looking for a gear set on ebay, xt?

I am wondering if xt (or xtr) is (still) the de facto standard for componentry these days, I read something about sram is this as good or better than xt?

Thanks Mick

Oh yes and its been ten years since ive been into mountain bikes :|

SRAM sponsors a lot of professional riders with the hope that it will influence your purchase ...

Bike Shop mechanics presumably like SRAM because the 1:1 pull ratio makes it slightly easier to adjust the derailleurs ... (you know, it's just not that hard to adjust a front-or-rear derailleur, IMO).

In addition to Shimano's XT & XTR lines, you should also look at their new SLX line.

IMO, Shimano's new SHADOW rear derailleur design (available in XTR, XT, SLX and maybe some other component groups) is something to include in your consideration.

I'm pretty locked into Shimano for my derailleurs ... so, you can take my observation with-a-grain-of-salt if you want.