Bike components are designed to withstand more abuse and extreme riding conditions. These elements weigh more, sometime larger and much more durable then bicycle components. Sometime you're riding on dirt, rock, or even in water, etc as well as the components need to be durable enough to allow them to withstand abusive treatment.
It really so happened that my rear derailleur broke in my full suspension mountain bike. I used to be riding a down hill trail and lost charge of my bike. A corner from the bike wound up striking the face of a rock and i also stayed with a mangled rear derailleur. So I checked out the positive side with the accident and believed to myself the time has come to upgrade.
I really could find new or near new parts on Bike Servant that is a mountain bike classifieds website and lists bikes on the market, bike parts and race events but I was in the car with my bike therefore i went to the store.
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Along the way home in the trail I stopped within my local bike store to purchase a fresh derailleur so I can resume riding as quickly as possible. I told the bike shop guy my situation and she or he asked about which aftermarket Shimano derailleur I desired to buy. Being unsure of anything about the different categories in the Shimano manufacturer product line Specialists for help and that is what she relayed if you ask me.
Shimano Deore is their basic level category. These products are inexpensive and designed for the sporadic or enthusiast rider. These elements are stocked on basic level mountain bikes.
Shimano Deore LX is their next stage in high 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 called their heavy duty category. This system category is not considered race quality performance but they are lightweight plus more durable then the LX category. The purchase price difference between the LX category and also the XT category was noticeable.
Shimano XTR is considered their powerful category. Again these parts are lighter then your XT category. Being a consumer I took notice to the price increase from XT to XTR. It appeared to me that category appeals to the racers that demand lightweight and performance.
Keep in mind that this is not a complete listing of Shimano's manufacturer product line. Oahu is the list that my bike store carried.
So within my quest to buy a new derailleur I decided to buy the Shimano Deore XT because of its light-weight, durability and price. I'd the bike shop set it up for me and that i was back around the trail very quickly.