I'm in the mood for buying! Need some advice.....

[beanbag]

OK, so I've got a pretty standard 2006 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR. The only major upgrade I've done is to fit bigger rotors and recently buy some new rubber for the wheels.

However....now that I've been playing around on Wiggle, I've got the urge to buy some more....

So, I've been checking out the specs of my bike:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2...

From this, I've noticed I've got a st rear cassette. Very st. In fact it's one of the cheapest nastiest ones around. So after a little research, I came up with the following shopping list:

Shimano XT M770 9 Speed Cassette 11-34T (€33.28)
Shimano XTR M971 9 Speed Front Derailleur Dull Pull Conv Multi Fit For 44T (€39.93)
Shimano XT M770 9 Speed Rapid Fire Pods (€56.01)

Now I'm wondering what is worth buying and what is a waste of money. Would the XT cassette make that much of a difference?

I've got an LX front mech and the very nice chap at Mountain Trax in Bearwood said that combined with XT or XTR shifters (currently I have LX shifters), upgrading the mech would make a very nice difference in smooth gear changing. Is this actually true?

To be fair the chap seemed pretty impartial since I told him I wouldn't be buying from his shop!

Suggestions?

[pastrana72]

Yes, LX is very similar to XT, just a bit lighter due to slightly different material or design, you will not notice a lot of shifting difference in my opinion and experience.

I have run LX, then XT and back no real diffence, except price.

The only diffence i have experienced, is one my bikes has sram XO mech and shifters, that shifts better than the others with X9, but its stupidly expensive, so I happy with X9. both on XT cassettes.

XTR is nice, but I think XT or LX is better value.

XTR cassetes again nice, but expensive to replace as they do not wear anylonger than XT, just lighter.

Do not do Light.

[beanbag]

pastrana72 said:

Yes, LX is very similar to XT, just a bit lighter due to slightly different material or design, you will not notice a lot of shifting difference in my opinion and experience.

I have run LX, then XT and back no real diffence, except price.

The only diffence i have experienced, is one my bikes has sram XO mech and shifters, that shifts better than the others with X9, but its stupidly expensive, so I happy with X9. both on XT cassettes.

XTR is nice, but I think XT or LX is better value.

XTR cassetes again nice, but expensive to replace as they do not wear anylonger than XT, just lighter.

Do not do Light.

Cheers for the input.....I've got an XTR rear mech which came as standard on the bike and it's a lovely shifter. I just get that feeling that if I had a better cassette (and not the crappy one I have), my shifting would be a lot nicer.

As such, I've decided to change the rear mech for the XT one. Hopefully I'll get better rear shifting.

I'll see how I get on with that, and perhaps next month I'll upgrade the shifters to XT (I prefer them over the XTR's as I like the indicator which the XTR doesn't bizzarly have!), and I'll also change the front mech to XTR as well.

After that, it's a case of upgrading the crank and front chainset to XTR. At the moment I have a Truvative Stylo which I've heard isn't so good. (Not to mention the number of times I've bent the teeth and hammered them back in place! )

[atom111]

I've standardised on the XT rear cassette, I did run an XTR rear and although very light and very lovely it didn't last very long at all infact is lasted a disappointingly short amount of time, where as XT is a good combination of weight and durability. It's actually the only part of the bike I wouldn't run as XTR anymore.

[beanbag]

Right, I'm feeling like a numpty now!

I've placed the order and that's all good; Only now I've realised you need a cassette tool and gear lock tool.....

bugger

[DanH]

I have an 07 FSR comp. Same heavy cassette. Think the saving was about 150g going to XT!

Still, I've decided not to upgrade unless I wear things out. I blame Gordon Brown.

[sjg]

Take a look at SLX too - Shimano's new mid-price do-anything groupset. Apparently some bits are lighter than LX, some are stronger than XT. They have lots of the XT technologies inside too - shifter internals are the same, brakes have servowave, etc. Nice shadow rear mechs too.

I'm planning to use it to replace the knackered Deore stuff on my PA this winter.

[beanbag]

sjg said:

Take a look at SLX too - Shimano's new mid-price do-anything groupset. Apparently some bits are lighter than LX, some are stronger than XT. They have lots of the XT technologies inside too - shifter internals are the same, brakes have servowave, etc. Nice shadow rear mechs too.

I'm planning to use it to replace the knackered Deore stuff on my PA this winter.

Isn't SLX the Saint gear?

[sjg]

Nope. Saint stays as a DH/freeride groupset (although it's getting a bit lighter). SLX seems to be a replacement for Hone, although they're repositioning LX as more of a "touring" groupset. Unlike Hone, SLX isn't just LX bits painted black