Shimano M9000 XTR

Two issues ago we previewed the latest version XTR groupset, Shimano’s flagship component line. Now we’ve had approximately three months of trail time on the new parts, plus the opportunity to pull it apart and see what makes it tick.

While we have ridden the Di2 version with its electronic shifting, most of our time has been on the M9000 mechanical parts. The Di2 group will be around 60% more expensive than mechanical XTR and certain parts – like the $885 Di2 rear derailleur – are more than three times the price, so it’s safe to say that more people will find themselves on XTR mechanical. Of course most of the components are shared and the gear options are the same, so this information will be equally relevant whether you’re looking at Di2 or mechanical. And speaking of broader relevance, even if XTR is way out of your budget, history dictates that the features that you see here will filter down to the mid-priced group sets in the coming years—rest assured that Shimano SLX 11-speed is on the way.

TECH BREAKDOWN

CRANKS & CHAINRINGS ALL-OPTIONS OFFERED Double and triple options have been around for some time within the older M980 group but this is the first time an XTR single ring has been available. Flexibility is a key feature and unique spider on the ‘Trail’ cranks allows you to swap between all three options. There’s also a lighter ‘Race’ crank that features a narrower pedal stance or Q-factor (something that road riders and some XC racers tend to favour). The Race cranks can swap between single and double ring formats but won’t go to a triple.

Some may bemoan the addition of yet another chainring mounting ‘standard’ but the flexibility of the new design could well justify the move. Besides, the curvaceous lines are so unique that any aftermarket chainrings are likely to look pretty hokey on the XTR arms. The new ring design isn’t just for looks; for the main drive ring Shimano melds a carbon inner plate with an alloy outer face and titanium teeth. This creates a hollow structure for added lateral stiffness and sharper shifting. Titanium teeth also promise better durability when compared to the alloy dentures found on most other cranks (including last year’s double ring XTR).

You’ll only find the harder wearing titanium teeth on what Shimano calls the ‘main drive ring’. This is the front chainring that should see the most use. With a triple it’s the middle ring, on a double it’s the big ring and with a one-by setup—well you know the answer there!

With the new system it’s quite feasible to run a one-by drivetrain (if that suits most of your trails) and occasionally fit a double or triple chainring when heading off to ride some bigger hills; the XTR Trail crank will work with both—you’ll just need to add a front derailleur and left-hand shifter. Chainring swaps aren’t the most convenient however; all the torx bolts fit from the inside, and with a double ring setup you need to remove the small cog to access the big ring mounting bolts. In most cases it’ll just be easier to remove the cranks entirely if you need to swap ratios or replace worn chainrings.

If you opt for a single ring drivetrain, you’ll notice that Shimano hasn’t employed alternating wide and narrow teeth. Instead they use a very tall tooth profile that’s ever so slightly hooked at the top. It’s designed specifically to retain the chain without needing a supplementary device. We had a play with the 1X setup and it works as intended in most riding conditions. As with the wide/narrow rings employed by most of the competition, we’d still suggest fitting a simple top guide if you’re riding hard and fast through particularly rough terrain. With full-profile titanium teeth, we’d expect the XTR 1X chainrings to last a lot longer than the aluminium competition, and with a replacement cost in the vicinity of $260, you’d really want it to last! It’s worth bearing this cost in mind if you’re a one-by user and like to swap chainrings to match the terrain; assembling a collection of XTR chainrings for this purpose will set you back a fortune.

Our 26/36 ‘Trail’ cranks weighed 716g with a regular thread bottom bracket, that’s almost identical to the previous generation ‘Race’ cranks in the two-by format. The new narrow Q-factor M9000 ‘Race’ cranks should be around 30g lighter again.

Overall the chainring options have fewer teeth for 2015, reflecting the across the board move towards bigger wheels. The triple is now a 22/30/40 combo. Two-by options include 24/34, 26/36 and 28/38. The single ring is offered in 30, 32, 34 and 36 teeth. 

THE CASSETTE – TAKING IT TO ELEVEN  Aside from offering a single chainring  option, the other big change for XTR  is the move to 11-speed—it’s Shimano’s  first off-road groupset to take the plunge.  Rather than trying to match the huge  gear spread offered by SRAM’s 11-speed  cassettes, Shimano has taken their own  approach. While offering a broader range  than their 10-speed cassettes, new 11-40  system is focused on providing close and  evenly spaced gear steps. The goal is to  provide sufficient gear range whilst maximising  pedalling efficiency—they use the  term ‘rhythm step gear progression’. 

Take a look at the ‘Gearing Range’ table  (below) and you’ll see that each gear  step varies by 10.5% to 18.2% with the  Shimano 11-speed cassette while its SRAM  counterpart ranges from 12.5% to 20%.  On average the XTR drivetrain provides a  smaller change in cadence with each gear  shift, so you’re less likely to find yourself  wishing for an ‘in-between gear’. 

Of course with the closer steps you get a  narrower range, and for a given chainring  you’re going to get a higher top end and a  lower climbing gear with the SRAM cassette.  Put it this way; if you select a chainring  that gives you the same top gear, your  bailout climbing gear will be 14% lower  with a SRAM cassette. Interestingly we did  try running a SRAM XX1 cassette with  the XTR drivetrain and it worked well,  although Shimano would never recommend  that sort of combination! So, if you like the  idea of a one-by drivetrain but think you’ll  struggle with the 11-40 gear range, well  Shimano believes you should stop kidding  yourself and get a two-by drivetrain (either  that or grow stronger legs). 

One thing’s for sure, when combined with  a double chainring setup, the 11-40 cassette  offers an impressive total gear range that’ll  make the most dedicated 3X10 fan reconsider.  The wider 11-speed range lets you  stay in the big ring for longer and minimises  the front shifting. And when you do need a  proper bailout gear, a quick flick of the left  thumb will take you there. 

Shimano has gone nuts with exotic  materials on the cassette; seven of the cogs  are titanium and the inner carrier is formed  from carbon composite. Despite these efforts  the cassette comes in at 329g—that’s  58g heavier than 10-speed XTR and 62g  more than SRAM’s XX1 11-speed cassette. 

One final key point on the cassette; it’ll  mount on any regular 10-speed freehub  body. There are no new standards and no  need to buy new wheels if you are retrofitting  the M9000 drivetrain onto an older  10-speed bike. They fitted the extra cog by  reducing the spacing slightly and ‘dishing’  the 40 tooth cog inboard. Although it’s  only a fraction narrower, it does require a  new 11-speed specific chain. 

DERAILLEURS & SHIFTERS  The new triggers take the positive shifting  feel of the 10-speed version but make it  more consistent. Now there’s no obvious  ramp-up in shifting effort when you’re  moving up into the bigger cogs on the cassette.  If anything the individual ‘clicks’ are  more defined than before; it delivers a really  solid feeling that makes mis-shifts near  impossible. Whenever I used it, I couldn’t  help but question the need for electronic  shifting, as there’s absolutely nothing  wrong with the mechanical version—it’s a  very refined bit of kit. 

XTR gear levers either use a traditional  band-style mount or they fit directly to the  new M9000 brakes via an updated ‘i-Spec’  fitting. The new i-Spec setup is much easier  to fit and remove whilst offering a broader  adjustment range. They’ve also given the  release trigger a textured finish to help if  things get wet and slippery. 

Possibly the most attractive item in the  XTR group, the sleek looking rear derailleur  is an integral part of the new 11-speed  system. The clutch mechanism is now  ‘standard issue’ and the resistance level can  be adjusted without disassembly. Shimano  has also relocated the clutch switch to  prevent it clashing with certain frame  designs—it now looks tidier whilst still  being easy to access (switching the clutch  off makes wheel removal easier). At 221g  the new derailleur has gained around 14g  when compared to the 10-speed Shadow  Plus version. 

Up front Shimano has released a new  ‘Side-Swing’ front derailleur. This system  routes the gear cable along the down tube  and straight into the front of the derailleur;  a very direct path with fewer bends  and less cable friction as a result. With less  effort wasted in overcoming cable friction,  more force goes into moving the chain.  Shimano also claims a substantial increase  in the shifting power with the Side-Swing  design. We tried both Side-Swing and traditional  format XTR derailleurs back to back  and they do offer a different feel. To us the  new system seemed to offer greater leverage  over the chain but requires a slightly  longer throw at the gear lever. 

By repositioning the bulk of the shift  mechanism, the Side-Swing derailleur also  creates more space between the tyre and  the back side of the derailleur. There’s  potential here for frame designers to run  shorter chainstays without running into derailleur  clearance issues, although we don’t  know of any brands that have done this. 

As it stands, there aren’t too many bikes  that have the down tube routed cabling  required for the Side-Swing derailleur—our BH Lynx test rig didn’t, so the bulk of our   time was spent using the traditional style   M9025 front derailleur. Whether you’re   looking a Side-Swing or not, all the new   generation front derailleurs incorporate a   couple of nylon pads around the cage to reduce chain noise.  

BRAKES   Most of the attention is understandably   directed at the new 11-speed drivetrain but   the brakes have also undergone a revision   (this was a mid-2014 update). As with   before they’ll be offered in both lightweight   Race and powerful Trail versions. We tested   the Race brakes which have a softer lever   feel and require more lever input to lock the   wheels. Shimano has trimmed more weight   from the latest Race brakes, with a front   system weighing 322g (lever, hose, calliper   and a 125g Freeza 160mm rotor)—a saving   of approximately 35g per end. The pistons   now use a ‘glass fibre phenolic’ material   that is said to offer improved insulation   while eliminating any chance of porosity   (something that may have caused fluid seepage   in older generation ceramic pistons).  

PEDALS   While the weight and form of the M9000   SPD pedals remains unchanged, the spindles   have been updated. They now run a   reverse thread on the cone and locknut   assembly within the right-side pedal. This   will stop the locknut working its way loose   if the bearings are poorly maintained. Even   if the right-side bearings seized completely,   it’d only tighten the bearing assembly and   the pedal body would remain intact.  

WHEELS   The new XTR wheels feature thin walled   alloy rims that are wrapped in carbon to   add stiffness for minimal weight. They are   slightly wider than before, with the Trail   rims measuring 24 mm internally and the   Race version coming in at 20mm. We’ve   been riding a pair of 1,721g 29er Trail   wheels and will follow up with a review in   our next issue.  

HITTING THE TRAIL   Once on the dirt, much of what Shimano   preaches in regards to gearing comes to   light. The official Australian launch of the   M9000 group was held in conjunction with   the Cape to Cape MTB race in Western Australia,   and we had to ride a 60km stage to   christen our newly XTR-clad bikes. Forgoing   gear range to get close-step gear ratios   may sound like crazy-talk to some, but when   you’re pushed to the limit trying to keep up   with another rider in a pace-line, it can be a   make-or-break thing. Overall the difference   between the SRAM and Shimano cassettes   is subtle but the less obtrusive gear steps do   help in a race situation. It’s most noticeable   when changing between top gear and the   next one down (an 18% jump with XTR   versus 20% for SRAM) and when shifting to   the easiest gear (14% versus 16%).  

The closely matched front chainrings   – 26/36 on our review cranks – also help   with maintaining a comfortable cadence   in varied terrain. When dropping from   big ring to small, the change is relatively   smooth and you won’t go from grinding to   spinning like mad in one huge leap. With   the 11-40 spread offered by the cassette,   you no longer need a big gap in chainring   sizes to get a huge gear spread.  

So XTR 11-speed delivers efficient closestep   ratios and a really wide gear spread, as   long as you opt for a multi-ring system. If   you’re tempted by the simple allure of a oneby   system, you’ll get the close-step ratios but   the total gear range won’t be as broad as the   1X11 competition. Whether that suits your   legs and local terrain is up to you.  

As far as multi-ring drivetrains go, the   XTR was whisper quiet. Well it was quiet   once we got through the first month of use.   Initially the XTR cassette had an audible   ‘clicking’ under heavy pedalling loads.   Greasing the spline on the freehub body   helped a little but the noise was still there.   Over the ensuing weeks the plinking and   ticking noises mysteriously subsided.  

We’d speculate that there’s a tiny bit of   ‘give’ between the inner carrier and the   cogs, and the titanium material is prone to   making noises. We’ve heard the same noise   on brand new 10-speed XTR cassettes   (which also use titanium cogs) while the   steel XT models are always quiet. Over   time the titanium surface seems to ‘bed-in’   and chain lube probably works its way in   there too. After three months our drivetrain   is now dead silent—just as a range-topping   Shimano product should be.  

The rear derailleur clutch is very effective   at keeping the drivetrain quiet. In theory,   the little nylon guides on the front derailleur   should contribute to the near-silent   running but I suspect it was more to do   with strong clutch mechanism. Minimising   unwanted chain movement also helps   to keep the chain on the chainrings. While   our 2X11 system wasn’t as silent and   bombproof as a good one-by system with   a guide, it still offered solid chain management   and certainly wasn’t dropping the   chain left-right-and-centre. 

 Prior to the XTR test, I’d spent most   of my time aboard 1X11 equipped bikes.   Going back to a multi-ring setup, I appreciated   the wider gear spread as there are   some steep and sustained hills in my local   area. The ‘rhythm step’ gearing was great   for marathon events; it gave me plenty of   top end without sacrificing my bail-out gear.   Chain retention was sufficient for anything   this side of gravity enduro racing too. If   there’s one thing I missed it was the vacant   space under the left side of the handlebar.   I’ve grown to appreciate the reduced clutter   of a one-by drivetrain and the spare real estate   that it leaves for a dropper post remote.  

Whenever I swapped back to ride my   SRAM 1X11 equipped bike, the difference   in shifting feel was clear. Both have a nice   light action and a sufficiently short lever   throw. With the SRAM triggers each gearshift   is singled by an audible ‘click’ while   the Shimano shift is comparatively silent but   more tactile; it’s very defined and positive.   Both shift with great precision and a lot will   come down to individual preference—personally   I could live very happily with either.  

Many fear the move to 11-speed, believing   that it will compromise robustness   and durability. Obviously three months of   riding isn’t going to tell us a lot about its   durability but the system is dead easy to   adjust and very tolerant of misalignment.   You can turn the barrel adjuster a fair way   in either direction and it won’t miss-shift.

The wide range cassette keeps you in   the titanium toothed main drive ring for   longer, and the reduction in front shifting   will improve longevity too. I can’t see why   the new system won’t offer better durability   than its 10-speed predecessor.  

One thing that mightn’t fare so well   in the long-term is the highly polished   smoky-chrome finish. Scuff marks and small   scratches seem more noticeable with this   finish—it was especially apparent on the   cranks. Speaking of aesthetics, the M9000   XTR really seems to polarise opinions.   While the styling didn’t grab me when I first   saw photos of the group, it looks 100% better   in the flesh. I’ve got a feeling the styling   will really grow on people as time passes.  

Shimano’s first foray into 11-speed isn’t a   cookie cutter copy of the competition.   They’ve offered their own take on the   concept and delivered a solidly engineered   product. It mightn’t meet the expectations   of some one-by devotees, but not everybody   needs mega-range gearing. If you do,   they’ve got a very refined and sharp   shifting two-by system that offers great   chain retention, low chain noise and no   weird jumps between gear ratios. All in all   the M9000 group is a worthy successor   and well deserving of the XTR badge.      

XTR Electronic

We’ve now had a few rides on the Di2 version of the new XTR group and it clearly offers some distinct advantages over the mechanical group. The downsides are pretty clear too; it’s insanely expensive and it requires the occasional battery recharge (Shimano conservatively suggests 300km between recharges as a worst case scenario but it’s likely to last much longer). Between mobile phones, tablets and whatnot, battery charging is becoming pretty normal; adding your bike to that list shouldn’t be a big deal. The pricing is bound to be high on a first generation product such as this, but if things progress as they have on the road, there will be more affordable electronic groupsets in the future. 

Here are the main Di2 highlights:

• There are no cables to stretch, wear or clog with mud.

• Beyond the initial setup, the gear adjustment should never falter.

• Great shifter feel with a very positive click; it’s almost like mechanical but lighter action as you’re not pulling on a cable.

• Running a tighter clutch for improved chain retention won’t affect the shifting speed or alter the feel at the gear lever.

• The motor driven front derailleur takes chainring shifts to a whole new level. You can shift under load without hesitation and it’s really fast too.

• The ‘Syncro’ feature shifts the front derailleur automatically whilst only using the right hand trigger. For a cleaner cockpit you can remove the left side shifter entirely.

• It’s highly programmable via a software interface (PC but not Mac). This allows you to customise the shift pattern that the Syncro mode follows.

• You can select which shift lever does what; if it feels more natural having the bigger paddle shifting towards the easier gears, then set it up that way using the PC software—easy.

• In stock form there’s next to no weight penalty with Di2, and if you remove the left hand shifter it’s actually lighter than its mechanical counterpart.

• There’s the opportunity to integrate the Di2 electronics with Fox iCD suspension components and piggyback off the one battery.

• A bar-mounted display lets you track the battery charge, shift mode and gear selection.