Originally Posted by
Jipe
I liked a lot previous Shimano drivetrains that work perfectly well and are very reliable but not the current ones like Di2 only road 12s which are incompatible with MTB 12s mechanical only which require the special microspline hub, Linkglide fully incompatible with Hyperglyde and Hyperglide+, new MTB Di2 that work only with a Steps motor...
And all these new drivetrains have a very limited choice of cassettes that aren't good for small wheels bikes.
I don't know about availability where you are, but where I am one can get Shimano stuff from 7 to 12 speeds. I am still at 10-speeds and will stay there unless 10-speed parts are no longer available (which I reckon will be in a decade) and I am forced upwards. In other words, no one has to chose 12- or even 11-speeds or the latest that Shimano puts out. Heck, I've been thought of going back to 9-speed and would do so were it not for the unavailability of GS MTB RDs for small wheels. I mean, we've got 10-speed Zee with 11-36t for 305 and 349, we've got 10-speed Deore RD-M6000-GS with 11-42t and we've got 11-speed SLX RD-M7000-GS, XT RD-M8000-GS, XTR RD-M9000-GS and GRX with 11-46t for 406 and 451. That other mess that you brought up need not concern us at all. 12-speed? I reckon I'll get there in 2030 perhaps. No need to throw the baby out with the bath water.