BikeRadar‘s buyer’s guide to mountain bike groupsets is here to tell you everything you need to know about your bicycle’s components.
A group or groupset are all ways of describing the collection of parts that make up a bicycle’s drivetrain.
The components include the shifters, crankset, bottom bracket, front and rear derailleurs, chain, and cassette. Brakes are sometimes included in component series, but, for this article, we’re going to stick to the items that comprise the drivetrain.
Just like our buyer’s guide to road bike groupsets, this guide is designed to explain the components of a groupset and the different options offered by the two main manufacturers: Shimano and SRAM.
It is more common to see complete groupsets on road bikes. When it comes to mountain bikes, however, brands usually mix and match parts from various groups – and in some cases different brands – to suit the bike’s
