Shimano’s clipless trail shoes are some of the best. For the MW7, they’ve used the same basic template – long cleat slots, lace flap, asymmetric ankle – but added winter weatherproofing.
SO GOOD... There’s impressive attention to detail here. The harness is adjustable to fit your back, there are tabs for goggles and straps for leg armour. The fit is superb and a clever alloy hook makes it easy to get the pack on and off quickly. We liked the inclusion of a detachable waist strap but never needed it. The 2l Hydrapak bladder is easy to clean.
THE M530S ARE the budget option in Shimano’s caged SPD pedal range and at 52$ they’re an absolute bargain. The low price means we can excuse their heavier weight (455g per pair) and less refined looks than their more expensive XT and XTR counterparts.
ZEE IS BASICALLY a cheaper version of Shimano’s pro-level Saint downhill groupset, and these bombproof and vastly powerful yet subtly controlled brakes are a brilliant bargain.
SHIMANO’S FLAGSHIP TRAIL brake looks beautiful and potentially has stunning control and modulation but we’ve struggled to get consistent performance on several sets we’ve used.
Shimano’s Deore XT transmission for the masses comes in an 11-speed flavour and is cheaper than SRAM’s cheapest 11-speed offering, GX. But can it cut it on the trail?
SHIMANO’S NEW XTR Di2 is a step up from the electronically controlled transmissions that until now have been the preserve of our roadie cousins. Uprated mech motors allow muddy shifts, while riders can choose to shift manually or select one of two user-defined ‘SynchroShift’ modes, where the front mech moves automatically to give race-car-like sequential shifting.
The dependability of Shimano’s clipless shoes is generally only matched by the unimaginativeness of their product naming. These are no exception. Despite the low weight and price, the sole is stiff enough for most applications.
It’s quite apparent that the AM41 shares a lot of the same DNA as their popular clipless brother, the AM45. This is no bad thing. The shared upper is splash resistant, if poorly ventilated, and allows the laces to be stowed out of harm’s way under the Velcro flap. The inner ankle is nicely protected from rock strikes or hitting against the crank too.
The m163s feature Shimano’s new Torbal technology, which allows the back portion of the sole to flex laterally. Considering how stiff and efficient these shoes feel under power, we were surprised by just how surefooted and comfortable they felt when we were really throwing the bike around on the trail.
We've had a few months on several sets of Shimano's new flagship mechanical groupset so what do we think and where does it rank in the drivetrain charts?
Shimano’s range of Trail pedals have already become absolute classics. They incorporate Shimano’s time tested SPD mechanism and offer a great compromise between simplicity, reliability and a decent platform. Clipping in is slightly more fiddly over rough ground than with the Crank Brothers Mallet, but Shimano’s crisp, predictable mechanism is a joy to use.
Shimano’s SPD mechanism is now 25 years old, and yet it still works better than most. Despite the lack of a cage to guide your shoes into the mechanism, engagement was never fiddly. With very flexy shoes the pedal can be felt through the sole so these are best used with stiffer, racier shoes. The lack of a cage makes them a little treacherous if you miss clipping in on a technical section and have to ride it out unclipped too.
For 2015 Shimano completely redesigned their XTR wheels. As with the previous version, they are offered in both Race and Trail flavours. The Race version provides a 20mm inner width. We opted to test the wider Trail version which measures 28mm externally and 24mm between the bead hooks—not super wide but it’s enough to support to a good sized trail tyre.
Shimano never does anything by half measures. When the company jumps into a new market, it does so with guns a blazin’. The new Sport Camera is a good example. For a first-year product, the camera comes loaded with features, which is surprising at first glance because this thing is also absolutely tiny.