Choosing a Shimano Mountain Bike Component

Mountain bike components are designed to withstand more abuse and extreme riding conditions. These components are heavier, sometime larger and more durable then road bike components. Sometime you are riding on dirt, rock, or in water, etc and the components need to be durable enough so they can withstand abusive treatment.

It just so happened that my rear derailleur broke on my full suspension mountain bike. I was riding a down hill trail and lost control of my bike. The rear of the bike ended up hitting the face of a rock and I was left with a mangled rear derailleur. So I looked at the positive side of the accident and said to myself now is the time to upgrade.

I could find new or near new parts on Bike Servant which is a mountain bike classifieds website and lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events but I was in the car with my bike so I decided to go to the store.

On the way home from the trail I stopped at my local bike store to buy a new derailleur so I can resume riding as quickly as possible. I told the bike shop guy my situation and she asked me which aftermarket Shimano derailleur I wanted to buy. Not knowing anything about the different categories in the Shimano product line I asked for help and this is what she relayed to me.

Shimano Deore is their entry level category. These products are inexpensive and meant for the occasional or enthusiast rider. These components are stocked on entry level mountain bikes.

Shimano Deore LX is their next level in higher quality. This category level consists of a more durable product. The main difference that I noticed is that Deore LX is lighter then Deore. My derailleur was a Deore LX and it has shown me proven quality and reliability for many years.

Shimano Deore XT was referred to as their heavy duty category. This product category is not considered race quality performance but they are light weight and more durable then the LX category. The price difference between the LX category and the XT category was noticeable.

Shimano XTR is considered their high performance category. Again these parts are lighter then the XT category. As a consumer I took notice to the price increase from XT to XTR. It appeared to me that this category appeals to the racers that demand light weight and high performance.

Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of Shimano’s product line. It is the list that my bike store carried.

So in my quest to buy a new derailleur I decided to purchase the Shimano Deore XT because of its light weight, durability and price. I had the bike shop install it for me and I was back on the trail in no time.

Posted by Bike Servant: Experience with full suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, bike parts and organizing race events for mountain biking.

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Mountain Bike Product Safety

A few months ago one of my friends called to tell me he was going to be late to the trail because he had a part on his bike that was being recalled. He wanted to stop at the bike shop and have his part replaced before our regularly scheduled ride. I too thought it was a good idea to get the part replaced before our ride so I told him that I will see him when he is finished at the store.

When I met up with my friend later in the day I asked him how he found out about his recalled part. He told me that his wife signed up for email alerts on product recalls. She subscribes to these email notification to be aware of toy issue for their children and it just so happened that a mountain bike part was on the email.

Just like other consumer products, mountain bike products occasionally get recalled for various reasons. I do not want to speculate so I am not going to give examples. It is important to be aware and not to ignore these recalls because your safety could be in jeopardy.

So in an effort to keep riders aware of product recalls the links below will direct you to the Consumer Affairs and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission websites. These sites will allow you to search their database for product recalls that might pertain to your bike, gear or both.

The two sites listed below are not meant to be the all encompassing sources of information. It is to help you get started in you product recall search. If you come across more sites with mountain bike recall information let us know and we will add it to the list.

Check out the websites below.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

- www.cpsc.gov/

Consumer Affairs

- www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls/recalls.htm

You can find new or near new parts on Bike Servant is a mountain bike classifieds website which lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events.

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Finding Mountain Bike Trails

So you purchased a mountain bike and you have been riding for awhile. You are getting faster and more courageous on your mountain bike but you are getting bored riding on the same trails. You and your friends have realized that you need new trail excitement in your life.

So you have talked to your friends and people at the local bike shop for more information about trails in the area. Most of them pointed you back to the trails that you are familiar with but some have introduced you to a new trail or two.

To add to you trail information many of us in the mountain bike community suggest you try a very handy directory. This is a Google directory that lists sites which contain trail information. Once you browse the directory you will be surprised at all of the trails that riders have documented. I have found that no one site has all of the trail information so you have to browse through the directory.

The web address below will help you find the local mountain bike trails in your region. The link is a Google directory of mountain bike websites that list trail information. Most of the trails listed contain directions to the trail head so you know where you are going. So check it out it is pretty helpful.

Mountain Bike Trails

You can find new or near new parts on Bike Servant which lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events. See you on the trail.

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