New Altus shifters working better than old XTR sigh
Manc33
Posts: 2,157
Most people say between a new entry level shifter and an old high end shifter like XT/XTR, the high end ones will always shift better - but this appears to be untrue from my experience.
The old XTR shifters I have got (M951 from 1998) just don't shift properly on the 12t and 11t sprockets. They also don't upshift properly really anywhere on the cassette. If you do smooth that out, it won't downshift properly.
I just threw back on my hideously cheap EF50 aka "Altus" shifters from a 2010 mountain bike and they shift far better than the ancient XTR ones.
Just not true then is it! Old stuff thats XTR doesn't necessarily shift better than a brand new unit - and I mean ANY brand new unit. Was an 11t sprocket even out in 1998? Not that it should matter with a shifter but I was thinking about the angle of the mech and maybe it does have a different cable pull? 0.1mm would probably be enough to make it a headache.
To me it means the XTR spring has sprung... I mean on its "first" part of spring (when the cable is slackest) it isn't shifting up or down between the 11t and 12t. If I wind out the cable so it does change from 11t to 12t on the upshift, then the cable is about half a turn too tight up towards the bigger sprockets and needs slackening again to stop the "tinkling" noise of it trying to change up. None of this happens with my crappy Altus shifters!
I think then the only real difference is that the Altus will go bad in a far quicker time than XTR will, but when the XTR are 18 years old they already HAVE gone bad, they are below bottom of the barrel components like Altus in terms of how well they work mechanically.
The other thing is the "trickle down effect" and I am bloody sure Altus tech from around now (2010) is probably on a par with the accuracy of XTR from 1998. Mountain bikes had hardly been going very long back in 1998. Stuff was still being tweaked I think.
Just a heads up lol... when you see "Oh yeah get the old XT ones" or XTR even... don't bother.
Not with something with so many tiny moving parts anyway.
The old XTR shifters I have got (M951 from 1998) just don't shift properly on the 12t and 11t sprockets. They also don't upshift properly really anywhere on the cassette. If you do smooth that out, it won't downshift properly.
I just threw back on my hideously cheap EF50 aka "Altus" shifters from a 2010 mountain bike and they shift far better than the ancient XTR ones.
Just not true then is it! Old stuff thats XTR doesn't necessarily shift better than a brand new unit - and I mean ANY brand new unit. Was an 11t sprocket even out in 1998? Not that it should matter with a shifter but I was thinking about the angle of the mech and maybe it does have a different cable pull? 0.1mm would probably be enough to make it a headache.
To me it means the XTR spring has sprung... I mean on its "first" part of spring (when the cable is slackest) it isn't shifting up or down between the 11t and 12t. If I wind out the cable so it does change from 11t to 12t on the upshift, then the cable is about half a turn too tight up towards the bigger sprockets and needs slackening again to stop the "tinkling" noise of it trying to change up. None of this happens with my crappy Altus shifters!
I think then the only real difference is that the Altus will go bad in a far quicker time than XTR will, but when the XTR are 18 years old they already HAVE gone bad, they are below bottom of the barrel components like Altus in terms of how well they work mechanically.
The other thing is the "trickle down effect" and I am bloody sure Altus tech from around now (2010) is probably on a par with the accuracy of XTR from 1998. Mountain bikes had hardly been going very long back in 1998. Stuff was still being tweaked I think.
Just a heads up lol... when you see "Oh yeah get the old XT ones" or XTR even... don't bother.
Not with something with so many tiny moving parts anyway. 0
Comments
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They are well old. Cheaper newer stuff has improved relative to the top line gear.
Even comparing age like for like in shifters over anything else drivetrain related I'd say go up a level on shifters and performance and the internals is just better0 -
Whats funniest is the Altus 8-speed shifters don't even feel any heavier than the XTR ones.
The left Altus shifter can chew the cable though, which doesn't and wouldn't happen on XTR.
Those XTR shifters cost something like £300 a pair when new, just lol.
You'd think the Altus ones would be double the weight or something... they cost £29.99 a pair new.
So then one is ten times cheaper than the other, going off new prices.
I was just under the impression if something was XTR (or Dura Ace) it was nearly impossible to wear it out. :oops:
Maybe the best 8-speed shifters are ones like SLX or something. Where it always was a mid range shifter coupled with the fact that it isn't ancient, just quite old. There has to be a sweet spot. I am going to try those new Claris flat bar shifters and see. 8)0 -
No they didn't cost that much.
You know things move on? The trick is to work out where diminishing returns set in and what to keep and what to buy new that give gains. Back then we had elastimer fork and the were shite0 -
A shifter that old might actually need some occasional love too; a quick clean and lube to keep her running smoothly.0
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A 16year old shifter is likely to be somewhat worn and clogged up! Let's see if the Altus lasts 16 years ;-).
Modern budget stuff is great, but the old XTR (if they were new) would be better made and I'd know what I'd have on my bike.0 -
**Really old parts in not working as well as new ones shock**
Even the combined units were nothing like £300, the pods were £110 IIRC.0
