The 2008 Shimano Deore XT group set is considered the 25th birthday revamp for the XT group, still regarded by many as the benchmark of MTB technology. The set has undergone a complete redesign including some new technology not yet included in the XTR set. The tecchies apparently developed it for the 'All Mountain' market, but surely it'll be popular on all 26" or 29" bikes.
The highlight is the "Shimano Shadow" rear derailleur RD-M772 which is lightweight, as you'd expect, with an extra thin profile (in the picture, on the right).
Key design features (as stated by Shimano):
- Super low profile design - improved clearance from trail side hazards;
- Top normal spring - for use with rapidfire shifters;
- Increased vertical stability - prevents contact with the chainstay on rough terrain;
- New crisp shift response - lightweight shift performance;
- Shortened cable routing - reducing cable friction and enhances the low profile design.
Singletrackworld goes into more details about the other parts of the XT set but as can be expected, their review creates some debate among some readers not equally convinced of the 'completely new technology'. Read Bikemag.com for a more data-driven overview listing the specs of the various parts.
With this current buzz about the previews of the new 2008 Deore XT group set, Go Clipless ponders XT's advantages over the XTR and concludes:
"To me, the XT group is the poor man's XTR. But ironically it usually is a better choice than XTR if weight is not your only criteria. The system is simply more durable. (...) If you take your riding seriously, but don't make a living from it, you are better off with XT."
This new XT set is available in August.
