Hey guys, rather than fork over big bucks on a new bike, I've decided to upgrade an older, lower-end 26" Trek 6000 mountain bike I got from a college kid via Craigslist several years ago. It's set up with 1.75" road tires, that I've been riding for exersize and weight reduction (I raced road bikes until my early 40's, but after 14 years back in the states, I gradually packed on some pounds, but in the last year I've dropped 55 lbs, and am down to 200, shooting for 185-190).
The bike is a good 10 years old, has all Deore 9 speed components, and Avid mechanical disc brakes (which are just fine), but hunted down some great deals, and have a set of Rhyno-lite/ XT/ DT wheels on the way from BWW ($145 delivered !), as well as a new Shimano cassette, chain, and 9-speed right shifter (and though it wasn't critical, I also scored a set of new Avid brake levers, for only $15 delivered, since these no-name levers are really thrashed).
Though it originally wasn't part of the plan, I'm now thinking about installing a a fresh rear derailleur, and have been looking at reviews and deals. I'd thrown together a number of bikes back in the day, running XT or XTR, but I'm scraping by on a serious budget here. The bike will never be raced, or even ridden very aggressively off-road, so ultra-precise shifting, or weight is no concern.
I'm interested in the cheapest level of quality and longevity, and am wondering if a new Deore derailleur will be fine ( $32 delivered seems to be the deal), or if I really need to jump up to $70+ for XT ?
Any good info is much appreciated....