seen at bikeasia08. (shimano deer head)

Shimano Deore XT "Deer Head" Group (1982)

this was officially the first mountainbike
groupset ever made
it was ridden by pioneers in mountainbiking
when it first started out as a very niche sport
I have my speculations
because on certain old documents
the components are labelled
"deer head XT"
deer head/deore/deer head/deore
say it fast enough
did our beloved deore
stem from the words "deer head"
i think it is a little far fetched but not entirely impossible

but that being said
these were probably the most pimp and zhng
parts available during that period of time
the brushed silver finish
with clear graphics of the deer head
was a metaphor for cowboy style riding
i think the simple logo is visually very appealing
there is a slight relief in the black area
which makes the deer head come out at you
i think this is retro fierce

fd-m700 front derailleur

rd-m700 rear derailleur

sl-m700 shift levers