The new 28 straight pull spoke XT wheels are available in SLX is designed for the avid mountain biker who sets out to explore further. The new SLX M now offers the choice of a single- or double-chainring setup. The single chainring is available in a 28 tooth up to a 34 tooth ring. The SLX brakes have been redesigned and are available in either a two- or a four-piston calliper. Our single chainring cranks now feature an ultra silent and smooth tooth profile.
This keeps your chain on securely, yet rolling smoother than ever before. This is our second generation chain-management optimisation.
Our latest derailleurs feature a bump stopper as well as a clutch mechanism to improve chain retention and keep your drivetrain silent. Our I-Spec EV handlebar mounts make for a clean cockpit setup, while also enabling you to set up your shifters and remotes as ergonomically as possible.
Click "I agree" or any link to accept these cookies. To learn more about how we uses cookies, you can read about them here. But then, as the bike gets pulled out of the box and the drivetrain is revealed, a division forms in the crowd.
Half nod in approval. The other half start talking smack. This is tribalism. It stems from one of the greatest rivalries in cycling: Shimano vs. Photo credit: Paris Gore. If you're looking for a new or used mid-range mountain bike, there's a pretty good chance it will have one of these two drivetrains.
The chart above is organized from entry-level to high-end. Some were surprised that XT and GX were even considered to be on the same level. If you feel this way, let me know in the comments! Photo credit: SRAM. Technically, X01 lies beneath XX1. It costs a few hundred dollars less and weighs a tiny bit more. As explained in an earlier GX vs. These are the drivetrains chosen by professional racers, with XX1 more often used in XC racing and X01 in enduro racing. GX Eagle is only a drivetrain.
We weigh every component and bike we sell. On our scales, a complete GX drivetrain weighs around 80 grams less than a complete Deore XT drivetrain — a little under 3 ounces. There are people out there like me who think like that. Will this weight matter to you? That's a question you have to answer for yourself. If my bike is marginally lighter, it boosts my mental state and makes me feel faster. For more information about the importance of bike weight, check out this article: Does Bike Weight Matter?
Exotic materials like carbon fiber and titanium mean these top-tier drivetrains come in around 1, grams, saving you around grams, or about half a pound. SRAM abandoned the front derailleur long ago, and 1x drivetrains have since become the standard for modern mountain bikes. But Shimano has remained faithful and still offers 2x mountain bike drivetrains.
The current cable-actuated, side swing front derailleurs are actually amazing pieces of tech. The revised cable pull makes these newer front derailleurs smoother and more efficient than the clunky, chain dropping front derailleurs of the past. Does this make Deore XT superior? Well, the mountain bike marketplace has spoken, and the vast majority of riders want a simple 1x system. The 2x option will add to the cost and weight of the Deore XT drivetrain. In the last couple of years, an interesting little battle has waged between Shimano and SRAM over cassette teeth.
When SRAM first released its speed Eagle drivetrains in , the t cassettes seemed comically massive. Shimano lagged behind for a time, and the widest cassette it offered was an speed t Deore XT cassette. But in , Shimano came out swinging with its new generation of speed drivetrains. One tooth more! Not to be outdone, SRAM released a new cassette in with an even wider range: t.
Will Shimano and SRAM continue to duke it out over the next few years, each releasing a new cassette one tooth more than the last? I sure hope so. How much difference does a single tooth make? On a 29er with a standard 32t chainring and mm cranks, the gear inches come out to One thing I will mention is after trying the new t SRAM cassette, the jump from the 42t to the big 52t cog is a bit more noticeable than the 42t to 50t jump on the older t cassette.
A necessary sacrifice for the ultimate granny gear and on hard rides with long and grueling climbs, I don't care. For those that do, the Shimano cassette uses a smaller and slightly smoother 45t to 51t jump for the last two cogs. Ultimately, the cassette is a wear item. On a 1x drivetrain it will last through several chain and chainring replacements, but it will wear out eventually. That's a notable difference.
This difference in price is largely due to construction. The Deore XT cassette uses a carrier for the large black cogs, and the remaining cogs are stacked individually on the freehub with spacers. The GX Eagle cassette is one piece, constructed of multiple cogs pinned together. Shimano followed suit when it released its Micro Spline freehub body for its new speed drivetrains. The XD Driver and Micro Spline freehubs have a smaller diameter, which allows wide-range cassettes with a smaller 10 tooth cog to fit.
Pay attention to this if you plan on getting new wheels for your bike. Until recently, very few brands were allowed to produce and sell Shimano Micro Spline freehubs. In my experience, both freehubs work perfectly fine.
Photo credit: Sterling Lorence. Brands like Race Face and Wolf Tooth also make compatible chainrings. These chainrings are common and easy to find nearly anywhere. Chains and chainrings are the main consumables you will need to replace regularly for these drivetrains.
I put about , miles on a chainring and 1,, miles on a chain before I change them. If you want a super-chain for your mid-level drivetrain, I always suggest the XX1 Eagle chain.
This is a special tooth profile to help retain the chain and give smoother pedalling feel over bumpy terrain. There is a 1x or a 2x mech, both with a clutch to reduce chain slap over rough ground. They both have a large 13t pulley to increase efficiency and help chain management. Cassette gear steps are as follows T and T. The other thing to mention here is the use of a new freehub — Microspline.
All cassettes require the specific Micro Spline freehub interface that Shimano licenses out to specific manufacturers, as well as offering their own hubs. You can check out what hubs are compatible here. This offers a wider range of adjustments included in the realms of joining the shifters and brakes on one clamp.
Deore XT is also now a 12 speed drivetrain. As for SLX it comes in either 2x12 or 1x12 guises and as you might expect for a more expensive drivetrain, parts are generally lighter than SLX. The XT rear mechs get pulley bearings rather than bushes and the same 13t pulley, buy the XT mechs are all alloy rather than using heavier steel parts.
With regards to the cassettes, the XT version comes in either 12spd t or t and is made of alloy and gets the same Hyperglide tech as SLX. For examples sake, the XT t cassette is 64g lighter. Deore XT is also produced as a Di2 or electronic groupset but this is all still 11 speed gear. It uses other XT 11spd parts alongside specific shifters ad mechs, plus the handlebar-mounted information display. The XTR M drivetrain is the range topping gear, and gear that we have actually ridden.
There is a first ride and lots more information here. The double crankset uses the M crankset and mounts to the crank arm in the same way as the single ring set up so if later in life you want to change for a 1x drivetrain you can without having to splash out on new cranks.
The cranks themselves are a two piece alloy construction that is bonded together, Shimano says this allows them to use less material and therefore make the cranks lighter. The chain rings get the Dynamic Shape Engagement Plus tech we spoke about above, which Shimano say produces better engagement of the chain and helps to stop the chain dropping.
XTR chain rings will now work only with the 12 speed chain for this drivetrain. The chain is directional and is lightly curved following the profile of the teeth.
Shimano now also offer a single use quick link to join the chain in the same curved profile. You can still double up-shift and the two way release shifting is still present if you like to shift up with fore finger rather than a thumb. The front mech lever is new, using one paddle for both up and down, you can push or pull the paddle too with its two-way release. You can also adjust the lever into one of three positions to give a preferred starting point for the lever throw, depending on personal preferences.
Editor here at off-road. Partial to a race or two Rachael also likes getting out into the hills with a big bunch of mates. For as long as she's been riding, she has been equally happy getting stuck into a kit review as she is creating stories or doing the site admin.
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