[AlCapone]

I need to replace the shifter/derailleur/cassette/chainring/chain on my Stinky. What setup should I go for? I have $250-300 USD. I want something that is going to perform well and last quite a while. Right now I'm looking at the SRAM X.9 vs Shimano Saint.

 

[zdubyadubya]

basically you are going to get the whole shimano vs sram argument in this thread man, but i will bite and pipe in with my 2 cents.

sram.

why? cuz thats what i run and i like it more than saint, personal preference thats all. no other reason really. shimano feels gooey to me but saint stuff is unbreakable. sram is crisp and the derailleurs have no slap and the shifts feel amazing, but alot of people complain that the derailleur cant take a beating. for what its worth though, my x-0 has now lasted two seasons.

your best bet is to ride a bike with either one and put on what you like and feel most comfortable with

 

[AlCapone]

basically you are going to get the whole shimano vs sram argument in this thread man, but i will bite and pipe in with my 2 cents.

sram.

why? cuz thats what i run and i like it more than saint, personal preference thats all. no other reason really. shimano feels gooey to me but saint stuff is unbreakable. sram is crisp and the derailleurs have no slap and the shifts feel amazing, but alot of people complain that the derailleur cant take a beating. for what its worth though, my x-0 has now lasted two seasons.

your best bet is to ride a bike with either one and put on what you like and feel most comfortable with

Alright thanks. I have friends with both so I'll try it out.

 

[AlCapone]

I'm goin with the Saint. I just like the feel of the shifts more, and it seems indestructible. What gear ratios should I go for? I'm thinking Ultegra cassette with a 37 tooth ring but I'm not sure If the ratio will be low enough to pedal to the top of trails. Thoughts?

 

[Tayrob]

Good move on the Saint stuff.Strongest/best shifting set-up i've ever ridden.
As for the gear ratio stuff I run a 36t E13 ring with a 11-23 Ultega cassette.But I mainly ride at Northstar and shuttle,so not much in the way of riding to the trails.You could go with a 12-25 or 12-27 Ultegra cassette if you didn't wanna go full blown 11-34.I'd personally go with a 36t ring up front no matter what.

 

[OGRipper]

Yes, go Saint for DH and freeride. My personal experience is that the X9 and XO stuff cries when it even looks at a rock.

A 37 with an ultegra cassette is a good start for DH, but we need to know more about what kind of climbing you are talking about before we can talk about actual gear choices.

 

[AlCapone]

Type of climbing is pedaling up logging roads. No climbing on trails or anything.

 

[rigidhack]

I've had really good luck with X9 riding the Shore/Whistler/Galbraith. I have also heard horror stories about the Saint stuff that steered me away. When I tried the Saint setup, I found the shifting felt really numb, maybe a bit slugish. Not horrible, but different in a not-so-convincing kind of way.

Either one is a good choice, but I prefer SRAM.

36/11-26 is a good combo.

 

[Da Peach]

So now I'm thinking of switching out my old (2 seasons) cassette too.

Thinking of going for one of these:
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylePkey=17005&style_id=065%20SRADH8

And now not sure about the front ring. I've got a stock (Transition Blindside) 34t on there now, and just put on an LG-1.

Is there any benefit of running an E-13 chainring for alignment reasons? Are the tabs any different (thickness)? I've got Saint cranks.

 

[AlCapone]

So now I'm thinking of switching out my old (2 seasons) cassette too.

Thinking of going for one of these:
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylePkey=17005&style_id=065%20SRADH8

And now not sure about the front ring. I've got a stock (Transition Blindside) 34t on there now, and just put on an LG-1.

Is there any benefit of running an E-13 chainring for alignment reasons? Are the tabs any different (thickness)? I've got Saint cranks.

I think e13 rings are just stronger and lighter. I went with a 12-25 Ultegra cassette and 38t e13 ring. I went with that because I never need anything shorter than 36:26, but I sometimes wanted a higher ratio than 36:11.