Mountain biking has changed. Gone are the days of weight-weenie gram savers, purple anodised everything, criminally tight lycra and cow horn bar-ends! These days the average mid-level mountain bike is designed to tackle almost anything you throw at it with most possesing at least 4″ of front and rear suspension, disc brakes and 27 gears.
Riders want to warm up on the XC trails in the morning, then take it to the bike park in the afternoon, and all on the same bike. So it makes sense that Shimano, the worlds largest bike component manufacturer is shifting (phnar) its emphasis to designing groupsets that meet the requirements of this varied style of riding by blending the lightness of XC parts with the strength of freeride. A wise move, you can expect to see this stuff everywhere next year and Shimano thinks so too, with production already in full swing in order to meet demand.
So what can you spend your hard-earned cash on? Well first lets check out the 2009 Saint groupset(M810). Saint was introduced in ‘03 as Shimano’s hardcore Freeride/Downhill offering but for next year it promises to be lighter, stronger and more rigid than its predecessor (M800).
Four piston calipers are making a return and they provide 50% more stopping power than the current BR-M800 calipers. The two part caliper (joined by x4 Torx bolts) is 9% stiffer than than current mono-bodied M775 XT caliper. The calipers also have an increased oil flow which should make bleeding easier.
The brake levers feature Servo Wave technology that contributes to the brake power and offers excellent controllability and extra pad clearance as well. The levers feature tool-free reach adjust and a beefy lever blade for optimal control and strength.
The new Saint Shadow rear derailleur uses a universal traditional dropout mount, which replaces the axle mount/interface of the M800. There’s a super wide inner link on the derailleur that offers additional stiffness, providing crisp shifts and engagement. It’s available in a short (SS) and a medium (GS) cage version, (top-normal shifting only), which should appeal to all riders with single or double chainring setups.
The Rapidfire Plus shifters have been designed to combine a crisp shift feeling with one-finger braking. They feature 2-Way Release technology that allows the release lever to be operated in two directions. The new Saint shifters have been developed with an adjustable bracket to allow inboard and outboard mounting for optimum cockpit setup.
The Saint cranksets (image at top of page) have gone on a major diet, they’re lighter and stiffer than the current M800 versions. Both single and double chainrings have been developed with Hollowtech II technology and feature a heavy duty redesigned spider arm and spindle. The new crank arm design allows more ankle clearance and the “honeycomb” designed bash guard has great impact resistance.
Visually the Saint kit is way better looking than the old M800 and positions Shimano nicely alongside the likes of SRAM and Race Face in terms of ‘bling appeal’. The gold accents of the milled aluminium parts, the angular shapes and the contrasting Saint logo create a individual and high-end look for the Saint line.
Also new from Shimano in the ‘09 bag is a brand new groupset going by the catchy name of SLX which will replace the Hone groupo and kinda replace the long standing LX too. Shimano is going to reposition LX as their ‘touring’ groupset leaving a big gap to fill in the mid-level mtb range, a gap to be filled by SLX with its myriad of component options. You can view SLX in two ways, like a lightweight Saint or like a burly LX… meaning you can expect to see it on a wide variey of ‘09 mountain bikes from XC hardtails to freeride machines. In-keeping with the recent trend of Shimano products a lot of attention has been given to the aesthetics.
Here’s Shimano’s word on SLX: “Designed for All Mountain and tough Trail use, this groupset excels in terms of durability and high performance. The parts are tough and lightweight and, in-keeping with the recent trend of Shimano products a lot of attention has been given to the aesthetics. SLX, although targeted primarily at hardcore riders also fulfils the demands of other riding styles. Are you ready to challenge its extreme potential or do you stay with Cross Country specific components?”
The SLX group includes two types of HOLLOWTECH II cranksets for different types of riding styles. The first is an All Mountain compact drive crankset with a double chainring 36/22T combination, designed to give more range over the traditional 32/22T setup. It has a reinforced construction with increased axle and spider strength to meet the rigours of All Mountain riding.
In addition to the double/bash guard chainset, there will also be a triple SLX crankset for Cross Country riding where a larger spread of gearing is required. It will be available in a chainring combination of 44/32/22T.
The SLX rear derailleur gets the full Shadow treatment currently seen in the XT and XTR groupsets. The main advantages are its extra thin profile (reducing chances of the rear derailleur snagging or hitting any trail objects) and shorter, more direct cable routing enabling crisp shifting and a faster response. This derailleur will be available in both medium (GS) and long (SGS) cage versions and weighs in at only 260 grams.
The group is completed with shifters, disc brakes and hubs. The SLX Rapidfire Plus shifters feature 2-Way Release technology that enables the release lever to be operated in two directions. Furthermore it has an inboard/outboard mounting option and a removable optical gear display with an integrated cover plate, similar to that currently seen on Deore XT.
The disc brakes feature 2-piston hydraulic calipers and boast 20% extra stopping power compared to previous generation LX and Hone brakesets thanks to the Shimano’s Servo Wave technology in the lever. The levers have also been developed with a tool-free reach adjust.
The freehub integrates Shimano’s quick engagement technology for faster acceleration and improved reaction in technical terrain. The hub and freehub have been developed with a high quality sealing and they carry cup and cone bearings for easy adjustment and high durability particularly to side loads. In addition to the standard 9mm QR front hub there is also a 20mm through axle version for an extra rigid hub/fork combination and some of the longer travel forks on today’s market.
So there we have it… some Shimano ‘09 übergoodness. Start saving!
