For me it's the MTI: Minimum Trust Index.
DT 370 wheelset? Perfectly fine to lose the star ratchet, those rims will take abuse. High MTI
GX/SLX: As long as it lasts 2 seasons and shifts reasonably, I'm fine. High MTI
Fancy ass wheels with proprietary spokes or nipples / Brakes that require a specialist to repair or bleed / Electronic ANYTHING that will die halfway through a 3 day epic: Low MTI.
Basically, if the parts/bike can stand up to the trails and tours I take it, without complaining too much, and can be repaired trail-side or at bare minimum by old Giuseppe who doesn't speak English in the only bike shop for 100 miles in the Dolomites, it gets a high MTI score and saves more bucks for those adventures.
Feb. 14, 2022, 3:51 a.m. - Scott Jamieson
For me it's the MTI: Minimum Trust Index. DT 370 wheelset? Perfectly fine to lose the star ratchet, those rims will take abuse. High MTI GX/SLX: As long as it lasts 2 seasons and shifts reasonably, I'm fine. High MTI Fancy ass wheels with proprietary spokes or nipples / Brakes that require a specialist to repair or bleed / Electronic ANYTHING that will die halfway through a 3 day epic: Low MTI. Basically, if the parts/bike can stand up to the trails and tours I take it, without complaining too much, and can be repaired trail-side or at bare minimum by old Giuseppe who doesn't speak English in the only bike shop for 100 miles in the Dolomites, it gets a high MTI score and saves more bucks for those adventures.