Comments on: Open Letter To Shimano

By: Aerrox

Aerrox — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:29:14 +0000

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

By: 198

198 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:20:48 +0000

@ 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.

By: John

John — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:45:42 +0000

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

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:54:02 +0000

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

By: Tenbroeck

Tenbroeck — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:41:35 +0000

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.

By: 198

198 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:25:30 +0000

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.

By: Wooyek

Wooyek — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:02:05 +0000

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…

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:33:29 +0000

How about free licensing for center lock

By: RedRocker

RedRocker — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:28:57 +0000

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.

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:24:47 +0000

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