Reliable MTB parts that last

[mattr]

I ran a cheap steel ring on my old (old) training bike. Must have done 50000km through all weather's. At least.
Threw it away when I finally gave up on square taper bottom brackets. Got fed up of replacing them every spring.
The hollow techs on all my other bikes, a couple doing higher mileages with less maintenance were basically fit and forget. I've never worn out a hollow tech. Yet.

 

[Raging_Bulls]

M730-735 shifters, mechs and hubs, UN-72 BB or the older M730 cones and cups BB, steel chainrings, mid-range cassette (HG-50 or the like) and a regular modern 7-speed chain.

 

[Rob H]

Thanks everyone, interesting the mixed views on XTR

 

[mattr]

Some XTR parts just go for ever.
Front and especially rear mechs. Shifter pods. Brakes to a degree. Cranks are good, but then so are deore at a fraction of the price.

Wear parts are less good. Chain, nothing special, rings, one season, cassette, weeks. Especially if you do any running on the ti sprockets.
FWIW I've found that only the top tier, high budget pro teams (or those sponsored by shimano) run Dura Ace or XTR cassettes. Most have XTR/DA for show, then Ultegra/xt on everything else. Blowing through €175 cassettes at the rate that pro teams do is hardly sensible. (Unless that seasons DA/XTR is unique, 11 speed for example)

 

[al-onestare]

The only items that last, for me at least, are CK headsets and Hope BB's (hollowtech). The former literally lasts the lifetime of the bike, the latter a good 12-18 months. I do 22 miles a day, 5 days a week, all on the road but on London's lovely smooth surfaces

Everything else really doesn't last but the way I look at it, it's like a car. It needs servicing - an annual MOT at the very least - and in practice, a thorough change twice a year: cables, cassette, chain, chain rings, tyres. Even the saddle these days need changing once a year.