joint that's stopping me in my tracks & taking my breath away. Very worried about it as there's no obvious cause.

Hey-ho! Maybe another thread after the w/end!

StirlingCrispin – Member
Square taper and Middleburn crankset.

This man speaks sense.

I love MB's (& sq taper), but they aren't that pretty in triple guise – Uno they look the dogs, Duo OK…

And they don't shift quite as nice as Shimano (XT/R)

Having just been on CRC and selected the MB kit as you spec every aspect of the crank set, it's coming out at about £225.

If it was my XTR Crankset and there wasn't enough material to re-thread I would get a threaded insert made to whatever size would fit and thread lock it in and then fit pedal. Say 20mm by 1.25 or 1.5 pitch external thread. Got to be worth a try.

You could always file out the threads on the xtr and araldite the pedal in?? Reckon it should be fine obviously when the pedal gives up the ghost you;ll have to chuck both.