IF YOU'RE NOT bothered about weight, Shimano SLX is literally a super-solid, full feature gearset.
The angular rear mech
looks great on aggro trail bikes and the thick, pressed steel inner parallelogram/ actuator
arm creates a bombproof spine. There's a standard low-profile Shadow version
but hardcore riders should pay 15$ more for the tension adjustable and on/off
switchable chain-taming clutch of the Shadow + version included here. It's heavier
than the XT mech though and the jockey wheels get lower quality bearings that
are slightly less durable.
Lever throw before
each shift is also noticeably longer than with XT, which means a maximum
downshift of three rather than four gears per stroke. Individual shifts aren't
as crisp and positive when new either, though it still stays functional in
filth for significantly longer than SRAM's 2x10 gear.
The PTFE coated,
asymmetric plate HG75 chain is a great blend of performance and price, and the
HG81 cassette mounts the largest three sprockets on an alloy carrier to save
66g over the solid Deore block. It's still worth trading up to XT if overall
bike weight or high mileage is a concern though, and Zee would be our choice if
we were planning to build up a hardcore 1x10 bike.
WEIGHT 1,408g
FORMAT 2x10
PRICE 285$ (w/ Shadow Plus mech)
