Skip to main content

Shimano XTR Trail M9020 brakes


SHIMANO'S NEW XTR brakes get subtle upgrades to improve already outstanding performance but some niggles remain.

A new cam coating on the Trail model gives increased power over the Race version and the carbon-over-alloy lever is tougher too. It's still an impressively light system thanks to details like titanium bolts. Single-finger modulation is fantastically rich and communicative, and the pads and pistons get a new coating for higher heat tolerance. Bleeding is easy and reliability is excellent. It's compatible with Shimano's I-Spec II shifter mounts and the lack of orange anodising (as found on the old XTR Trail) makes it easier to colour match. The bite point dial still isn't great though, and the flan-fringed Freeza rotors are only available in Center Lock format.

WEIGHT 397g
POWER 115m/s-2

PRICE 345$








Labels

Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

READ MORE >>

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

READ MORE >>

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

READ MORE >>

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

READ MORE >>

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

READ MORE >>