The quick gear changes with fingers instead of bike shorts - whether with index finger or thumb - never let me down. Even after hundreds of kilometres, in the mud and in wet conditions, the sealed Teflon shifting sleeves quickly transfer any thumb pressure to the rear derailleur and front derailleur. The only thing I didn't do was wear out the chain to the point of rattling. After all, the aluminium chainrings of my 40/28 crankset and the €260 titanium sprocket (5 out of 10) are not something you want to swap at that price. Even the ten-speed SRAM chain I fitted afterwards didn't affect the XTR's top level. The chainrings and derailleur pulleys are clearly worn. A small point of criticism: Converting to the Ispec clamp is a fiddly job.
CONCLUSIONprecise shifting pioneer on the market; lightweight construction costs points in terms of wear.
Function ******
Durability ****
(max. 6 stars)
Weight 1814 grammes
Price 1580 Euro
Info www.paul-lange.de
