A_M _B_2015_02_03_

60 - AMB

In early 2014, Shimano revealed a new jewel in their crown – XTR M9000. Although many riders were
expecting Shimano to release details about a new electronic mountain bike group set – first they
launched the latest XTR group. And it is also possibly the biggest group set ever produced by Shimano,
due to the many variations of setups available.

We had a 1x11 M9000 group set with Race brakes fitted to our Lapierre 827 AM long term test bike.
The group set is also available in double and triple options, with Race and Trail variants. And of course,
since the launch in April 2014, Di2 versions are now available.

We’ve had plenty of time on this M9000 setup, so here’s a look at how the main components perform.

The BAck enD

The new 11-40 11 speed cassette is the heart
and soul of M9000. Shimano needed to release
an 11 speed MTB group, but they have stuck with
a tighter ratio than the 10-42 range of SRAM.
The cassette itself is beautiful, and as the 40t
overhangs the mounting region, it’s compatible
with any current 10 speed compatible wheel,
reducing the costs of an upgrade.

With extensive use of titanium and carbon, it’s
pretty light. But that isn’t what I was judging by
when I rode. Like all Shimano XTR cassettes
in the past, it shifted smoothly throughout the
range. The gaps were small, and finding the right
ratio wasn’t an issue. And that’s what Shimano
aimed for – although our test group was a single
chain ring setup, the range has been optimised

WoRdS: MIke BLeWITT

IMAgeS: TIM BARdSLey-SMITh

to work with double and triple chain ring drive

trains too. Shimano find that riders pedal between

60-90RPM, and have set their ratios to allow

us to find the right gear for that. With no use of

aluminium for the sprockets, this cassette should

have a long lifespan too – ours shows no sign of

wear after 3 months use.

At first glance the XTR shifter hasn’t changed

much. But beyond small details like a carbon

lever blade, the shifting feels lighter and crisper

than before. More on that later. The new iSpec

mounting is cleaner, and allows for rotational

movement relative to the brake lever – a small but

very important detail for getting the ergonomics

just right. I’d never quite liked iSpec before as I

didn’t like the compromise on fit, despite loving

the idea. Now it just makes sense.

While the shift action is lighter, and the indexing

more pronounced, a lot of the change in shift

effort on the bike comes down to the new rear

derailleur. gone are the Race and Trail models,

with just two cage lengths available instead. Both

use a clutch, and Shimano have tuned the shifter

and derailleur so the increased drag of the clutch

is noticeably less, even with full cable outer.

The derailleur is slimmed down, and uses a new

angle for better shifting. The upper jockey wheel

Shimano m9000

1x11 Group Set

TeSTeD