best XT iteration?
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Jimmy oldskool
Breezer Fan
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Ahhh XT…The workhorse of group sets…
IMO, M732 and 735 was the prettiest, with its sexy little gold ‘XT’ next to silver lettering and all on a lovely graphite grey background
As far as ‘fit and forget’ is concerned though…It has to be m739…Pretty much unbreakable!
IMO, M732 and 735 was the prettiest, with its sexy little gold ‘XT’ next to silver lettering and all on a lovely graphite grey background
As far as ‘fit and forget’ is concerned though…It has to be m739…Pretty much unbreakable!
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
the m738 and 739 rapidfire plus were relatively fragile.
I'm sure that there are users who don't break them, but iirc the rh ratchet pawl pin breaks off easily in "heavy" use.
We used to have half a dozen lh units in the sh drawer, and sell a lot of replacement rh ones - the more basic later ones were tougher.
A lot of users are careless, but then this is usually designed in at xt level.
If you're not careless and you've got a good pair, they are brilliant
I'm sure that there are users who don't break them, but iirc the rh ratchet pawl pin breaks off easily in "heavy" use.
We used to have half a dozen lh units in the sh drawer, and sell a lot of replacement rh ones - the more basic later ones were tougher.
A lot of users are careless, but then this is usually designed in at xt level.
If you're not careless and you've got a good pair, they are brilliant
Spankyfart
Marin Fan
Pretty much what Jimmy said, after the M739 the designs and the materials were terribad.
Also not forget the Deerhead.
Also not forget the Deerhead.
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M750, that modern stuff there. So obviously absolute pants and wash you mouth out. Vintage 
hardly even touches on being retro. (checks in - 97 section)
737 era was nice, nice chainrings. Front mech was faffy, something not quite right with the normal version.
Rear mechs OK, but wears out faster.
Vbrakes good but wear out and go floppy in a day.
Brake levers really nice, shifter good but don't feel so good on my thumb/fingers compared to say STX.
Cranks, look flimsy.
Headsts are really nice.
Really good solid hubs and the best cassette of the spider era.
M732/5 era is best though!
Just works, doesn't really break, lasts forever compared to M737
Shifters a pile of shite.
M730 OK too but the tech wasn't quite there.
The best XT part comes from here, the shark fin.
hardly even touches on being retro. (checks in - 97 section)737 era was nice, nice chainrings. Front mech was faffy, something not quite right with the normal version.
Rear mechs OK, but wears out faster.
Vbrakes good but wear out and go floppy in a day.
Brake levers really nice, shifter good but don't feel so good on my thumb/fingers compared to say STX.
Cranks, look flimsy.
Headsts are really nice.
Really good solid hubs and the best cassette of the spider era.
M732/5 era is best though!
Just works, doesn't really break, lasts forever compared to M737
Shifters a pile of shite.
M730 OK too but the tech wasn't quite there.
The best XT part comes from here, the shark fin.
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Brake pads, stick that as another post or so a quick search for the loads of posts about this.
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Never had a pawl go, go sticky yes but easily solved.
I do however have a set on a bike with the actual big lever itself has snapped off, lack bit and it fixing metal part, clean break, but just in use not crash or otherwise damage.
Double-E F
Gold Trader
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Best in terms of aesthetics, or functionality?
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
You could tell if the racer you're passing had xt in 96 - and getting away from the terrible squealing would provide motivation for a bit of sprinting
