5-10-07 // Online Exclusive: MeXTico

Shimano kept the latest iteration of its Deore XT group under wraps until last weekend, when it handed out test samples—and Cervezas—at a product launch in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

During three days in Baja, we only spent a couple of hours riding the new XT parts. Playing up the “adventure” theme for the weekend, Shimano had a whole mess of other activities on tap—everything from deep-sea fishing to midnight bike rallies through the dusty streets of Los Barrilles and late-night escapes to the bars of Cabo.

But first impressions are always telling, and right off the bat we could tell that the new XT shifters are a departure from the light-action shifting Shimano is known for. Paired with a stronger rear derailleur spring, each shift comes with more tactile and audible engagement than previous iterations.

One of the most striking features of the new group is the optional Shadow rear derailleur, so named for its diminutive profile that juts out just barely beyond the rear quick release nut. Shimano product manager Matt Robertson demonstrated the benefits of the new design by throwing test bikes onto the ground derailleur-side down, and then pointing out the daylight between the ground and usually-vulnerable rear derailleur.

Cabo Pulmo’s mix of slow-speed technical sections, jeep-road climbs and technical descents gave us a good head start burning in the stock resin-based brake pads on the new XT brakes, which also can be set up with metallic pads or a combination of the two. And the servo-wave design of the lever offers plenty of leverage and modulation. Look for a long-term test of the new component group in an upcoming issue of Bike, or read more online HERE.