Originally Posted by Wilfred Laurier

In the example you gave, those Altus shifters are great... and most Shimano shifters generally last a long time.

The three reasons you give are pretty accurate... two thoughts, though... Deore lasts longer than Alivio... so how long is that? My experience is that one or two seasons of regular riding and your Alivio parts are going to be pretty sloppy. Deore will probably go four or five years. This is the main difference between all the component levels in my experience. Even your third point, that Deore works a bit better in difficult conditions, isn't really true when the parts are new. Like you found, even the lower end stuff works fantastically when new. Especially when it's 7 or 8 speed and not 9, 10 or 11+. The difference comes when the parts get a few years old - it becomes very difficult to keep everything working perfectly.

But to each their own. I find the hassle of having to rebuild my drivetrain every one or two years, compared to every four or five, is worth the extra $$$. Others think differently, and there are excellent lower-cost parts for you people!