I have to options to improve my SS: get XT760 HT2 cranks or XTR951 HT 1, octalink cranks. Which is the better choice? And why?

Any idea?

HT2 – just for long term BB availability.

Shimano have a habit of making specific stuff for their high end kit and then discontinuing it – it’s happened with road octalink stuff on Dura-Ace I think.

Sure, it’s hard to find good octalink BB… but I could buy newer, and slightly heavier versions anywhere.

what kind of ring are you going for with the XTR? isnt the XTR M951 series big ring a one piece spider as well? I would have thought the XT would be easier to get rings and BBs for as well

The XTR951 has upgraded spider and 32t chainring.

Shimano have a habit of making specific stuff for their high end kit and then discontinuing it – it’s happened with road octalink stuff on Dura-Ace I think.

Not really, quite the opposite in fact. Here is a Dura Ace Octalink BB, a part that became obsolete 9 years ago still with reasonable availability. Likewise here is the XTR one, now obsolete for 10 years.

However… they are damned expensive, more than when they were current in fact, and far more than HT2.

The M951s were great cranks, but the M760s are lighter, stiffer and cheaper to maintain. Ie save for the ‘bling’ and the exclusivity factor they are to all intents and purposes better than M951s.

not wanting to start an argument about Shimano support for old BB standards MisterP (who should know) said on here;

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/road-bike-octalink-bb-question-for-those-old-enough-to-remember-the-system

that some Octalink BB’s were out of production.

Aye, he said that Ultegra was discontinued, that’s a model, not a standard.

There are still options that will fit, but it’s just the Dura Ace and XTR for the road (which is 100% interchangeable with any V2 Octalink cranks) and ES71s for any Octalink V1 cranks.

So what is the best solution to use an older XTR 950/51/52 crankset with octalink V1 version bottom bracket? It doesn’t seem to be trouble-free.

You have to use M952 BBs, which are expensive. Like I say, unless you want the cache of having XTR, the XT is better.

Could I use the road versions of octalink BB v1, couldn’t?

Yep, if you can get the chainline, but Ultegra has been discontinued, dunno about 105, and Dura Ace costs more then XTR!

I have a M950 crank on my single speed and run whatever suitable road BB I come across when I need one. Much better life from the bearings than any of the HT2 sets I have used.