Just saw the Shimano website only lists XTR, XT and SLX mountain groups. Has Saint been retired?
Is Saint discontinued?
- Thread starter Nick
- Start date
And Zee?
A-HA!
It seems I was viewing a Shimano page only showing their 12-sp groups.
You are right. Never mind.
Saint does have the honor of being the shimano grouppo to go the longest without an update (current version was launched 2012). XTR, XT, and SLX have all been updated *twice* since then. given that both these facts, i think it's a pretty safe bet that saint and zee will be getting the next updates, exactly when that will occur is anyone's guess. but given how quickly the 12 speed XT and SLX followed 12 speed XTR i would say they're not far out, maybe 2020.
W/ the 'enduro' focus points some of the groups are getting saint is feeling more and more weird. I mean if I want cranks from Shimano I am getting XTR or XT (can we get an 83mm?), if I want big brakes, prob XTR. If I want hubs? Oh wait I am not getting shimano hubs. Shifter? Don't need a dh shifter...Derailure? Probably should just make a shorter cage XT & XTR...
You're exactly what the industry wants to hear. "yeah, I'm willing to replace cranks all the time. They don't need to last for more than a year or two."
At no point was I saying I was willing to buy cranks all the time. Have you ever owned a set of XTR cranks? They are like Chris King headsets, never die...Not sure I am following.
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Three, two, one.... queue race face, and CUT warranty take five, marketing that’s a wrap see you tomorrow.
I've had the same saint cranks I got in a build kit in 2013. I took them off for a while because weight, but then started taking a lot of road trips and decided I didn't want hassle. I still have cranks attached.
So that's good.
So that's good.
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Not sure I am following either, as self-loosening headsets (and self-loosening old gen hubs I had for that matter) were hardly points of acclaim, although I would hope they got their shit dialed at this point. Anyway, I haven't had a set of XTR cranks in a minute, but given the savage beating my Saint cranks have taken on my DH bike, I wouldn't expect any XTR model do well under those circumstances. Plus, my Saints are noticeably stiffer than any crank I've ever turned with bad intentions, albeit not everyone seems to want super stiff cranks. May have a point on the new XTR brakes tho, as I haven't tried them - just hope they're even 50% as reliable and powerful as my old Saint 820s.
I remember when everyone was running XTR cranks on DH bikes.
But then they all had 15" BB height too...
Shimano hollowtech has always been great strength/stiffness to weight ratio. I'm not sure I could justify expensive metal cranks though and I-beam section cranks aren't that bad either. It seems it's more about keeping the pedal-thread area from damage rather than all-out crank-snapping force...
But then they all had 15" BB height too...
Shimano hollowtech has always been great strength/stiffness to weight ratio. I'm not sure I could justify expensive metal cranks though and I-beam section cranks aren't that bad either. It seems it's more about keeping the pedal-thread area from damage rather than all-out crank-snapping force...
I guess I am saying that I have been trying to kill a set of XTR cranks in bike parks for years, they have giant scratches/gouges and they don't seem to mind at all. I can't imagine what it would take to actually break them. I sure as hell would not trust a SRAM or RF carbon product w/ these marks.
That said, need eewings.
I said I couldn't justify running real expensive metal cranks, I wasn't saying that I wouldn't run metal cranks, just that the metal ones shouldn't cost the same as the snappy carbon ones. For the record on those, the only ones I've had problems with are the RF Cheese SL. Although I snapped an old XX1, it was after years of DH abuse and racing. I sure as hell wasn't going to pay $500 for those either. The fat-bike XX1s I have were supposed to cost $500, but I bought the normal ones+race face fat spindle and made my own for a few hundred less...
SRAM: Metal skeleton including pedal and spindle interface, wrapped in carbon. Filled with foam on X01, hollow on new XX1. Supposedly X01 is for endurpo and XX1 XC.
Some RFs: Carbon structure with spindle and pedal inserts bonded to carbon, but not connected in any way or any internal skeleton.
yes sir.
The first pair is expensive, after that they multiply.
Saint cranks are pretty much indestructible. But yea, heavy. The only cranks I've ever killed were a set of Gravity cranks (bent) and stripped out an XT crank pedal insert.
It seems like Saint should regress to a 7 or 8 speed, true DH drivetrain, improve the brakes with pistons made of NOT the suck so they last more than two seasons, and refresh with some B.N.G. technology.
It seems like Saint should regress to a 7 or 8 speed, true DH drivetrain, improve the brakes with pistons made of NOT the suck so they last more than two seasons, and refresh with some B.N.G. technology.
shimano has saint positioned as a DH race drivetrain, i would be surprised if they didn't go this route for the next iteration.
Do you have a set?
BUT DO YOU HAVE THREE???!!!
I bent a first gen one once. That hurt.
Even at our local races the joke is now betting it was a SRAM carbon crank as soon as someone says a crank snapped or a pedal got ripped out. Those things are a complete joke unless you're riding a BMX track.
Chucking Saints on my DH bike was a game-changer. I went from killing a set of cranks every year or so, to never doing it again. I don't care if they're slightly heavier, I run Shimano cranks on all my bikes now. Fuck yo carbon cranks.
Well I just got off crutches, but that was a skiing injury.
I actually didn't even crash when I bent the Saint arm. Mistimed a pedal stroke coming out of a corner and slammed my back foot into a rock super hard. Basically did a bar hump while still clipped in and on the ground, but rode out the resulting nose wheelie and put it back down safely.
Haaaa we have all been there glad you made it out alive.Well I just got off crutches, but that was a skiing injury.
I actually didn't even crash when I bent the Saint arm. Mistimed a pedal stroke coming out of a corner and slammed my back foot into a rock super hard. Basically did a bar hump while still clipped in and on the ground, but rode out the resulting nose wheelie and put it back down safely.
How far did that knock the earth out of it's orbit if those were Saint 800 cranks?Well I just got off crutches, but that was a skiing injury.
I actually didn't even crash when I bent the Saint arm. Mistimed a pedal stroke coming out of a corner and slammed my back foot into a rock super hard. Basically did a bar hump while still clipped in and on the ground, but rode out the resulting nose wheelie and put it back down safely.
A lot.
Dude is the cause of global warming.
Yup, seriously, it's all his fault - bloody hacks fucking up the environment.
for real. i've been on the same set since 2006. they've been on several frames now..
That was the point I was trying to make about XTR, I have a similar situation, beat to hell.