It may be a bit late, but I thought I would add that the Shimano Deore DX group ('89-92, I think) is probably one of the best values out there. 95% of Deore XT, and most people won't even give it s 2nd-look. I have it on My daily commuter, a touring bike, my wife's touring bike, and the kid-hauling tandem and the stuff just works great.