[towelie]

Hi guys. I was wondering...is XT rapidfire a decent upgrade from LX rapidfire shifters? I was thinking of buying some while rapidfires are still available. Also, I'd be putting my LX shifters on my wife's Deore bike, so it would sort of be a double upgrade.

 

[Serial Midget]

You will not notice a dramatic difference. I have some LX pods from a few years back and two sets of XTs - under most conditions I cannot tell the difference.

Save your bucks and buy better beer.

 

[rockracing]

I must admit I changed from Deore to XT merely for cosmetic reasons, but was so impressed with difference that I was stoked I made the upgrade (the deores were only a few months old and so were working fine)

I'd say if you got the cash and are worrying about not sourcing them in the future, get them but only put them on when your LX start to feel sloppy.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
You will not notice a dramatic difference. I have some LX pods from a few years back and two sets of XTs - under most conditions I cannot tell the difference.

Save your bucks and buy better beer.

-S.S.-

 

[JRogers]

I say buy a pair and wait until you thrash the ones you have or get nothing and just buy SRAM when you bust your LX. I have owned LX and XT on the same bike and noticed a decent difference but not enough of one to justify buying some XT pods on their own. SRAM is a viable alternative. They are just as good as rapidfire. I have a pair of X.9s and they are great

 

[Skookum]

i say if a component makes you curse more than three times or makes you bleed once, then and only then are you justified in upgrading it.

 

[Snacks]

Originally posted by JRogers
I say buy a pair and wait until you thrash the ones you have or get nothing and just buy SRAM when you bust your LX. I have owned LX and XT on the same bike and noticed a decent difference but not enough of one to justify buying some XT pods on their own. SRAM is a viable alternative. They are just as good as rapidfire. I have a pair of X.9s and they are great

I agree.....upgrade to the SRAM if it's possible. I went from the XT to the X.9's and will never go back.

 

[JRogers]

Originally posted by Snacks
I agree.....upgrade to the SRAM if it's possible. I went from the XT to the X.9's and will never go back.

Well, for me, I wouldn't go that far. I really do like Shimano stuff. The X.9/X.0 combo I have now works just as well (though, so far has needed a bit less adjustment and break in) as XT stuff I have used. The one problem I have had besides my front shifter initially not working is that, because of my hand position, I sometimes tap the release tension shifter lever and shift accidentally, usually at inopportune moments.

 

[Enduro]

I did notice the difference. First of all, the XT lever doesn't flex as much as the LX. It might be the bearing... Also, the plastic around the cable-insert-screw cracked and I didn't crash or anything like that. I still run a LX 4 my front der. though, no problem.

 

[blue]

I'd say go with the new SRAM Attack triggers (Work with Shimano derailleurs). I have the XT Rapidfires and they're nice, but I've ridden the SRAM trigs and they're so much better...They just feel better. Were you looking at the lever/shifter combo or just the pods?

 

[towelie]

Just the pods. I realize it isn't THAT big an upgrade, but my reasons were as follows...

1) Found a pair for like 30-40% off online
2) I'm worried about having my rapidfires break down the road and having to go to dual control or something
3) I could put my LX stuff on my wife's bike, which would be deore before

I hear a lot of good things about the SRAM stuff. I didn't realize they would work with Shimano rear derailers though. I thought the pull ratio was different. I tried them briefly on a trail once. While they shifted nice, I didn't think the worked better than Shimano. I also felt like it was too easy to bump the bottom lever when reaching for the top lever. But you know what- they really reminded me of my old Shimano Push/Push shfiters on my old '92 Schwinn Highplains. An old idea revived. Nobody lamented their passing at the time though.

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by towelie
While they shifted nice, I didn't think the worked better than Shimano. I also felt like it was too easy to bump the bottom lever when reaching for the top lever. But you know what- they really reminded me of my old Shimano Push/Push shfiters on my old '92 Schwinn Highplains. An old idea revived. Nobody lamented their passing at the time though.

I'd watch your back - the anti-Shimano Clique won't take kindly to them words.

Anyhow - your LX pods are not likely to fail - mine have been through hell with me and now on my loaner bike - thousands of shifts later and they still work perfectly.

I too demo'd the new Sram shifter and... big yawn, they work just like Shimano.