traxdata said:Cycling is my absolute favorite sport—I just love being on my bike! I mean, yeah, cycling can be incredibly exhausting, especially when you start talking about mountain biking... I used to ride all the time, like every single day, just for fun and exercise... but lately, I haven't really felt like it. I know I need to get back into it. I was browsing online the other day and saw something about a bike path running from somewhere like Philadelphia out toward the suburbs... Is it even possible to ride bikes around Philly without dealing with crazy traffic?
My big dream this summer is to grab my bike and head out for a trip through the Napa Valley area...
Can you tell me, what kind of gear shifts are actually out there? Like, what are the different classes? A friend tried explaining it to me ages ago—something about XTC or tX... I can't quite remember, but you probably know your stuff. I bought a used Montague and a Raleigh about three years ago and I absolutely love them, they're great... but I'm such a dummy, I have no clue what kind of shifter I actually have...
Oh man, sorry, I totally missed your post!
So, look, most gear sets you'll run into are made by Shimano; they pretty much dominate the market here in the States. There's also SRAM, but you won't see them nearly as often around here...
Now, regarding Shimano... specifically for those Montague types... the lowest tier is Shimano Altus. That’s basically just something they put on a bike so it technically *has* gears. It’s fine if you’re just pedaling down the street to the local video store or something similar. Then you've got Acera, which is in that same ballpark but usually aimed more at basic City bikes...
After that, you move up to Alivio. That’s the group meant for recreational riders—you know, the typical Sunday cruise through a local park like Central Park where you aren't pushing too hard or shifting under heavy load...
Then comes Deore... that’s for the more serious hobbyists who are out riding frequently and a bit more intensely. It’s a really solid middle-of-the-road class that'll satisfy pretty much anyone, unless you're someone who lives in the saddle every single day...
Next is Shimano LX... honestly, I don't think there's a massive leap from Deore there. It's just higher priced, that's about it...
Shimano XT... now we're talking. That’s a really nice setup that works beautifully even when you're putting some pressure on the pedals. It's precise, smooth, and quiet... plus the materials used are better...
And finally, Shimano XTR... that's the pro racing group. It's strictly for people hunting for the absolute best, and well, it costs accordingly...
You actually made my day with this question! Every one of those groups also has its own specific brakes and shifters (the levers you use to change gears), and those are graded similarly too. But honestly, Deore should be plenty for you... maybe check out the Shimano website and take a look...www.shimano.com
I'll try to shoot you a private message tomorrow with some specific routes I know, but if you really want to dive into the weeds, check out some of the cycling forums; there are tons of threads on this exact stuff...
American Cycling Forum
Geez, I went on a total rant there, didn't I? If some guy had asked me, I probably would've just given him a couple of addresses and called it a day...
😁 😎
