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FD? (deore, lx, xt, xtr)

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  blmls1 
#1 ·
Other than weight is there any difference in quality of the shift between a Deore, LX, XT, or XTR FD?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
It's subtle, but yes...

XT and up front d's shift more positively and a bit quicker. This is primarily due to larger stiffer pivots and a bit heavier spring. The difference between an LX and XT is very tough to actually feel or see, almost to the point of being noexistant for most folks. Where you will see the biggest difference once you get above the Deore level is in longevity. I've had Deore fronts that the pivots were slopped out in about 2 years. I've got XT fronts that are 5 years old or more and still going strong. The XT front derailleur is probably the best bang for your buck option. About twice what you'd spend for a Deore, and less than half what you'd spend for an XTR, but with many of the same features as the XTR and not that much of a performance difference either.

The front derailleur is an often overlooked upgrade item because even a slopped out Deore or Alivio front d will keep shifting, just not that well. That and the front derailleur isn't used that often in many cases. And when new they all pretty much shift the same. But the higher end stuff will keep that nice crisp positive feel to them considerably longer (years longer) than the lower end stuff. :thumbsup:

Good Dirt
 
#4 ·
XTR def. has a stiffer spring in it. I originally had an XTR front that i got for crazy cheap (the reason i bought it) and this year needed a low clamp, so i went with XT. Both seem within a hair of eachother quality-wise. Don't know how much this translates to real-world performance, yet...
 
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