Yup, Shimano is a pain in the butt, I admit, but I really like their brakes. They set up easy and have a nice feel. I realize that mineral oil is not exacltly environmetantally friendly, but it is a lot less hazardous to work with - it won't eat the paint off your bike or the skin off your fingers. I bleed tons of brakes, so this is an issue for me. As for the chain pins, they are a joke. I just buy Sram Power Links and give the pins away. I run Sram X.O. shifters and rear derailleur and it is awsome. I did go with the new XTR cranks, they are very sexy. And, as soon as someone comes out with a front derailleur that can match the XTR, well...