XTR M900 vs XT M739

[Anthony]

So the cranks themselves aren't that different?
Just asking as I'm considering powder coating a set of cranks but using XTR maybe a bit ott if they are powdercoated?

No, FC-M900 is a quite different shape to FC-M737. M900 is polished, so yes it would look all wrong if powder-coated.

 

[elPedro666]

That's why I put the link up - so somebody else could actually read it...

 

[MikeD]

Conflicting accounts, I heard that XT went sharply lower end with M750,

ref. http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/

Two points there. First, 750 came in seven years after XTR was introduced. You could certainly make a strong case (cf Anthony's post) that 750 wasn't a particularly impressive incarnation, but it was nominally at the same level as previous XT. I do agree that it doesn't have the same high-end look as previous generations, although I suspect they went for the all-matt finish mainly for a change after so many years of polished knuckles and cages. Remember that M950 XTR went all matt grey too.

750 actually works fine, but it's rather post-retro.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Whats the difference between the cranks on m73* and M900?

M900 takes ATB pattern rings, and that's just for starters

M900 was the evolution of M730 that had gone before, cold forged and made into super low profile so needeing the 'new' UN90 bottom bracket at 107mm the first major change in the crank design for a long time.

Then M737 came out based around the M900 super low profile design, but shrank to the compact Drive Size taken and mollested from Suntours MicroDrive then squared off enough so you could tell and then had a matt finish put on it. They where also not cold forged*, so technically not as strong as M900. They pinched the 107 bottom bracket length as well and added the 110 length for good measure.
They are in fact lighter than M900 but then there is less metal on it.


*as far as I know

 

[elPedro666]

Post-Retro, now there's a whole new minefield!

Another mini addition: m95* use V1 Octalink as mentioned, but unless you swap to a 5-bolt 110mm atb spider they are 4-arm but NOT the usual 104mm, think they're 106 but anyways not compatible with anything else ring wise.

Just get some Middleburns...

 

[ibbz]

All interesting. I did have a set of octalink v1 m950 cranks and Bb and I didn't like them, they weren't up to the standard of my m730 cranks on my dynatech to be honest, on fit finish and feel.
And the grey is most definitely post retro.

I didn't win the XT m739 Sti and levers on eBay. So still on the lookout for something to match my m900 rear mech hubs and XT 739 v brakes.
A shame m900 shifters are only available bolted onto canti levers.

 

[elPedro666]

'Bolted' being the operative word - can get mounts for them and I believe STX mounts fit. Conveniently I've got a NOS STX-RC lh shifter if you can find a rh!

 

[Tazio]

'Bolted' being the operative word - can get mounts for them and I believe STX mounts fit. Conveniently I've got a NOS STX-RC lh shifter if you can find a rh!

I've got a right hand one!! But no left hand. Not NOS though.

 

[elPedro666]

'Together, we can build it!'

 

[Anthony]

And the grey is most definitely post retro.

No, come on, it may be post-something, but we can't have that surely? Either that sublime grey was made to go with Mavic 217CDs, or the sublime grey of Mavic 217CDs was made to go with XTR grey. Either way, it's a classic, and if we start excluding that kind of classic combination from retro, we'll be diminishing the whole show. IMPO.