not sure if this has been asked before, but here goes:

is there much of a true weight savings between a full XTR groupo and an XT groupo?....is XTR really WORTH the extra $$?....i'm planning on building up a complete bike (Ellsworth Isis), and would like to keep it as light as possible, without paying a fortune.....hope to use '02 parts

TIA

Using XT you will lose some 200< more but using XTR you will feel much better, because it switchs smoother and rides better. But I think you should make some combo XTR/XT and maybe even something els, then it will be super. And it is not worth to pay twice as much for XTR as for XT.

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Light weight everything!

I have a book somewhere that shoes the cross section of an XT and XTR crank. The XTR was hollowed out quite a bit more then the XT making it lighter.

XTR definately seems to last longer then XT, the chainrings are more durable and those rear derailleurs last forever. Depending on the riding you plan to be doing, you might want to go to an XT cassette for greater durability and so save yourself a little extra cash.

I can't afford XTR
but from my experience there isn't that much difference.
On some parts the difference in quality may be more noticable such as the shifters, but on parts like brakes and derailures, XT will do the job great.

Buy according to the riding you will be doing, I'm going down to a Deore rear mech cause I break XT mech's. XT Crank weight less, but dosen't have the lifetime warrenty, depends how you will use it.

have fun

Brian

It is my understanding that XT is more durable but at a weight disadvantage. For racers who get new parts every season durability isn't an issue, but for the everyday rider it is. For instance, an XT cassette will last longer than an XTR cassette because there is more material in it.

And I have riden both XT and XTR rear derailuers and there isn't much difference IMHO. I will admit the XTR shifts a little crisper but it's not a make or break decision. I got a good deal on a used part, when my XT got trashed in a fall, otherwise I'd still have that on my rig.

I agree that a mix of parts is probably the way to go if you are looking for the best bang for your buck.

This is my setup

XT FD
XTR RD
XTR Front and Rear V-brakes
XT shifters and brake levers
XT BB and crankset

Havn't had any problems yet.

~Ride on!!!

The extra cost on XTR / DA over the lower groups is in getting the lighter metals (Al, Ti) to have the durability of steel parts. This isn't always achieved (Ti cogs on cassettes), but on things like axles and cassette bodies they have done well. On other parts the XTR is actually heavier due to higher quality - in the Rapid Fire (950 series) XT has 1 bearing and bushes, XTR has 4 bearings.

If you look at the 960 series XTR the cranks the weigh savings will be added to the extra stiffness, but heavier than the Tunes or Storks. The chioce is yours...

I once weighed the rear der., the shifter pods, the cassette and the front der comparing the difference between xt and xtr in regards to price. I don't remember the exact weights but I know that it was insignificant except in the cassette where the savings were in the 30g range. I worked out the extra cost to upgrade to xtr and how much a pound of weight would cost from shimano with the upgrade from xt to xtr.

It was around $2000/lb!

I don't own xtr because I have yet to have trouble with xt and I couldn't afford it if I were to brake any of the parts. Shimano is very good at putting the same product in three different boxes and charging three different prices. For instance, the difference between xt and lx cranks is the colour and the chainring bolts (9g difference).

And the quality of the outer and middle chainring and the XT has a removable spider and the XTs are cold forged (LXs are warm forged) and if you are really nit-picking, XTs come with self extracting crank bolts

But you are right, functionally they are almost identical, and probably not worth the 50% price difference.

The 2003 models take different BBs too.