Shimano XT Di2 introduced: XTR technology trickles down

Shimano now offers the XTR approved Di2 technology for the more affordable DEORE XT groupset and adds wireless customization capabilities. Will electronic shifting now come to the masses? All details of the new drivetrain directly from Shimano:

Sitting between the granite-hewn professional racers and the weekend warriors you’ll find a group of highly competitive and highly skilled mountain bikers. These are the privateers and the self-supported riders. These are the riders who put the hours in to keep themselves race-fit and have the skills to test themselves against the best. These are the amateur mountain bike racers. And these are the riders Shimano had in mind when it developed DEORE XT Di2 M8050.

The hole range of Shimano´s DEORE XT Di2 M8050.

If you’ve dreamt of winning races, if you’ve sent in a race application and started to wonder if you’ve got what it takes, if you’ve pinned on race numbers and glanced enviously at the other riders’ bikes then you know what the trail to triumph involves. If you crave the latest components in search of the technology to change your ride, then the answer is Shimano DEORE XT Di2 M8050.

Shimano promises: The technology to change your ride

Two years after launching the world’s first commercially available mountain bike electronic shifting system, Shimano brings the power and the technology to drastically change the way you ride to DEORE XT level.
At the touch of a button and with just one lever you can now change gear with extreme accuracy, speed and precision. When the trail suddenly turns up the hill, your DEORE XT drivetrain can now respond to your every demand. When your hands are aching from gripping your bars, a light touch of your Di2 button is all you need to move to a more efficient gear. And together with SYNCHRONIZED SHIFT technology, which adjusts your front derailleur and your chain line automatically, you´ll always have the right gear options to quickly switch between tough climbs, technical descents and pure-adrenaline racing.

Much like the Shimano DEORE XT M8000 mechanical derailleur, the DEORE XT Di2 M8050 rear derailleur also includes Shadow RD+ technology, which is designed to eliminate chain bounce and keep chains on sprockets over multiple types of terrain, leading to a more stable shifting platform.

The new DEORE XT Di2 M8050 rear derailleur. — The new Shimano DEORE XT Di2 M8050 rear derailleur.

Wireless setup for the Shimano DEORE XT M8050

The most groundbreaking technology featuring on DEORE XT Di2 M8050 though is a new wireless Bluetooth connection to Shimano’s E-TUBE program, which is the system Shimano uses to set up and control the Di2 shifting behaviour. Through Bluetooth technology riders or mechanics can wirelessly communicate with their computer, tablet or a smart phone via the SC-MT800 system information display and a new battery. As well as allowing wireless workshop customizability, it allows riders to customize their shifting preferences on the trail via an app on their smartphones.

Additionally, Shimano’s wireless D-FLY Data Management system will allow riders to see battery and gear information on their compatible third party display devices (eg bike computers). This technology will be rolled out with DEORE XT Di2 components and will be available as an upgrade for those currently riding Shimano XTR Di2, either with SC-MT800 or SCM9051 system information displays and a new internal or external battery.

DEORE XT Di2 components

SW-M8050 front and rear shifters
SC-MT800 system information display
FD-M8070 front derailleur
RD-M8050 rear derailleur

The SYNCHRONIZED SHIFT technology inherent in the shifters means riders can rely solely on one shifter to take care of their rear and front gear changes. A customizable shift map means riders can program the exact gear ratio at which Di2 automatically shifts into the big ring when going up through the gears, or into the small ring when going down through the gears. Whichever gear ratio you choose, Shimano’s Rhythm Step philosophy ensures that riders make the minimum amount of incremental steps when changing up or down gears, allowing the rider to maintain an even cadence and fluid riding style. No large gear steps, no over-working joints and muscles, just effortless pedaling throughout the gear range. No compromises, just a focus on simplicity and enjoyment.

… and the SW-M8050 rear shifter have a pretty clean design.

The shifters are designed to work in harmony with the SC-MT800 system information display, the RDM8050 rear derailleur and the FD-M8070 front derailleur. Not only does the SC-MT800 system information display give a visual display of the rider’s gear and battery level, but it is also the control point for operating the trim adjustment and reboot function and wirelessly adjusting the multi-shift speed and SYNCHRONIZED SHIFT operation via computer, tablet or smart phone.

The Shimano DEORE XT Di2 control unit: SC-MT800 system information display

The FD-M8070 front derailleur and RD-M8050 rear derailleur retain the accurate and stable shifting developed for XTR Di2 components. Computer-controlled auto trim on the front derailleur keeps the drivetrain running smoothly. Meanwhile, at the rear, changes are seamless, even under high loads, on steep inclines or when cassettes are more mud than teeth. The derailleur motors are twice as powerful as those on Dura-Ace and Ultegra Di2 to give precise shifting in difficult conditions.

The M8050 front derailleur... — The M8050 front derailleur.

Battery performance is identical to that of its big brother, XTR Di2, giving a minimum of several hundred kilometres of power under heavy usage (e.g. lots of shifting over three chainrings plus control of ancillary devices). The visual LED display indicates battery charge and the LED screen shuts off after a few seconds of inactivity to save battery life. If you do find yourself running low, charging the battery takes around 90 minutes and internal batteries work on a simple plug and play operation so can be easily swapped.

Upwards compatibility

Shimano’s XTR M9050 mountain bike groupset can be updated to incorporate the new wireless function with a new display (SCM9051), battery (BT-DN110) and battery mount (BM-DN100).

Prices

Currently we have no information about the pricing of the new Shimano DEORE XT M8050 parts.

For more news visit Shimano Europe’s news pages at cycle.shimano-eu.com

Words and photos: Shimano press release

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