>>960633>I just want the toughest, smoothest most responsive shifting (preferably under load), most durable, least maintenance, for rough off-the-trail terrain. What components and shocks should i be looking at?Suspension components are high-maintenance by necessity. Pivots & bushings need constant care. Shocks/forks should be cleaned after every ride, need to check/add air pressure before riding, and should get an oil change at least once a season. Not that anyone does that.
Shifting under load isn't something that you should really be doing, especially if you are looking at mountain bikes - which often come with clutched derailleurs & other chain-tension devices.
Most durable, least maintenance offroad bike is a fully-rigid singlespeed with a gear enclosure.
For geared bikes, once you get above cheap-shit parts smooth shifting is more a question of bike setup than component quality. The difference in size between two cogs is the single largest factor in how "smooth" as shift feels. After that, the degree of play in the cable run and the type of shifter mechanism both play a role.
The smoothest shifters I have ever used were Shimano bar-ends in friction mode, with "high-end" cables & housing squarely cut/ground with a dremel, brass ferrules at housing ends, Nokons wherever there was a bend and a Jtek shiftmate at the rear mech, custom cassette with all 1-tooth jumps.
