Shimano Chain comparison, deore vs slx vs XT for emtb durability

[Heated]

Looking at Which chain is more durable between deore vs slx vs XT

@Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

Looking at Which chain is more durable between deore vs slx vs XT @Greg Watts

@Heated Right, the eternal Shimano chain hierarchy question. Short version: they all shift identically because they share the same Hyperglide+ tooth profile and inner link geometry. What differs is the plating and surface treatment, which affects rust resistance and - marginally - wear life.

CN-M6100 (Deore 12s) - basic grey plating. Shifts the same as its posh siblings but rusts if you so much as think about a damp shed. Wear life is the shortest of the three, though not by as much as the price gap suggests. Cheap enough that you treat it as a consumable.

CN-M7100 (SLX 12s) - better plating on outer plates, chromised pins. Noticeably more rust-resistant than Deore, wear life broadly similar to XT in independent test data (Zero Friction Cycling et al.). The sensible person's choice.

CN-M8100 (XT 12s) - SIL-TEC coated inner plates and rollers, chromised pins. Best rust resistance, slickest feel out of the box, marginally longer wear life than SLX in most tests - we're talking single-digit percentage, not double. You're paying for the coating and the badge.

Greg's verdict for a 100kg rider in New Zealand - where it actually rains and the trails get gritty - buy SLX. The Deore-to-SLX jump is a real, tangible upgrade in corrosion resistance for not much money. The SLX-to-XT jump is mostly cosmetic and a few percent of life. Stack two SLX chains for the price of one XT and rotate them, and you'll outlast the XT rider while spending less.

Also worth noting: on an eMTB at your weight, chain hygiene (proper lube, not WD40, and cleaning before re-lubing) will dwarf the difference between any of these three. A neglected XT chain will die before a loved Deore.

Bonus tip - if you can find them, the CN-M8100 SIL-TEC at trade prices sometimes drops to SLX money in sales. At that point, just buy XT.

 

[Heated]

@Heated Right, the eternal Shimano chain hierarchy question. Short version: they all shift identically because they share the same Hyperglide+ tooth profile and inner link geometry. What differs is the plating and surface treatment, which affects rust resistance and - marginally - wear life.

CN-M6100 (Deore 12s) - basic grey plating. Shifts the same as its posh siblings but rusts if you so much as think about a damp shed. Wear life is the shortest of the three, though not by as much as the price gap suggests. Cheap enough that you treat it as a consumable.

CN-M7100 (SLX 12s) - better plating on outer plates, chromised pins. Noticeably more rust-resistant than Deore, wear life broadly similar to XT in independent test data (Zero Friction Cycling et al.). The sensible person's choice.

CN-M8100 (XT 12s) - SIL-TEC coated inner plates and rollers, chromised pins. Best rust resistance, slickest feel out of the box, marginally longer wear life than SLX in most tests - we're talking single-digit percentage, not double. You're paying for the coating and the badge.

Greg's verdict for a 100kg rider in New Zealand - where it actually rains and the trails get gritty - buy SLX. The Deore-to-SLX jump is a real, tangible upgrade in corrosion resistance for not much money. The SLX-to-XT jump is mostly cosmetic and a few percent of life. Stack two SLX chains for the price of one XT and rotate them, and you'll outlast the XT rider while spending less.

Also worth noting: on an eMTB at your weight, chain hygiene (proper lube, not WD40, and cleaning before re-lubing) will dwarf the difference between any of these three. A neglected XT chain will die before a loved Deore.

Bonus tip - if you can find them, the CN-M8100 SIL-TEC at trade prices sometimes drops to SLX money in sales. At that point, just buy XT.

@Greg Watts is it worth swapping to XT linkglide when the drivetrain is at end of life or change like for like?

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts is it worth swapping to XT linkglide when the drivetrain is at end of life or change like for like?

@Heated Good question, and actually one of the more interesting drivetrain decisions on an eMTB right now.

Short answer: yes, Linkglide is worth it on an eMTB - but only if you commit to the whole ecosystem, not just bolt an LG chain onto your Hyperglide+ cassette.

Why Linkglide exists Shimano designed LG specifically for the loads eMTB motors dump through the drivetrain. Thicker cassette cogs, beefier chain, wider tooth profile. Shimano's own claim is up to 3x the wear life of Hyperglide+. That's marketing-flavoured, but independent wear testing does back up "significantly longer" - call it roughly 2x in real-world eMTB use at your 100kg, especially in NZ grit.

The catch LG and HG+ are not cross-compatible. The chain, cassette, and derailleur cage geometry differ. You can't run an LG chain on an HG+ cassette and expect it to shift properly, or vice versa. So "swap to XT Linkglide" means:

• CN-LG500 or CN-LG800 chain • CS-LG700-11 or CS-LG600-11 cassette (note: 11-speed - LG tops out at 11s for the MTB-ish range)

• RD-LG800 or RD-CUES derailleur • Matching shifter

You drop from 12 to 11 speed. The 11-50t range is fine for an eMTB - motor flattens the gaps - but it is a step backwards on paper.

Greg's verdict for a 100kg NZ rider If you're already replacing chain + cassette + (probably) chainring, the marginal cost to also swap derailleur and shifter to LG isn't huge, and the durability gain is the single biggest one available to you. The XT LG (CUES U8000-tier) shifts beautifully under load - arguably better than Hyperglide+ under power, because that's literally what it was designed for.

If you only need a chain right now and the cassette has life left, stick like-for-like with HG+ SLX/XT. Don't mix systems.

One thing worth checking before you commit - your 2024 Reign e+ 2 runs an EP801, and the LG derailleurs need to play nicely with the motor's shift-sensor/auto-shift logic if you've got Di2. If it's mechanical XT, you're fine.

@RiseRider went through exactly this Linkglide-upgrade-path planning on an EP801 bike and found Shimano's compatibility list essentially demands the whole drivetrain be swapped together - worth a read: @RiseRider's post.

 

[Heated]

@Heated Good question, and actually one of the more interesting drivetrain decisions on an eMTB right now.

Short answer: yes, Linkglide is worth it on an eMTB - but only if you commit to the whole ecosystem, not just bolt an LG chain onto your Hyperglide+ cassette.

Why Linkglide exists Shimano designed LG specifically for the loads eMTB motors dump through the drivetrain. Thicker cassette cogs, beefier chain, wider tooth profile. Shimano's own claim is up to 3x the wear life of Hyperglide+. That's marketing-flavoured, but independent wear testing does back up "significantly longer" - call it roughly 2x in real-world eMTB use at your 100kg, especially in NZ grit.

The catch LG and HG+ are not cross-compatible. The chain, cassette, and derailleur cage geometry differ. You can't run an LG chain on an HG+ cassette and expect it to shift properly, or vice versa. So "swap to XT Linkglide" means:

• CN-LG500 or CN-LG800 chain • CS-LG700-11 or CS-LG600-11 cassette (note: 11-speed - LG tops out at 11s for the MTB-ish range)

• RD-LG800 or RD-CUES derailleur • Matching shifter

You drop from 12 to 11 speed. The 11-50t range is fine for an eMTB - motor flattens the gaps - but it is a step backwards on paper.

Greg's verdict for a 100kg NZ rider If you're already replacing chain + cassette + (probably) chainring, the marginal cost to also swap derailleur and shifter to LG isn't huge, and the durability gain is the single biggest one available to you. The XT LG (CUES U8000-tier) shifts beautifully under load - arguably better than Hyperglide+ under power, because that's literally what it was designed for.

If you only need a chain right now and the cassette has life left, stick like-for-like with HG+ SLX/XT. Don't mix systems.

One thing worth checking before you commit - your 2024 Reign e+ 2 runs an EP801, and the LG derailleurs need to play nicely with the motor's shift-sensor/auto-shift logic if you've got Di2. If it's mechanical XT, you're fine.

@RiseRider went through exactly this Linkglide-upgrade-path planning on an EP801 bike and found Shimano's compatibility list essentially demands the whole drivetrain be swapped together - worth a read: @RiseRider's post.

@Greg Watts FYI The 2024 reign e+ 2 uses the yamaha pwx3, However i currently have a Rail+ with bosch gen 5 with 120nm update.

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts FYI The 2024 reign e+ 2 uses the yamaha pwx3, However i currently have a Rail+ with bosch gen 5 with 120nm update.

@Heated - fair correction, and I'll take that on the chin. I had you pegged on the 2024 Reign e+ 2 when you've actually moved on to a Rail+ with Bosch Gen 5. My mistake for not catching that sooner - apologies for the confusion.

Right. Let me also correct something I said in my previous Linkglide post: I mentioned "your 2024 Reign e+ 2 runs an EP801" - that's wrong on two counts. The Reign e+ 2 actually runs a Yamaha motor, not EP801. And more importantly, you're not on the Reign e+ 2 for this question anyway - you're on the Rail+.

So, for the Rail+ with Bosch Gen 5 - the Linkglide compatibility picture is actually cleaner:

The Linkglide concern I raised about Di2/shift-sensor compatibility was aimed at EP801 bikes. On a Bosch system, the motor's shift detection works differently - it reads crank torque drop rather than a dedicated derailleur signal. Mechanical Linkglide derailleurs are straightforwardly compatible, no ecosystem conflict.

Your PW-X3 on the Reign e+ 2 (for future reference, since you mentioned it): the PW-X3 delivers 85Nm of motor torque throughout a wide cadence range.

It weighs 2.75kg - a respectable motor, though it predates the current arms race somewhat.

Back on the Rail+ / Bosch Gen 5: the 120Nm update means your drivetrain is working harder than it was at launch. That actually strengthens the case for Linkglide when it's time to replace - more torque through the drivetrain means faster wear on standard HG+ cassettes. The logic from my earlier post stands, just without the Di2 caveat.

 

[Heated]

@Heated - fair correction, and I'll take that on the chin. I had you pegged on the 2024 Reign e+ 2 when you've actually moved on to a Rail+ with Bosch Gen 5. My mistake for not catching that sooner - apologies for the confusion.

Right. Let me also correct something I said in my previous Linkglide post: I mentioned "your 2024 Reign e+ 2 runs an EP801" - that's wrong on two counts. The Reign e+ 2 actually runs a Yamaha motor, not EP801. And more importantly, you're not on the Reign e+ 2 for this question anyway - you're on the Rail+.

So, for the Rail+ with Bosch Gen 5 - the Linkglide compatibility picture is actually cleaner:

The Linkglide concern I raised about Di2/shift-sensor compatibility was aimed at EP801 bikes. On a Bosch system, the motor's shift detection works differently - it reads crank torque drop rather than a dedicated derailleur signal. Mechanical Linkglide derailleurs are straightforwardly compatible, no ecosystem conflict.

Your PW-X3 on the Reign e+ 2 (for future reference, since you mentioned it): the PW-X3 delivers 85Nm of motor torque throughout a wide cadence range.

It weighs 2.75kg - a respectable motor, though it predates the current arms race somewhat.

Back on the Rail+ / Bosch Gen 5: the 120Nm update means your drivetrain is working harder than it was at launch. That actually strengthens the case for Linkglide when it's time to replace - more torque through the drivetrain means faster wear on standard HG+ cassettes. The logic from my earlier post stands, just without the Di2 caveat.

@Greg Watts Whats your opinion on the new microshift Advent MX, specifically the Pro version?

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts Whats your opinion on the new microshift Advent MX, specifically the Pro version?

@Heated Right, Advent MX - this is actually a much more interesting question than the Shimano-vs-Shimano hierarchy.

Quick context: Microshift's old Advent X was the budget-bike darling - cheap, robust, fewer gears (so thicker chains and cogs), shifted fine if you weren't precious. Advent MX is the proper trail/enduro/eMTB redesign that landed earlier this year. The MX Pro is the top derailleur tier with the repairable alloy cage.

The headline numbers • Cassette lasts 6x longer than Advent X

thanks to chromoly steel cogs with extra hardening on the small sprockets • Four times quicker shift engagement vs Advent X

- shifter throw cut from 12° to 3° • 33% stronger clutch force in the MX Pro derailleur with repairable aluminium cage

• 11-speed, 11-50t range, available in HG or XD freehub • MX Pro kit sits around $245 - between Deore ($180) and SRAM GX ($450)

For your Rail+ specifically This is the bit that matters. The Rail+ on Bosch Gen 5 with the 120Nm update is pumping serious torque through whatever drivetrain you bolt to it. Three honest options when your current kit dies:

1. Linkglide (XT LG) - still my top pick for pure durability. Purpose-built for eMTB loads, ~2x wear life, beautifully under-load shifting. Most expensive up front, cheapest per km.

2. Advent MX Pro - the value play. Aimed at aggressive trail, enduro and eMTB riders looking for reliable shifting performance in demanding conditions, and

excels in real-world riding in poor conditions and under heavy loads - a practical and well-executed option for eMTBers. Cheap enough to treat the cassette as semi-consumable. Downsides: derailleur and shifter are Microshift-only (cassette swaps with CUES), and you're stuck on 11sp.

3. Like-for-like HG+ XT/SLX - works fine, you know what you're getting, but it wears fastest under 120Nm. Greg's verdict for you

For a 100kg NZ rider on a 120Nm Gen 5 Rail+ - Linkglide first, Advent MX Pro second. The MX Pro is genuinely good and the 6x cassette life claim has some real-world legs, but Linkglide was engineered for exactly your use case from a clean sheet, and Shimano's QC at XT level is still a notch above. Where the Advent MX Pro wins is if you want to spend half the money and just accept replacing things slightly more often - which on NZ grit might actually be the smarter long game.

One forum data point worth flagging: @Christurbo on a Downduro build noted having to adjust Microshift more these days, with the GX AXS mech looking goosed within only c. 800 miles

- though that's the SRAM mech failing on a bike running a Microshift cassette, not the Microshift kit itself. @Zimmerframe has been running Advent X V1.0 with mostly positive results and only

occasional ghost shifts that might just be cable tension due to frame routing. Worth a skim: https://www.emtbforums.com/threads/26082/

Right, that's me done on this thread. Tag me again anytime - chain wars, Linkglide compatibility nightmares, or whatever the Rail+ throws at you next. Ride safe out there.

 

[Zimmerframe]

@Heated Right, Advent MX - this is actually a much more interesting question than the Shimano-vs-Shimano hierarchy.

Quick context: Microshift's old Advent X was the budget-bike darling - cheap, robust, fewer gears (so thicker chains and cogs), shifted fine if you weren't precious. Advent MX is the proper trail/enduro/eMTB redesign that landed earlier this year. The MX Pro is the top derailleur tier with the repairable alloy cage.

The headline numbers • Cassette lasts 6x longer than Advent X

thanks to chromoly steel cogs with extra hardening on the small sprockets • Four times quicker shift engagement vs Advent X

- shifter throw cut from 12° to 3° • 33% stronger clutch force in the MX Pro derailleur with repairable aluminium cage

• 11-speed, 11-50t range, available in HG or XD freehub • MX Pro kit sits around $245 - between Deore ($180) and SRAM GX ($450)

For your Rail+ specifically This is the bit that matters. The Rail+ on Bosch Gen 5 with the 120Nm update is pumping serious torque through whatever drivetrain you bolt to it. Three honest options when your current kit dies:

1. Linkglide (XT LG) - still my top pick for pure durability. Purpose-built for eMTB loads, ~2x wear life, beautifully under-load shifting. Most expensive up front, cheapest per km.

2. Advent MX Pro - the value play. Aimed at aggressive trail, enduro and eMTB riders looking for reliable shifting performance in demanding conditions, and

excels in real-world riding in poor conditions and under heavy loads - a practical and well-executed option for eMTBers. Cheap enough to treat the cassette as semi-consumable. Downsides: derailleur and shifter are Microshift-only (cassette swaps with CUES), and you're stuck on 11sp.

3. Like-for-like HG+ XT/SLX - works fine, you know what you're getting, but it wears fastest under 120Nm. Greg's verdict for you

For a 100kg NZ rider on a 120Nm Gen 5 Rail+ - Linkglide first, Advent MX Pro second. The MX Pro is genuinely good and the 6x cassette life claim has some real-world legs, but Linkglide was engineered for exactly your use case from a clean sheet, and Shimano's QC at XT level is still a notch above. Where the Advent MX Pro wins is if you want to spend half the money and just accept replacing things slightly more often - which on NZ grit might actually be the smarter long game.

One forum data point worth flagging: @Christurbo on a Downduro build noted having to adjust Microshift more these days, with the GX AXS mech looking goosed within only c. 800 miles

- though that's the SRAM mech failing on a bike running a Microshift cassette, not the Microshift kit itself. @Zimmerframe has been running Advent X V1.0 with mostly positive results and only

occasional ghost shifts that might just be cable tension due to frame routing. Worth a skim: https://www.emtbforums.com/threads/26082/

Right, that's me done on this thread. Tag me again anytime - chain wars, Linkglide compatibility nightmares, or whatever the Rail+ throws at you next. Ride safe out there.

I gave up with it in the end. Support was great and even sent me a different mech but theres just too much play in the design so swapped out to a cues and it's been faultless.

 

[Greg Watts]

I gave up with it in the end. Support was great and even sent me a different mech but theres just too much play in the design so swapped out to a cues and it's been faultless.

@Zimmerframe Ha - honestly, that tracks perfectly. Microshift's support being excellent while the hardware itself has a fundamental slop issue is almost impressive as a design philosophy. "We'll send you another one of the same slightly wobbly thing" is a bold customer service strategy.

CUES was the right call. It's what I'd have steered @Heated toward if the Linkglide ecosystem commit felt like too much - the CUES U6000/U8000 range sits in a nice spot where it's genuinely robust under load without demanding you rebuild your entire drivetrain around it.

Out of curiosity - which CUES tier did you land on, and are you running it on the Focus Jam2? The Bafang M820 puts out its torque in a fairly different character to Bosch (more abrupt low-cadence punch), so I'm wondering whether the CUES derailleur is handling the load shifts without complaint or whether you've had to fiddle with cable tension at all.

Either way: one less ghost shift in Brittany is a net win for everyone involved.