# LX, Deore, SLX, XT, XTR---- Meanings?



## elcoolio1 (Mar 5, 2011)

Do LX, SLX, XT and XTR stand for something? And what does Deore mean?

Just curious, Thanks


----------



## slashhead (May 14, 2010)

It means that your googlingskills are not what they're supposed to be. :thumbsup:


----------



## forkboy (Apr 20, 2004)

elcoolio1 said:


> Do LX, SLX, XT and XTR stand for something? And what does Deore mean?
> 
> Just curious, Thanks


$, $$, $$$ and $$$$ in English.


----------



## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

That's the naming convention shimano uses to classify their component levels.

Starting from most to least expensive.... (may be omitting one of the cheaper ones)

xtr
xt
slx / lx
deore 
alivio
acera
tourney


----------



## bikerboyj17 (Dec 18, 2007)

I think the OP already knows that they are the different levels in the Shimano component range. 

I think hes asking if they stand for/mean anything specific (does XTR stand for X_____ T_____ R_____).

All IMHO. I could (most likely) be wrong.


----------



## elcoolio1 (Mar 5, 2011)

@bikerboyj17 -----Thats what I meant, I gave it an honest try on google and found nothing believable. I just thought that LX could be luxury XT extra trail? xtr extra trail race? I guess they are all just random letters that sound cool, anything with an x sounds cool.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

They are just monikers for different product lines- from lea$t to mo$t: DEORE, LX, SLX, XT, SAINT, XTR.

As for what Deore means, here's what Dale Benjamin said years back (in a conversation with Sheldon Brown):

Those are all made up names, not unlike Sony, Walkman, Corolla, Camry
and the like. The Japanese often have difficulty coming up with
English-like brand/model names that make any sense.

I believe Deore is supposed to mean "golden" due to its similarity to
that term in several romance languages. (D'or in French, d'oro in
Italian, something similar in Spanish.)

Shimano often uses trendy terms chopped apart and stuck together.

"Exage" was made by grafting "excelence" "new age."

"Ultegra" derives from "ultimate" and "integrity."


----------



## angular momentum (Dec 6, 2009)

Also, why is LX and XT actually Deore LX and Deore XT? Are LX and XT subclasses of Deore? Is Deore a subclass of Deore? i.e. Deore Deore? Funny, the nomenclature is.


----------



## What&son (Jan 13, 2004)

Dura-ace: duraluminium+ ace
Now reading what "eddubbfrom.." writed about Deore I wonder how much of spanish root some shimano names have. Some are spanish words, but wonder if is what they mean;
-*Acera* means "sidewalk" in spanish.May also come from "Acero" which means steel.
-*Alivio* means "relief" in the sense of getting rid of a load, or a worry.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

angular momentum said:


> Also, why is LX and XT actually Deore LX and Deore XT? Are LX and XT subclasses of Deore? Is Deore a subclass of Deore? i.e. Deore Deore? Funny, the nomenclature is.


It is purely marketing.. Deore, LX and XT are I guess part of the same class though in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter all that much.

XT will be a bit lighter and possibly better quality otherwise, nothing earth shattering as compared to LX. I run an LX crank/chain rings on one of my 29er's with an XTR cassette and another manufacturer's cranks with different chain rings and an XT cassette on my other 29er. The deciding factor was price at the time I acquired the components. Some must have all of one brand/class. I use more of a "best of breed" approach and do not lose sleep over mixing Deore LX/XT/XTR with SRAM X7 and X9 among other components.


----------



## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

I think Shimano is trying to avoid using names that mean something in a particular language, insofar as possible when using English characters. Remember the Chevy Nova? And what's "no va" mean in Spanish? Ohhhh yeahhhh....


----------



## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

mechBgon said:


> I think Shimano is trying to avoid using names that mean something in a particular language, insofar as possible when using English characters. Remember the Chevy Nova? And what's "no va" mean in Spanish? Ohhhh yeahhhh....


That's a bad example Nova is a very common word and Americans don't care about the Spanish language.


----------



## Bordershy (Jan 29, 2004)

*Xtr*

XT Race

Yes it's that simple.

That is all


----------



## RockyRider (Nov 21, 2004)

Xpensive Trigger Rubbish?


----------



## Joules (Oct 12, 2005)

angular momentum said:


> Also, why is LX and XT actually Deore LX and Deore XT? Are LX and XT subclasses of Deore? Is Deore a subclass of Deore? i.e. Deore Deore? Funny, the nomenclature is.


because way back all the mountain groups were deore something: deore DX, Deore LX, Deore XT (and weren't dx and lx old car trim level nomenclature, delux and luxe or something?). Then XTR came out, and that was never officially "deore XTR" but people called it that, and they changed Deore DX to just Deore, probably because of confusion over their bmx group, which was just DX. Seems like it would have been less confusing to give it different letters after, but that's not what they did.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

RockyRider said:


> Xpensive Trigger Rubbish?


Nice... of any XTR stuff, there are two noteworthy components IMO. First are the cassettes (expen$ive even when on sale) but it duddn't get much better than that. Second are the rear hubs- titanium freehub body, light and rock solid (I prefer Chris King hubs personally because the whole cup and cone bearing adjustment voodoo is a bit much- a properly adjusted Shimano bearing setup seems loose to me!) . All of the other XTR components, I could and do care le$$ ehehehe.


----------



## elcoolio1 (Mar 5, 2011)

Just found out that "Deore" means Deer in Japanese, that is why there is a deer head symbol on older and some newer XT pieces


----------



## FreeGravey (Nov 10, 2010)

japanese people just like cool letters... i have been riding my 2005 gsxr 1000 for about 6 years and still dont know what gsxr stands for.


----------



## NilsErik (Jan 24, 2011)

forkboy said:


> $, $$, $$$ and $$$$ in English.


Nope, that's american. In english it's £, ££, £££ and ££££


----------



## norcalruckus (May 18, 2005)

_Americans don't care about the Spanish language. _ I don't think that is very true...lol Please look at the latest census results.


----------

