Launch and First Ride: Shimano Deore XT M8200 and XTR M9200

You may well have seen the launch of Shimano's new XTR group a couple of weeks ago, with the ever cautious and meticulous Japanese giant (it’s been a full 7 years since the last update!) finally rolling out a wireless mountain bike groupset to bring them right back up to date in their long running battle with the other big S from across the pond.

Light, slick and very neatly engineered the new XTR kit looks every bit as dialled as you would expect from Shimano and their thorough R&D department but not everyone is going to be able to afford or justify the cost of an XTR equipped bike or the parts themselves. As soon as XTR launched however, it was obvious that a more affordable XT version would be coming somewhere down the line, and it turns out that there is not going to be a long wait at all for it, with the full Deore XT M8200 line launching today, along with a select mix of base Deore parts.

We got a chance to ride the new XTR kit last week in a very, very wet Fort William, so let us run you through what’s new across the various components and where the gaps between XTR and XT now lie.

New XT / XTR in detail

While every part in the groupsets are new, inevitably it is the new rear derailleurs and wireless shifter which have been getting the most attention. With SRAM pushing wireless shifting hard over the last few years with first AXS, then T-Type and some frames no longer even compatible with cables, Shimano were always going to have to follow suit to compete in the market. Interestingly while they have finally made the leap into wireless, they have gone down something of a different route with their system. 

Unlike SRAMs T-Type, the new Shimano rear derailleurs still mount to a conventional hanger, with Shimano hoping that by combining a very tough mech with a sacrificial hanger they can give us all the best chance of the mech surviving a vicious impact and avoiding early retirement. As an added bonus, that will also allow Shimano XT / XTR to be retrofitted to many more bikes, with no special frame standard or hanger required to make use of it. It’s also backwards compatible with existing 12 speed chains and cassettes making upgrading into the system a fairly reasonable proposition for anyone already on a Shimano 12 speed drivetrain.

The derailleur itself has been designed to take as much of a beating as possible, with the body reshaped to glance off rocks rather than snag (giving up a conventional clutch to do so, more below on that) and a wide, well braced linkage built to withstand repeated bumps and scrapes. An extra skid plate further protects the B-knuckle and the jockey wheels are solid designs to prevent trail debris from snagging. The battery also sits contained within the derailleur, tucked behind a removable door to keep it safe from both knocks and the elements. On the XTR mech, the cage is carbon, while the XT version makes do with a (tougher?) alloy cage.

The other big change on the rear derailleur is the omission of a clutch system. While in recent years, all mountain bike mechs have used a friction clutch to quieten chain and mech movement, for new XT and XTR Shimano have gone with a completely different solution. Instead Shimano have used two stacked springs to provide the damping for the cage using extra spring force to stabilise the chain instead of a friction band. The second extra spring will also add more chain tension compared to a single spring plus a clutch, and perhaps more significantly, the chain retention shouldn’t degrade over time in the way clutch mechs do, which should lead to a longer usable lifespan. The double spring system is also smaller, which is part of what has allowed Shimano to engineer in the low profile and angled shape to the B-Knuckle, hopefully helping to stop the mech getting hit in the first place.

Two cage options are available, either a long cage designed for the 10-51t cassette, or a medium cage which improves both ground clearance and drivetrain quietness to be used with the new 9-45t cassette and a smaller chainring. Both cages fit the same mech body, so it’s possible to switch systems with no more than a cassette and cage swap. The 9 tooth ring on the closer ratio cassette is made possible by a very nifty design that sees the bottom gear cog also function as the lockring. Shimano expects the 9-45t cassette to be used with a smaller chainring by riders who want the extra ground clearance for the cage, reduced weight and closer ratios it offers, but it could also be a great system for E-Bike use where the very easy climbing gears just aren’t really needed. 

There is also a new M9260 / M8260 E-BIke specific derailleur which can be wired into the power supply of the bike rather than running on a separate battery. We didn’t get a chance to ride it, but it also offers AutoShift and FreeShift functions allowing the user to both change gear without pedalling and have the system automatically adjust gears to maintain a set cadence for fire road spins and general riding. 

Driving the shifting is the new SW-M9250IR Di2 Shifter Switch. Heavily adjustable and available in either i-spec mount or band clamp options it’s again nice to see a new product that is compatible with a wide range of bikes. Customisation is the trick card of the shifter, with both shift levers able to provide single click, double click (XTR only) or multi shifts, along with the ability to tune the position and roll of both levers. 

For those who’ve not been able to switch their brains over to the new rockers and POD style shifters SRAM offers, the Shimano system is much, much closer to the tactile feel of a mechanical system, with both shift levers positioned similarly to a ‘normal’  cable shifter. A third function button on the face operates anything from micro adjust to bike computer and GPS functions. 

Riding the new mech and shifter

The obvious question we’re going to be asked is how Shimano’s new groupset compares to SRAM T-Type, so let’s just go straight to the answer. It’s distinctly different. While the shifts on T-Type can feel almost invisible, XTR 9200 has a more mechanical feel with a crisp, sharp and defined shift between gears. Under heavier loads, it’s not quite as smooth a shift as T-Type, but it is much, much faster, especially when you want several gears quickly.

Test bikes ready to ride at the launch camp in Fort William

Rapid taps on the shifter (in either direction) produce lightning quick and accurate shifts and the shifter itself is very easy to learn, with both buttons more or less where you would expect them coming from a ‘normal’ drivetrain. Again, they have a more mechanical feel, shifting with a defined click each time they are pressed so that you’re never in doubt as to whether you have made a shift or not. Economically, it’s by far the nicest wireless shifter we’ve used with plenty of scope to put the shift levers where you want them and the ability to pick from any of single, double or multi shifts. 

As with all electronic drivetrains, shifting accuracy is essentially perfect so it’s just a case of rapidly clicking to where you want to be and letting the system do its thing, with no extra brain power required to judge the shifts or their timing. For someone used to managing a regular cable based derailleur it’s very noticeable how much less demanding wireless is when changing gear during descents or technical climbs with mis-shifts rendered almost impossible. Chain control descending also seems excellent on the new double spring system with minimal slap and noise, so if the promised longevity does pan out compared to clutch derailleurs then it could be a very good improvement. 

M9200 / 8200 brakes

Along with the drivetrain, XT and XTR brakes also see a substantial redesign. Visually quite different from the previous versions, they’ve had both lever angles and hose exit points adjusted to improve ergonomics and hose routing. The servo wave lever track has been tuned to deliver a smoother application of power and the reservoir in the enduro brake increased in size. The lever reach adjuster now sits neatly integrated within the blade and the free stroke adjuster makes a noticeable difference to the bite point. On that note, there is an elephant in the room, which is that while the previous generation brakes worked well, they had developed a (deserved) reputation for having a bite point which could vary during sustained descending, meaning you would never be quite sure where the lever would engage. Not every brake had the issue and not all riders noticed it, but for many it was quite disconcerting. 

Shimano think that issue was caused by a mix of sticky caliper seals and overly viscous oil, with both of those things addressed for the new brakes. The caliper seals have been re-designed and a new, thinner mineral oil is intended to behave more consistently across a wide range of temperatures. 

Unfortunately our one day of riding the new brakes could not have happened in worse conditions for testing with ridiculously heavy rain and a huge amount of standing water on the trails making it impossible to get the brakes up to temperature or get a really good feel for power and lever feel with everything saturated throughout. First impressions within those constraints are of a nicely improved brake, with easy to use adjustments and (at least during the course of our ride) a solid and consistent bite point and feel. The overall power level was a little hard to gauge in the conditions but feels like it would be in line with other trail brakes, rather than the super powerful models such as the Hope V4 or Maven.

Crankset

The cranks remain less drastically overhauled, with both XT and XTR still Holllowtech aluminium rather than carbon. Relatively light for aluminium cranks at under 600 grams and easy to fit and remove, they will take chainrings from 28t-36t and come in lengths from 160mm to 175mm. The default chainline is 55mm but it is tuneable with chainrings to fit 52mm bikes as well. Axles remain 24mm so no new BB is required to make the switch. Prices are also pretty reasonable so for a sensible, long lived and relatively light crank they remain as good a choice as Shimano have always been.

Overall then, the new group seems just as we’d expect it from Shimano. Easy to use, nicely designed and with care taken to keep parts backwards compatible and user friendly. The mech and shifter combine great ergonomics and a distinctly mechanical feel with super fast, accurate shifting and the promise of improved longevity. Combine that with more affordable pricing, especially on the XT kit and the new groups look like a drivetrain that can very much hold their own in the current market. Perhaps not everyone will pick this over the other S, but it is great to have a viable second choice!

UK Pricing

XTR

XTR Di2 upgrade kit, GS or SGS mech and Shifter: £799.99

Di2 Wireless XTR 12-spd rear mech without battery: £549.99

XTR Di2 shift switch, wireless, band clamp or i-spec:£184.99

XTR crank set without ring, 55mm chain line, 12-speed: £249.99

Single chainring for XTR M9200 / M9220: £129.99

XTR 4 pot bled brake lever/post mount calliper: £249.99

XT

XT Di2 upgrade kit, GS or SGS mech and Shifter:: £649.99

Di2 Wireless Deore XT 12-spd rear mech without battery: £429.99

XT Di2 shift switch, wireless, band clamp  or i-spec: £159.99

XT 4 pot bled brake lever/post mount calliper: £199 each

XT Crank set without ring, 12-speed, 55mm chainline, 160mm £150

Single chainring for XT M8200: £65

Deore

Deore Di2 Wireless- 12-speed - without battery - 12-speed HYPERGLIDE+ - SGS: £374.99

RD Di2 Wired Deore 12-spd rear mech, HYPERGLIDE, SGS: £374.99

RD Di2 Wired Deore 11-spd rear mech, LINKGLIDE, SGS: £374.99

Deore Di2 shift switch - wireless - I-Spec EV mount - right hand: £124.99

Deore Di2 shift switch - wireless - band on mount - right hand: £124.99