1. Shimano road groupset hierarchy Claris – The Shimano Claris groupset is one of the lower-priced gearing options in the brand’s hierarchy. Sporting dual-control levers like the Tiagra above, Claris keeps things very simple with a triple or compact cassette set-up that focuses on low gear ratios to make hills relatively easy.
2. Shimano reckon that most people buying a Tiagra-equipped bike probably won’t be racing it and won’t need the really high gears. The 52/36t, 50/34t and 50/39/30t triple chainset options still provide plenty of range, and 52/36t is just fine for most racers.

List of Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets available with their 'M' numbers.Also includes significant changes introduced for that model year in brackets.

Shimano is designed to allow multiple shifts at one time, so the further you push either lever, the more gears you'll shift (up to a maximum of three). The left hand shifter operates the front mech - the brake lever swings inwards to move the chain onto the larger chainring, the.

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1984

Deore XT - M700 - 'Deerhead' (6 speed non indexed transmission)

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1985

Deore XT - M700 - 'Deerhead'

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupset Hierarchy

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1986

Deore XT - M730(6 speed indexed transmission)

Deore - MT-60

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1987

Deore XT - M730

Deore - MT-60

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1988

Deore XT - M730

Deore - MT-60

Mountain LX

Exage Mountain - M450

Exage Trail

Exage Country

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1989

Deore XT II - M730/732(7 speed)

Deore II - MT-62(7 speed)

Mountain LX

Exage Mountain - M450

Exage Trail

Exage Country

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1990

Deore XT II - M732/735(Rapidfire underbar shifters introduced on all groupsets)

Deore DX - M650

Deore LX - M550

Exage 500LX - M500

Exage 400LX - M400

Exage 300LX - M300

200GS - M200

100GS - M100

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupsets 1991

Deore XT II - M732/735

Deore DX - M650

Deore LX - M550

Exage 500LX - M500

Exage 400LX - M400

Exage 300LX - M300

200GS - M200

100GS - M100

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1992

XTR - M900(8 speed and Rapidfire plus shifters)

Deore XT II - M732/735(Rapidfire plus shifters)

Deore DX - M650/651(Rapidfire plus shifters)

Deore LX - M550

Exage 500LX - M500

Exage 400LX - M400

Exage 300LX - M300

200GS - M200

100GS - M100

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1993

XTR - M900

Deore XT II - M732/735

Deore DX - M650/651

Deore LX - M560(New black finish for LX components, Rapidfire plus shifters introduced on all remaining/new groupsets)

Exage ES - M520(Pale grey finish)

Exage LT - M320(Pale grey and black finish)

Altus A10 - AT10

Altus A20 - AT20

Altus C10 - CT10

Altus C20 - CT20

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1994

XTR - M900

Deore XT - M737/738(8 speed, wide diameter 'Parallax' hub bodies, Compact Drive chainrings and cassette)

Deore LX - M560/563/564(Wide diameter 'Parallax' hub bodies and Compact Drive chainrings introduced on all remaining/new groupsets)

STX-SE - MC31

STX - MC30

Alivio - MC10/11

Altus C50 - CT50

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1995

XTR - M900/910(Wide diameter 'Parallax' hub bodies)

Deore XT - M737/738

Deore LX - M564/565(8 speed)

STX-RC - MC33

STX - MC32

Alivio - MC12

Acera-X - M290

Altus - CT90

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1996

XTR - M950(New matt grey finish, V brakes and 4 arm chainrings)

Deore XT - M737/738/739(V brakes)

Deore LX - M565/567

STX-RC - MC33/36

STX - MC32/34

Alivio - MC12/14

Acera-X - M290/291

Altus - CT90

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1997

XTR - M950

Deore XT - M739(4 arm chainrings)

Deore LX - M567/569/M600(V brakes and 4 arm chainrings)

STX-RC - MC36/38

STX - MC32/34/37

Alivio - MC16

Acera-X - M290

Altus - CT90

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1998

XTR - M950/951

Deore XT - M739/740

Deore LX - M567/569/M600

STX-RC - MC38/40(8 speed, V brakes and 4 arm chainrings)

STX - MC34

Alivio - MC12/16

Acera-X - M290/291

Altus - CT92

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 1999

XTR - M950/951/952(9 speed)

Shimano Gearing Hierarchy Components

Deore XT - M750(9 speed)

Deore LX - M570(9 speed and new blue/grey finish)

STX-RC - MC41

STX - MC34

Alivio - MC18

Acera - M330

Altus - CT92

Shimano Mountain Bike groupsets 2000

XTR - M950/951/952

Deore XT - M750/751 (Disc brakes)

Deore LX - M570

Deore - M510(New 9 speed groupset replaces STX and STX-RC)

Alivio

Acera

Altus

Shimano Hybrid Gear Hierarchy

Shimano Hierarchy Chart

External links