shimano levers/freehub/cassettes... some Qs

[TheGiggler]

1. what is the difference of a Deore casette versus something like an XT... is it just weight?

and should i go w/ a SRAM cassette... if so which one would you recommend - the 7.0 is cheap?


2. similarly, does anyone know if the XT freehubs are any stronger or more durable than a standard Deore? the deores last me only 2-3 months. :( but i've heard that they aren't really any better??


3. also, i'm looking at buying some spare brake levers for my deore hydros. i know XT levers fit (have some on now), but they're quite a bit more money ($28 vs $18) than the Deores... is there actually any difference? they look identical to me, but maybe XTs are better material?.

thanks a lot!

[tazzmenn]

deore casset is all steel, the xt is steel rings rivited to an aluminum spyder. XT is lighter.

I would get the sram much better system then shimano.! because it cost less and performs the same.