As for new parts, I know I am getting old but the prices of anything decent new is absolutely horrendous now, I have bought new bikes for the price of some new cassettes..... FFS
I think there's definitely some nostalgia involved. Also, a lot of people who started riding MTBs in the late 80s and early 90s, are now at an age where they have well-paid jobs, and can now afford high prices for all the XTR kit they could only gaze longingly at when they were younger.1. supply and demand
2. nostalgia
3. you don't have to
4. greedy chancers trying to make a quick buck
I have seen wide range cassettes on MTBs for a while, but as I only own a 7 speed 1990s MTB, I never gave much attention to the cost of these new style cassettes. I was quite surprised when I discovered the prices of these new style wide range cassettes.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mtb/cassettes?f=2258,2212&sort=pricehigh
Looking through an MTB magazine from 1992 suggests that cassettes were £19.99 for XT, £17.99 for DX, and £12.99 for whatever is below DX.
If I plug those values into a time-money-inflation calculator .....
https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/1992-to-present-value?amount=20
..... then the costs today would be about £36.00 for XT, £32.50 for DX, and £23.50 for whatever is below DX.
Of course we need to allow for the fact that there is more technology, material, labour, and added value, in a modern, wide range cassette, but even allowing for that, I still think that the price increase from 1992 to 2021 is absolutely shocking. And anyway, isn't increased automation in manufacturing supposed to make everything cheaper?
As woz says above. Im not sure what type of cheese they make xt chainrings from now, but my latest xt ring lasted 300 miles before i noticed wear. At 600 ish off road its toast! The ring is almost as expensive as the whole chainset, which explains why ebays awash with worn ones.
Man made money pit is about right. I would expect 4x that life from an old skool or decent quality ring.....min.
As for the shifters being " better quality plastic" PLASTIC.....! Thats my whole point about quality of older parts in a nutshell.......plastic shifters...