Market: Starting this year, Shimano's successful XT mountain bike group will also be available in an electronic Di2 version. The Japanese bicycle giant today published the first information about the Shimano XT Di2 M8050, as the group will be officially called. From September there will be the XT-Di2, which will even have one or two features ahead of the higher-quality XTR series.
There are probably only a few components on a bicycle that have such a good reputation as components from Shimano's XT series. These two letters have stood for quality and high performance at an affordable price for many years. The group, like the rest of the Shimano portfolio, benefits from the company philosophy according to which the components "inherit" the features of the higher quality groups at regular intervals. Two years ago, with the introduction of the XT M8000, it was the leap from a 10-speed to an 11-speed drivetrain, now an additional electronic Di2 group is following, based entirely on the XTR Di2014 presented in 2.
Why shift electronically?
While electronic shifting has been firmly established in the road sector for a number of years, enjoying widespread acceptance and the advantages being recognized by most riders, things are still a little different among mountain bikers. On the one hand, this is of course due to the fact that with the XTR Di2 there is only one single electronic MTB drive group available and many riders have not yet had any experience with the comfort and advantages that it offers compared to its mechanical counterpart.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of electronic shifting is its adaptability and freedom from mechanical constraints. Take, for example, the separate shifting of the front derailleur and rear derailleur - thanks to the Synchronized Shift Technology, this is no longer necessary with the new XT Di2 group. All switching operations can be carried out using a shift lever. From a certain ratio, the control unit automatically takes over the chainring change. Experienced riders can also use the app to make fine adjustments and change the timing of the chainring change, for example. So you get the simplicity of a 1x drivetrain in the cockpit while in reality you are traveling with two chainrings.
Another advantage is the consistent performance that an electronic drive offers: Gear cables - no matter how modern they may be - are subject to the laws of physics and become longer over time, are susceptible to external influences and thus become longer over time again smaller fine adjustments necessary to maintain the usual shift quality. All this does not apply to electronic shifting: the function remains the same over thousands of kilometers, the shifting processes are the same to the millimeter.
The Shimano XT Di2 M8050 at a glance
Control unit: Shimano XT Di2 SC-MT800
The information display with the somewhat cryptic name SC-MT800 is the heart of the new XT Di2 group. Here the driver receives information about the gear in use, the state of charge of the battery and some other information about the selected modes. You can also communicate with the control unit via smartphone, tablet, computer and Bluetooth and make various settings such as trimming the front derailleur. Thanks to integrated circuit diagrams and rhythm step technology, the circuit always selects the switching process that has the smallest gear step, regardless of the settings. By the way: The XT group has the exclusive option of communicating with the gearshift via Bluetooth, but it can also be retrofitted to the existing XTR Di2 with a new control unit.
Shifters: Shimano XT SW-M8050
The electronic Firebolt gear levers are visually and ergonomically very reminiscent of their mechanical counterparts: the design has proven itself for decades and the changeover is much easier for those switching. However, the placement of the two triggers themselves can be changed over a wide range and thus adapted to your own ergonomic needs. By the way: If you still prefer to operate the front derailleur and rear derailleur separately, you can of course also do this with the XT Di2 - the shift levers can be configured to your own wishes. So if you want to celebrate a personal revival of the inverse rear derailleur - no problem.
Front derailleur and rear derailleur: Shimano XT FD-M8070 and Shimano XT RD-M8050
According to Shimano, the "executive" of the circuit, i.e. rear derailleur and front derailleur, should not be inferior to their more expensive siblings from the XTR Di2 group in terms of performance - only the weight of the XT components should be slightly higher and the look is a little more reserved than with Shimanos top group. The front derailleur has auto trimming and thus prevents the annoying rattling of the chain on the cage plate. According to the manufacturer, the motor in the rear derailleur is twice as powerful as its road counterparts made of Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2. So fast and reliable gear changes are no problem even with a dirty drive and mud on the cassette.
But not only the shifting performance should be on the same level as the XTR group, but also the battery life and the durability of the drive should be able to stand up to the top group. There are no exact figures for battery life, but a battery charge is said to last for "several hundred kilometers under high stress (many switching operations)". Charging the battery takes 90 minutes and the energy suppliers are available as either external or internal versions.
All components of the Shimano XT Di2 should be available in September. We are already looking forward to the first test drive!