XTR M900 vs XT M739

[ibbz]

I need to fit my new build with a rear mech and shifters plus V brake levers.

I have just bought a set of Xt M739 brakes so was thinking XT 739 levers.

Now my question is, XTR M900 or XT M739 as regards the Rear and front Derailleur's and shifters?

What's the differnece? are M900 much better in build quality? Or is XT M739 right up there ? Are M900 available as shifters only?

What would you choose? considering there's not much in them in terms of price.
Would you prefer a M739 in nicer cosmetic condition vis a vis a slightly marked scratched M900?

And am I right in guessing M739 is the very last top end version of XT? As the newer stuff look wack

 

[FluffyChicken]

M900, it's XTR ond looks nice, but XT 739 would go with the groupset and be period correct with M739 ('96-'9 of course.
M900 is '92 to '94, oddly a M910 rear mech might work better (1995) as it has the spring used in M737/9.
Also the M900 shifter (RF+) are pretty crap and brake.)

M900 are RF+ and Brake lever only so you'll not want them anyway.

XT is still available today (minus the Deore) but you're right 737/9 was the last 'retro' DeoreXT.

If you can get say, M750 Shifters I would use them, much better. I find the M739 shifter have a funny paddle, at least on the integrated brake/shifter ones.

 

[ibbz]

Thanks man!
Me thinks it also depends on what price I get to pay.
I'm looking at a lovely pair of M739 brake lever/shifters on ebay.
Plus considering whether to go for a M900 rear mech. So it'll probably be M739 brakes/shifters/levers and M900 rear mech (I do like that XTR decal on it

And in this case probably a M900 front mech, though if I can get hold of a M739 cheaply I'll go for that.

but thanks for clearing things up man!
I have been told that the M900 is one of the loveliest components Shimano has ever made, and the M73X is also a work of art

 

[FluffyChicken]

Thanks man!
Me thinks it also depends on what price I get to pay.
I'm looking at a lovely pair of M739 brake lever/shifters on ebay.
Plus considering whether to go for a M900 rear mech. So it'll probably be M739 brakes/shifters/levers and M900 rear mech (I do like that XTR decal on it

And in this case probably a M900 front mech, though if I can get hold of a M739 cheaply I'll go for that.

but thanks for clearing things up man!
I have been told that the M900 is one of the loveliest components Shimano has ever made, and the M73X is also a work of art

M900 is nicer to my eye then M73x in general. But based upon the same grounding M900 has better bearing races for instance in the hub and headsets. It's the little details you don't see.

If you can I would get M739 (or Avid) brake levers. In fact you could get away with M770 brake levers and they are a little bit nicer on the servowave switching and barrel adjustment. Doubt many would notice.
Then get your shifter separate.
I really do not get on with the M739 integrated shifter on my wifes bike, fells wrong and a world apart from the STX/Alivio (8 speed) of later years or the M750 (9speed) shifters, but scratch what I said before as you cannot use the M750 can you

ST-M008 are the 'separate' shifters the represent M900 the best, they're XT level though with M737 but they where hidden away. You can of course get ST-M739/740 separate shifters.

 

[Anthony]

I think many on here would say that M739 was the beginning of modern and an inferior set to M737.

If you're going to use V-brakes, M739 was the first set to use them (1996), but bear in mind that you need to get STIs because, for some bizarre reason the separate shifters and levers don't fit together properly. Hence the STIs are sought-after and cost a fair bit now. Even then, the shifters suffer from stupid fiddly little bolts on the cable cover, that invariably get lost, and the levers from stupid fiddly adjusters that allow the use of cantis as an alternative, and they sometimes get lost as well.

Also M739 V-brakes famously rattle when the parallelogram linkages work loose (after about a fortnight from new) and this ultimately affects power as well as the noise, because there is play in the mechanism. Early Avids and even LX M600 are better in practical terms than a well-used BR-M739, which scores only in looks.

And then the M739 four-arm cranks are widely considered ugly (although I don't see this myself) and a huge backwards step from the beautiful FC-M737 five-arm design. There is a 5-arm variant of FC-M739, but they are very rare and still not as nice as FC-M737. And of course four-arm FC-M739 has a non-detatchable big ring, so you need a complete spider/chainring replacement, which are now very rare.

If you're going to use an M900 front mech, bear in mind it was designed for standard drive and both the M737/8 and the M739/8/7 groupsets were compact drive. I think it will work on a compact-drive crankset, as the gaps between the rings are similar, but I'm not sure it would be ideal. Better to stick with XTR cranks for it, I should have thought, in which case you'll need to find an XTR bb for it.

 

[ibbz]

Damn!
I thought M739 were a safe bet as they were the last high quality XT component.
I bought the V brakes M739 from here, and am bidding on http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261150842975? ... 1423.l2649
on eBay (739 shifters/levers)

Now I've just read these posts and discovered that it was actually the first of the bog standard ordinary XT components.

I've bought an M900 rear Mech - that I am happy with.
I'm regretting buying the V brakes. I should've instead gone for XT thumbies or something and some modern silver coloured Avid SD 7 brakes/levers or Ultimates

I guess the XTR M900 shifters/levers aren't V compatible.

:cry:

 

[ibbz]

Well, I'm listing what I'm building below and the shifters/levers front/rear derailleurs are for this.

General theme (colour) being polished/silver with touches of black. (the frame/stem/bars/seatpost/end plugs/cranks - all being Silver colour, with the rings/Headset/forks) having black/Silver combo ((more black here)).

Hence my wish for a nice polished mech and V brake combo (rather than the dull Grey XTR stuff or the dull newer XT stuff or the horrid newer stuff)
And I do love the look of the XT M73X on my Dynatech, and the M900 stuff - and i have M900 hubs so another incentive to get that.

I was looking at a polished Sachs Quarz, but the last one I bid on in ebay went for about £100, so way out of my budget.

The Black designates what I have, Blue designates what I'd prefer to get hold of, and the Red is what I have just bought now.

My build so far:

- 16" RSP Ti Frame
- Chris King headset
- X-Lite L168 stem
- X-Lite XC Alloy Bars
- X-Lite bar end plugs
- X-Lite Clickon Seatpost
- X-Lite Kevlar Saddle
- X-Lite seat bolt/QR clamp
- Lizard Skins Peachy Lock-on Grips
- Syncros forged cranks
- Sun Ringle compact rings
- Shimano UN55 BB
- Shimano HG 8 speed cassette
- Mavic 231 rims
- XTR M900 Hubs F/R
- XTR M900 Rear Derailleur
- XTR M900 Front Derailleur
- XT M739 V Brakes F/R
- XT M739 STi/Levers
- Brave Ti skewers (Though some Syncros or X-Lite would be preferred replacement)
- Pace RC36 pro Class or Evo III fork
- Michelin Wild gripper tyres. (2.1)

 

[FluffyChicken]

The fiddly bit on the brake levers where not for cantilevers but are to enable real men to use 'servo-wave' hence it doesn't matter if they fall under the decking.

5arm cranks do crop up or even 4arm if you knick it off the Stx crank but hu out have some alternatives all ready

Never knew the individual shifters don't sit too well, never tried though.

If you don't mind new and want silver v brakes then the M580 all silver, last of the MTB LX are excellent brakes. They are on my Altitude in my signature.
Edit ah blue is what you have so ignore.

 

[MikeD]

Now I've just read these posts and discovered that it was actually the first of the bog standard ordinary XT components.

Not really. XT level has always been XT level. XTR came in above it. It wasn't the case that XT got significantly cheaper or worse (barring certain idiosyncracies as noted above), it's just that Shimano moved the high end upwards.

 

[ibbz]

Now I've just read these posts and discovered that it was actually the first of the bog standard ordinary XT components.

Not really. XT level has always been XT level. XTR came in above it. It wasn't the case that XT got significantly cheaper or worse (barring certain idiosyncracies as noted above), it's just that Shimano moved the high end upwards.

Conflicting accounts, I heard that XT went sharply lower end with M750,
http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Shimano_Deore_XT_derailleur_(M750_SS).html