components: Test: Shimano XT M8100 - The all-round carefree package

Test: It's that time again! Shimano presented the latest development of their oldest XT group, established in 1982, in Spain last weekend. We have the most important information and first test impressions for you.

It's been five years since Shimano gave its best-known and most important MTB group a huge evolutionary boost with the XT M8000. Five years – Shimano fans should know this – is usually the product cycle for the groupsets from Japan. So it wasn't a big surprise for us when we were presented with a new XT group alongside the new SLX at the press camp in Spain last week. This is called Shimano XT M8100 and to answer what is probably the most pressing question: Yes, it "inherits" the twelfth gear from the XTR group presented last year. But that's by far not all that's new: Despite twelve gears, the front derailleur hasn't been retired and the 4-piston brake has been completely revised.

Shimano XT M8100 – Proven performance with 12 sprockets?

It's no secret that US competitor Sram Shimano has been able to outperform Shimano in recent years. The main reason may have been the rather offensive and initially courageous departure from the front derailleur and the introduction of wide-ranged cassettes, which fell on fertile ground with manufacturers and drivers alike. But with the introduction of the first MTB 12-speed group XTR M9100 last year, Shimano hit back and is now following up with XT (and SLX) - and how: As with the top group, buyers of the new XT can choose between 1-speed and 2-speed drives, between the very wide 10-51 cassette and also a 10-45 variant for friends of smaller gear steps. But first things first.

As with the XTR, Shimano still gives its riders the choice between one or two chainrings in 2019. In a 1x setup you have 510% (10-51) or 450% (10-45) bandwidth. If you rely on a solution with two chainrings at the front, you can even get a whopping 632% bandwidth - there are also smaller gear jumps. Both cassettes rely on the new Microspline freewheel. That's courageous from Shimano, but logical: After the introduction with the XTR group last year, some third-party manufacturers (e.g. DT Swiss, Mavic, I9) now have this freewheel in their range and you are not limited to hubs from Japan. Nevertheless, it should be exciting to see how the market develops, since three freewheel standards are now competing in the MTB sector: The well-known Shimano/Sram 11-speed standard, XD and now Microspline. There should now be some movement, especially in the OEM area.

Shimano XT M8100 – Up to 636% bandwidth

The cassettes each consist of 10 steel and two aluminum sprockets. This gives you a comparatively long service life for the smaller sprockets, which are usually used much more often, and saves weight on the two largest, which are usually only used during steep climbs. The cassettes weigh 470g (10-51) and 461g (10-45) in this way. If you are traveling with a chainring at the front, you have the choice between a 28, 30, 32, 34 or 36 chainring, which is attached directly to the crank arm, which is also completely new and of course hollow forged, via direct mount. If you prefer two chainrings, Shimano offers a 26-36 variant of the crank, which can be combined with the 10-45 cassette and thus breaks all bandwidth records: Perfect for a sporty transalp or for marathon races.

Of course, all of this is only possible with the appropriate rear derailleurs: The Shimano XT M8100 has two: either for 1x or 2x drives. They have in common the enlarged upper guide roller with 13 teeth, which is supposed to improve the chain guidance and thus the shifting quality. Of course, the well-known and proven Shadow+ rear derailleur damping, which minimizes chain slap, is also on board.

New rear derailleurs also include corresponding shifters: With the XT M8100, Shimano (fortunately...) continues to rely on the ISPEC-EV assembly standard, with which the shifters can be attached to the brake clamp – if desired. Shimano fans should be pleased to note that it is still possible to shift two sprockets down or three sprockets up at the same time with the new XT group. Ergonomically, many things remain the same, the rubberized surface of the large shift lever is a positive feature. As with the new XTR, the trigger for the front derailleur comes with just one lever, which makes it easy to switch between the large and small chainring.

Shimano XT M8100 – brakes with 4 or 2 pistons

In addition to the shifting group, Shimano also presented us with the new XT brakes, which are intended to fill in the large footsteps of the predecessor. The 2-piston version intended for the XC area has no new brake calipers – apart from the design – while the 4-piston version designed for Trail and Enduro has nothing in common with its predecessor. This is based on the 4-piston version of the XTR M9100 and also uses their pads. The brake transmitters are new in both cases: At first glance, they resemble their predecessors like peas in a pod, but a closer look reveals that the expansion tank is supported on the handlebars. If you grip hard during heavy braking manoeuvres, the encoder can hardly twist itself: This gives the driver a noticeably harder and more defined pressure point.

The features of the brake are already familiar from the predecessor: tool-free lever reach adjustment is also on board, as is the free-stroke setting, with which the position of the pressure point can be fine-tuned. Thanks to the Servowave, there is short lever travel and a progressive application of force – there is no variant with linear braking behavior for the XT like the XTR group.

The new XT discs are not only visually striking, but also technically quite striking. They are only available for Centerlock and are equipped with Icetec Freeza technology. The aluminum core is continued with cooling fins, which improves heat dissipation and minimizes fading.

Last but not least, there are also new wheels from the XT series: As with the brakes, you also have the choice between a variant for XC racers and marathonists and trail and enduro pilots. In the former, straight pull spokes hold the 24mm wide aluminum rims on the newly designed XT hubs. The rim of the enduro variant is 30mm wide, the structure does not require a straight pull. Both variants are available in 27,5″ and 29″ and exclusively for Boost forks or frames. The weight is quite competitive: The XC variant weighs 1.764g (27,5″) or 1.840g (29″), the Trail wheelset is only 1.846g (27,5″) or 1.940g (29″). minimally heavier.

Shimano XT M8100 – First riding impressions

In the Spanish province of Girona, we had the opportunity to test the new XT components as part of the Shimano press camp.

Starting with the shifting performance: Already on the first few meters uphill, there was a clear difference to the predecessor. The gear changes were noticeably quicker, but without missing the smooth shifting behavior typical of Shimano. Even awkward shifts with a lot of pressure on the pedal didn't throw the group out of step. If things get a little hectic on the trail and the terrain meanders up and down in quick succession, the option of shifting several gears in both directions at once is worth its weight in gold.

It's difficult to say too much about the performance of the new Shimano XT M8100. It was too inconspicuous in the best sense of the word for that: no snags, no rattling – even after several days of damp and sometimes wet conditions. We rode a Scott Genius with a front chainring and the new 10-51 cassette for the enduro test lap. The low background noise of the group was striking - a blessing for every driver. To look for the much-cited hair in the soup: We would have liked a little more feedback on the lever when shifting. The XT was almost a little too smooth for our taste.

Much more noticeable and also positive in the highest sense was the performance of the brakes. We were traveling with the new 4-piston system - in a word: snappy! Crisp pressure point, concentrated braking power without having to make any major compromises when it comes to dosing. The feel of the master piston convinced us as soon as we set it up. The lever lies very well in the hand and can be adjusted quickly and easily.

Shimano XT M8100 pricing and availability

Both Shimano and the German importer Paul Lange are still silent on the prices of the new group. However, information on this should not be long in coming, as the group should be available in stores as early as June.