shimano deore lx rd m570 rear derailleur

What happened to Deore LX, and how good was that?

Bike tourers may be the most “nostalgic” group amongst other bikers. They usually stick to their Brooks saddles, Ortlieb Classics, Ryde (formerly Rigida) rims, and of course, Schwalbe Marathon’s. And one other mysterious thing: Deore LX groupset. Yes. This groupset may not be that prominent as other items in the list, but amongst bike tourers, Deore LX is very highly regarded. There is a cloud of mystery around Deore LX. Most people love their hubs, and swore they are better than enything else. Some people say the rear derailleurs are unmatched. And most people love their cranksets, including me. Was Deore LX is really that legendary? Are Deore LX parts manufactured with better materials, or workmanship? Why Shimano stopped making a legendary groupset? I’ll try to answer all those questions. After reading, I know many people will hate me, too… Continue Reading What happened to Deore LX, and how good was that?

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peugeot randonneur bike

My random ideas and tips on touring and touring bikes

I (unfortunately) did not go long tours (yet). Yet, I travelled quite long distances, and tried lots of bikes and equipment. This blog post is not a structured, or an in-depth one, but includes some useful tips. Bike frames You don’t need a super fancy bike to cover long distances, but a nice bike helps drastically. It doesn’t matter if it’s steel or aluminium, but carbon fiber is a risky frame material: it collapses without a prior warning, and impacts can internally damage frames. While you’ re bike touring, your bike will fall eventually, even it is standing still, because of unbalanced loads, etc. Get a bike with long chainstays. Longer chainstays not just provide comfort, but also makes the bike more grounded. Added benefit is, your feet won’t rub to your panniers. Stay away from carbon forks. If you… Continue Reading My random ideas and tips on touring and touring bikes

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