Are derailers as important as they used to be

[Zudnik]

Maybe that's not the best way to ask my question, but I used to ride MTB a lot about 15 years ago. I would only ride XT and my brakes were Hope Mini. At the time I wouldn't consider anything less than either due to reliability of shifting and braking. Is that the same today or has performance improved so much that less expensive components perform better than higher end components from 15 years ago?
Thanks

 

[Yoak]

If you are not too concerned about a few grams ekstra, the SLX group is very good now. Great bang for the buck.

 

[Gary]

I used to ride MTB a lot about 15 years ago. I would only ride XT and my brakes were Hope Mini. At the time I wouldn't consider anything less than either due to reliability of shifting and braking.

XT has pretty much always been an excellent durable light and reliable groupset but hope minis were never particularly great brakes.

has performance improved so much that less expensive components perform better than higher end components from 15 years ago?

in a lot of ways yes.
15 years back XT was a 9 speed group designed to work with a triple chainset and an 11-32 cassette. The rear mech had no clutch but material quality and construction tolerances were still way higher than todays proper budget parts (ie. current shimano 9 speed Altus/Alivio groups)
XT or XD (SRAM) 12 speed cassettes have IMO a pointlessly wide range and are hugely expensive in running costs for an Ebike.
10 speed Zee/SLX/Deore is 1/10 of the cost, just as light/durable and performs almost as well but without quite so wide gear range
11 speed SLX is half the price of 12 speed XT and performs almost as well

The middle gound Deore/Zee/SLX is squarely where I'd be looking if specing an Emtb drivetrain from the ground up
Brakes wise, mid level SRAM or Shimano 4-pots are both way more powerful than old Hope 2 pots.

 

[OldBean]

Sorry but Rollhof or similar internal gear system is the only way to go. Derailleurs are so ....... YESTERDAY

 

[Gary]

Don't be sorry. Its just your opinion. Your views on the matter don't actually affect anyone but you.

I can buy 20+ full drivetrains for the same outlay as a rohloff system. So it would take somewhere around 100000 miles to break even. Abd it's not like a rohloff doesn't need any maintenance or spares over that sort of milage either.

 

[OldBean]

Don't be sorry. Its just your opinion. Your views on the matter don't actually affect anyone but you.

I can buy 20+ full drivetrains for the same outlay as a rohloff system. So it would take somewhere around 100000 miles to break even. Abd it's not like a Rohloff doesn't need any maintenance or spares over that sort of mileage either.

Ha 100,000 miles @ 1000+ miles a year thats 100 years ..... BUT I'm already 0ver 80 so doubt I will break even but will enjoy NOT spending hours cleaning/adjusting the bloody cassette..... I will do my best to get to 180..!!!! just because I'm a tight git.

 

[Andrie]

I’m also done with derailleur and cassette. Just ordered kindernay. In 18 months and 2600 miles, I’ve been through 4 hangers, 4 cassette, and 3 chains. The first chain last the longest at 1000 miles. For some reason the cog on one of the cassette bent so I had to replace it. Yes I tried bending it back.
Yes I fell a few times and damaged or broke the hangers. They are cheap luckily and it didn’t damage the derailleur surprisingly.
However it damaged 3 SLX cassette so far. Some of the cog bent or some of the teeth broke. And lucky me it always happened on the first 4 big cogs so they are one piece unit or I could have used my small cogs from the older cassette.

in the end it cost me $500 and time lost and having to hike a bike. If this continues I am already half way to the price of the kindernay vii. So I took the plunge and hopefully no longer having to experience all these shit. LOL

 

[Gary]

With your track record you should have asked kindernay if you can be their destruction tester. ?

 

[Zed]

Sorry but Rollhof or similar internal gear system is the only way to go. Derailleurs are so ....... YESTERDAY

I can only imagine the heaviness of that back wheel lol... I had a Nexus on a commuter bike once and it was horrible on that, I think a Rohloff is around the same weight?

 

[ggx]

What make sense, and what the consumer expects to see in a bike are diferent thinks. 12 v 10x52 cassete or similar in a ebike it´s a waste, but it´s what you get in most of them, because it´s what most of us like to see/have.

 

[Andrie]

With your track record you should have asked kindernay if you can be their destruction tester. ?

I tried. They didn’t bite. I say it’s their lost. ?

 

[sanosan34]

add c

 

[DrStupid]

I find that 10 speed systems are actually better than the newer stuff.

That said,

I ordered a Kindernay 7 through my LBS yesterday.

I've been sitting on the fence since the 14 speed was released. The twosie shifter was the deal breaker. Now they have the beautifully machined Onesie shifter, and a lighter, cheaper 7 speed, all of MY excuses went up in smoke, along with my cash.