Open Letter To Shimano
Note: This is the first time Mountain Biking by 198 has written an open letter to a mountain bike component manufacturer, so we will see how it goes!
An Open Letter To Shimano
Dear Shimano,
Over the years, I have watched you create mountain bike parts that are considered a must have amongst many enthusiasts. Your new SLX, XT, XTR and Saint lines for 2009 look like a huge step forward for your product line and I am excited to see new looks and technologies brought to the table for the recreational mountain biker. As we move forward, I look forward to seeing what else Shimano releases.
The reason for this open letter to your company is my frustration with your hub production. For many years, I ran your XT hub set. During those times, the XT hub set was known for its quality build and free spinning characteristics. While they did not have the best engagement in the industry, they did provide a hub that was worthy of carrying the XT name.
Over the past couple of years, Shimano has killed their reputation in the hub market. The M756 hub is a disgrace to the XT brand name and Shimano’s engineering capabilities. Not only does the hub have poor engagement, but now that engagement is sloppy and delivered in a less than ideal package. I understand the need for a budget hub for OEM and lower end builds, but the XT lineup is known for high performance at a mid-range price, and the XT hub does not deliver.
I believe that the mountain biking community is looking for a new direction from Shimano regarding their hub production and engineering. We can look at your other components and see that you can deliver a quality product at almost any price range. What is confusing is why you do not deliver this same quality and price with your hub sets.
For the purposes of bike reviews, I remove any wheelsets that are based around your XT rear hub. I feel that it actually takes away from the ride of the bike. Instead, I install models from Hope, Chris King, Hadley and others that provide a more dependable, performance centered ride.
For 2009, you have made some improvements to your hub line and introduced a XT wheelset. I have not ridden these sets, but from what I can tell…it seems like more of the same. Many of the 2009 model year bikes are still being spec’ed with last years XT, so I expect to see that for some time while you try to flush out old inventory.
Make the XT brand name deliver XT build quality and bring the XT hubs to their rightful place as a high performance hub at the XT price point.
Regards,
Robb Sutton
Mountain Biking by 198
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Tags: engagement on shimano xt hubs, mountain bike component review, shimano hub production, shimano hubs, shimano xt, shimano xt hubs
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I hope Shimano listens to you. After breaking several freehubs on LX and and XT hubs, I shifted to Hopes XC’s and haven’t had a problem. I sould note that the Hope XC is an older less expensive Hope model.
I remember seeing news of the new XT wheel, and thinking to myself, that would be nice if the hubs were stronger.
I fully agree with you, Robb! Last summer, I got an XT 15mm front hub to use with the new Fox 32 RLC 15QR and couldn’t have been more unimpressed by the quality. It was definitely entry-level compared to the other high-end, XT-esque hubs on the market.
I tried to call out RaceFace’s lack of customer support a few months ago and while it got a number of comments on the post, nothing from RF. Good luck breaking down Shimano’s walls.
Jason Mitchells last blog post..Dawn Patrol: Sunrise Turns in American Fork Canyon
I think back to my last set of XT hubs. Nothing went wrong with them but I swear that the shifting was worse due to the terrible engagement.
I’m a Hadley man these days.
How about free licensing for center lock
In the beginning I would agree with you, because qaulity of new XT hubs is poor in fact. But when I read this:
“Instead, I install models from Hope, Chris King, Hadley and others that provide a more dependable, performance centered ride”
I thought “what is he talking about, is that serious?” (and I’m afraid Shimano guys could think the same). Of course these hubs are more “performance centered”, because they are aimed at totally different customer. Look at the prices (all in british pounds):
- Hope Pro II: 120
- Hadley: about 200
- Chris King ISO Disc rear: 300
And finally XT M765: 40
So you can buy three XT hubs for the price of the cheapest of the hubs you mentioned. No wonder why they can be better quality…
Wooyek – You are illustrating my point. The XT brand name carries a performance expectation with it that should be comparable to the brand names mentioned above. I would expect the LX/SLX/Deore lines to carry a price tag of $40.00, not the XT line.
I think Wooyeh’s comments really add to the conversation. This pricepoint comparison needs to be made explicitly.
Shimano, keep selling us reasonabley good hubs at the $40 pricepoint, just don’t brand them as XT. Shimano needs to add some higher performance hub options at a higher pricepoint. Ideally, XT hubs would cost less than the boutique brands mentioned, maybe around $100, and the XTR could be even more.
Fair point about engagement etc, but as mentioned, the XT is a budget hub and is at a price point.
Personally- you cannto beat the quality at that price!
Pauls last blog post..Gravity Dropper seatpost mini review
I was a little concerned to hear this;
“For the purposes of bike reviews, I remove any wheelsets that are based around your XT rear hub. I feel that it actually takes away from the ride of the bike.”
Reviews are the views of the users of that product. Censorship of those views runs counter to the value a review forum brings to the public.
My 2 cents.
John
@ John
IMO…wheels are one of the components that can most effect the ride of a frame. I am tired of seeing reviews that go something along the lines of…
“the frame was great but the components were terrible”
Like every bike on the market would be perfect if it weren’t for components. Even bikes that are offered as complete builds come in different kits, so for the purposes of bike reviews…I like to make sure the frame has its best foot forward. For my riding style, the wheelset has a drastic impact on that, so in some cases…they do get swapped out in favor of a better trail feel for the bike.
This is stated in the reviews if applicable.
I agree to the fact that shimano xt hubs are degrading, as per my own experience with their m775.
http://aerox-mountainbiking.blogspot.com/2009/02/broken-wings.html