is Shimano XT for a trekking-city bike too much?

[ludwigmass]

Hi,

on weekdays, mostly rural environments and some urban terrain, tarmac and non asphalted surfaces.

On weekends, thats another story: 20 km. tours, tarmac and non asphalted surfaces, through a forest and several terrain drops.

I have read acera and altus are not good, but I dont know if the person who wrote that used those for an exclusively mountain terrain.

Would deore do the thing?

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. I am a big fan of Shimano XT rear derailleurs & cranksets ...

• at this point, my preference is mostly for aesthetic reasons the "silver" finish works for me the XT components seem to have had greater continuity in their "finish" than the other Shimano MTB component lines

BTW. There isn't as much difference, IMO, in Shimano's MTB front derailleurs other than the clamp.

And, the problem (if there is one) with the Acera & Altus rear derailleurs is that they are all (?) steel ... so, they weigh a lot more AND it is probably important to keep them greased and/or lubed so that rust does not develop.

So, if you are buying a replacement rear derailleur AND can afford it, then I don't think that you will regret getting an XT rear derailleur ...

• JUST BE AWARE that there is the "standard" pull (Road type) & "rapid rise" (reverse/MTB type) in the XT line ...
• if I were choosing an XT rear derailleur to use with Shimano ROAD shifters, then I would probably (well, I know I would!!!) use a Rapid Rise rear derailleur to facilitate the downshifts, BTW.

 

[ludwigmass]

is there a big difference on bikes that combine rear and front derailleurs of different models compared to bikes that have the whole set of a common model? What should I aim for?

 

[dabac]

is there a big difference on bikes that combine rear and front derailleurs of different models compared to bikes that have the whole set of a common model? What should I aim for?

Opinions differ. IMO, no front derailer shifts well under load, and almost all derailers shift well if you pedal easier. So I might as well go cheap. Many MTBers regularly trash rear derailers for one reason or another, and subesquently prefer fairly basic rear derailers and more expensive shifters. I prefer fairly decent rear derailers, as I think they perform better when muddy etc.

 

[alfeng]

While it may often be more aesthetically pleasing for many people if all the components on a bike are from the same "group" because those components will generally have the same finish (paint/anodizing/finish) or simply the same name on the label, with Shimano's front derailleurs there is limited difference (IMO), so if a particular bike has an SLX rear derailleur (for example) + LX front derailleur, then you shouldn't worry about a loss in performance or efficiency.

If you are planning on longer rides, then better equipment is probably a good idea ...

If you want just ONE bike to do all things for you, then you have to realize that you are probably going to have to make one-or-more compromise.

If you are taller 5'9" (a very ARBITRARY height based on MY height -- possibly, 5'7" if you are a very strong rider), or taller, then you may want to consider a 29er Hardtail WITH a Rigid front fork rather than a bike with a low end Suspension Fork ....

You will want a different set of wheels for pavement and for off-road riding ...

1. 700x28-to-700x42 for pavement (622-17 rim)
2. 700x52-to-700x58 for off road

There is/was supposed to be a 700x48 tire, but I don't know if it was ever actually produced, which could possibly be used for both light off road and relaxed pavement riding ...

The 700x42 tires are very robust and can readily handle most gravel roads, and equivalent dirt paths.

BTW. I would rather have a bike with an XT or SLX rear derailleur + almost any Shimano front derailleur which was appropriate for the shifters on the bike.

I guess that LX is 'okay' ...

• actually, LX is VERY GOOD and a ready-to-ride bike with LX is probably going to fairly nice.

IMO, when you get a bike with plain Deore (vs. "Deore XT"), the crank & probably the hubs may be of a noticeably lower grade (i.e., steel Chainrings ... not that there is anything wrong with steel Chainrings beyond their weight) & the bike could possibly weigh more than 5 (?) lbs. more. THAT may be an unfair characterization on my part.