What is the best mountain bike drivetrain for the money?

28 Comments

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Marvin Lee 2024
Oct 27, 2024

I've got both 11s and 12s, Shimmy to SRAM. I know this is personal preference and other factors, but I find 11s with a wide range cassette (like 10-46T) is all I really need. You can find 11s drivechain components at a fraction of 12s stuff and put together something like the extremely well performing XTR 11s system for pretty cheap.

4 reply

edjdoherty New Jersey // 2019
Oct 27, 2024

12 speed xt on my full suspension. Old Xtr 2x9 on my Fat bike. Shimano shifting is superior to sram. My newer bike came with Nx. I hated it.

3 reply

frank191 2022
Oct 28, 2024

AdventX. Shifts good enough and 10 speed wide range is perfect when you factor in chain life and not having to shift twice every time you shift like on a 12 speed.

3 reply

Sam James British Columbia // 2018
Oct 28, 2024

Deore 12sp for me is the pinnacle of cost vs performance. Put an XT shifter on it and it has roughly the same feel as an XT drivetrain for like $150.

3 reply

Rob Wales 2024
Oct 28, 2024

Deore is definitely smooth and reliable.

3 reply

bmied31 Indiana // 2017
Oct 27, 2024

I’m a Ttype lover but deore 12 speed with xt shifter best bang for buck. Other contenders is Linkglide XT and 10 speed Cues

3 reply

Shad Holland 2019
Oct 28, 2024

MicroShift AdventX for the money is an excellent drivetrain!

3 reply

jake.maki 2019
Oct 29, 2024

I agree it is great value. But with deore being so cheap and having incredible shift quality, I think it is now a better “value” even though it costs a little more. Imho

2 reply

CycleKrieg Minnesota // 2017
Oct 28, 2024

Came here to say this.

4 reply

evolutioncounsellingandwellness Slovenia // 2024
Oct 27, 2024

Cues u6000

2 reply

Rob Wales 2024
Oct 28, 2024

I just installed that, my only complaint is that the shifting is really slow compared to Deore.

0 reply

jake.maki 2019
Oct 27, 2024

Deore and SLX depending on part are so much better for the money then anything else. Maybe XT for shifter since only $10 more and allows multiple gears with single push either way. As far as value it is not even close.
Mechanical GX is good but similar prices to XT and doesn’t shift as well as deore

2 reply

Andre Jansen van Vuuren South Africa // 2024
Oct 27, 2024

I have, after 30 years of riding XTR and XT rebuilt 3 bikes into 1x and used XT shifters but for the mechs I used deore long cage derailleur and deore 11speed 11/51 cassettes. Worked out that I could do all three bikes for the price of 1 full 12 speed XT bike. My wife and I have been riding these bikes for a year now and zero issues. I think the shifter is a deal breaker. Of you have anything lower than XT it would feel cheap. The reason I went for 11 speed is because I am am a 110KG rider and feel that the 12 speed chains are too thin. I get the same gear ratio with the 11 speed with a bit thicker chain which I think might last longer.

2 reply

Roy Miller British Columbia // 2024
Oct 27, 2024

Shimano M5100 cassette and derailleur paired with XT shifter.
The gear spacing in the easy gears is far better than SRAM. Only matters if you need to use the easy gears a lot. Derailleur goes on sale for $69

2 reply

Nooje Victoria // 2024
Oct 29, 2024

The ideal groupset for me doesn't exist. I am 70, but not ready for an E bike yet. What I need is a massive spread of gears, more than a 1x can give me. I really would like a 3x, but quality like XT or XTR. I currently use a 2x XT (my Canyon is 7 years old). It uses Cues chain rings, 36 & 22 coupled with 11spd XT cluster 46-11.
I will probably have to make my own next bike as I cannot find anything suitable from a mainstream manufacturer.

2 reply

Itsumishi The Wonder Canned Tuna 2024
Oct 28, 2024

Another vote for Deore with an XT shifter. I also always opt for the best quality chain in stock at a halfway reasonable price, which usually ends up being XT spec.

Good chains tend to last longer and put less wear on the rest of the drivetrain.

1 reply

TDKF1 California // 2024
Oct 28, 2024

I also have MicroShift Advent X and am happy with it for the price.

1 reply

cuban2thecore166 California // 2019
Oct 27, 2024

IMHO ..Garbaruk is the best

1 reply

Caferacer Portugal // 2024
Oct 29, 2024

If we're talking about 11-speed groupsets it is shimano Deore hands down.
Sram X1 was pretty good as well but pricey.

1 reply

Joe Crow Northern Ireland // 2017
Oct 27, 2024

I have 4x Kona: 2x MTB (29" er hardtail & 27.5" full-sus); 29er e-MTB; and 700c rigid. All came with Shimano Deore as standard, and I cannot fault that range. MTbs are 1x10 or 1x9, and the other bike is old-school 3x8 (it is an '07 bike, after all).

0 reply

ed734 New Mexico // 2019
Nov 1, 2024

I run 8 or 9 …depending on the bike and cassette …with 12 speed spacing. Less extreme chain angles means less worn out bits and better shifting. For those who think they need 500+% drive trains perhaps there are other problems that need addressing. I just think it has gotten out of hand; cost, complexity, durability. Favorite bike is still a light sturdy single speed.

0 reply

Captain of the big red bike California // 2021
Oct 31, 2024

I've been riding box prime 9 for about 4yrs now. The wide range 11-50 9 speed is affordable and lasts.

0 reply

Adam Van Winkle California // 2015
6 days ago

In my limited experience the Sram GX is a solid choice.
I’d like to have some time on a Shimano xt set but haven’t had the opportunity. I’d assume they are similar but each having their own flavor.

0 reply

Jeff Hargis 2019
Oct 29, 2024

In terms of pure value, the synthesis of reasonable price, durability, and quality performance, Shimano's Deore must get the nod. It's been this way, M6100 on down to M510, when 9 speed was all the rage. My vote in this poll went to Deore XT, however. XT brings to the table a little of the swagger factor. It's more bougie, and it just feels good to run XT components. As in it enhances my ride quality from the inside (of me) out through the mechanics of the drivetrain. Any person interested in bikes and bicycling enough to pause to participate in such a poll likely understands the inclusion of intangibles into my choice, whether they agree with my specific selection or not.

0 reply

Vincent_e Arkansas // 2023
Oct 27, 2024

I’ve been running XT 11 speed with an e-thirteen Helix 9-46 cassette for over a year. It’s cheaper and lighter than 12 speed XT and works great. I have 12 speed XT on my other bike, and while it’s just a tiny bit smoother the difference is quite subtle. I like that I can use a medium cage derailleur so it has a bit more ground clearance.

0 reply

Livesinmexico Mexico // 2021
Oct 31, 2024

Pinion Smart shift

0 reply

2hip in CO Colorado // 2020
2 days ago

Shimano Deore is simply the best bang for my buck$. XT is my favorite for best performance (and sex appeal), and SLX is very good too. I’ve ridden SRAM SX👎 and GX👌(better than SX), but Deore shifts consistently better - less finicky than SX and GX - in my experience(IME).

0 reply

Svteam 2015
Oct 29, 2024

Still running sram x01 11 speed on 3 bikes

0 reply

Tagged: survey, gear, drivetrain

First published October 27, 2024 @ 3:33:00

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