Direct mount on the chainring

The brand new XTR FC-M9100-1 crank is around 80 grams lighter than its predecessor and allows the installation of chainrings with 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 teeth, which can now be mounted on the crank body via Direct Mount. Shimano is thus saying goodbye to chainring fixing with four bolts.

The star of the show: the cassette with 10-51

The main showpiece of the new XTR is not the crank, but the cassette. This is available in 10-45 and 10-51 gradations and achieves a bandwidth of 510 percent in the large version. The 10-51 cassette with its 12 sprockets weighs 367 grams, the 11-sprocket version in 10-45 gradation weighs 310 grams. The Sram XX1 Eagle cassette with its 10-50 teeth and 12 sprockets weighs around 352 grams.

New freehub standard, new sound

In order to fit this cassette, a new body is required on the rear hub. Shimano is leading the way with XTR hubs and so far DT Swiss is the only other known manufacturer - and calls the system Micro Spline. For Shimano, this is tantamount to a new era, as the freehub mounting pattern for cassettes has not changed for decades. The engineers are now paying tribute to the 10 mm sprocket, as this size cannot be fixed with the existing bodies.

At the same time, the new freewheel hubs feature so-called Scylence technology. This replaces the previous pawl design with a ratchet system, which is designed to significantly reduce frictional resistance in the freewheel and works virtually silently. The familiar rattling of the freewheel is now a thing of the past, so that you can concentrate fully on the trail ahead.

13 instead of 11 teeth on the derailleur pulleys

In order to keep pace with the 12 sprockets, Shimano is of course also launching a new chain. The rear derailleur also comes with a new look and new technology. Among other things, new, large guide and tension pulleys with 13 instead of the previous 11 teeth ensure improved shifting performance.

Detail work has also gone into the two-piston brake: this is 13 grams lighter, but should offer improved stiffness in the brake lever and therefore a noticeably crisper pressure point. The shift levers have also been redesigned to offer noticeably lower operating forces and, in the SL-M9100-R/-IR version, offer a selector for 11-speed and 12-speed use.https://bike.shimano.com

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