Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Some of the parts are below Altus 

Put Altus on a decent frameset,some of my best friends ride Altus.
You should save your pejorative terms for truly crappy components Bob!I've said for years that pond scum Shimano works just fine if it's adjusted correctly.
its the crank I don't like. I've buried a few.
I have one of them the Altus front mechs in the parts box. don't have the mount for it though.
I'm happy with Sora, but the rear mech (9speed) dies to quickly (and costs to much for what it is). cranks, front mech, shifters, brakes, etc. are all good though.
been looking at the Chinese offerings for a few years, but they are chasing the 12 speed market and I don't want that. 10 gears is to many on the fast bike, I'm happy with a max of 9.![]()
agreed and understood.The big numbers on the back are for smaller steps in wider range, so of main benefit to OneBy and racers, especially in hilly terrain.
3x8 was plenty, but the market moves forward, and longevity/cross- compatibility don't always come along for the ride![]()
agreed and understood.
I never had an issue with bigger steps to the rear, even when racing and, before it was cool, 1x. I'm special though, I like SS (dates back to old training techniques).